Undergraduate

Gender Studies

Examine thought-provoking issues around gender and sexuality in society today with a major in Gender Studies.
3
Years Full Time
Course Details Careers & further study Fees & Scholarships Admission requirements How to apply Contact us
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Careers and further study

This major opens up a world of future study pathways and career options.

Career Pathways

Students cultivate skills in critical thinking around gender and sexuality which can be applied to many areas:

  • Community development
  • Human resource management
  • Human rights and equal opportunity
  • Law
  • Media and journalism
  • Policy planning
  • Politics
  • Research
  • Social work
  • Teaching and education
  • Women’s services
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Career Pathways

Students cultivate skills in critical thinking around gender and sexuality which can be applied to many areas:

  • Community development
  • Human resource management
  • Human rights and equal opportunity
  • Law
  • Media and journalism
  • Policy planning
  • Politics
  • Research
  • Social work
  • Teaching and education
  • Women’s services
This course could lead to these

Career Opportunities

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.

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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.

Postgraduate study at UWA

Master of International Development

Master of International Development

Engage with the contemporary challenges of addressing poverty and inequality globally, and engage with the complex challenges of international development.

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 Fees

Undergraduate – Commonwealth supported students

The Annual Fee is an estimate only based on a standard annual study load of 48 points.


For Commonwealth Supported Places, student contribution amounts are charged by unit. For an accurate fee estimate, go to the Fee Calculator and select “I want to price my units”.

For Full Fee Paying places, students are charged an annual course fee. Visit the Fee Calculator and select your course to see the annual and total course fees.

Course Credit Points
144
Average Annual Fee - 2021
$8,747.06
Typical Fee Range - 2021
$3,950.00 - $14,500.00

Eligible Commonwealth-supported students can use the HECS-HELP loan scheme to pay their tuition fees.

Fee calculator

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.

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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.

Cost of living

International Fees

Undergraduate – onshore students

Annual course fees are calculated based on a standard annual study load of 48 credit points.

Course Credit Points
144
Total Course Fee - 2020
$115,800.00
Total Course Fee - 2021
$120,300.00
Fee calculator

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.

Search Scholarships

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.

Cost of living

Admission requirements

The University of Western Australia welcomes applications from international and domestic school-leavers, mature-age applicants and those with previous tertiary study. If you’re interested in studying this major, find out the admission details below.

Admission requirements

For applicants with recent secondary education, information on admission criteria is available on our entry standards page.

Admission requirements

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.

English competency

How to apply

Ready to apply for this major? Follow the steps and you’ll be on your way to joining us at UWA.

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. 

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About the course

Gender Studies 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.

Gender Studies

Quick details

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

Quick details

Status
  • Available
Locations
Attendance
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
Delivery
  • On-campus
Starting dates
  • Semester 1, Semester 2
Level of study
  • Undergraduate
Course Code
  • MJS-GNWST
Full time/part time duration
  • 3 years (BA);4 years (BPhil [Hons])
Honours Available
  • Yes
Degrees course is available in
  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
Faculty
  • Humanities

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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

Course structure details

Level 1

Core

Take all units (6 points):

Option

Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Level 2

Core

You must take one of these as a core unit but you are welcome to take the other as an option.

Option

Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
Level 3

Core

Take all units (6 points):

Option

Take units to the value of 12 points:
Course structure details

You'll learn to

  • demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of feminist thought, its key shifts, major theorists and philosophical movements
  • articulate the complexities of gender as a socially constructed practice situated in time and place, and mediated by other subject positions like race, class, religion, and sexuality
  • contextualise the history of women’s liberation as a social movement, its links to feminist activism as a form of social justice, and the continuing relevance of linking theory to practice
  • draw on feminist methods of research, writing, and thinking about gender
  • utilise a discursive vocabulary to clearly articulate arguments around gender, sexuality, ideology, subjectivity, corporeality, and agency

You'll learn to

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.

Why study this course?

  • Develop unique skills in social-systems thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration and complex problem solving
  • Cultivate enhanced relational competence
  • Grow improved self-awareness

Why study this course?

Future Students

Study

Research

Community

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