MA Gender Studies: A programme built to drive change

MA Gender Studies is helping students gain critical insight into issues of gender, and equipping graduates to challenge inequality and drive change.

The MA Gender Studies Programme at the University of Leeds is an interdisciplinary programme exploring gender relations across the past, present and future. It centres marginalised perspectives and takes a transnational view to understand some of today’s most pressing social issues. 

The programme providies a distinctive learning experience through a wide range of research-led modules supported by leading academics and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, a research centre at the forefront of gender research.

The best quality of MA gender studies is the transversal perspective that goes beyond disciplinary and institutional contexts. Our programme gives a powerful lens to intervene in different scenarios from healthcare provision to technology development, from the arts to media and popular culture. We want to give students the tools that will transform them into a driver of positive social change.

- Quote from Dr Patricio Simonetto, MA Gender Studies Programme Leader

The School of Sociology and Social Policy has long been a hub of gender studies research and teaching. Our interdisciplinary MA programme and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies (CIGS) lead the way, supported by staff and students working on a diverse range of topics that bring gender relations and the often-unseen contributions of women to the forefront of our understandings of past and contemporary societies. During Women’s History Month, I am proud to celebrate the contributions of women past and present who have made the world a better place for all of us and of the ongoing research in the School to make those contributions visible and known.

- Quote from Professor Karen Throsby, Head of School for Sociology and Social Policy

What do graduates say? 

“Studying on the MA Gender Studies programme allowed me to use feminism as a way of understanding the world and to find the courage to tell queer stories across cultures. I’m now delighted to have received a PhD offer from the School of Sociology and Social Policy to continue my research, and I hope to keep standing alongside queer communities through my academic work.”

- Quote from MA Gender Studies Graduate, Yuhan Wang

“Honestly, it was the best time of study in my life, and I still miss the day in class.  The MA Gender Studies programme profoundly shaped my intellectual development and deepened my engagement with feminist and queer scholarship. It strengthened my critical perspective and encouraged me to become actively involved in feminist and queer communities, where I found both solidarity and a sense of belonging. The programme also helped clarify my academic direction and long-term aspirations. I am now continuing my academic journey as a PhD candidate, building on these foundations while remaining committed to advancing social equality.”

- Quote from MA Gender Studies Graduate, Zhiting Tu

“My experience pursuing an MA in Gender Studies at the University of Leeds was significant to me. The concepts I learned that influenced me most were intersectionality and the adoption of decentralized, de-authoritative perspectives. These theories taught me to examine issues through a more critical, multi-dimensional lens rather than a single perspective. An intersectional perspective also made me realise that we cannot understand differences in lived experience by looking at “women” as a single, unified category. In the Chinese context, factors such as class, rural–urban divides, levels of regional development, family structure, son preference, and ethnic identity all profoundly shape women's lives in different ways. These theoretical frameworks gave me an entry point to think about how to understand culturally specific phenomena, and to reflect on and synthesise the social and cultural experiences unfolding around us.

“I currently work in the healthcare industry. Although this field is not traditionally associated with gender equality advocacy or social justice work, I continue to apply the critical thinking and gender-sensitive perspective I developed during my studies. For example, I examine institutional and promotional narratives for implicit bias, or potentially contentious language, and advocate for more equitable and inclusive forms of communication. For me, gender equality and inclusivity should not function merely as marketing strategies, but should be embedded in an company's culture and core values. Meanwhile, inspired by my dissertation research, I am working with several female collaborators on a project called Genderly. Genderly is a text analysis and expression support platform built from a gender perspective. This platform includes both a website and a browser extension. We hope to provide creators, educators, and the wider public with a space to see, reflect, and record. The platform would help users identify and analyze hidden gender bias and power structures. It also encourages reflection on gender stereotypes, so that the narratives used in both personal and public discourse might become more thoughtful and inclusive.”

- Quote from MA Gender Studies Graduate, Yuzhe Qiao

Learn from experts

The programme is taught by leading scholars whose research bridges academic theory with real‑world issues, offering students an engaging and relevant learning experience. 

Dr Patricio Simonetto 

2026 Programme Lead  

“My scholarship explores the embodied everyday experiences of LGTB+ people and how they transform mainstream conceptions of citizenship, how have LGTB+ people crafted scientific knowledge, health practices and technologies, how have LGTB+ people, sex workers and their clients recreated and contested notions of gender, class, and whiteness; queer and trans movements' radical political thinking and archival community practices.”

Dr Bethany Robertson 

Researching Gender / Feminist Research Module Lead

“I specialise in understanding the role of identities and inequalities in agricultural change and rural futures. My research and teaching interests include rural sociology, farming cultures, gender studies and human-animal relations. Embedded within this work, I have experience collaborating with policy-makers in food and farming and organising arts-based public engagement activities.”

Use the MA Gender Studies website to find out more information about studying MA Gender Studies at the University of Leeds.

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