LLM in Law and Gender

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

The development of this LLM specialisation will capitalise on the Centre for Gender Studies as a multi-faculty centre from 2012, allowing students to engage with contemporary gender theories alongside existing PG Law modules that engage issues in gender and women's rights.

Students are required to take a core module in Feminist Legal Theory, alongside units on the human rights of women, gender and migration and gender and armed conflict.

Students combine the study of units specifically focused on gender and/or women's rights with the modules from the large list of law options available to LLM students at SOAS, allowing the student to tailor their programme to suit future goals.

In taking this module, students should hope to develop an understanding of the role of gender as a tool for analysis and critical analytical skills in feminist legal methods.

Students will also study the work of gender experts in contemporary institutions and situate contemporary legal reforms on women's rights and gender perspectives within feminist histories, while analysing the role of non-Western feminist actors and theories in leading future legal reform and gender perspectives.

LLM students are required to take:

Specialism Module List (at least 30 credits to be taken)

Non-Law Options

General Law Postgraduate Module List

An additional 30 credits must be taken from the School of Law General Postgraduate Taught Module List or the Specialism Module List above.

Postgraduate Open Option Modules

A final 30 credits must be taken from the SOAS Open Option Module list, or from the General Law Postgraduate Module List above or from the Specialism Module List.

Dissertation

Dissertation (12,000 words), on a topic related to the specialism of the degree

This is the structure for 2018/19 applicants

Disclaimer

Teaching & Learning

Contact Hours

All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

More information is on the page for each module.

Knowledge & Understanding

• Students will acquire specialist knowledge of gender theory and its interaction with law and legal theory.
• This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, knowledge and understanding of the following:
  1. the theoretical and practical underpinnings of gender;
  2. the context in which law is made, interpreted, adjudicated, and amended;
  3. the role played by law and gender in different social and economic environments;
  4. the role and function of legal institutions with regards to gender
  5. the weight and significance of different sources and methodologies.
• Students will develop knowledge of how to locate relevant materials and assess their relevance and/or importance.

Intellectual (thinking) Skills

• Students should develop rigor in analysis and assessment of legal arguments.
• Students should develop the ability to understand, summarise and critically assess differing perspectives on theoretical debates.
• Students should develop independence of thought and the confidence to challenge the accepted wisdom.
• Students should learn to identify issues and formulate questions for further research through independent work.
• Students will be encouraged to bring to bear their own previous experience and knowledge in addressing legal issues in an interdisciplinary manner. 

Subject-based Practical Skills

The programme will help students develop the ability to:

• Write clear research essays and dissertations.
• Research in a variety of specialized research libraries and institutes and online, and retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources.
• Present seminar papers and defend the arguments therein.
• Discuss ideas introduced during seminars.
• Develop essay and dissertation research questions.
• Read legal source materials rapidly and critically.
• Present legal arguments in moots and debates. 

Transferable Skills

The programme will enable students to:

• Communicate effectively in writing.
• Structure and communicate ideas and arguments effectively both orally and in writing.
• Read and comprehend significant quantities of reading rapidly and effectively and develop critical faculties.
• Find and use a variety of written and digital materials, especially legal materials, in libraries and research institutes.
• Present (non – assessed) material orally.
• Develop teamwork skills.

Tuition Fees

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

This is a Band 5 tuition fee.

Fees for 2018/19 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. 

Scholarships

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

• How to Apply
• Online Application
• Request a prospectus
• Got a question - use our enquiry form (opens a new window)
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts