MSc Development Studies (Gender) drafted
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-10-10 | - |
| 2024-01-16 | - |
| 2024-04-24 | - |
Program Overview
MSc Development Studies (Gender) applicants apply for the
MSc Development Studies programme
but can decide to follow the Gender Pathway upon arrival by choosing the combination of modules required for this pathway.We welcome applications from those who have worked in a broad field of development, but also from students without relevant work experience who can demonstrate a strong interest in, and understanding of, development issues in Gender.
Students taking the Gender Pathway will develop a specialist understanding of Development Studies in the context of Gender. SOAS' recognised strengths in this area, including the establishment of the
SOAS Centre for Gender Studies
, makes this a unique and exciting opportunity for those interested in development and gender.Students on this programme are encouraged to write their dissertation on a Gender topic of their choice. This will enable them to reflect on their learning throughout their studies and apply this to a Gender-related topic.
Part-time study
Students can take this programme part-time over 2 or 3 years. Students usually complete their core modules in Year 1 and their option modules and dissertation in subsequent years.
Why study MSc Development Studies (Gender) at SOAS?
We are ranked 2nd in the world for Development Studies (QS World University Rankings 2023).
You will have the opportunity to take work placements as part of your degree, and we offer internships in the department and in partner organisations. This year MSc students were offered placements in the
International Organisation for Migration
, theLondon International Development Centre
and international NGOs.Get a placement in a partner organisation working in international development with our new International Development Placement module - available as in-person and virtual options.
Our academic staff create an intellectually stimulating and challenging space across the many branches of international development and humanitarianism that make up Development Studies. All modules engage with questions of climate crisis, recognising its impact and interaction with processes of inequality and change.
Our staff specialise in a range of thematic areas including sustainability and climate change, migration and displacement, conflict, humanitarian action, labour, political ecology, and aid and institutions.
Combined with exceptional resources and our interdisciplinary approach, we offer a unique learning and research opportunity for our diverse and vibrant student community.
The MSc programme’s emphasis on transferable analytical skills has been of great benefit to the many graduates who have returned to, or taken up, professional careers in development in international organisations, government agencies and non-government organisations. Students also benefit from the wide range of modules on offer, both within the Department and across the School, allowing them to create individualised interdisciplinary programmes.
Program Outline
Students must take
180 credits per year
comprised of120 taught credits
(including core, compulsory and optional modules) and a 60 credit dissertation.
Core modules:
A core module is required for the degree programme, so must always be taken and passed before you move on to the next year of your programme.Compulsory modules:
A compulsory module is required for the degree programme, so must always be taken, and if necessary can be passed by re-taking it alongside the next year of your programme.Optional modules:
These are designed to help students design their own intellectual journey while maintaining a strong grasp of the fundamentals.
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 and Compulsory modules
Please note that if the module 'Feminist Political Economy and Global Development 15PDSH073'
is not running in a particular year, students may instead select a module to the value of 15 credits from the list of Gender Studies options below.
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Theory, policy and practice of development |
30 |
|
Political Economy of Development |
30 |
|
Feminist Political Economy and Global Development |
15 |
|
Gender and Development |
15 |
Optional modules
Choose module(s) to the total value of 30 credits from:
open option modules
to the value of 30 credits from another departmentList of Development Studies modules (subject to availability)
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Civil society, social movements and the development process |
15 |
|
Development Practice |
15 |
|
Fundamentals of research methods for Development Studies |
15 |
|
War to Peace Transitions |
15 |
|
Problems of Development in the Middle East and North Africa |
15 |
|
Global Commodity Chains, Production Networks and Informal Work |
15 |
|
Agrarian Development, Food Policy and Rural Poverty |
15 |
|
Aid and Development |
15 |
|
Migration and Policy |
15 |
|
Labour, Activism and Global Development |
15 |
|
Water Justice: Rights, Access and Movements (Development Studies) |
15 |
|
Water and Development: Commodification, Ecology and Globalisation (Development Studies) |
15 |
|
Global Health and Development |
15 |
|
Cities and Development |
15 |
|
International Development Placement |
15 |
Gender Studies optional modules
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Gender, Protest, and Revolution in the Middle East |
15 |
|
Gender and the Law of Peace |
15 |
|
Queering Migrations and Diasporas |
15 |
|
Queer Politics in Asia, Africa and the Middle East |
15 |
|
Transnationalising Queer, Trans and Disability Studies |
15 |
Dissertation
All students enrol in the dissertation module.
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Dissertation in Development Studies |
60 |
Our teaching and learning approach is designed to support and encourage students in their own process of self-learning, and to develop their own ideas, responses and critique of international development practice and policy.
We do this through a mixture of lectures, and more student-centred learning approaches (including tutorials and seminars). Teaching combines innovative use of audio-visual materials, practical exercises, group discussions, and weekly guided reading and discussions, as well as conventional lecturing.
Dissertation
In addition to the taught part of the masters programme, all students will write a 10,000 word dissertation. Students develop their research topic under the guidance and supervision of an academic member of the Department. Students are encouraged to explore a particular body of theory or an academic debate relevant to their programme through a focus on a particular region.
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.
SOAS Library
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.More information is on the page for each module.
A postgraduate degree from the Department of Development Studies at SOAS will further develop your understanding of the world, other peoples’ ways of life and how society is organised, with an emphasis on transferable analytical skill.
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