Gender Sexuality & Culture

MA Gender Sexuality & Culture offers students an exciting and challenging range of modules where they will explore the theory, history and representation of gender and sexuality in literature, film, drama and popular culture. This MA is suitable for Humanities graduates, particularly graduates of Literature, Cultural Studies, Film and/or Visual Culture with a particular interest in gender and sexuality studies.



• Innovative MA on the literary and cultural study of gender & sexuality

• Opportunities for developing inter-disciplinary research

• Wide range of literary and cultural texts studied



What Will I Learn?

• adept readers and thinkers, able to understand, analyse and critically evaluate cultural production and cultural theory in relation to gender and sexuality as well as in relation to other intersecting power structures, such as race, ethnicity, class and migration.

• effective independent researchers, who can identify a research topic and develop this into a minor thesis project.

• equipped to understand and also challenge current understandings of gender and sexuality by interrogating cultural identities, such as queer, heterosexual, homosexual, gay, straight, bisexual, transgendered.

• socially and politically engaged readers, writers and critics who understand and can advocate for the importance of systems of representation in both the maintenance and transformation of gendered systems of power.

• well-grounded in a diverse range of theoretical, analytical and methodological frameworks for understanding gender, sexuality and culture transnationally and across different societies and geo-political regions.

• Open completion of the programme, students of the MA in Gender, Sexuality & Culture should be: - highly proficient in both established and new approaches to gender studies and sexuality studies as theoretical, cultural, social, political and historical fields of investigation.

Module/ Trimester/ Credits

Stage 1 Core Modules

ENG40940 Gender and Sexuality in Theory and Representation Autumn 10

ENG42090 Public Humanities and Ireland Autumn 10

ENG41860 Queer Frictions: Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Literature & Culture Spring 10

ENG42070 Dissertation (MA Gender) Summer 30



Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:

Option List

ENG41570 World-Systems, World-Literature Autumn 10

ENG41670 Contemporary US Genre Fiction: Intersection, Disruption, Protest Autumn 10

ENG41840 US Experimental Poetry: Docupoetics and Lyric Autumn 10

ENG42170 Reading Contemporary Poetry Autumn 10

EQUL40310 Masculinities, Gender and Equality Autumn 10

GS40110 Gender, Sexuality, and the Body; The Politics of Belonging Autumn 10

EDF40060 Digital Methods Spring 10

ENG42080 Un/Settling Global Literatures Spring 10

FS40270 Stardom, Celebrity & Media Culture Spring 10

FS40360 Paranoid and Conspiracy Media Spring 10

GS40080 Culture and Sexualities Spring 10

GS40120 Decoloniality and Intersectionality Thinking Spring 10

HUM40040 Creative Approaches Spring 10

SOC41150 Queering Global Challenges Spring 10

This programme is intended for applicants with a background in the humanities, or literature, film studies, cultural studies, visual culture, sociology, anthropology, psychology, psychoanalysis as well as women’s studies, gender studies and sexuality studies. A keen interest in gender and sexuality and an ability to analyse textual representations are the key characteristics required.



• An upper second class honours degree (NFQ Level 8), or the international equivalent is normally required. However, all applicants will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and relevant work experience will be taken into account, so that in certain exceptional cases candidates with a 2.2 or an award at a lower NFQ level, together with experiential learning, may be admitted.

• Applicants wishing to have experiential learning taken into consideration must show evidence of significant appropriate levels of such learning – a CV, portfolio and/or interview may be required.

• Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0 in each element), or equivalent.

• These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes



You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information at: https://www.ucd.ie/registry/prospectivestudents/admissions/rpl/ Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

Online Application.



Who Should Apply?

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EU) applicants: Yes



Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EEA) applicants: No

90

Z162 - Full-Time: 1 Year. Z337 - Part Time: 2 Years. Delivery: On Campus.

MA Gender, Sexuality & Culture (Z162) Full Time

EU fee per year - € 7315

nonEU fee per year - € 19900


MA Gender, Sexuality & Culture (Z337) Part Time

EU fee per year - € 4390

nonEU fee per year - € 9950


***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website.Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme.For further information please see International Scholarships.

Z162 Gender, Sexuality & Culture Master of Arts Full-Time

Commencing September 2026

Graduate Taught



Z337 Gender, Sexuality & Culture Master of Arts Part-Time

Commencing September 2026

Graduate Taught

Career & Graduate Study Opportunities

Recent graduates are working in the following areas, often with a gender/equality/diversity related focus:

• Arts, culture, heritage & museums

• Theatre, dance, creative arts, production

• Media/publishing/broadcasting/journalism

• Charities / NGOs / International Aid

• Business /HR/ training

• Public sector – government/EU