Gender Studies (Bachelor of Arts, B.A.)
The minor field of study Gender Studies at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin opens up new perspectives on social structures, power relations, and knowledge production. The programme provides theoretical, methodological, and analytical foundations for critically reflecting on gender relations and conducting interdisciplinary research.
Table of Contents
At a glance
Course structure and content
The B.A. minor field of study Gender Studies teaches the ability to analyse gender relations in various social, political, historical and cultural contexts. Students will also learn the various approaches of different scientific disciplines to gender construction and shaping gender relations. At HU, more than 20 different subjects contribute to the course programme and thus help to develop interdisciplinary competency as part of Gender Studies. In different fields that range from History and Medicine, it covers:
- An understanding of the constitutive significance of the category of gender in different disciplines, as well as covering concepts, stereotypes and prejudices regarding femininity and masculinity.
- The connection between ‘gender’, ‘race’, ‘social affiliation’ and ‘class’, as well as combined discrimination.
- A critical reflection on traditional scientific categories such as ‘objectivity’, ‘rationality’ or ‘neutrality’.
- The reproduction mechanisms of gender inequality.
- The impact of gender images, and the cultural templates which constitute ‘gender’.
The degree programme is linked with the relevant core subject in that its theories and methods are viewed comparatively and within in a common context. It provides an awareness of gender equality issues, qualifying students for activities in a variety of fields (such as companies, public administration, politics or the media). Students acquire the ability to undertake independent scientific work and analysis, give oral, written and media presentations on scientific topics and prepare them in a target-specific and practice-oriented way in a variety of forms.
Minor field of study (60 CP)
Students complete 6 modules that may be spread across the entire standard time for completing the study programme (6 semesters):
| Module no. | Title | Size |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transdisziplinary Gender Studies | 10 CP |
| 2 | Gender as analytical category | 10 CP |
| 3 | Interdependencies | 10 CP |
| 4 | Gender orders | 10 CP |
| 5 | Interventions | 10 CP |
| 6 | Free choice in Gender Studies | 10 CP |
Special features
The course programme, organised and coordinated by the Centre for Transdisciplinary Gender Studies (ZtG), covers classes from 8 faculties and 21 different subjects – from American Studies to Educational Sciences, Social Sciences, Law, Economic Sciences and Medicine. Gender Studies at HU therefore offers an interdisciplinary variety of course programmes, greater than at any other university in the German-speaking region.
Gender Studies provides fundamental skills, methods and work techniques for the analysis of gender relations, discrimination and privileges in social, cultural, historical and political contexts. The following perspectives are the key starting points for Gender Studies at HU:
- Scientific criticism: critical continual reflection on knowledge, knowledge creation and formation, scientific positions, methods, theories and uses combined with approaches such as feminist theories, critical whiteness studies, post-colonial studies and queer studies.
- Interdependency: the connection between gender and other social categorisations such as ethnicity, social positioning, sexuality, age, religion or qualification, where they occur (or otherwise) in various fields, and their negotiation and hierarchical structure.
- Interdisciplinarity: topic-specific teaching and learning within, across and between numerous disciplines and in relation to both theories and methods, whilst relating this reflection back to the disciplines.
- Intervention: the connection to the practice and application of the acquired knowledge in teaching and learning projects, as well as a variety of internships at home and abroad
Subject-specific admission and enrolment rules
Career opportunities & prospects
You can apply for the Gender Studies Master’s programme at HU.
Find out more in the overview of HU study programmes or via the database Hochschulkompass nationwide.
Graduates of Gender Studies qualify for work in numerous fields, such as:
- Gender equality and diversity management
- Policy consulting and NGOs
- Cultural and educational work
- Media, journalism, and public relations
- Academia, research, and teaching
More information on career prospects and alternatives can be found in the Berufenet database.
Study subject counselling and recognition of credits
Frau Spintig, R. 1.20
Phone: +49 30 2093-46207
ztg-studienberatung@gender.hu-berlin.de
Centre for Transdisciplinary Gender Studies
Institutsgebäude, Georgenstraße 47, 10117 Berlin