Admissions status:
Open. The current round closes on October 15, 2025.| Course Details | Description |
|---|---|
| Level | Postgraduate |
| Degree | MA |
| Length | 3 terms (1 year) |
| Department | Department of Gender Studies |
| US degree credits | 30 |
| Austrian degree ECTS credits | 60 |
Program Description
The one-year MA in Gender Studies offers a concentrated, interdisciplinary grounding in gender studies for students with prior experience in the field.
The program encourages you to become an independent critical thinker with a broad understanding of gender studies. You will gain the ability to analyze gender as a fundamental aspect of social and symbolic structures at local and global levels through interacting with diverse theoretical and methodological approaches in an interdisciplinary setting. You will analyze and critically understand the trends in scholarly debate on how gender intersects inequalities, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, age and disability.
In addition to acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of major themes and theories in gender studies, you will actively work to improve your analytical skills and attend practical courses focusing on written and oral communication techniques. The program aims to educate interdisciplinary gender specialists who will advocate for gender equality, social justice and human rights through academic research or professional practice.
How the One-Year MA in Gender Studies Works
The one-year Master of Arts in Gender Studies provides a comprehensive focus on gender studies for students with a four-year bachelor’s degree and some prior knowledge in gender analysis.
Students examine gender from symbolic, social and theoretical perspectives. You will attend a series of mandatory courses that delve into the core concepts and debates within the interdisciplinary field of gender studies, such as the history of gender, women’s emancipation, intersectionality and the specificities of feminist research methodology. You will choose elective courses to complement your interests and explore topics present in contemporary research on gender identity and gendered representation.
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.
The program culminates in an MA thesis. By the end of the year, you will complete an original research thesis on a chosen topic under the guidance of a faculty supervisor.
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 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 one-year MA in Gender Studies at CEU is designed for students who seek to deepen their understanding of gender and its intersections with other social categories. This program is ideal for those who want to develop critical thinking skills, engage in rigorous academic research and apply their knowledge to address contemporary social and political challenges.
Moreover, this program offers essential skills training for academic and professional settings alike. If you plan to pursue a PhD next, this program will help you develop the methodological and theoretical techniques necessary for academic research. If you are looking to apply your expertise in gender studies in your job, you will benefit from the focused courses in oral and written expression, enabling you to convey your recommendations to any audience across diverse fields.
Check If You Meet the Eligibility Criteria
To be accepted into the one-year program, you must have earned a bachelor’s degree of not less than four years of full-time studies with a minimum of 240 ECTS credits or equivalent.
Your undergraduate degree does not have to be in gender or women’s studies to apply to this program. However, successful applicants tend to have some background in gender studies, feminist theory or related fields of social science and humanities.
If you hold a three-year bachelor’s degree only, you may consider the two-year MA in Critical Gender Studies instead.
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 one-year MA in Gender Studies is a concentrated foundational training in gender studies, culminating in an original research thesis that allows students to specialize in a specific area of interest.
The content of the gender studies program combines an interdisciplinary approach to the topic with practical training in researching, writing about and presenting your theory.
In the spring term, students will focus on completing and defending their thesis. April is the designated thesis research period for one-year MA students.
MA in Gender Studies - Program Overview
MA in Gender Studies - Program Overview
- Zero Week Lectures and Workshops
- Academic Writing
- Foundations in Gender Studies 1
- Public Lecture Series
- Courses from the list of electives
- Foundations in Gender Studies 2
- Academic Writing: Thesis Development
- Public Lecture Series
- Courses from the list of electives
- Thesis Writing Workshop
- MA Thesis and Defense
- Analyzing Democracy
- Ancient Philosophy
- Applied Ethics
- Biopolitics, Reproduction, and Human Rights
- China in the World: Politics, Identity, History
- Comparative Diasporas
- Comparative, Transnational and Global Histories: Rethinking Geographical and Temporal Scales
- Critical Theory on Policy and Practice
- Digital Humanities Lab: Practical component for Introduction to Digital Humanities
- Discourse Analysis
- Ethics
- Ethics and the Cognition of Nature in Ancient Philosophy
- Gender, Sexuality, and the Non/Human
- Global Justice
- Human Rights in History
- Inclusion and Exclusion: Perspectives on Humanity and Race in Modern European History of Ideas and Science
- Intellectual History. Reading the Classics.
- International Relations Concepts and Theory
- Introduction to Digital Humanities: The Lifecycle of a Digital Humanities Project
- Introduction to Political Theory
- Illiberalism: Politics and Ideologies
- Migration, Governance and Inequality
- Nationalisms in Eastern Europe
- Orders of Inequality: Race, Class, Gender, Sex
- Philosophy of Gender and Race
- Philosophy of Love and Friendship
- Political Ideologies - Ideologies and Intellectuals
- Political Theory: Justice and Equality
- Political Thought Intensive Reading Tutorial
- Politics of the Anthropocene
- Science and the Nation
- The Climate of Violence: Coloniality, Capitalism and Gender
- The Ethics of Democratic Citizenship
- The Ethics of Government Propaganda
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 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
See the full list of professors that are currently teaching in the program here.
After Graduation
Your Career Aspects
The one-year MA in Gender Studies enables you to become an interdisciplinary expert in gender studies. This intensive program equips you with the knowledge of key theories, methodologies and current debates, making you aware of the many influences that must be considered when engaging in research, policy-making, activism and social work. Your strong analytical skills and interdisciplinary perspective will benefit any role that requires a nuanced understanding of social and cultural issues.
After graduating with the MA in Gender Studies, you may consider exploring roles in governments, charitable organizations, NGOs and international companies with the following job titles:
- Administrative Manager
- Advocacy Coordinator
- Business Consultant
- Communications Consultant
- Community Organizer
- Counselor
- Diversity and Inclusion Officer
- Diversity Officer
- Editor
- Fundraising Coordinator
- Grant Writer
- Human Rights Activist
- Journalist
- Lecturer
- Policy Analyst
- Policy Officer
- Program Officer
- Research Manager
- Social Justice Advocate
- Social Worker
- Teacher
- Writer
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: The program offers a comprehensive understanding of gender studies by drawing on diverse disciplines such as history, sociology, anthropology, political science, philosophy, literature and cultural studies.
- Critical thinking and analysis: You will learn to critically evaluate social and cultural phenomena, develop strong analytical abilities, and effectively communicate your insights to any audience.
- Practical skills: Besides theoretical knowledge, the program equips you with practical skills for academic and professional success. You will develop strong research, writing and presentation skills, enabling you to conduct independent research, write scholarly papers and deliver engaging presentations.
- Study in Vienna: For the duration of the program, you will be based in Vienna, which was named the world's most livable city for the third consecutive year in the Global Liveability Ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
