MSc Gender, Politics & International Relations

Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 90)

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.

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

Careers & Employability

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

Curricular information is subject to change


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.

 

 

  • 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.

View All Modules Here

The MSc Gender, Politics and International Relations is a 90-credit programme. Full time students must take three 10-credit modules in the autumn trimester, and three 10-credit modules in the spring trimester. Students must also submit a thesis worth 30-credits.

SPIRe part time programmes run for 2 years and students normally do 1 - 2 modules per semester. The final 30-credit module is completed during the second year of the programme. 

Please note that our part-time programmes run during the day and are not timetabled in the evenings or at weekends.

Core and Option Modules for MSc Gender, Politics and International Relations

These are the current modules for 2023/24 but are subject to change. Each of the following modules carries 10 credits unless otherwise specified. 

Core Modules

  • POL42040 Gender & the Political System (Autumn)
  • POL40950 Introduction to Statistics (Autumn)
  • POL41640 Qualitative Research Methods for Political Science (Spring)
  • POL41720 Gender, Peace, and Security (Spring)

Option Modules

Autumn

  • DEV40010 One Planet One Ocean (5 Credits)
  • ENVB30130 Ecology & its Application (5 Credits)
  • EQUL40310 Masculinities, Gender and Equality
  • GS40100 Gender, Conflict-related Harm & Transitional Justice
  • GS40110 Gender, Sexuality, and the Body; The Politics of Belonging
  • POL40050 Theories of International Relations
  • POL40140 Theories of Global Justice
  • POL40160 Comparative Public Policy
  • POL40540 Comparative European Politics
  • POL41020 Politics of Human Rights
  • POL41510 Politics and Change in the Middle East and North Africa
  • POL41650 The Global Political Economy of Europe
  • POL41870 Political Economy of Institutions and Comparative Development
  • POL41980 Peace & Conflict Studies
  • POL42070 Politics of (mis-)information
  • POL42470 Gender Identity & Difference
  • POL42490 Politics of Ireland North & South

Important - DEV40010 & ENVB30130 must be taken together. You will also need to choose a 4th 10-credit module in the Autumn semester if you choose these 2 modules.

Spring

  • DEV40020 Gender and Development
  • GS40030 Gender, Inequality and Public Policy
  • GS40120 Gender: Global Concepts
  • POL40100 Politics of Development
  • POL40370 International Political Economy
  • POL40610 EU Foreign, Security, and Defence
  • POL40970 Politics of European Governance
  • POL41030 Theory of Human Rights
  • POL41780 The Politics of Inequality
  • POL41860 Governance, Politics and Development
  • POL42050 Quantitative Text Analysis
  • POL42060 International Security
  • POL42340 Programming for Social Scientists
  • POL42440 Political Economy of Security
  • POL42480 Contemporary Election Campaigns: Democratic Norms and Empirical Research
  • POL42500 Politics of Authoritarianism

Summer Trimester Core Module

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 opens on May 1st 2021. To access details, see SPIRe Graduate Scholarship Scheme. Please note that not all programmes are eligible for this Scholarship, please check the T&C's carefully when they become available.

  • A primary degree with at least Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2H1) 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. 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/ 

The following entry routes are available:

MSc Gender, Politics & International Relations FT (W525)
Duration
1 Years
Attend
Full Time
Deadline
Rolling*
MSc Gender, Politics & International Relations PT (W526)
Duration
2 Years
Attend
Part Time
Deadline
Rolling*

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised

A comphrensive FAQ can be found here