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Gender and Sexuality Studies MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2026/27 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Gender and Sexuality Studies MPhil/PhD (2025/26), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2026/27)

£6,400

£3,200

Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)

£31,300

£15,650

Duration

3 calendar years

5 calendar years

Programme starts

October 2026

February 2027

May 2027

Applications accepted

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but should be submitted at least three months prior to your preferred start date.

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

Applicants need excellent qualifications in a relevant humanities or social science discipline: a first or very good upper second-class (minimum average 65%) Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. We prefer candidates to have a distinction or indication of distinction-level work (e.g. a distinction mark for the dissertation) at Master’s level or equivalent.

In the first instance, candidates should establish a dialogue with a potential supervisor before making a formal application. Admission is normally dependent on the submission of a detailed research project proposal.

The English language level for this course is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The doctoral course allows you to undertake a substantial piece of supervised research in Gender and Sexuality Studies to make an original contribution to the discipline that is worthy of publication. Recent doctoral theses have included: ‘The (In)Visible father: Lesbian Motherhood and Artificial Insemination in Britain from the Seventies to Late Eighties’, ‘Being Queer and Jewish: a Cross-Cultural Study of Ethno-Religious Experiences and Divides’; ‘Mapping Intimacy and Pleasure in a Beauty Salon: First-Generation Migrant Women from South Asia in London’.

The PhD is offered by the Centre for Multidisciplinary and Intercultural Inquiry (CMII) within the School of European Languages, Culture and Society (SELCS). Research students can specialise in any aspect of gender or sexuality studies for which supervision is available. Supervision is available from world-leading researchers from SELCS and CMII, with 83% of SELCS-CMII research activity being graded 4* ‘world leading’ and 3* ‘internationally excellent’ in the REF 2021. We also work with supervisors from other departments in the faculty of Arts and Humanities, as well as staff at the faculties of Social and Historical Sciences, Laws and Built Environment, together with the School of Slavonic and East European Studies and the Institute of Education.

Our supervisors' disciplinary expertise cuts across many different areas including anthropology, architecture, development studies, education, geography, history, history of art, IR, law, literary and film studies, queer studies, sociology and urban studies. To make contact with a potential supervisor for your research, you can search staff expertise by keyword on UCL Profiles.

Who this course is for

This MPhil/PhD is for applicants with a strong interest in conducting multi-disciplinary research, who may have completed post-graduate training or study and want to develop an advanced critical analysis in a specific research area. The course is for graduates with a background or interest in gender or sexuality studies which may include disciplines such as anthropology, development studies, education, history, literary or film studies. It is suitable for both recent Masters graduates as well as early or mid-career professionals.

Read about what it takes to become a UCL graduate research student

What this course will give you

As a multi-faculty institution in the heart of cosmopolitan London, covering an exceptionally wide range of disciplines, UCL offers an ideal environment for Gender and Sexuality Studies. UCL was the first British university to admit women on equal terms with men. Women associated with UCL have included novelists, anthropologists, scientists, architects and artists. Other alumni were celebrated by UCL's Queer Tapestry exhibition.

Research students normally have a primary and secondary supervisor from different disciplines, so studying at UCL provides an opportunity to take full advantage of these interdisciplinary strengths. Training includes regular skills-based research seminars for all CMII research students. You will also participate in PGR training activities coordinated by the Gender and Sexuality Studies PhD course. These include regular reading workshops, seminar discussion groups and the opportunity to present your work to a supportive network of peers at the annual Gender and Sexuality Studies ‘Work in Progress’ Symposium, hosted in conjunction with qUCL and the Gender and Feminisms Research Network.

Throughout your PhD you may also participate in activities and events offered by the departments of different supervisors beyond the CMII, which offers opportunities to broaden your expertise and adapt your research for different audiences. Research skills training is also provided by the UCL Doctoral School.

Find out how your research could have an impact

The foundation of your career

SELCS-CMII research degree graduates go on to a range of academic and industry careers, both in Higher Education and in fields such as consultancy, publishing, journalism, teaching, media, public health, policy, government, social care and international relations. They have gone on to work for employers such as the University of Sussex, University of Exeter, the Home Office and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.*

*Graduate Outcomes Survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017 - 2022 cohorts.

Employability

Engaging with gender and sexuality concerns is now an integral aspect of research and planning activities in a wide range of fields. The need to address different forms of inequality has created a demand in both public and private sectors for highly qualified graduates with a broad theoretical background in gender and/or sexuality studies, a familiarity with equality issues from an intersectional perspective and a commitment to social change.

The PhD demonstrates the ability to produce original knowledge and ideas, to work independently and creatively on a substantial research project and to construct convincing and well-rounded arguments. Postgraduate research also hones a range of written and oral presentation skills, writing and communicating your research ideas for a range of audiences. Opportunities include presenting at academic conferences, conducting podcast interviews, writing for blogs or online publications such as IAS Think Pieces, to organising and facilitating events such as seminar series and reading groups.

Links with the Gender, Society and Representation MA offer potential teaching assistant opportunities for research students after their first year of study. This provides valuable academic experience and skills development, planning and organising learning and teaching, facilitating group-based discussion and evaluating student work.

Networking

UCL Gender and Sexuality Studies is part of a vibrant community of scholars and students working on questions of gender and sexuality at UCL. A wealth of talks, roundtables, book launches and events across UCL offer opportunities to connect with staff working on cutting-edge research in the field. Beyond the CMII, GSS students have opportunities to develop networks through supervisors in other departments, for example research initiatives at the Institute of Education, access to seminars at UCL History and the Department of Science and Technology Studies.

PhD students take a central role in the research culture of their department and beyond, supported to organise reading groups, seminar series and symposia to present their own and others’ research. UCL Careers also offers a range of services, providing access to recruitment and networking events.

An additional benefit of studying at UCL is the opportunity to meet students from a wide range of national and disciplinary backgrounds. These links create valuable networking opportunities, both in the UK and overseas.

Teaching and learning

Research students undertake relevant induction sessions within CMII and attend a series of skills-based research seminars throughout their first year. Regular research seminars are also run by individual CMII PhD courses, including Gender and Sexuality Studies alongside for example: Health Humanities, Film Studies, Racism and Racialisation and Comparative Literature. All CMII students are welcome to attend any relevant sessions, offering opportunities for cross-fertilisation of ideas. Students can also take advantage of the Doctoral Skills Development Programme to design a training programme tailored to their needs. PhD students meet with their supervisors regularly in term time, where workplans, milestones and activities are tracked on the UCL Research Student Log.

All students are required to upgrade from MPhil to a PhD degree after the groundwork for the project has been developed. To successfully upgrade to a PhD, you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to discuss the project with a panel consisting of your Subsidiary Supervisor and another member of the faculty who acts as an independent assessor.

After the PhD thesis has been submitted, the assessment is by viva voce examination with an internal and an external examiner.

PhD students should treat their research course as a full-time job, which equates roughly to 35 hours per week, or 15 hours for part-time students. Students agree to a timetable of regular meetings with the Principal Supervisor to effectively manage the progression of project aims. This is flexible, at some points it may be necessary to meet more or less often.

Full-time students can expect to meet supervisors together or individually every 2-4 weeks during the academic year, and part-time students every 4-6 weeks. If a student has external funding, they should also ensure they meet the Terms & Conditions of the funder.

Research areas and structure

Potential supervisors have a very varied set of research interests with a focus on different parts of the world in both contemporary and historical perspective. Their interests include nationalism and sexuality; gender and urban development in the Global South; contemporary gay and queer cinema; gender and sexuality in medieval and modern European and world literary or visual culture; feminism and social movements; historical, sociological and legal perspectives on intimacy, sexuality, care and the home; sexuality, migration and health; and cultural discourses of AIDS.

Research environment

Through a range of different networks and associations, Gender and Sexuality Studies students contribute significantly to the research environment of the CMII, as well as to other social and academic networks beyond their home department. Beyond UCL, students can access special collections at other world-class libraries (Senate House and the British Library, the Warburg Institute, Wellcome Trust and the Bishopsgate Institute), as well as world-leading cultural institutions such as the Tate galleries.

The length of registration for the research degree courses is usually three years for full-time study. You register for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transferring to a PhD degree after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9-12 months after initial registration.

In Year 1, you will be required to take part in a mandatory skills seminar programme at CMII. You are expected to agree the basic structure of your research project with your supervisor early on, including an appropriate research method and a realistic plan of work. You will produce and submit a detailed outline of your proposed research for your supervisor to give their comments and feedback, including written work towards a draft chapter such as a literature review.

To successfully upgrade to a PhD, you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to discuss this work with a panel consisting of your subsidiary supervisor and another member of the faculty who acts as an independent assessor. Once upgraded to PhD, you will spend a further two years conducting and writing up your research.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration (three years full time), you may register as a completing research student (CRS) while you write up your thesis.

The length of registration for the research degree courses is usually five years for part-time. You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transferring to a PhD degree after successful completion of an upgrade viva 15-18 months after initial registration.

In Year 1, you will be required to take part in a mandatory skills seminar programme at CMII. You are expected to agree with your supervisor the basic structure of your research project, an appropriate research method and a realistic plan of work.

To successfully upgrade to a PhD you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to discuss this work to a panel consisting of your subsidiary supervisor and another member of the faculty who acts as an independent assessor.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration (five years part time), you may register as a completing research student (CRS) while you write up your thesis.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£6,400	£3,200
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£31,300	£15,650

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

Additional costs may include expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying, and conference registration fees. A student planning to undertake fieldwork outside the UK will have to find funding to cover the costs.

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library (hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions). Students receive a free printing allowance each year and pay for any additional printing (see details).

Conference fees vary depending on the specific event, location and attendee category but usually would not be more than a few hundred pounds, based on typical events and destinations attended by recent students. Subject to availability, the department may offer small grants to contribute towards the costs related to conference attendance, although these would usually be limited to one award per year, and assessed on a case-by-case basis.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

Applicants may be eligible for funding from the ESRC-funded UCL, Bloomsbury and East London (UBEL) Doctoral Training Partnership via the Gender and Sexuality Studies pathway, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission or other UCL Graduate Research studentships. For information about scholarships available through SELCS-CMII, please visit the department’s Funding and Scholarships website.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

We expect high levels of academic performance from all applicants, together with excellent written English (IELTS ‘Advanced’ level).

Anyone applying for funding will normally need a first-class degree from the UK plus a distinction in an already completed UK Master’s degree, or equivalent qualifications from elsewhere.

Please note: deadlines and conditions for PhD funding opportunities vary. Please read the SELCS-CMII PhD funding information carefully to assess which funding schemes, conditions and processes apply.

We recommend that you start the application process as soon as possible in Term 1 of the academic year, to start the course the following September. Please read the following application guidelines carefully:

Before making a formal application, candidates should first establish a dialogue with a potential supervisor at UCL. You can search staff expertise by keyword at UCL Profiles.
Before making a formal application, all prospective applicants must send the Course Director, Alex Hyde (a.hyde@ucl.ac.uk) an initial research proposal and curriculum vitae. Please also include any supervisory support found for the project, and eligible funding schemes. We will then advise on the potential fit with the course, supervisor availability and other criteria for admission. Proposals should be 1,000-1,500 words long, with a title, an overview of existing scholarship related to the research aims and objectives, specific research questions and an indication of the methodology to be employed.
If your research can be supported by the course and supervisors are available, you will be invited to submit a formal application and attend an online interview to discuss your project in more detail with course staff.
If your application and interview are successful and you are offered a place on the course, you will be advised further on funding opportunities and the processes involved.

For more information, see our 'Need to Know' page and our Gender and Sexuality Studies page.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This course requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.