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SOAS University of London
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SOAS University of London

Gender Studies and Law

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Award Attendance Study Duration Start Domestic fees International fees
MA On-Campus Full-time, Part-time 1 - 3 years find out £11980 per year £23400 per year

About Gender Studies and Law, MA - at SOAS University of London

The MA Gender Studies and Law at SOAS is a unique programme, its principal aim being to re-focus issues prioritised in western Gender Studies and Legal Theory on the complex specificities of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. Jointly housed by the Centre for Gender Studies and the School of Law, the programme offers the specialised study of gender and law in relation to the cultures of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, together with rigorous training in, and questioning of, contemporary gender theory. In terms of gender theory, it offers a solid foundation with sufficient breadth and depth to facilitate a range of specialist pathways. In terms of specialisation, it draws on the expertise of internationally recognised scholars of Asian, African and Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS.

The MA Gender Studies and Law at SOAS caters for students with a variety of backgrounds and objectives:

  • those coming from Women's Studies or Gender Studies who wish to engage more deeply with gender theory in relation to regional specialisation and to connect this with legal knowledge, especially, but not exclusively, the societies of Asia, Africa and the Middle East
  • those coming from Asian, African or Middle Eastern Studies who wish to incorporate the study of gender and law into their own areas of expertise
  • those having previously trained in particular disciplines, such as Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, History, Politics, Religious Studies, Sociology, Refugee/Diaspora Studies etc.

See Centre for Gender Studies


Entry requirements

Contact SOAS University of London to find course entry requirements.


Why study at SOAS University of London

  • SOAS is in London, which is officially the best student city in the world - and has been for five years in a row (QS World Rankings 2024)
  • There are 5,630 students on campus, from 135+ countries 
  • 2nd in the UK for international faculty (QS World Rankings 2024)
  • Top 30 in the UK (The Times Good University Guide 2024)
  • Top 40 in the UK for research quality Complete University Guide 2024)
  • 6th in the UK for employment outcomes (QS World Rankings 2023)
  • Top 100 in the world for addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals for Peace, Justice, Poverty and Gender Equality (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, 2023)
  • One of 35 National Research Libraries in the UK. We have over 1.5 million volumes, periodicals and audio-visual materials in 400 languages, focusing on Asia, Africa and the Middle East
  • 87% of research ranked 'world-leading or internationally excellent' (Research Excellence Framework 2021)