MSc Gender, Peace and Security

The MSc in Gender, Peace and Security examines how the conduct of war, the provision of security, and the attainment of peace are experienced in gendered ways and shaped by gendered logics. Some of the key questions we address include: "How and when do wars start and end?" "How are the experience of war and knowledge about security gendered?" and "How does militarisation shape global politics and everyday lives?" To examine these questions, we draw on scholarship across a range of disciplines, as well as examining global governance mechanisms, policies, media, activism, and artistic production. Throughout, we attend to gender as an intersectional category and seek to understand issues through a transnational lens.

This programme is distinctive for both its centring of gender in the study of peace and security, as well as its interdisciplinary home. This approach offers exciting and innovative avenues for examining regional, national and global peace and security issues and policies.

Throughout the programme, our experienced faculty will guide you in exploring theoretical and practical issues in the realm of gender, peace and security, and will support you in furthering your own interests in the field. You'll also benefit from LSE’s diverse community of researchers, as well as our lively public events offering.

The programme is ideal for early-career students who would like to work in relevant fields, as well as professionals who want to further their expertise in gender, peace and security. Our alumni have gone on to work of international organisations (eg, UN and EU), national governments, non-governmental organisations and charities, as well as into the private sector. Others have gone on to pursue doctoral studies. See our graduate outcomes, collected by HESA and collated at the five-year aggregate level.

• S Basu, P Kirby, and LJ Shepherd (eds), New Directions in Women, Peace and Security (Bristol University Press, 2020)
• C Cohn, Women and Wars (Polity Press, 2013)
• R Coomaraswamy, Preventing Conflict, Transforming Justice, Securing the Peace: Global Study on the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UN Women, 2015)
• SE Davies and J True, The Oxford Handbook of Women Peace and Security (Oxford University Press, 2018)
• C Enloe, Nimo’s War, Emma’s War: Making Feminist Sense of the Iraq War (University of California Press, 2010)
• M Evans, C Hemmings, M Henry H Marsha, H Johnstone, S Madhok, A Plomien, and S Wearing, The SAGE Handbook of Feminist Theory (Sage Publications, 2014)
• D Otto and G Heathcote, Rethinking Peacekeeping, Gender Equality and Collective Security: an introduction (Routledge, 2014)
• T Väyrynen, S Parashar, E Féron and CC Confortini, Routledge Handbook of Feminist Peace Research (Routledge, 2021)
• M Zalewski, P Drumond, E Prugl and M Stern, Sexual Violence Against Men in Global Politics (Routledge, 2018)

You'll take three compulsory courses, options to the value of one and a half units and a dissertation.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified prospective students. At LSE, we want to recruit students with the best academic merit, potential and motivation, irrespective of background.

We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your application form, such as your:

• academic achievement (including predicted and achieved grades)
• statement of academic purpose
• two academic references
• CV.

See further information on supporting documents.

You may need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. See our English language requirements.

Applications for this programme are considered on a rolling basis. This means that applications will close once the programme is full.

There is no fixed deadline. However, if you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section below for more details.

For this programme, the tuition fee is different for home and overseas students depending on their fee status.

For this programme, the tuition fee is different for home and overseas students depending on their fee status.

The programme includes courses which offer a variety of training in methods and interdisciplinary conceptual frameworks. All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. It's designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award. Assessments will range from traditional essays and exams to essay-diaries and group projects. An indication of the formative coursework and summative assessment for each course can be found in the relevant course guide.

We expect the degree to assist our students with careers in conflict and post-conflict settings; in humanitarian assistance; UN field offices; peace governance roles; and into further study.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.

Many of the UK’s top employers give careers presentations at the School during the year and there are numerous workshops covering topics such as job hunting, managing interviews, writing a cover letter and using LinkedIn.

See LSE Careers for further details.