Programmes

MPhil/PhD Gender

  • Graduate research
  • Department of Gender Studies
  • Application code Y2ZG
  • Starting 2024
  • Home full-time: Closed
  • Overseas full-time: Closed
  • Location: Houghton Street, London

This programme offers you the chance to undertake a substantial piece of work that is worthy of publication and which makes an original contribution to the field of Gender Studies. You will begin on the MPhil, and will need to meet certain requirements to be upgraded to PhD status.

The MPhil/PhD Programme aims to foster your scholarly and career interests and to prepare you for the world of academic and policy research in the form of courses, workshops, and professional training experience over your first three years.  You will receive core gender theory, epistemology and methodology training in your first year to prepare you for research and writing, and ongoing training across the period of your studies in and outside the Department. You will also attend fortnightly PhD workshops throughout the programme in years 1 to 3.  You will be ‘matched’ with your main Supervisor who will guide you through the various stages of your research and form the consistent point of contact during your time in the Department, along with the Director of the Doctoral Programme.

The PhD Programme aims to attract the very best future researchers, and we are attentive to questions of power and inequality and their impact on faculty, staff and students both at the point of entry and during their studies. The Department has a commitment to social justice and to ensuring that the Department is a welcoming and inclusive space for all.

Programme details

Key facts

MPhil/PhD Gender
Start date 30 September 2024
Application deadline 15 January 2024
Duration Three-four years (minimum 2) full-time. Please note that LSE allows part-time PhD study only under limited circumstances. Please see lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/Graduate/Prospective-students/Types-of-study for more information. If you wish to study part-time, you should mention this (and the reasons for it) in your statement of academic purpose, and discuss it at interview if you are shortlisted.
Financial support LSE PhD Studentships, ESRC funding (see 'Fees and funding')
Minimum entry requirement High merit (68 per cent) in a taught master’s degree in a related discipline and normally a distinction in the dissertation
GRE/GMAT requirement None
English language requirements Research (see 'Assessing your application')
Location  Houghton Street, London

For more information about tuition fees and entry requirements, see the fees and funding and assessing your application sections.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements for MPhil/PhD Gender

The minimum entry requirement for this programme is a high merit (68 per cent) in a taught master’s degree in a related discipline and normally a distinction in the dissertation.

Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet our minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission. 

If you have studied or are studying outside of the UK then have a look at our Information for International Students to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

Assessing your application

We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of members of staff at the School, and we recommend that you investigate staff research interests before applying. (Also see the Department of Gender Studies staff pages.) However, it's common practice for us to receive formal applications rather than engage in informal discussions, and we do not expect you to identify supervisors for your thesis.

We carefully consider each application on an individual basis, taking into account all the information presented on your application form, including your:

- academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications)
- statement of academic purpose
- references
- CV
- outline research proposal
- sample of written work.

See further information on supporting documents

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency. You do not need to provide this at the time of your application to LSE, but we recommend that you do. See our English language requirements for further information.

When to apply

The application deadline for this programme is 15 January 2024. However, to be considered for any LSE funding opportunity, you must have submitted your application and all supporting documents by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section for more details.

Fees and funding

Every research student is charged a fee in line with the fee structure for their programme. The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2024/25 for MPhil/PhD Gender

Home students: £4,829 for the first year (provisional)
Overseas students: £22,632 for the first year

The fee is likely to rise over subsequent years of the programme. The School charges research students in line with the level of fee that the Research Councils recommend. The fees for overseas students are likely to rise in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (ie, 4 per cent per annum).

The Table of Fees shows the latest tuition amounts for all programmes offered by the School.

Fee status

The amount of tuition fees you will need to pay, and any financial support you are eligible for, will depend on whether you are classified as a home or overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status. LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Further information about fee status classification.

Scholarships, studentships and other funding

The School recognises that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

This programme is eligible for LSE PhD Studentships, and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding. Selection for the PhD Studentships and ESRC funding is based on receipt of an application for a place – including all ancillary documents, before the funding deadline.

Funding deadline for the LSE PhD Studentships and ESRC funding: 15 January 2024

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas. Find out more about financial support.

External funding 

There may be other funding opportunities available through other organisations or governments and we recommend you investigate these options as well. 

Further information 

Fees and funding opportunities

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.  

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students

1) Take a note of the UK qualifications we require for your programme of interest (found in the ‘Entry requirements’ section of this page). 

2) Go to the International Students section of our website. 

3) Select your country. 

4) Select ‘Graduate entry requirements’ and scroll until you arrive at the information about your local/national qualification. Compare the stated UK entry requirements listed on this page with the local/national entry requirement listed on your country specific page.

Programme structure and courses

In addition to progressing with your research, you are expected to take the listed training and transferable skills courses. You may take courses in addition to those listed but you must discuss this with your supervisor.

First year

Training courses

Compulsory (examined)
Upgrade

Compulsory (not examined)
Gender Theories: An Interdisciplinary Approach (lectures only, seminars with permission)
The course aims to enable students to: become familiar with the fullest range of gender theories with particular attention to the intersections of gender, sexuality and race; develop a critical appreciation of these different theories of gender; use gender theories to inform their appreciation of existing work in their own disciplines and in an interdisciplinary context; use the analysis of gender relations as a basis for case study evaluation and research.

Gender, Knowledge and Research Practice (lectures, seminars and workshops)
Introduces students to the central issues at stake in designing and carrying out gender research at graduate and postgraduate level and beyond.

Transferable skills courses

Compulsory (not examined)

Doctoral Workshop
Provides students with experience and practice in presenting chapters or papers related to their current research for critical discussion.

Second year

Transferable skills courses

Compulsory (not examined)

Doctoral Workshop
Provides students with experience and practice in presenting chapters or papers related to their current research for critical discussion.

Third year

Transferable skills courses

Public Seminar Presentation

Compulsory (not examined)

Doctoral Workshop
Provides students with experience and practice in presenting chapters or papers related to their current research for critical discussion.

Fourth year

Transferable skills courses
Compulsory (not examined)

For the most up-to-date list of optional courses please visit the relevant School Calendar page. 

You must note, however, that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises. 

You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s Calendar, or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the updated graduate course and programme information page.

Supervision, progression and assessment

Supervision

You will be assigned a main supervisor and an advisor (or joint supervision in rare cases). Your supervisor will be your main point of contact during your studies and you will meet two-three times termly (usually three times in the first year). You will use online PhD logs to provide a record of meetings and to check common understanding of agreed actions on both sides. Though some students will be supervised entirely from within the Department, we very occasionally draw on the research specialisms of staff in other parts of LSE, so the supervisor may be a member of the Department or of another LSE Department. In all cases, our students will be drawn into our research community, joining with the other research students in the first-year taught courses, working together with second and third year students in the PhD research seminar GI500, and participating in the Department's regular seminar series. We hope that you will also be able to share interests and knowledge with the Department's Visiting Research Fellows, particularly when your areas of research overlap.

Progression and assessment

At the end of the first year you will go through your First Year Upgrade viva. This is held in the Spring Term and materials should be submitted by the end of the second week of Spring Term. You will submit a draft chapter, thesis outline, timetable for completion and a research proposal for consideration by a panel consisting of your supervisor and advisor (and occasionally one other person with appropriate expertise). The research proposal follows a specific template and includes research objectives, the methodology and short research rationale. The nature of the chapter should be agreed with your supervisor. Both parts of the assessment focus on your own research and draw on material and debates engaged in during the courses Gender Theories in the Modern World and Gender, Knowledge and Research Practice where relevant. You must pass First Year Upgrade before progressing to the second year.  

Expectations for successful upgrading:

  • Satisfactory completion of materials for submission and appropriate academic presentation of the same
  • Completion of compulsory courses, attendance and contribution to Doctoral Workshop
  • Development of appropriate LSE courses in discussion with supervisor
  • Events programme attendance

Having successfully upgraded you will have an annual review with your supervisor and advisor to ensure satisfactory progress.  All students undergo an annual review in the Spring Term, whether full or part time.

Student support and resources

We’re here to help and support you throughout your time at LSE, whether you need help with your academic studies, support with your welfare and wellbeing or simply to develop on a personal and professional level.

Whatever your query, big or small, there are a range of people you can speak to who will be happy to help.  

Department librarians – they will be able to help you navigate the library and maximise its resources during your studies. 

Accommodation service – they can offer advice on living in halls and offer guidance on private accommodation related queries.

Class teachers and seminar leaders – they will be able to assist with queries relating to specific courses. 

Disability and Wellbeing Service – they are experts in long-term health conditions, sensory impairments, mental health and specific learning difficulties. They offer confidential and free services such as student counselling, a peer support scheme and arranging exam adjustments. They run groups and workshops. 

IT help – support is available 24 hours a day to assist with all your technology queries.  

LSE Faith Centre – this is home to LSE's diverse religious activities and transformational interfaith leadership programmes, as well as a space for worship, prayer and quiet reflection. It includes Islamic prayer rooms and a main space for worship. It is also a space for wellbeing classes on campus and is open to all students and staff from all faiths and none.  

Language Centre – the Centre specialises in offering language courses targeted to the needs of students and practitioners in the social sciences. We offer pre-course English for Academic Purposes programmes; English language support during your studies; modern language courses in nine languages; proofreading, translation and document authentication; and language learning community activities.

LSE Careers ­– with the help of LSE Careers, you can make the most of the opportunities that London has to offer. Whatever your career plans, LSE Careers will work with you, connecting you to opportunities and experiences from internships and volunteering to networking events and employer and alumni insights. 

LSE Library  founded in 1896, the British Library of Political and Economic Science is the major international library of the social sciences. It stays open late, has lots of excellent resources and is a great place to study. As an LSE student, you’ll have access to a number of other academic libraries in Greater London and nationwide. 

LSE LIFE – this is where you should go to develop skills you’ll use as a student and beyond. The centre runs talks and workshops on skills you’ll find useful in the classroom; offers one-to-one sessions with study advisers who can help you with reading, making notes, writing, research and exam revision; and provides drop-in sessions for academic and personal support. (See ‘Teaching and assessment’). 

LSE Students’ Union (LSESU) – they offer academic, personal and financial advice and funding. 

PhD Academy – this is available for PhD students, wherever they are, to take part in interdisciplinary events and other professional development activities and access all the services related to their registration. 

Sardinia House Dental Practice – this offers discounted private dental services to LSE students. 

St Philips Medical Centre – based in Pethwick-Lawrence House, the Centre provides NHS Primary Care services to registered patients.

Student Services Centre – our staff here can answer general queries and can point you in the direction of other LSE services.  

Student advisers – we have a Deputy Head of Student Services (Advice and Policy) and an Adviser to Women Students who can help with academic and pastoral matters.

Student life

As a student at LSE you’ll be based at our central London campus. Find out what our campus and London have to offer you on academic, social and career perspective. 

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The campus 

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Life in London 

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Want to find out more? Read why we think London is a fantastic student city, find out about key sights, places and experiences for new Londoners. Don't fear, London doesn't have to be super expensive: hear about London on a budget

Student stories

Tamara Herath
London, UK

tamaraHerath.170x230jpg

Research at the GI is attractive to prospective students due to the leading professors and research experience within the unit. I have access to key subject specialists and the programme encompasses core content that provides a deeper knowledge of gender issues and related topics. Studying at LSE and the GI has opened my mind to social politics, and has allowed me to maintain an individual personality whilst further developing a global perspective.

LSE also has excellent research and library facilities and the reputation of LSE enabled me to gain access to individuals and organisations for my research that would otherwise have been closed to me. After LSE, I intend to continue research into sensitive subject areas within conflict zones, and contribute to the greater understanding of social problems especially with regard to gender identity and empowerment.

Careers

Quick Careers Facts for the Department of Gender Studies

Median salary of our PG students 15 months after graduating: £33,000

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

  • Health and Social Care  
  • Government, Public Sector and Policy   
  • Advertising, Marketing, PR Media, Entertainment, Publishing and Journalism           
  • Education, Teaching and Research            
  • Real Estate, Environment and Energy

The data was collected as part of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which is administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Graduates from 2020-21 were the fourth group to be asked to respond to Graduate Outcomes. Median salaries are calculated for respondents who are paid in UK pounds sterling and who were working in full-time employment.

 

Students who successfully complete the programme often embark on an academic career.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

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