Gender and Sexuality (MA) (2024 Entry)
Explore our Gender and Sexuality taught Master's degree.
Our MA in Gender and Sexuality enables you to gain confidence and critical literacy in feminist, queer and trans knowledge production, theories, epistemologies and methodologies. Drawing expertise from across the University, this programme employs innovative learning and assessment approaches inspired by feminist and queer pedagogies.
Course overview
This inclusive, interdisciplinary, and intersectional MA in Gender and Sexuality enables you to gain confidence and critical literacy in feminist, queer and trans knowledge production, theories, epistemologies and methodologies. The programme draws on expertise from across the University and uses innovative learning and assessment approaches inspired by feminist and queer pedagogies. As co-producers of knowledge, students on this MA are encouraged and supported to participate actively in the research life of the Department of Sociology and the Centre for the Study of Women and Gender.
Skills from this degree
You will be encouraged and supported to go beyond familiar histories of gender and sexuality studies. You will be invited to think about the field in new ways, exploring interdisciplinary and intersectional connections and complexities of contemporary gendered lives. This will help you engage intellectually, practically, and ethically with the complex, contested and ever-changing landscape of gender and sexuality across the world.
Upon completion of the course, you will:
- Demonstrate in-depth specialist knowledge of concepts and theories relevant to the study of gender and sexuality;
- Demonstrate an advanced understanding of topics and methods applicable to your area of specific interest within the study of gender and sexuality;
- Develop professional and collaborative relationships with others;
- Formulate ideas and hypotheses and develop means through which to evaluate these;
- Evaluate critically current issues and research in the study of gender and sexuality.
General entry requirements
Minimum requirements
2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.
English language requirements
You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:
- Band B
- IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.
International qualifications
We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.
For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.
Additional requirements
Read our departmental advice on applying to ensure your application has the best chance for success.
Core modules
Required Core Modules
Feminist and Queer Thinking: Contemporary Challenges
This module engages with challenges for feminist and queer knowledge production that are emerging at present, across various contexts. It considers both challenges within knowledge production itself (e.g., methodological/ethical challenges when conducting research; the challenges to our thinking posed by new feminist and queer theories/turns) and challenges that feminist and queer scholars are facing more broadly (e.g., challenges posed by anti-gender mobilisations, or other social and political developments). As it engages with each challenge, the module connects theory, ethics and praxis, inviting you to reflect on the intellectual context of the challenge, consider the ethical implications of it, and workshop practical strategies to engage with it. This team-taught module draws on the diverse research expertise of academics affiliated with Centre for the Study of Women and Gender.
Feminist Theories and Epistemologies: Debates and Dilemmas
This module introduces debates in feminist theories and epistemologies. It is different from conventional modules on theory and epistemology, which often cover ‘key authors’ or theories chronologically. As we will see, one crucial intervention that feminist scholars have made has been precisely to question this approach to understanding theory. Instead, we will zoom in on debates and dilemmas that have challenged feminist scholarship and we will examine their complexities and contradictions. In this way, we will involve students in the active process of thinking through feminist debates and dilemmas, framing the classroom as a space of collective knowledge production, rather than passive learning of the history of problems already theorised and resolved by others. This team-taught module draws on the diverse research expertise of academics affiliated with Centre for the Study of Women and Gender.
One module on Research Methods
You will take at least one module in research methods. You can choose one (or more) from the following list:
- Qualitative Methods in Social Research
- Quantitative Methods in Social Research
- Understanding Social Science
- Researching Inequality: Race, Class, Gender in Global Perspective
Dissertation (Year One full-time and Year Two part-time)
The dissertation module gives you the opportunity to complete an independent piece of research on a topic of your own choice with the support of your dissertation supervisor. The aim is for you to creatively use the substantive and methodological training acquired in the earlier part of your course to critically analyse a research topic of relevance to gender and sexuality studies.
Optional modules
You will choose three optional modules. Up to two of those modules can be modules offered by other departments at Warwick.
Optional modules vary from year to year. Example optional modules offered within the Department of Sociology include:
- Gender, Imperialism and International Development
- Gender Analysis and Development Practice
- Feminist Pedagogy/Feminist Activism
- Queering Sociology
- Indigenous and Global South Feminisms
- Social Data Science
- Market Life: Wealth and Poverty in Global Capitalism
- Social Research for Social Change
- Postcolonial Theory and Practice
- Transnational Media Ecologies
- Key Problems in Criminal Justice
- Creative Research Methods
- Ethnography and the Anthropological Tradition
- Sociology of End Times
- Politics and Social Theory
- Capitalism, State and Market
- State of the Art of Sociology
- The Sociology of Work
- Religion and the Planetary Crises
Teaching
Each of our MA courses has specified core modules which will be studied alongside a range of optional modules. All our MA courses follow a consistent structure meaning that you will follow a programme of taught modules, followed by a 15,000-word dissertation.
Class sizes
Class sizes can range from 6 to 30 students, dependent on each module.
Typical contact hours
Each module consists of at least 20 hours of teaching. Many modules are taught in 2 hour seminars of 10-15 students. Others follow a 1 hour lecture and 1 hour class format. You will also have a supervisor for your dissertation, who you will meet regularly to support this independent research project.
Assessment
Taught modules are assessed through essays and other types of assignment. You will focus on your 15,000 word dissertation after the end of Spring Term.
Your timetable
Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.
Your career
Graduates from our courses have gone on to work for employers including universities, NGOs and the charity sector, international agencies, arts organisations or the civil service. They have worked in areas such as teaching and lecturing; data analysis and research; campaigns and activism; aid and development; publishing and the media; law; social work; social policy; arts and culture; HR, consultancy and business.
Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:
- Make Your Mark - Careers with a degree in Sociology
- Working for More than Profit
- Warwick careers fairs throughout the year
- Your Sociological future: Sociology Alumni Evening
- My Sociological Future- What next? Career planning for undecided Sociology finalists
Sociology at Warwick
We have an international reputation for research excellence, a global and cosmopolitan perspective, and high-quality teaching. Our curriculum offers a comprehensive and up-to-date foundation with a diverse range of specialist options.
What does it mean to understand the world in which you live? What will your contribution be to this changing world? How do your own experiences and life chances compare to those of others?
Sociology – the study of humans in society – attempts to capture the rich variety and complexity of human social life. Indeed, it is difficult to think of any area of social existence that a sociologist wouldn’t be interested in examining, from the most intimate of personal relationships to the worldwide circulation of ideas, beliefs, products and people.
Find out more about us on our website.Link opens in a new window
Centre for the Study of Women and Gender
This MA programme is supported by CSWG, an interdisciplinary research centre hosted by the Department of Sociology. CSWG provides a focus for research and teaching on women and gender across the University of Warwick. It offers a vibrant programme of academic, artistic and activist events which bring together staff and students from different disciplines. There is funding available at CSWG to support MA students who wish to work with others to organise academic and social activities on their areas of interest.
Find out more about CSWG on our websiteLink opens in a new window.
Our Postgraduate courses
Tuition fees
Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.
Fee Status Guidance
The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.
If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.
The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides guidance to UK universities on fees status criteria, you can find the latest guidance on the impact of Brexit on fees and student support on the UKCISA website.
Additional course costs
Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:
- Core text books
- Printer credits
- Dissertation binding
- Robe hire for your degree ceremony
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships and financial support
Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.
Sociology Funding Opportunities
Find out more about the various funding opportunities that are available in our department.
Living costs
Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.
Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.
How to apply
The application process for courses that start in September and October 2024 will open on 2 October 2023.
Applications will close on 2 August 2024 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.
How to apply for a postgraduate taught course
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Admissions statement
See Warwick’s postgraduate admissions policy.
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Warwick Hosted EventsLink opens in a new window
Our hosted events run throughout the year, with a mixture of virtual and in-person sessions. These events are a great way to learn more about our courses and departments, chat to current students and staff, and find out more information about accommodation, careers, and how to apply.Postgraduate Fairs
Throughout the year we attend exhibitions and fairs online and in-person around the UK. These events give you the chance to explore our range of postgraduate courses, and find out what it’s like studying at Warwick. You’ll also be able to speak directly with our student recruitment team, who will be able to help answer your questions.
Live chats
Join a live chat with our staff and students, who are here to answer your questions and help you learn more about postgraduate life at Warwick. You can join our general drop-in sessions or talk to your prospective department and student services.
Warwick Talk and Tours
A Warwick talk and tour lasts around two hours and consists of an overview presentation from one of our Recruitment Officers covering the key features, facilities and activities that make Warwick a leading institution. The talk is followed by a campus tour which is the perfect way to view campus, with a current student guiding you around the key areas on campus.