Why study Gender Studies?

At New Zealand's leading Gender Studies programme, we'll surprise you. You'll be introduced to different perspectives on things you've always taken for granted, while you explore television, film, social media, public debate, photography, subculture and fashion as well as scholarly reading.

The staff are enthusiastic! They work interactively, and involve students actively in their own learning. Students are encouraged to think independently and to relate their academic learning to the world they encounter daily.

Gender Studies consistently gains high ratings for student satisfaction with their learning experience.

Topics covered in the core programme include:

• bodies in popular culture
• cultural construction of sexuality
• consumer culture and work
• family life
• gender in the media
• social justice
• intersectionality
• violence
• gender, sexuality and state power

Gender Studies runs a core programme but also introduces you to a whole range of disciplines. A Gender Studies degree can include papers in Sociology, Criminology, Anthropology, Education, English, Film and Media, Geography, History, Law, Politics, and Religion. It's up to you!

Many Gender Studies papers can be credited towards other degree programmes, including majors in Sociology, Film and Media, Politics, Philosophy, and the minor in Criminology.

Gender Studies can be included as a major for a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Arts and Commerce, or a Bachelor of Arts and Science. It is available as a minor subject for several qualifications, including a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Commerce.

Career opportunities

Realise your ideas to create value in the real world by working in:

• Policy development and analysis
• Human rights
• Trade union and EEO work
• Education
• Human resources
• Health and community advocacy
• Business and management
• Journalism and the media
• Marketing and advertising
• Arts, entertainment and museum work

Gender Studies will also enable you to develop personal and professional skills that are highly valued by employers:

• The ability to think broadly, critically and creatively
• Appreciation of diverse points of view
• The ability to analyse and participate in debate
• Research skills
• Clear and effective written expression
• Verbal reasoning, verbal address
• Team work

The critical perspectives and knowledges gained through training in Gender Studies are also applicable well beyond specific career contexts.

A Gender Studies major or minor provides you with skills that will prove useful through all aspects of your life.