Gender and Development, Women's Studies

Overview

Australia’s only master’s course in women’s studies, Flinders’ Master of Arts (Women’s Studies) will help you develop the skills and knowledge to think critically on issues of gender and its intersections with sexuality, class, and racial differences. To gain perspective. To create change.

To help tell the stories and ensure they are heard.

Offered both in-person and online, Flinders Women’s studies explores the importance of the concepts and constructs surrounding gender and society. Why so many think the way they do. How societies developed upon gender-orientated lines, and why it’s more important than ever to question taken-for-granted assumptions to build a more balanced, inclusive and just future.

It explores feminist politics and different types of feminism, women’s empowerment, human rights, indigenous knowledges, LGBTIQ issues - intersectional approaches help us understand who we are, and how we can better advocate for those whose experience is different to ours.

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Courses

Graduate Certificate in Gender Mainstreaming Policy and Analysis

Duration: 1 year

Delivery mode:
In person
Online

Location:
Bedford Park

Availability: Part-time

Start dates:
March
July

SATAC code: 2GC033

Annual indicative fees (2023):
$13,765 (Full fee paying)

Further information on fees listed

Master of Arts (Women's and Gender Studies)

Duration: 2 years

Delivery mode:
In person
Online

Location:
Bedford Park

Availability:
Full-time
Part-time

Start dates:
March
July

SATAC code:
2CM270

Annual indicative fees (2023):
$24,366 (Full fee paying)

Further information on fees listed

Think deeper

To say that the world is changing is more than cliché.
We are living in one of the most volatile periods of human history.
The question of rights and of gender injustices that need to be addressed are more urgent than ever.

We see the sparks in our news feeds.
We feel the pressures and reverberations in social media forums.
We hear the stories that need to be heard to further a global sense of social justice.
We see the challenges in our workplaces and public lives.

Your career

Develop a career around improving people’s understanding of women’s and gender issues, and help create systemic and structural change across a range of industries and organisations. Career opportunities exist in government departments and non-government organisations, the arts, advocacy and human rights agencies, education, consultancies, media outlets and private industry.

Flinders is SA’s #1 Uni in Humanities, Culture & Social Sciences for full-time employment and median salary for postgraduate students.* We have strong connections to industry and long experience in preparing graduates for rewarding, meaningful careers.

The need for greater awareness of women’s and gender issues will continue to drive demand for skilled professionals, and Flinders’ Master of Arts, Women’s Studies will help you take the next step in your career.

*The Good Universities Guide 2021 (postgraduate), public SA-founded universities only

Potential occupations include:

Gender mainstreaming specialist
Women’s project coordinator
Fundraising program officer
International development officer
Human rights advocate
Women's rights advocate
Writer
Media creator
Women's services worker

Potential employers include:

Government departments
Non-government organisations
International development consultancies
Organisations and private sector industries with a gender equality or equal opportunity policy and strategy
Media outlets
Schools and universities

Teaching Staff

Associate Professor Barbara Baird

“Plotting the demise of oppression and injustice can change your life, and those around you.”

Barbara Baird identifies as an activist academic. She has taught Women’s & Gender Studies in South Australia and Tasmania. Her research has focused on histories of abortion and maternity and the politics of sexuality. She is committed to community engagement and, with others from Flinders University and beyond, is leading the South Australian campaign to decriminalise abortion. She acknowledges the sovereignty of the Kaurna people on whose land she lives, works and dreams of a positive future for the planet.

Associate Professor Baird’s research investigates the histories and cultural politics of sexuality and reproduction in C20th and C21st Australia, and the shaping of these by the politics of race and national identity. She is particularly interested in abortion and LGBTIQ politics.

Dr Laura Roberts

Laura Roberts received her PhD in Philosophy from The University of Queensland, Australia where she taught philosophy and gender studies before taking up a position as Lecturer in Women’s and Gender at Flinders University in 2020.

Laura’s teaching interests in gender studies include intersections with philosophy, political activism and film. Her research interests include feminist and post/decolonial philosophy, contemporary social movements and, more recently, feminist philosophies of technology. Laura has published in these areas and her monograph Irigaray and Politics: A Critical Introduction (published by Edinburgh University Press) was published in June 2019.

"

From the theoretical and the practical topics that were taught in the course I have learnt how to apply intersectional feminist frameworks to examine the intertwining issues related to equality and women’s rights that affect community and country. By studying experiences and theories from different continents and countries across the globe, we not only have access to the best practices but also the valuable lessons that many feminist movements and initiatives have learned; thus with this knowledge and skills, I feel very confident to go back to my country and contribute to building a concrete platform for my community’s development

Hoang Minh Son Le Master of Arts (Women's studies)

What you will study

The Master of Arts (Women’s Studies) offers a combination of coursework and a minor thesis. Topics cover areas such as feminist questions, gender and international development, Indigenous women, and media analysis.

View study program

Graduate Certificate in Gender Mainstreaming Policy and Analysis

Master of Arts (Women's and Gender Studies)

Entry requirements

Graduate certificate and Masters applicants must normally hold an approved bachelor degree or equivalent qualification from an approved, recognised tertiary institution.

How to apply

Select your preferred course.

Check entry requirements.

Check individual course entries on SATAC for information on important dates.

Apply online at SATAC.

Entry requirements

Graduate Certificate and Diploma

Graduate certificate applicants must normally hold an approved bachelor degree or equivalent qualification from an approved, recognised tertiary institution.

Masters

Masters has two levels of entry into the program. A two-year, 72-unit program is available to applicants with an approved bachelor degree. The one-year program offers a 36-unit program to applicants who have completed one of the following: an honours degree in women’s/ gender studies, a four-year bachelor degree in women’s/gender studies, a Graduate Diploma in Gender and Development, or an approved equivalent.

English language requirements