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MSc Gender, Politics & International Relations

MSc (NFQ Level 9)

This course is available through the following application route(s)

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The MSc in Gender, Politics and International Relations is an intensive course that prepares you for a career in research, policy, or advocacy in international organisations, governmental and non-governmental bodies, or academia.

Gender is a fundamental aspect of both the international and domestic political systems. This programme facilitates students to become specialists in understanding how gender shapes both individual and group interactions with politics on the national and global level.

The programme focuses on combining in-depth sub-disciplinary knowledge with advanced methodological skills, across both established and emerging methods.

  • UCD School of Politics & International Relations is the oldest and largest school of its kind in Ireland with over 150 years of experience in political studies and a world-renowned faculty drawn from many countries.
  • UCD School of Politics & International Relations is ranked in the top 100 QS rankings by subject in 2024

About This Course

  • To thoroughly familiarise students with cutting edge research in the broad area of gender, politics and international relations.

  • Allow students to connect theoretical debates on gender with real-world political issues and policymaking.

  • Facilitate students' professional development to work as gender experts.

  • Develop and apply advanced research methods skills.

  • Develop students’ independent research capabilities.

  • Enhance students’ writing skills.

  • Develop oral presentation skills.

  • Enhance teamwork skills.

Recent graduates of UCD School of Politics & International Relations now work in:

  • United Nations, New York and Geneva

  • World Trade Organisation

  • Asia Development Bank

  • Saatchi & Saatchi

  • Credit Suisse First Boston


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Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.

Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.

Module Type Module   Trimester Credits
Stage 1 Core Modules
 POL40950 Introduction to Statistics Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 POL42040 Gender & the Political System Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 POL41640 Qualitative Research Methods for Political Science Spring  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 POL41720 Gender, Peace, and Security Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)1 of:
Students complete POL42310 Thesis as a core module
 POL42310 Thesis Summer  30
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 DEV40010 One Planet, One Ocean (SDG 14) Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 ENVB30130 Ecology & its Application (On-line) Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 EQUL40310 Masculinities, Gender and Equality Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 GS40110 Gender, Sexuality, and the Body; The Politics of Belonging Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL40050 Theories of International Relations Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL40970 Politics of European Governance Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL41020 Politics of Human Rights Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL41510 Politics and Change in the Middle East and North Africa Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL41980 Peace & Conflict Studies Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL42530 Politics of International Trade and Investment Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL42540 Applied Data Wrangling and Visualisation Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL42550 Feminist Theory Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL42570 Connected_Politics 1 Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 DEV40020 Gender and Development Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 GS40030 Gender, Inequality and Public Policy Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 GS40120 Decoloniality and Intersectionality Thinking Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 LAW42290 Gender, Conflict-related Harm & Transitional Justice Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL40100 Politics of Development Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL40140 Theories of Global Justice Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL40160 Comparative Public Policy Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL40370 International Political Economy Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL40540 Comparative European Politics Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL40610 EU Foreign, Security, and Defence Pol. Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL41030 Theory of Human Rights Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL41910 Political Violence Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL42050 Quantitative Text Analysis Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL42060 International Security Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL42070 Politics of (mis-)information Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL42340 Programming for Soc Scientists Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL42430 IR Theory: Conflict and Identity Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Choose 20 credits
 POL42560 AI and Large Language Models Spring  10

Lucía Núñez Roncero

This Master's was perfect for me because it combines the three disciplines I am most interested in, and it looks at International Relations and Politics from a gender perspective. It also has an intersectional perspective and tackles structural inequalities and systems of power and privilege, which was very important to me.

This program allows you to pick from a wide range of electives and decide whether you want to engage in courses in the field of gender studies, International Relations theory, political theory, policy-making, European governance, etc., allowing you to craft your studies towards your ideal career, which was very useful to me and all my classmates. If you follow the MA path, the chance to do an internship instead of a thesis is fantastic if practical experience is what you are lacking, and you will still gain a lot of knowledge on how to conduct research during your studies. UCD and SPIRe provide a wide range of opportunities to their students. I have had the opportunity to attend multiple conferences and guest lectures of important figures in Ireland and around the world. I have also been hired as a Research Assistant by one of my professors for my internship, and I am fortunate to be learning directly what it is like to participate in a big research project on the field of Political Science

MSc Gender, Politics & International Relations (W525) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 10100
nonEU    fee per year - € 22600

***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

SPIRe operates a Graduate Scholarship programme, which normally opens in late Spring. To access details, see SPIRe Graduate Scholarship Scheme. Please note that not all programmes are eligible for this Scholarship.

  • A primary degree with at least Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2H1). 2H1 is equivalent to 60 per cent, B minus or 3.08 GPA - in American system: B or 3.00 GPA.

  • Your application will be considered on its individual merits and relevant professional experience will also be taken into account.

  • English language requirements: applicants whose first language is not English should have met TOEFL, IELTs, or computer-based TOEFL requirements (600, 6.5, or 250 respectively), or the Cambridge English Test (Certificate in Advanced English at a minimum of Grade B, or Certificate of Proficiency in English at Grade C). Applicants who obtained a previous degree from an English-speaking university may be exempted from this requirement. Click here for further info. 

  • Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the  English language requirements, may enter the programme upon  successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/ 

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No


The applicants should have earned an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject  such as political science, international relations, social science, sociology, history, geography, economics, global studies, public policy, development studies, EU studies, law/international law etc. with at least Upper Second Class Honours, or its equivalent (an overall GPA of 3.0 (B) or higher in the American system). Relevant professional experience will also be taken into account.



 



 


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General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to MSc Gender, Politics & International Relations:

ROWCLASS Apply to   Application Type  
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt W525
MSc Gender, Politics & International Relations
Master of Science		 Full-Time
Commencing 2024/2025 September		 Graduate Taught Apply
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt W526
MSc Gender, Politics & International Relations
Master of Science		 Part-Time
Commencing 2024/2025 September		 Graduate Taught Apply
* you can change options at the top of the page
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