The Master of Arts (Women's Studies) is a 72-unit program which incorporates the graduate program(s) available in Women's Studies.

The course is offered by the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences and can be taken by coursework or research and is offered only for students in the coursework stream.

Admission requirements

The Master of Arts (Women's Studies) requires the completion of a 72-unit program of study comprising the program for the Graduate Diploma in Gender and Development plus an additional 36 units and is normally be available to applicants who hold an approved degree or an equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution.

Advanced Entry (1 year) applicants may be eligible to complete a 36-unit program of study if they have successfully completed one of the following

  • an honours degree in Women's/Gender Studies
  • Graduate Diploma in Gender and Development, or an approved equivalent.

Credit may be granted, on application, for relevant work already completed in other approved programs.

The Faculty Board may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.

Course aims

The course is designed to develop an appreciation of the rich, diverse and rapidly growing field of Women's Studies; to extend students' critical understanding and practice within the boundaries of a discipline area; to develop the capacity to apply interdisciplinary approaches to Feminist Questions; and to develop the conceptual and analytical thinking, and the research and writing skills, necessary to complete a successful thesis.

Learning outcomes

Students successfully completing the course will be able to:

  •  identify and apply interdisciplinary approaches to Feminist Questions
  • analyse, evaluate and apply advanced theories of gender and feminism
  • identify limitations and strengths in existing scholarship on gender and feminism
  • use feminist epistemology to critically analyse gender within disciplinary boundaries
  • research issues in advanced Gender Studies and feminism independently
  • communicate complex ideas in speech and writing.

Program of study

To qualify for the Master of Arts (Women's Studies), a student must complete a 72-unit program with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the following program of study:

Students must complete the following 72-unit program:

  • 36 units according to the Graduate Diploma in Gender and Development Program of Study.
  • and one of the following two 36 unit streams as set out below. Students considering the Research Stream should consult with the Course Coordinator prior to enrolment.

Advanced Entry students must complete the following 36-unit program of study:

  • One of the following two 36 unit streams as set out below.

Coursework stream:

Independent, supervised study leading to a 13.5 - or 18-unit thesis plus 13.5 or 9 units of elective topics.

Stream - Coursework - Core topics

 WMST9017  MA Women's Studies 13.5 unit Thesis  (13.5 units) OR
 WMST9018  MA Women's Studies 18 unit Thesis  (18 units)

 Plus

 WMST9010  Thinking Through The Body: Feminist Questions  (4.5 units) AND
 DVST9023  Research Practice in Development Studies  (4.5 units) OR
 WMST9015  Women's Studies: Research Strategies  (4.5 units)

Stream - Coursework - Option topics*

Note: any topic completed as a part of the Graduate Diploma in Gender and Development may not be repeated.

DVST9031 Gender Analysis (4.5 units)
DVST9032 Gender Mainstreaming (4.5 units)
INTR9062 Contemporary Issues in Gender and International Development (4.5 units)
POAD9026 Management in Non-Government Organisations (4.5 units)
POAD9135 Project Management (4.5 units)
WMST7017 Women's Studies Reading Topic (4.5 units)
WMST7019 Sexualities: Politics and Theories (4.5 units)
WMST7021 Feminist Political Perspectives: the Challenge to Political Theory (4.5 units)
WMST7022 Media and Cultural Identities: Representing Relations of Power (4.5 units) 
WMST7029 The Personal is political: exploring the government  of conjugality  (4.5 units)
WMST7032 Performing Masculinities: Australian Histories of Contest and Change (4.5 units)
WMST8005 Indigenous Women's Voices: Negotiating Differences (4.5 units)
WMST8007 A Walk on the Wild Side: Gender and International Politics (4.5 units)
WMST8008 Engendering Justice, Rights, and Representation: Gender, State and Citizenship (4.5 units)
WMST8010 Women in World Religions (4.5 units)
WMST8011 Memory and the Politics of Difference: Gender, Race and Nations (4.5units)
WMST8020 Researching Women's Life Stories (4.5 units)
WMST9016 Critique and Construct in Feminist Knowledge (4.5 units)
WMST9019 The personal is political: governing conjugality (4.5 units)
WMST9021 Sex, Gender and the Law: Exploring feminist legal issues and law reform (4.5 units)

* Candidates should consult the postgraduate convener for the list of topics available in any one year.

Research Stream:  

Independent, supervised study leading to 27-unit thesis plus 9 units of core topics as set out below.

Stream - Research - Core topics

 WMST9027A  MA Women's Studies 27 unit Thesis (4.5/27 units)  
 WMST9027B  MA Women's Studies 27 unit Thesis (4.5/27 units)  
 WMST9027C  MA Women's Studies 27 unit Thesis (4.5/27 units)  
 WMST9027D  MA Women's Studies 27 unit Thesis (4.5/27 units)  
 WMST9027E  MA Women's Studies 27 unit Thesis (4.5/27 units)  
 WMST9027F  MA Women's Studies 27 unit Thesis (4.5/27 units)  

Plus

 WMST9010  Thinking Through The Body: Feminist Questions  (4.5 units)
 DVST9023  Research Practice in Development Studies  (4.5 units) OR
 WMST9015  Women's Studies: Research Strategies  (4.5 units)

 

Master of Arts (Women's Studies) [1 year]

Students must complete one of the two 36 unit streams as set out below:

Coursework stream:

Independent, supervised study comprising a 13.5-unit thesis plus 13.5 units of option topics or an 18 unit thesis plus 9 units of option topics.

Stream - Coursework - Core topics

WMST9017 MA Women's Studies 13.5 unit Thesis (13.5 units) OR
WMST9018 MA Women's Studies 18 unit Thesis (18 units)

Plus

WMST9010 Thinking Through The Body: Feminist Questions (4.5 units) AND either
DVST9023 Research Practice in Development Studies (4.5 units) OR
WMST9015 Women's Studies: Research Strategies (4.5 units)

Stream - Coursework - Option topics*

Note: any topic completed as a part of the Graduate Diploma in Gender and Development may not be repeated.

DVST9031 Gender Analysis (4.5 units)
DVST9032 Gender Mainstreaming (4.5 units)
INTR9062 Contemporary Issues in Gender and International Development (4.5 units)
POAD9026 Management in Non-Government Organisations (4.5 units)
POAD9135 Project Management (4.5 units)
WMST7017 Women's Studies Reading Topic (4.5 units)
WMST7019 Sexualities: Politics and Theories (4.5 units)
WMST7021 Feminist Political Perspectives: the Challenge to Political Theory (4.5 units)
WMST7022 Media and Cultural Identities: Representing Relations of Power (4.5 units) 
WMST7029 The Personal is political: exploring the government  of conjugality  (4.5 units)
WMST7032 Performing Masculinities: Australian Histories of Contest and Change (4.5 units)
WMST8005 Indigenous Women's Voices: Negotiating Differences (4.5 units)
WMST8007 A Walk on the Wild Side: Gender and International Politics (4.5 units)
WMST8008 Engendering Justice, Rights, and Representation: Gender, State and Citizenship (4.5 units)
WMST8010 Women in World Religions (4.5 units)
WMST8011 Memory and the Politics of Difference: Gender, Race and Nations (4.5units)
WMST8020 Researching Women's Life Stories (4.5 units)
WMST9016 Critique and Construct in Feminist Knowledge (4.5 units)
WMST9019 The personal is political: governing conjugality (4.5 units)
WMST9021 Sex, Gender and the Law: Exploring feminist legal issues and law reform (4.5 units)

* Candidates should consult the postgraduate convener for the list of topics available in any one year.

Research Stream:

Independent, supervised study comprising a 27 -unit thesis plus 9 units of core topics as set out below.

Stream - Research - Core topics

WMST9027A MA Women's Studies 27 unit Thesis (4.5/27 units)
WMST9027B MA Women's Studies 27 unit Thesis (4.5/27 units)
WMST9027C MA Women's Studies 27 unit Thesis (4.5/27 units)
WMST9027D MA Women's Studies 27 unit Thesis (4.5/27 units)
WMST9027E MA Women's Studies 27 unit Thesis (4.5/27 units)
WMST9027F MA Women's Studies 27 unit Thesis (4.5/27 units)

Plus

WMST9010 Thinking Through The Body: Feminist Questions (4.5 units) and either
DVST9023 Research Practice in Development Studies (4.5 units) OR
WMST9015 Women's Studies: Research Strategies (4.5 units)