Programme Description

The MA in Women's Studies is a one-year programme. The course is intended to provide students with an internationally recognised academic qualification, research skills, and an interdisciplinary knowledge base with regards to feminist and queer theory, the position of women in society, gender and representation, the politics of gender, migration, diaspora and multiculture, women in work and management, and women´s history. A central focus of the course will also be to enable students to develop skills in research methods and academic writing.
The MA in Women's Studies will be of professional benefit to individuals in the fields of education, media, personnel management, community care, social work and other fields in which a knowledge of gender and equality issues is increasingly an advantage within a national and international context. Some of MA in Women´s Studies go on to do a PhD.
Prospective students also include graduates who have interrupted their working lives for family reasons and who would like to return to work or study; those who have a career history one area and are thinking of a change, and those who are in areas where a knowledge of women's studies would enhance their work.

To facilitate students in gaining an in-depth knowledge of

* how gender relations have operated in the past and the present
* the ways in which the categories 'women' and 'men' are differentiated, for example, via notions of masculinity and femininity
* representations of women's lives and experiences in the areas of literature, media and organisations
* feminist research and theory
* gender, inequalities and multiculturalisms

To facilitate learning and personal educational development by offering a range of teaching and assessment approaches and tutorial support
To provide a sound basis for moving from an academic setting into different areas of the labour force by helping students to identity the transferable skills gained during the MA programme.

The programme is intended primarily for graduates who plan careers in the media, research, policy development and education. It will also be of particular interest to personnel managers, equality officers, trade unionists, community care workers, social workers, and teachers.