Overview and entry requirements

The MA Gender Studies and Law at SOAS is a unique programme, its principal aim being to re-focus issues prioritised in western Gender Studies and Legal Theory on the complex specificities of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. Jointly housed by the Centre for Gender Studies and the School of Law, the programme offers the specialised study of gender and law in relation to the cultures of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, together with rigorous training in, and questioning of, contemporary gender theory. In terms of gender theory, it offers a solid foundation with sufficient breadth and depth to facilitate a range of specialist pathways. In terms of specialisation, it draws on the expertise of internationally recognised scholars of Asian, African and Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS.

The MA Gender Studies and Law at SOAS caters for students with a variety of backgrounds and objectives:

• those coming from Women’s Studies or Gender Studies who wish to engage more deeply with gender theory in relation to regional specialisation and to connect this with legal knowledge, especially, but not exclusively, the societies of Asia, Africa and the Middle East
• those coming from Asian, African or Middle Eastern  Studies who wish to incorporate the study of gender and law into their own areas of expertise
• those having previously trained in particular disciplines, such as Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, History, Politics, Religious Studies, Sociology, Refugee/Diaspora Studies etc.

See Centre for Gender Studies

Why study MA Gender Studies and Law at SOAS

• SOAS offers specialised research training in Gender Studies, in addition to focused study of feminist legal theories and a particular area of law. This pathway is suitable for students considering advanced postgraduate research in Gender Studies with a regional specialisation
• a broad MA programme for students with some background in Women’s Studies, Gender Studies, and Area Studies etc. who wish to enhance their knowledge of gender in relation to cross-cultural legal issues
• a special interest MA, which enables students to study gender issues in depth in relation to a particular regional or disciplinary specialisation alongside the acquisition of knowledge of feminist legal approaches and a study of a legal sub-discipline.

For further information email: na@soas.ac.uk 

Programme Code: PGTF0038/PGTP0057/PGTP0058

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

Email: na@soas.ac.uk

Introducing MA Gender Studies and Law

Course convenor Gina Heathcote outlines what students can expect who decide to join the MA Gender Studies and Law programme at SOAS.

Structure

Students take courses to the value of 120 credits and a dissertation worth 60 credits which amounts to the total 180 credits required to complete the degree programme.

All students take the Preliminary course in law, legal reasoning and legal methods. This is a compulsory component which runs as an intensive two-week course in September, prior to the start of term. 

All students take the compulsory core courses Gender Theory and the Study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Dissertation Methods for Gender Studies, and Gender Sexuality and Law: Theories and Methodologies. Further options include a wide range of gender and gender-related courses from a comprehensive list. Students also choose one Law option from the general MA in Law list (subject to course convenor approval).  

Upon completion of coursework and written examinations in May/June, students will write a 12,000 word dissertation based on material acquired from their courses.

Dissertation

Students must complete a Dissertation (10,000 words) in Gender Studies, which should be based on material acquired from their courses

Taught Component

Core Modules

Compulsory Module

AND

Choose a module(s) from the List 1 below to the value of 30 credits

AND

Choose a module(s) from the List 2 below to the value of 30 credits

Students may select 30 credits from SOAS online-learning modules. This is subject to approval from the programme convenor

List of Modules (subject to availability)

List 1

List 2

Programme Specification

• MA Gender Studies and Law Programme Specification 2018/19 (pdf; 227kb)

Important notice

Materials

Students will have access to a wealth of study resources available in the SOAS Library and in nearby institutions such as the British Library, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University College London Library and Senate House Library.

Teaching & Learning

Courses are taught by a combination of methods, principally lectures, tutorial classes, seminars and supervised individual study projects.

Each taught course has its own approved methods of assessment, designed to address the particular learning outcomes of that course. Assessment methods may include essays, weekly reaction papers, unseen, seen or take-home examinations, research projects, individual or group presentations, translations, learning journals, oral examinations etc., as appropriate.

Students are also required to attend regular seminars organised by the Centre for Gender Studies, details of which are included in the handbook and further details of which are advertised on the Centre’s website and notice board.

Learning resources

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Tuition fees

Fees for 2021/22 entrants, per academic year (Band 2 tuition fee) 

Fees go up each year, therefore your tuition fee in your second and subsequent years of study will be higher.

Our continuing students, on the same degree programme, are protected from annual increases higher than 5%.

Full details of postgraduate tuition fees can be found on the Registry's Postgraduate Tuition Fees page.

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

Employment

Graduates leave SOAS with an enhanced knowledge of gender and equality across cultures, as well as a wide range of transferable skills. Gender Studies is highly regarded by employers across many sectors, as increasingly, policy makers, businesses and governing structures understand the need to engage with gender and sexuality.

Recent Gender Studies graduates have been hired by:

• ActionAid
• Amnesty International
• Association for Women’s Rights in Development
• Commission for Gender Equality
• Euromet Feminist Initiative
• International Organization for Migration
• International Rescue Committee
• Raising Films
• The Children’s Society
• The Guardian

Find out about our Careers Service.

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