Gender & Womens Studies

Course Overview

The M.Phil. in Gender and Women’s Studies exposes students to theories, methodologies, debates, and controversies that produce contemporary scholarship on women, gender and sexuality. Our course draws on insights and perspectives from the three disciplines in the School of Histories and Humanities: Classics, History, and History of Art and Architecture. As such, the course is both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary, training students to research within and across these disciplines. Our students acquire a deep understanding of the historical and cultural contexts in which gender and sexuality are produced, performed and negotiated.



Is This Course For Me?

This course is aimed at students interested in historically and theoretically nuanced approaches to studying women, gender and sexuality that are offered through the three disciplines in the School of Histories and Humanities: Classics, History, and History of Art and Architecture. By emphasizing a rigorous multidisciplinary perspective in our teaching and research, our faculty offer students a range of analytical and methodological skills to think historically and contextually about gender and sexuality. Through our modules, students will consider the social, political, and economic aspects of gender and sexuality and have opportunities to analyse the ways in which these modalities relate to other categories such as race, ethnicity, nationality, class, age and dis/ability.



Course Structure

Taken full time, the M.Phil. lasts for 12 months, starting in September. Teaching will be spread over two terms, beginning in September and concluding the following April. EU/ UK/EEA students can also take the course on a part-time basis over two years. The M.Phil. degree within the School of Histories and Humanities consists of 90 ECTS.

Course Content

All students take the core modules Gender Theories, and Approaches; and Methods to Gender Research, which provide a grounding in key approaches and skills. Students choose further modules from a wide range of electives, varying from year to year. These include both special topics and further skills and methodologies training options, allowing students to build specific skills and to follow their individual interests. Recently offered modules include: Desire and the Body from Catullus to Seneca; The Lived Experiences of Women in Early Modern Ireland; Medieval Sexualities and Gender Identities; Family and Sexuality in Modern Ireland; and Art, Gender, Identity.



The capstone of the course is a dissertation of up to 15,000 words on a research topic in the area of Gender and Women’s Studies from within or across the three disciplines in the School of Histories and Humanities: Classics, History, and History of Art and Architecture. The dissertation will be carried out under the supervision of a member of the teaching staff of the course.

Admission Requirements

Applicants should normally have at least an upper second class (2.1) Honours Bachelor degree or equivalent (for example, GPA of 3.3) in a relevant area. Since places on the course are limited, applicants may be interviewed or asked to submit a writing sample for assessment.



English Language Requirements

All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements. For more details of qualifications that meet B and B, see the English Language Requirements page.

Closing Date 30th June 2025

1 year full-time (EU and non-EU students) / 2 years part-time (EU/UK/EEA students only).

Next Intake: September 2025

Career Opportunities

The programme helps prepare graduates for a wide variety of careers including in NGOs, public policy and administration, teaching, media and communications. The course also hones the sort of analytical, written, and verbal communication skills that are highly valued and effective in a many different careers. It also provides invaluable training in research for those planning to pursue a doctorate and/or career in research.