MA Gender Studies with a Placement Year
Key details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Arts
- Course Length
- 2 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2026
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Course Overview
Why MA Gender Studies with a Placement Year at UEA?
Develop advanced expertise in gender and learn to analyse institutions across global contexts. Graduate with strategic skills to influence policy, governance, and organisational systems internationally.
Why Choose UEA
- Welcoming city: Study gender in an international context while living in Norwich, a welcoming and inclusive city
- Career skills: Build practical skills in gender policy analysis, organisational evaluation, equality strategy, research, and leadership
- Meaningful impact: Work with internationally recognised scholars and turn critical theory into meaningful social impact
What is MA Gender Studies with a Placement Year?
Explore how gender intersects with race, sexuality, disability and class within global institutions and governance systems. You’ll compare policy frameworks and organisational models across regions, learning how culture, law, and politics shape equality strategies.
Studying with a diverse international cohort will strengthen your ability to work confidently across cultures and institutions. Through seminars and applied projects, you’ll develop advanced skills in strategic analysis, professional communication and research design.
You’ll learn to turn gender theory into practical approaches for policy and organisations. Your independent project lets you focus on a global issue that matters to you. You’ll also gain valuable real-world experience through a placement year to enhance your career prospects.
Placement Year
Gain valuable UK industry experience, develop workplace skills and apply your academic knowledge in a professional setting. This additional year gives you the opportunity to build your confidence, expand your professional network and enhance your career prospects after graduation.
Throughout your studies, you’ll take part in an employability programme designed to prepare you for the UK workplace and support you in securing a placement opportunity. Through workshops, practical activities and personalised guidance, you’ll develop the skills and confidence needed to succeed in your chosen career.
During your placement year, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake an industry placement with a UK organisation or complete three employer-led industry projects with different organisations. These experiences will allow you to apply your learning to real-world challenges, gain practical experience and develop a deeper understanding of your chosen sector.
You’ll take the lead in securing your placement, supported by employability workshops, one-to-one coaching and guidance from our specialist placement partner.
If you’re unable to secure an industry placement, you’ll complete three employer-led projects, working with organisations across a range of UK sectors to gain hands-on experience and develop skills relevant to your future career.
Explore our Postgraduate Placement Year opportunities(opens in a new window) and discover how you can enhance your degree and career prospects.
Careers
Career Pathways
With an MA Gender Studies with a Placement Year, you’ll develop the knowledge and skills to pursue a career in areas such as:
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager: Lead strategies that embed equality across workplaces and institutions
- Policy Advisor: Develop and evaluate gender-responsive policies for government or international organisations
- Gender and Governance Consultant: Advise institutions on equality audits, compliance, and organisational change
- NGO Programme Officer: Design and manage gender-focused advocacy or development programmes
- Research and Impact Analyst: Evaluate policies, practices, and outcomes using applied research skills
Career Support
You’ll build practical skills that prepare you for roles in policy, equality, advocacy, and global organisations. Guest speakers and sector connections will help you understand how gender expertise is used in the real world. You may also choose a placement-based project linked to your career ambitions. Career Central(opens in a new window) will support you in turning your skills and experience into international career opportunities.
After the Course
You’ll graduate with advanced analytical and strategic skills valued by global institutions. You’ll be ready to lead equality-focused work across public, private, and third-sector organisations. Your training supports international career progression and future leadership roles. You’ll also be well prepared for doctoral study or advanced professional qualifications.
Study and Modules
Structure
Year one begins with an integrated exploration of gender theory, intersectionality and applied equality practice. From the outset, you’ll engage with feminist and intersectional scholarship while examining how these frameworks inform institutional and organisational environments. You’ll analyse how gender operates within governance systems, workplaces and legal structures across different national and cultural contexts, developing insight that can be applied across regions.
Alongside this theoretical foundation, you’ll undertake advanced training in feminist research methodologies. You’ll learn how to design ethically robust research projects, critically evaluate qualitative and interdisciplinary evidence, and construct analytically rigorous arguments. This methodological grounding equips you to assess policy frameworks, organisational strategies and institutional cultures with confidence in diverse professional settings.
As the programme progresses into the second semester, you’ll deepen your engagement with the relationship between theory and practice. Through applied analysis and comparative case studies, you’ll evaluate equality initiatives, governance models and organisational change strategies across international contexts. Optional study enables you to refine your expertise in areas aligned with your professional ambitions, strengthening both subject knowledge and transferable strategic skills.
If you choose the placement module, you’ll gain structured professional experience alongside your academic study. This opportunity allows you to observe and analyse how gender expertise operates within organisational or institutional environments, enhancing your applied understanding and professional confidence.
The final stage of the year centres on your Gender Studies Project. You may choose to complete a traditional dissertation, an applied project, or a creative-critical project, depending on your academic and professional goals. Drawing on your theoretical and methodological training, you’ll produce a substantial piece of independent work demonstrating advanced analysis, intellectual depth and strategic relevance.
You'll also complete an Employability Skills module that prepares you for your placement year. You’ll take part in workshops, practical career development activities and personalised support. You'll develop skills in areas such as CV writing, interview techniquesand professional networking.
The module is assessed on a pass/fail basis, and successful completion is required to progress to the placement year.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 60)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Structure
In your second year, you'll complete a 60-credit placement module, giving you the opportunity to gain professional experience relevant to your discipline. During the first semester, you'll focus on securing a placement with support from dedicated employability specialists and a series of in-person workshops designed to help you develop your career planning and reflect on your progress. If you're unable to secure a placement, you'll complete three employer-led industry projects with different organisations.
The module is assessed on a pass/fail basis through a portfolio documenting your placement search and a reflective report on your placement or industry project experience. By the end of the year, you'll have developed valuable professional skills, increased your understanding of your chosen sector, strengthened your CV and professional network, and enhanced your confidence for the next stage of your career.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning, and Assessment
Teaching and Learning
You’ll learn through research-led seminars that connect gender theory with institutional and organisational analysis. Teaching emphasises dialogue, comparative case studies and evaluation of governance and workplace frameworks. You’ll develop advanced analytical, methodological and strategic skills within a diverse international cohort. Close academic guidance supports both intellectual development and professional confidence throughout the year.
Across the programme, teaching integrates theoretical scholarship with applied analysis of real institutional settings. You’ll be encouraged to engage critically, collaborate with peers and develop independent, research-informed perspectives.
Assessment
Assessment is entirely coursework-based, enabling sustained critical engagement and professional skill development without formal examinations.
You’ll complete analytical essays, applied projects, research design tasks and substantial independent work across the year. Assessment formats integrate theoretical depth with institutional and organisational analysis.
Formative feedback supports iterative improvement, strengthening conceptual precision, methodological rigour and professional communication.
Across the programme, assessment encourages independent thinking and applied evaluation of governance and workplace systems.
Your Gender Studies Project allows you to demonstrate advanced expertise through traditional, applied or creative-critical research.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2
Degree Subject
Any subject area
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Any subject area
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.0 overall (6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component)
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies(opens in a new window) for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, UEA International Study Centre offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2026/27 are:
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UK Students: £11,200
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International Students: £23,850
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home students).
If you choose to take this course with a placement year, your tuition fees for the first year will be as shown above. An additional fee of £3,500 will apply for the placement year (see our FAQs page for further details).
We estimate living expenses at £1,171 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here(opens in a new window).
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships(opens in a new window); please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see additional course fees(opens in a new window) for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form(opens in a new window).
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk(opens in a new window)
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students(opens in a new window) section of our website.