Overview

Gender Studies offers you perspectives on how gender shapes knowledge, social institutions and everyday experience. 

Gender Studies has transformed the study of social life across the humanities and social sciences. Its interdisciplinary focus on sex, gender and sexuality draws on and influences Literary Studies, Philosophy, History, and Sociology, while providing a crucial foundation for disciplines such as Film, Media, and Communication Studies as well as more policy-oriented fields. Because gender is central to human experience and social relations, studying Gender Studies gives you the tools to understand the world around us and engage with questions and approaches across a wide range of disciplinary concerns.

A major in Gender Studies equips you with critical insight and flexible interdisciplinary research, analytical and writing skills that complement degrees in Arts and Social Sciences, as well as fields such as Law, Psychology, Education, Nursing and Medicine. It can prepare you for further research and support careers across a range of fields by developing your ability to understand questions of gender, sexuality, identity, diversity, and cultural difference. These are skills increasingly important in contemporary workplaces.

Through your studies, you will develope the ability to engage thoughtfully with contemporary cultural issues, communicate clearly and persuasively, and understand how identity, difference and power shape social life. You will also develop an understanding of cultural competence across different contexts, informed by ethical scholarly practices and approaches to critique.

Students particularly interested in cultural diversity can also pursue a minor in Diversity Studies, coordinated by the Discipline of Gender and Cultural Studies.  

Graduates with a major in Gender Studies go on to careers in which an understanding of gender and sexuality is valuable, including the government and NGO sectors, law, education, health, social work and roles in the culture, media and communications sector. 

Requirements for completion

The Gender Studies major and minor requirements are listed in the Gender Studies unit of study table.

Honours

The Honours program gives students an opportunity to refine their thinking to a very high degree, pursuing an independent research topic that will be of deep interest to them. The thesis is an extended piece of research on an approved topic of the student's choosing, and is written under the individual supervision of a member of staff who will be an active researcher in their own right. The thesis gives students the experience of formulating and conducting a substantial piece of independent research, working closely with a supervisor who helps to bring their reflections and research into sharper focus. It is thus a key means of demonstrating the attributes required for further study.

The Honours year consists of:

• 18,000 - 20,000 word thesis on a topic devised by the student in consultation with a supervisor appointed by the discipline;
• Participation in an Honours mini-conference where constructive peer review is given and received on a 20 minute thesis presentation;
• Completion of Arguing the Point (ATP), a unit which provides training in thesis research and writing and includes a series of practical research skills; and
• A seminar unit SOFH4001 Breakthroughs in the Humanities
• The final assessment involves 60 percent thesis and 40 percent coursework (20 percent GCST4200 + 20 percent SOFH4001).

Honours admission requirements

Admission to honours is via the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and requires the completion of a major in Gender Studies with an average of 70 percent or above.

Prior to commencing, you will need to ensure you have completed all other requirements of the Bachelor of Arts or other bachelor degree, including Open Learning Environment (OLE) units. 

Requirements and units of study for honours can be found on the Gender Studies honours units of study page.

Contacts and further information