Program Overview

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Undergraduate

Gender Studies

Examine thought-provoking issues around gender and sexuality in society today with a major in Gender Studies.

Course Details

Careers & further study

Fees & Scholarships

Admission requirements

How to apply

Contact us

Contact us

Address

Student Central

The University of Western Australia (M355), 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, Western Australia 6009

Telephone

131 UWA (131 892)

International

(+61 8)

Email

Ask UWA

Hours

8.30am - 5pm AWST, Monday - Friday

Frequently asked questions

Ask UWA

Careers and further study

This course opens up a world of future study pathways and career opportunities.

Career Pathways

You'll develop an understanding of issues and strategies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, making you highly employable in any industry. Popular careers paths include policy making, communication, education, human service provision and content creation.

Potential career opportunities include:

• Policy Makers
• Communicators
• Educators
• Human Service Providers
• Content Creators

Further Study

This major lays the foundation for further study options at honours and postgraduate level. Gender Studies is interdisciplinary, and so is compatible with a wide range of majors, from all other Arts majors focused on society, through to professional pathways majors in law, business, science or design. An appreciation of gender is relevant to all professional contexts because of the ways in which it shapes working life.

Fees and scholarships

Learn more about the fees that apply to you for this course. For fee type definitions and further assistance, see the Fee Calculator Help page. You can also search our database for scholarships that are relevant to you or this course.

Domestic Student Fees

There is no current fee information available for this course. Please visit the fee calculator to browse course fees from a previous year, or other courses.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.

Cost of living

There are a few things to consider before applying to study at university. One could be your cost of living. This can depend on factors such as lifestyle, accommodation, tuition fees, medical insurance, textbooks and more. For an indication of expenses and average costs, see our Cost of living page.

Admission requirements

The University of Western Australia welcomes applications from international and domestic school-leavers. If you’re interested in studying one of these majors, find out the admission details below.

Minimum entry requirements

Below you’ll find a list of admission equivalencies for this course's Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).

• All India Senior School Certificate (CBSE)
  • 9
• Canadian High School (except Quebec)
  • 68
• French Baccalaureate
  • 10
• Gao Kao (PR China NCEE)/750
  • 507
• GCE A-Levels
  • 8
• German Abitur
  • 3.6
• Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
  • 14
• Indian Senior School Certificate (CISCE)
  • 45
• Indonesian Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) - Pass of 65
  • 75.5
• International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)
  • 24
• Malaysian STPM
  • 10
• Monash University Foundation Year
  • 254
• NCUK Foundation Program
  • 8
• Norwegian Vitnemål
  • 3.5
• Singapore - Cambridge A Levels
  • 6.5
• South African National Senior Certificate
  • 4
• South Korean College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT)
  • 324
• Sweden Slutbetyg
  • 14.5
• Trinity College Foundation
  • 280
• Unified Examination Certificate (UEC)
  • 14
• University of Western Australia College (UWAC) Foundation Program
  • 61
• US College Board Advanced Placements
  • 7
• US College Board SAT
  • 1130
• Western Australian Universities' Foundation Program (WAUFP)
  • 56
• Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) 2016 onwards
  • 75

English competency

English is the language of instruction and assessment at UWA and you will need to meet the English language requirements of the University to be eligible for a place.

Minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5, with no band less than 6.0.

How to apply

The application process to this course is different for the assured and graduate entry pathways, and for international and domestic applicants.

Refer to the below regarding application processes for each of the pathways. More information regarding admission requirements and prerequisites for each pathway can be found on the 'Admission Requirements' tab.

Domestic Pathways

• Domestic Assured Pathway/School Leaver Entry: Applications are lodged via TISC. Refer to TISC Online for current course codes and application deadlines.
• Domestic Graduate Entry: Applications are lodged via GEMSAS, which open and close in accordance with the GEMSAS timeline. All domestic applicants must submit a valid GAMSAT score by the application closing date.

International Pathways

• International Assured Pathway/School Leaver Entry: Applications are lodged via UWA's online application system or via an authorised international education agent.
• International Graduate Entry: Applications are lodged via UWA's online application system or via an authorised international education agent.

Course details

We are in the midst of a new wave of interest in gender, as evidenced through popular cultural phenomena such as #metoo, and public debates and policy challenges about social issues such as political representation, sexual and family violence, transgender rights, or radicalisation. Gender Studies equips you with highly relevant skills and knowledge that can be applied across multiple domains.

About the course

This major traces histories, theories and experiences of gender and its intersections with race, class and sexuality. It explores the everyday practices, institutions and cultural texts of students’ gendered lives, investigates the social and cultural legacies that inform contemporary lived experience, and serves as a reminder of the forms of dominant thinking and dissent on sexuality and identity in the past.

The major is grounded in interdisciplinary methodologies and equips students with the analytical, communication, and advocacy skills to foster equity, diversity and inclusion in any context. It also emphasises skills in collaboration, leadership, group dynamics, and literacy in screen, print and digital cultures. The Gender Studies major draws on knowledge and perspectives from a range of disciplines including anatomy and human biology; anthropology; art history; biomedical science; classics and ancient history; English; history; Indigenous knowledge, history and heritage; law; music; political science and international relations; and work and employment relations.

Globally, industries are addressing gender inequalities and this requires important decisions and contributions to be made by knowledgeable individuals. With equity and diversity at the forefront of many organisational policies, a major in Gender Studies is a valuable addition to any degree as it is grounded in the ethics of equity, diversity and social justice.

Quick details

• Status: Available
• Locations: Perth (Crawley campus)
• Attendance: Full-time, Part-time
• Delivery: On-campus
• Starting dates: Semester 1, Semester 2
• Level of study: Undergraduate
• Course Code: MJD-GNWST
• Full time/part time duration: 3 years (BA); 4 years (BPhil [Hons])

Why study this course?

• Develop unique and career-ready skills in social-systems thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and complex problem solving
• Learn to recognise and address systemic inequality or the use of power as domination
• Improve awareness of self and others, and increase your capacity to negotiate differences

You'll learn to

• demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of gender and its theorisation
• explore the continuing relevance of linking gender theory to practice, including through work integrated learning opportunities
• develop unique and career-ready skills in social-systems thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration and complex problem solving

Your degree options

This major is offered as a degree-specific, or first, major for these degrees. It is also offered as a second major in our other bachelor's degrees.

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Philosophy

Course structure

Our undergraduate degrees offers you a broad range of options allowing you to combine subjects in a way that matches your career goals and personal interests.

Popular combinations

• Communication and Media Studies
• Law and Society
• Political Science and International Relations

Level 1

Core

• Take all units (6 points):
  • GEND1901 Beyond 'Gender Wars' (6)

Option

• Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
  • ENGL1902 Reading Bodies (6)
  • HART1003 Ways of Seeing: Themes and Theories in Art (6)
  • IMED1108 Issues in Women's Health Across the Lifespan (6)
  • INDG1150 Aboriginal Encounters: Strangers in our Backyard (6)
  • INDG1160 Boodjar Moort Katitjin: Introduction to Indigenous Heritage and Knowledge (6)
  • MUSC1351 Women in Music (6)

Level 2

Core

• You must take one of these as a core unit but you are welcome to take the other as an option.
  • GEND2902 Masculinity, Nostalgia and Change (6)
  • GEND2903 Sex, Gender, Technology and Science (6)

Option

• Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
  • ANHB2215 Biological Anthropology: Human Adaptation and Variation (6)
  • ANTH2405 Sex, Gender and Social Life (6)
  • ENGL2200 Jane Austen and her Legacy (6)
  • GEND2902 Masculinity, Nostalgia and Change (6)
  • GEND2903 Sex, Gender, Technology and Science (6)
  • HIST2008 White Supremacy (6)
  • HIST2013 Medieval and Early Modern Women (6)
  • IMED2208 Issues in Women's Reproductive Health (6)

Level 3

Core

• Take all units (6 points):
  • GEND3901 Feminist Thought (6)

Option

• Take units to the value of 12 points:
  • ANHB3315 Human Evolutionary Ecology (6)
  • ASIA3004 Gender and Power in Asia (6)
  • CLAN3011 Sex, Gender, and the Body in the Greco-Roman World (6)
  • EMPL3208 Managing Diversity (6)
  • GEND3904 Queer Theory (6)
  • IMED3301 Issues in Women's Health Research (6)
  • LAWS3330 Gender and the Law (6)
  • POLS3204 The Politics of Gender (6)
  • POLS3335 Social Movements and the Politics of Change (6)