Admissions status:
Open. The current round closes on October 15, 2025.| Course Details | Description |
|---|---|
| Level | Postgraduate |
| Degree | MA |
| Length | 6 terms (2 years) |
| Department | Department of Gender Studies |
| US degree credits | 60 |
| Austrian degree ECTS credits | 120 |
Program Description
The MA in Critical Gender Studies equips you with the essential skills and knowledge to understand thepolitical, cultural and social challenges related to gender in contemporary society. This gender studies degree is defined as “critical gender studies,” signaling that students are specifically trained to critically analyze established ideas, systems and inequalities that prevent people of all genders from reaching their full potential.
In addition to receiving comprehensive gender studies training, you will increase your writing, research and presenting competencies through a series of practical courses to be able to convey your points with confidence to any audience across diverse fields. Uou will work on developing effective communication skills. You will learn how to engage with topics from the latest gender research topics, such as gender in the context of reproductive health, politics, economic growth, social mobility, technology and more.
At CEU, we champion an interdisciplinary approach to learning. As part of this program, we are offering a free choice of electives and student-only Advanced Certificates to encourage critical thinking and complex problem-solving through inclusive perspectives.
How the MA in Critical Gender Studies Degree Works
The two-year Master of Arts in Critical Gender Studies blends a theoretical approach to critical and interdisciplinary gender studies with specialized empirical training.
You will attend courses exploring basic questions and debates in the broad field of gender studies, such as the meaning of patriarchy, women’s emancipation, intersectionality and the specificities of feminist research methodology. You will practice your argumentation and critical analysis skills during Public Lectures - a series of mandatory events where scholars from topically related disciplines present their current research and engage in dialogue with the audience.
Moreover, the program offers two specialization tracks to help you develop additional skills and knowledge tailored to your professional and academic goals.
In the Research track, you will conduct substantial research on a topic of your choosing, utilizing a range of theoretical and methodological approaches. Students of this track will attend additional courses focused on scientific principles and contemporary research practice. You will translate interest in a particular social or cultural phenomenon into a manageable research project, develop pertinent research questions, and identify and use appropriate research methods to answer these questions. Graduates of this track are well-prepared to become academic gender specialists.
The Applied track combines theoretical and practical coursework with focused training in critical policy studies from a gender perspective. You will combine cutting-edge gender theories and rigorous scholarly analysis with concrete, practical activist or policy work through a guided internship within your area of interest. Graduates of this track are ready to pursue careers as gender professionals in governmental and non-governmental institutions where policy is made, analyzed and challenged.
Expanding Your Expertise with Advanced Certificates
Advanced Certificates are student-only programs that enable you to dive deep into different subject areas through highly specialized training. This unique option offers you the possibility to tailor your learning experience at CEU according to your future academic and professional career.
The following certificates are available for students of the MA in Critical Gender Studies:
- Advanced Certificate in Political Thought
- Advanced Certificate in Religious Studies
- Advanced Certificate in Visual Theory and Practice
- Advanced Certificate in Romani Studies
Who Is This Program For
The MA in Critical Gender Studies at CEU is designed for individuals passionate about understanding and addressing complex gender issues in contemporary society. This program is ideal for those who want to deepen their knowledge of interdisciplinary gender studies, critically analyze established ideas and systems, and engage in debates about gender and inequality.
Additionally, this program suits students interested in exploring the intersection of gender with other social categories such as race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, age and (dis)ability. You will be ready to reflect critically on your identity and apply your knowledge in various fields, including education, social services, policymaking and advocacy.
Check If You Meet the Eligibility Criteria
To apply to this program, you must have completed a three-year or four-year bachelor’s degree. You can find out more about the eligibility criteria for master’s degrees at CEU here.
Program-Specific Requirements
In addition to meeting the general CEU admissions requirements, you must provide a 500-word statement of purpose describing your interest in the field of gender studies and the program of the Department of Gender Studies, as well as any relevant experience.
What Awaits You
The program offers foundational training in gender studies combined with two specialization tracks, which allow students to engage with the discipline through two different kinds of research experience. Whether you choose the Research or Applied track, you will develop scholarly and practical knowledge of gender studies through an interdisciplinary lens across various domains.
In the winter and spring terms of the second year, students of both tracks focus on writing their thesis.
MA in Critical Gender Studies - Research Track
MA in Critical Gender Studies - Research Track
Pre-Term:
- Zero Week Lectures and Workshops
Fall Term:
- Academic Writing
- Foundations in Gender Studies 1
- Public Lecture Series
- Courses from the list of mandatory electives
- Courses from the list of electives
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
Winter Term:
- Academic Writing: Thesis Development
- Foundations in Gender Studies 2
- Public Lecture Series
- Courses from the list of mandatory electives
- Courses from the list of electives
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
Spring Term:
- Research Preparation Seminar
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
Fall Term:
- Research Analysis & Thesis Writing
- Courses from the list of electives
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
Winter Term:
- Thesis Writing Workshop
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
Spring Term:
- Thesis and Defense
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
MA in Critical Gender Studies - Applied Track
MA in Critical Gender Studies - Applied Track
Pre-Term:
- Zero Week Lectures and Workshops
Fall Term:
- Academic Writing
- Foundations in Gender Studies 1
- Public Lecture Series
- Courses from the list of mandatory electives
- Courses from the list of electives
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
Winter Term:
- Foundations in Gender Studies 2
- Academic Writing: Thesis Development
- Public Lecture Series
- Mandatory Elective (P): Critical Theory on Policy and Practice
- Mandatory Methods Elective (M) “Qualitative Research Methods: Ethnographic Approaches” (M) (Helms) OR approved alternative
- Courses from the list of electives
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
Spring Term:
- Internship
Fall Term:
- Internship Analysis Workshop
- Internship
- Courses from the list of electives
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
Winter Term:
- Thesis Writing Workshop
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
Spring Term:
- Thesis and Defense
- Optional: Advanced Certificate
- Advanced Issues on Human Nature 1 & 2
- Anthropology of Religion II
- Audio Production
- Biography and History
- Biopolitics, Reproduction, and Human Rights
- CIVICA Gendering Illiberalism
- Colonialism and Post-Colonialism
- Comparative Diasporas
- Comparative Politics
- Critical Approaches to Romani Studies
- Critical Theory on Policy and Practice
- Data-Driven Reasoning in the Social Sciences
- Decolonial Aesthetics
- Discourse Analysis
- Discourses of Order I: Introduction to Pre-Modern Political Thought
- Emotions and the Modern Historian: An Introduction (LAMS)
- Encountering Facts in the Archive: Historical Method, Theory, and Archival Work
- Equality Policy in Comparative Approach
- Exhibition Planning: Court, Church, and City in Habsburg Empires, 1500-1918
- Feminist Curating of Art Knowledge
- Feminist Qualitative Research Methods
- Feminist Research of Popular Culture and the Media
- Foundations of Visual Practice
- Fundamentals of Documentary Filmmaking
- Gender and Migration
- Gender and Public Policy
- Gender and Religion
- Gender and Sexuality in West Asia & North Africa
- Gender and Sound
- Gender History (LAMS)
- Gender, Military Culture and War
- Gender, Sex and Sport
- Gender, Sexuality, and the Non/Human
- Global Justice
- Histories of Laughter
- Hybrid and Illiberal Regimes
- Identity and Prejudice
- IEP: Introduction to Environmental Policy and Society
- Images: Knowledge, History, Politics
- Inclusion and Exclusion: Perspectives on Humanity and Race in Modern European History of Ideas and Science
- Introduction to Geospatial Data Visualization I & II
- IR, Borders, and Security
- Multiple Inequalities, Multiple Struggles: Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in State-Socialist Europe, 1945-1990
- Nationalism and National Feeling: the Sociological and Social-psychological Approach
- Patterns of Exclusion, Dilemmas of Inclusion: Roma Policies and Politics in the 21st Century
- Political Thought Intensive Reading Tutorial
- Politics of Time: Contested Temporalities, Continuities, and Ruptures
- Popular Culture and World Politics
- Qualitative Methods in Social Science Research: Oral History
- Qualitative Research Methods: Ethnographic Approaches
- Queer Theory
- Race and Eastern Europe
- Race, Class, Gender, and Nationality: Political Economy of Identity
- Race, Justice, Solidarity: Addressing Anti-Roma Racism in Contemporary Europe
- Racial and National (In)Equalities
- Reimagining Social Movements
- Terrorism: A Comparative Politics Perspective
- The Climate of Violence: Coloniality, Capitalism and Gender
- The Future of Europe: Europeanship Multicampus Course
- The Human Body and the Law
- The Law and Politics of Gender-Based Violence
- Transfeminism
- Transnationalism and Citizenship
- Urban History (LAMS)
- Visual/Aural Knowledge Production
- Welfare State and Gender under Undemocratic Rule
- Women's and Gender History: A Critical Introduction to Theory, Methods, and Archives
- Writing Lives, Writing Otherness: Autobiographies and Auto Theories of Gender, Race, and Dislocation
This program overview is provided as an example based on previous years' curricula. It is for informational purposes only and subject to change. Course offerings, schedules and content may be updated or modified at any time without prior notice. Please refer to official sources or contact the relevant department for the most current program details.
Program Accreditation
The Master of Arts in Critical Gender Studies at CEU is registered with the New York State Education Department in the United States and accredited by AQ Austria in Austria. CEU is accredited in the United States by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
Find out more about accreditation at CEU.
Your Instructors
After Graduation
Your Career Aspects
Graduates of the two-year MA in Critical Gender Studies at CEU are well-prepared for a variety of impactful careers in fields such as education, social services, non-governmental organizations, policy-making, advocacy and research. You may consider exploring roles with the following job titles:
- Academic Researcher
- Advocacy Coordinator
- Communication Consultant
- Diversity and Inclusion Officer
- Gender Specialist
- Government Advisor
- Human Rights Advocate
- Human Resources Manager
- Journalist
- Lawyer
- Librarian
- Policy Advisor
- Program Coordinator
- Research Analyst
- Social Services Manager
Continue Your Education at CEU
5 Reasons to Choose the Master of Arts in Gender Studies in Austria
- Dual degree: Earn both an American and Austrian degree and expand your career and research prospects internationally.
- Interdisciplinary curriculum: CEU offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to gender studies, blending insights from social sciences, humanities and beyond.
- Expert faculty: At CEU, you will learn from leading scholars in gender studies who are actively involved in transformative research. Their expertise and mentorship will guide you in developing your own research projects and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field.
- International community: CEU attracts students from all over the world, creating a diverse and dynamic learning environment. This international community enhances your educational experience by exposing you to different viewpoints and fostering collaborative learning.
- Practical skills: Besides building a solid theoretical foundation in critical gender studies, you will develop practical skills, including complex problem-solving, research methodologies and effective communication in multicultural settings.
