Centre for Gender Studies

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Start date
Duration
1 year
Attendance mode
Full-time or part-time
Location
On Campus
Fees

Home: £12,710
International: £26,330

Course code
PGTF0044
Entry requirements

We will consider all applications with 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application such as supporting statement. References are optional, but can help build a stronger application if you fall below the 2:2 requirement or have non-traditional qualifications.

 

See international entry requirements and English language requirements

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The MA Transnational Queer Feminist Politics (Middle East Pathway) at SOAS is a unique programme, its principal aim being to re-focus issues prioritised in western Gender Studies and Queer Studies on the complex specificities of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. 

The programme offers the specialised study of gender and sexuality in relation to the cultures of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, together with rigorous training in, and questioning of, contemporary gender and queer 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. 

This pathway will apply the theoretical and methodological frameworks described above to the study of the Middle East. Core modules examine how gender and sexuality are lived and negotiated in the Middle East, with a particular emphasis on the ways in which people in or from the region grapple with how to live a non- or anti-normative life. Importantly, it approaches the Middle East as a transnational rather than bounded space – one to which and from which discourses, people and commodities move – and thinks through what this might mean for the study of gender and sexuality in the region.  

In terms of gender and queer 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 Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS.  

Gender Studies is widely regarded by a range of employers as an excellent training, equipping holders of the degree with a range of relevant employable skills. The Transnational Queer Feminist Politics with special reference to the Middle East at SOAS aims to cater 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 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 sexuality 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.

Why study MA Transnational Queer Feminist Politics (Middle East) at SOAS?

  • specialised research training in Gender Studies, in addition to focused study of sexuality as well as gender and sexual diversity. 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 issues raised by appreciation of the relationship between gender and sexuality in various legal and political contexts
  • 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 emergent and contemporary study of sexuality in cross-cultural contexts.

For more information email: genderstudies@soas.ac.uk

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The MA Transnational Queer Feminist Politics ME pathway consists of one calendar year (full-time), or two or three years (part-time, daytime only). 

Students must take 180 credits comprised of 120 taught credits (including core and option modules) and a 60 credit dissertation. 

Important notice

The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes. 

However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.

Core

Compulsory

Guided options - List A

15 credits from List A

Guided options - List C

Up to 60 credits from List B/C or Open options

Guided options - List B

Up to 60 credits from List B/C or Open options

Open options

Students can take a maximum of 60 credits from the School-wide open options list, including languages.

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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.

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

Each taught modules 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, 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.

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Title Deadline date
Felix Scholarships

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Graduates leave SOAS with an enhanced knowledge of gender and sexuality 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 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.