Postgraduate Research Degrees

It is possible at The University of New South Wales for individuals to enrol in an interdisciplinary Masters or Doctoral degree in Women's and Gender Studies. This is an alternative to enrolling in a degree in a single discipline (such as History, Politics, Media or Sociology). Such students are administered by the Program Convenor rather than School postgraduate coordinators and, since their degrees are interdisciplinary, they are able to have supervisors in two different Schools, if required. An example could be a student whose research topic is gender representation in the Indonesian media, who requires supervisory guidance in both Media Studies and Indonesian Studies and thus has two joint supervisors, one in Media (in the School of English, Media and Performing Arts) and one in Indonesian (School of Languages and Linguistics).

Those who are interested in applying for admission to postgraduate degrees in Women’s and Gender Studies may like to go to the staff page to check out potential supervisors, They should not, however, contact them directly. It is the Convenor’s responsibility to assess whether intending applicants have the necessary academic background for admission to a postgraduate degree in Women's and Gender Studies; and then arrange suitable supervision for qualified applicants. Individuals interested in applying for admission to the degrees below should therefore contact the Convenor, after first having made initial enquiries to the general admissions offices whose addresses are listed below: Student Recruitment or (for overseas applicants) the International Programs Office.

Program 2353: MA by Research in Women's and Gender Studies

Applicants should exhibit the potential to undertake Postgraduate Research, either through a relevant Honours Degree, or through a period of professional work following a relevant Undergraduate Degree. The Degree requires a 30,000-35,000 word thesis and the completion of three courses. Full-time students are expected to complete the degree in 3 / 4 sessions, and a part-time candidate should complete in 6 / 8 sessions.

Program 1305: PhD in Women's and Gender Studies

Applicants should normally have a BA with class 1 or class II/1 honours or an MA by Research. Other intending applicants should discuss their qualifications with the Program Convenor. In exceptional cases an applicant with comparable academic and professional qualifications may be permitted by the Faculty's Research Committee to enrol for the degree. PhD theses are normally in the range of 80,000-100,000 words, and are completed in 3-4 years of full-time study, or 6-8 years part-time. It is possible for PhD students enrolling in 2003 or 2004 for the first time to include a number of optional courses in their program.
Further Information on Program 1305

Combined PhD Programs

It is possible to carry out a combined PhD program in conjunction with the Women's and Gender Studies Program and another School/Program in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. In addition to satisfying the normal PhD requirements, the applicant must have the approval of both the Program and the other supervising body. Applications will be considered on their individual merits. Previous combined PhD programs have included:
1275 Combined PhD: WOMS and Social Science & Policy
1277 Combined PhD: WOMS and English

Recent Women’s and Gender Studies Graduates

The University of New South Wales is known for its high proportion of overseas students. The Women’s and Gender Studies graduate program thus attracts both Australian and overseas students.

Amongst those who have had doctorates in Women’s and Gender Studies conferred in recent years are: Diah Arimbi (Indonesia); Riffat Haque (Pakistan); Ingrid Nonjongo Tufvesson (from South Africa via Sweden); Jocelynne Scutt (Australia) and Pongprad Soonthornpasuch (Thailand). Others such as Anthea Taylor (Australia) and Jung Kyungja (South Korea) have graduated with combined doctorates in English and Women’s and Gender Studies and Social Policy and Women’s and Gender Studies, respectively.

The topics addressed in their doctoral dissertations have ranged from the effects of the system of ‘purdah’ upon women in Pakistan (Haque) and sexual assault centres in Korea and Australia (Jung) to the history of the struggle for equal pay in Australia (Scutt) and discourse surrounding Australian author Helen Garner’s The First Stone on the issue of sexual harassment (Taylor).

Scholarships and Student Awards

Full-time students pursuing MA (Research) or PhD are eligible for Australian Postgraduate Award (APA). This award is available to students with Australian citizenship or permanent residence. Applications close at the end of October. For further details or information on scholarships for international students, please contact the Scholarships, Loans and Research Students Office (Ph: 02 9385 3101, Email: scholarships@unsw.edu.au).

How to Apply

Interstate and overseas enquiries are welcome. Overseas applicants should contact the International Programs Office. It will be necessary for applicants to send academic transcripts with their application for admission.

Local

Phone: 02 9385 1844
Website: http://www.postgradresearch.unsw.edu.au
Email: studentrecruitment@unsw.edu.au

International

Phone: + 61 2 9385 6996
Website: http://www.international.unsw.edu.au
Email: internationaloffice@unsw.edu.au

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