UCAS code | 1234 |
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Duration | 1 year full time 2 years part time |
Entry year | September 2025 |
Campus | Streatham Campus |
Discipline | Arab and Islamic Studies |
Contact | Programme Director Dr. Katie Natanel |
Typical offer | 2:2 Honours degree |
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Overview
- Advanced and critical study of the theory and politics of gender in the Middle East and Islamicate world, with an emphasis on connecting the language of academia with lived lives
- A flexible programme which you can tailor to your particular interests and conduct independent research using our unique collections and archival resources
- Besides the in-depth knowledge of gender issues in the region, our students particularly appreciate the connections our innovative teaching makes with creativity and activism
- Get involved in a variety of IAIS activities and join our vibrant and creative research community. Our Postgraduate students in gender studies play an active role in various research centres, including Islamic Studies, Palestine, Gulf and Kurdish Studies
- Your knowledge and expertise in complex political and cultural issues relating to gender and the Middle East will be valued by public and private sector employers and open doors for further academic study
1st for Middle Eastern and African Studies
The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
Largest purpose-built Middle East centre in the UK
Home to Europe's most important research collection on the Arab world
Masters Excellence Scholarships available
I enjoy having the freedom to explore a huge range of topics and areas - – there are modules offered on literature, politics, gender studies, language, media and specific conflicts, but with the flexibility to apply those studies to different situations around the world.
Joanne
Arab and Islamic Studies Masters student
Entry requirements
We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree with 53% or above in a social sciences or humanities discipline. While we normally only consider applicants who meet this criteria, if you are coming from a different academic background which is equivalent to degree level, or have relevant work experience, we would welcome your application.
Entry requirements for international students
English language requirements
International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.
Course content
The MA in Gender Studies (Middle East and Islamic World) will equip you with a solid foundation in core theories and methods necessary for the analysis of Gender Studies at the highest level
You will learn how to make self-conscious choices around your own work and promote forms of theoretically-aware and interdisciplinary work found in some of the most successful research in Arab, Islamic and Middle East Studies.
Compulsory modules
Code | Module | Credits |
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ARAM225 | Gender and Politics in the Middle East | 30 |
ARAM230 | Gender, Sexuality and Violence in Palestine/Israel | 15 |
ARAM232 | Theorising the Middle East | 15 |
ARAM233 | Dissertation skills | 15 |
ARAM027 | MA Dissertation | 60 |
Optional modules
You may take optional modules as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.
You may take elective modules up to 30 credits outside of the programme in stage 1 of the programme as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module. These modules must come from within the College of Social Sciences and International Studies and/or the College of Humanities. Up to 30 credits can be taken at NQF level 6.
45 credits of optional modules chosen from modules offered by the IAIS, including up to 30 credits worth of modules offered outside of the department (also at the UG level) in line with the University’s modularity policy.
Find a list of example modules hereFees
2025/26 entry
UK fees per year:
£12,500 full-time; £6,250 part-time
International fees per year:
£25,300 full-time; £12,650 part-time
Scholarships
We invest heavily in scholarships for talented prospective Masters students. This includes over £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*.
For more information on scholarships, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
*Selected programmes only. Please see the Terms and Conditions for each scheme for further details.
Teaching and research
Teaching
- Lectures will give you direct access to the cutting-edge research being carried out by our academic team
- Take responsibility for your own learning and that of your peers by participating in group work, class discussions and student presentations
- Fine tune your critical reading skills and learn how to ask and field incisive questions
- Utilise a range of media from video and audio to articles from newspapers and academic journals
Assessment
The taught modules on this programme are assessed by a combination of essays, presentations and group work. Following completion of these in April, you will then be assessed by a 15,000-word dissertation for submission in September.
Research
As a Masters student you can attend regular research seminars held across the College of Social Sciences and International Studies and organised by our research centres. These are given by academics from Exeter and other Universities in the UK and overseas, as well as guest speakers from the private, public and charity sectors.
Our Postgraduate students in gender studies play an active role in various research centres, including Islamic Studies, Palestine, Gulf and Kurdish Studies
Facilities
The Institute is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including a computerised language lab, lecture theatres, seminar rooms, lounge, satellite TV for viewing Middle Eastern channels and a gallery for Middle Eastern art exhibitions.
The Arab World Documentation Unit based in the Research Commons is a valuable research resource, housing numerous collections of academic textbooks, press cuttings, government papers and reports, periodicals, pamphlets, business yearbooks, and much more, with material in English, Arabic and Hebrew.
William teaches on the core module Theorizing the Middle East. His special interests are in the history of colonial North Africa and, more generally, relations between the European and Arab-Islamic worlds from the medieval period to the contemporary world.
He aspires to produce work with and for subaltern communities, particularly in the Maghreb, and also publish widely in historical theory. Much of his recent work has also been translated into French, Turkish, and Russian.
Read more from Professor William Gallois
Professor William Gallois
Associate Professor of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean History, Director of Research
Careers
Graduates from this programme may find professional employment in a wide range of sectors both in the UK and internationally. A comprehensive background in Islamic Studies is relevant to careers in:
- academia and education
- international agencies such as the United Nations or the European Union
- international development
- print and broadcast media
- politics
- private sector companies with interests in Islamic countries
- business and risk analysts
Further study
The academic skills developed on the MA Kurdish Studies will enable to you to pursue doctoral study. The Institute has an international profile for our pioneering regional focus on the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula and expertise in Islamic Studies providing an ideal place in which to undertake an MPhil/PhD.
Employment and professional development
Our excellent Career Zone provides invaluable support, advice and access to graduate employers. Visit the employment and professional development pages for more information, including podcasts and profiles, about the range of support available.
In addition, the location of this programme within a hub of renowned academia will offer you the possibility of connections, networking opportunities, advice and guidance from others with extensive academic and career-related experience in this field.