Centre of Excellence in Gender Studies

M.Phil. Program and Courses

M.Phil. in Gender Studies — an advanced academic programme designed to strengthen research, scholarship and knowledge production in the field of Gender Studies.

Introduction

Centre of Excellence in Gender Studies has been established under the Centre of Excellence Act on 31st August, 2004 to promote Gender Studies as a learning discipline in Pakistan.

The Centre is an autonomous body working through its Board of Governors, chaired by Vice-Chancellor of the university and funded by the Government of Pakistan through the Higher Education Commission.

The Centre plans to offer M.Phil. in Gender Studies for which an academic program has been prepared.

Objectives of M.Phil. in Gender Studies

01

To address the gap of an M.Phil. program in Gender Studies in Rawalpindi-Islamabad.

02

To enable students for advanced academic research in Gender issues.

03

To contribute in knowledge production related to gender perspective in Pakistan.

Scope of M.Phil. in Gender Studies

The scope of this program is drawn from two factors. First, this will be the only M.Phil. Gender Studies program being offered in the Rawalpindi-Islamabad region. Since there are several Masters programs being offered in this discipline, there is a large student body that can be targeted.

Second, before launching the program CEGS conducted an informal survey of its alumni to gauge interest in such an initiative. In this context, an overwhelming majority of students who have completed their masters expressed a clear interest in seeking admission.

Structure of the M.Phil. Program

The scheme of study for M.Phil. program in Gender Studies is in conformity with other departments of Social Sciences and is structured around coursework followed by research and dissertation.

Academic Structure

Semester I Coursework
Semester II Coursework
Semester III Thesis / Research
Semester IV Thesis / Research & Viva

Credit Distribution

Core Courses 12 Credit Hours
Optional Courses 12 Credit Hours
Dissertation & Viva 26 Credit Hours
Duration: Four Semesters   |   Two Years

The M.Phil. in Gender Studies has four semesters and a two-year duration. The QAU Islamabad rules and regulations will be followed for admission and examination purposes.

The coursework of 24 credit hours is to be completed in the first and second semesters, while the thesis of 26 credit hours is to be carried out during the third and fourth semesters.

Admission Criteria / Entry Requirements

Eligibility

16 years education (MA/MSc/BS in Social Science and Humanities subjects) plus admission test and interview.

List of Core Courses of M.Phil. Gender Studies

GS-700

Issues and Perspectives in Gender Studies

3 Credit Hours
GS-701

Classical and Contemporary Feminist Theories

3 Credit Hours
GS-702

Feminist Epistemology and Research Methodologies

3 Credit Hours
GS-703

Debates in Gender and Development

3 Credit Hours

M.Phil. in Gender Studies

A four-semester, two-year postgraduate programme combining advanced coursework, feminist scholarship, research methodologies and an independent dissertation.

M.Phil. in Gender Studies

Duration of the Program and Semester-wise Break-up of Workload / Credit Hours

Semester-wise distribution of courses and credit hours

First Semester

12 Credit Hours
S.No. Course Credit Hours
1 GS-700: Issues and Perspectives in Gender Studies Core Course 3
2 GS-701: Classical and Contemporary Feminist Theories Core Course 3
3 Optional Course 3
4 Optional Course 3
Total Credit Hours 12

Second Semester

12 Credit Hours
S.No. Course Credit Hours
1 GS-702: Feminist Epistemology and Research Methodologies Core Course 3
2 GS-703: Debates in Gender and Development Core Course 3
3 Optional Course 3
4 Optional Course 3
Total Credit Hours 12

Third and Fourth Semester

26 Credit Hours
S.No. Course Credit Hours
1 Thesis Research Work Dissertation research work conducted during the third and fourth semesters. 26
M.Phil. Program — Credit Hours Summary
24 Coursework Credit Hours
26 Thesis Research Work
50 Total Program Credit Hours

Core Courses

Optional Courses