Gender Studies (BH-ARTS_SPEC_31)

Overview

Please be advised that the Gender Studies Specialisation does not accept applications for mid-year admission. Candidates can only commence in Semester 1.

Gender Studies considers the significance of gender and sexuality across a broad range of cultural contexts, identities and histories. The program analyses how gender intersects with crucial issues such as ageing, class, disability, ethnicity and globalisation. Subjects consider ideas about femininity, masculinity and sexuality through close engagement with an extensive variety of theorists, case studies and media. Gender Studies is transdisciplinary and draws on the diverse interests of specialists located throughout the Faculty. This enables its students to develop a unique combination of research skills drawn from both the Arts and Social Sciences.

The prerequisites for entry to fourth-year honours in Gender Studies are completion of all the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, completion of a major in Gender Studies and an average of at least H2A (75%) in second and third-year subjects within the major, or equivalent.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this specialisation, students should be able to:

Demonstrate a sound understanding of recent developments in feminist theory and practices
Understand the issues involved in debates about feminist knowledge
Develop an understanding of contemporary feminist debates about gender politics, self and subjectivity and the relationship of these debates to other areas of social inquiry.

Last updated: 13 January 2026

Structure

100 credit points

Students undertaking the pure honours stream complete:

GEND40006 Gender Studies Thesis Part 1, and GEND40007 Gender Studies Thesis Part 2 (50 points);
GEND40005 Gender Studies Research Methods (*see note below) (12.5 points);
three elective Gender Studies honours subjects (37.5 points);

Double major students may complete one of the following combined honours streams:

GEND40006 Gender Studies Thesis Part 1, and GEND40007 Gender Studies Thesis Part 2 (50 points);
GEND40005 Gender Studies Research Methods (*see note below) (12.5 points);
three honours subjects in the combining discipline (37.5 points)

thesis in the combining discipline (50 points);
research methodologies subject in the combining discipline (12.5 points);
three elective Gender Studies honours subjects (37.5 points)

Total 100 points

*Note: Students must undertake GEND40005 Gender Studies Research Methods in the first semester of their Gender Studies Thesis enrolment.

Please be advised that the Gender Studies Specialisation does not accept applications for mid-year admission. Candidates can only commence in Semester 1.

Subject Options

Compulsory subjects

Note: the thesis requires two consecutive semesters of enrolment.

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
GEND40005	Gender Studies Research Methods	February (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5
GEND40006	Gender Studies Thesis Part 1	Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)	25
GEND40007	Gender Studies Thesis Part 2	Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)	25

Elective subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
GEND40008	Queer Studies: Identities & Sexualities	March (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5
GEND40009	Feminist Science and Technology Studies	July (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5
GEND90016	Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective	Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5
ANCW40015	Gender and Sexuality in Greece and Rome	Not available in 2026	12.5
SOTH40001	Emotions in Society	July (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5

Links

http://arts.unimelb.edu.au/interdisciplinary-programs/gender-studies

Last updated: 13 January 2026

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Gender Studies

Contact information

Coordinator