Programme Specification: MSc Gender, Policy and Inequalities *
1. Awarding Body
2. Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body, e.g. ESRC;
BPS etc
3. Name of final award
4. Programme Title
5. Duration of the course
6. Based in the Department/Institute:
7. Relevant QAA subject benchmark
statements
8. Application Code
9. First written/last amended
LSE
N/A
MSc
Gender, Policy and Inequalities
Full-time 12 months; part-time 24 months
Gender Institute
N/A
Y2U5
April 2009 / November 2012
10. The programme aims to provide:
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An opportunity to use contemporary gender theory to investigate social policy,
planning and practice in its international context and to examine gender and
social policy at the national and international level;
An interdisciplinary approach that enables students to consider theories of
gender and social policy from a range of disciplinary perspectives;
Preparation for theoretical and empirical research in gender and social policy and
establishing foundations for policy analysis;
A choice of options from a wide range of highly rated courses within the Gender
Institute, the Department of Social Policy as well as in other Departments.
11. Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
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A critical understanding of the main theoretical and policy debates within the field
of gender research and social policy;
The ability to apply a knowledge of gender theory to the analysis of practical
policy issues;
The capacity for critical analysis and constructing a logical and coherent
argument in both written work and oral presentations;
The ability to employ library and internet resources to generate relevant material
in their chosen fields of research;
The ability to design and independently execute a dissertation on an approved
subject of their own choice.
Information relating to careers can be accessed here
12. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved
and demonstrated
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Students take a core course in Gender Theories in the Modern World, which
provides them with a critical understanding of contemporary gender theory;
Students take a further core course in Gender and Social Policy, with the second
half giving students the option to focus on either development or
European/OECD national level policies;
Students are supported in their choices of options by their academic advisor;
Students are required to write essays and make oral presentations in their core
courses, where they are assessed by a combination of course work and unseen
examination;
The assessment regime in optional courses varies according to departmental
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practice, but over the programme as a whole, all students will be required to
submit assessed course work, make oral presentations to their seminar groups,
and pass unseen examinations;
Students will write a 10,000 word dissertation, designed to test their capacity to
carry out independent research and analysis. This will be supported by a ten week
dissertation module , and by individual supervision.
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
See MSc Gender, Policy and Inequalities for more information.
Additional information
14. Criteria for admission to the programme
A first degree from a UK university or the international equivalent in a subject appropriate to
further study of the programme at postgraduate level at 2.1 level or above. Students from
countries using the GPA system will normally require a 3.5 or above. In addition, students
should be able to demonstrate their interest in studying social policy from a gender
perspective, and/or its relevance for their future goals. All students whose first language is not
English will need to provide evidence of competence in the English language.
15. Indicators of quality
In the 2001 Review of Educational Provision in the Gender Institute, the Institute’s teaching
programme was commended for the quality of its lecturing, seminar facilitation, and feedback
to students and the positive co-ordinating structures of its inter-departmental programmes.
The LSE Careers Centre website provides data on career destinations of LSE graduates.
16. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and
learning
This programme will be administered within the Gender Institute and will follow our own
systems of quality control. These include:
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MSc teaching meetings (1 per term), which discuss teaching issues and review
assessment methods. This is in addition to continuous communication between all
teaching and admin staff within the Institute. An MSc course review, Teaching
Committee meeting is held in the summer term to review all GI courses;
Programme specific MSc Staff/Student consultative forum (1 per term);
The Teaching Learning and Assessment Committee which regulates all aspects of
teaching quality;
TLAC review of the Institute once every five years;
The Graduate Studies Sub-Committee which oversees all graduate programmes and
ensures that significant changes to programmes and courses pass through a
sequence of formal stages, so that curricular changes are appropriate and compatible
with other developments;
Course teaching surveys by TQARO;
The Institute’s system of periodic review for its own programmes.
* Previously MSc Gender and Social Policy. Re-titled from the 2011/12 session.