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Organization of Studies

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Organization of Studies

Organization of Studies

The Undergraduate Program of Studies “Gender Studies” has a duration of eight academic semesters (four years) and awards a total of 240 ECTS credits. It is structured into two study cycles. In the first cycle (1st and 2nd semesters), introductory courses are offered, while those in the second cycle (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th semesters) are more specialized.

Courses offered in the first cycle are compulsory, whereas the second cycle consists of elective courses and practical training/seminars that are compulsory by choice. All courses have a duration of three hours per week.

The academic curriculum is decided annually by the Department Assembly, with the aim of best meeting educational needs of the program. Within the framework of the second cycle of studies, students are given the opportunity to participate in a Summer Internship, as well as to undertake and complete a thesis.

Classification of Courses

Courses are three hours long (3 teaching units) and are divided into three categories: compulsory courses, elective courses, and practical training/seminars.

  • Compulsory courses cover core subject areas, and their teaching is repeated every academic year. These include all courses of the first study cycle, including English language courses, which are compulsory by choice, and each corresponds to 5 ECTS credits.
  • Elective courses allow students to specialize and further develop their interests. They are offered exclusively in the second cycle of studies and are usually not repeated every year. Each corresponds to 6 ECTS credits.
  • Practical training/seminars (PT/S) constitute a special category of courses offered exclusively in the second cycle of studies. Their main characteristic is the small number of students enrolled (up to eight) and their specialized subject matter. The aim of these courses is to familiarize students with methodological and theoretical tools and to develop their skills under the direct supervision of the instructor. To attend courses in this category, there are prerequisite courses that students must have successfully completed in order to be eligible to enroll. Each corresponds to 6 ECTS credits.

Summer Practice Program

The Summer Practice Program is offered as an elective course within the second cycle of studies and provides students with the opportunity to gain work experience. Through placements in various organizations, students can apply their theoretical knowledge on gender issues in practice. At the same time, they are given the opportunity to enhance their understanding of both practical and institutional approaches to addressing gender inequalities through direct engagement with social services.

Undergraduate Thesis

During the second cycle of studies, students already enrolled in this cycle are given the opportunity to undertake an undergraduate thesis. The thesis has a research-oriented character, is optional, and is equivalent to three elective courses and 18 ECTS credits. The selection of the topic is made in consultation with a supervising faculty member and is related to one of the courses offered in the study program. The final evaluation of the thesis is carried out by a committee consisting of three faculty members, appointed by the Assembly.

Teaching – Integration with Research

The aim of the Undergraduate Study Program is the systematic integration of teaching with research. To achieve this:

  • The curriculum includes topics that are at the forefront of research, such as gender and health, gender and technology, gender and development, and gender and rights.
  • Attendance of at least two Practicum Courses/Seminars is mandatory, through which students are trained in the use of methodological tools and the conduct of basic research.
  • Students are given the opportunity to participate in the Summer Internship in collaboration with research institutions related to the program’s field of study.
  • Teaching is linked both to the research work of the faculty members and to the research produced in the Department’s four laboratories (the Laboratory of Ethnography, the Laboratory of History, the Laboratory for the Study of Family and Kinship, and the Laboratory of Ethnographic Approaches to Language).
  • Teaching is also connected to research seminars delivered by invited speakers, which are organized annually during the two academic semesters.
  • The program is further linked to the research conducted within the Master’s Program “Gender, Culture and Society,” which has been operating in the Department of Social Anthropology and History since 2003, through presentations delivered in the context of lectures.

Student Trajectories

During the first cycle of studies, students attend exclusively the courses of the semester in which they are enrolled. Enrollment in the second cycle of studies (third semester) is open and does not require successful completion of all courses from the first cycle of studies.

During the second cycle of studies, students have the option to register for courses that are offered in a different semester from the one in which they are enrolled, provided these courses are offered in the same period (spring or winter semester).

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes of the Undergraduate Study Program correspond to first-cycle studies and to Level 6 of the European and National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education.

Upon completion of their studies and the awarding of the degree, graduates of the program will have acquired solid knowledge of the scientific approaches and findings of contemporary research related to gender issues and gender relations, as well as the necessary skills to connect theoretical knowledge with professional practice. Specifically, upon obtaining the degree, the graduate will:

  • will be able to recognize, understand, and critically engage with the ways in which gender shapes human relationships and activities, through familiarity with contemporary theories and developments at the forefront of the field of study,
  • will possess knowledge and skills in the collection, management, and analysis of data in the field of social sciences,
  • will have advanced skills in designing and implementing tools to combat gender inequality and discrimination,
  • will have the necessary expertise to address social and cultural inequalities within institutions, public and social services, the labor market, the family, health, and technology,
  • will be able to collect and interpret data related to gender and gender differences to further form judgments that include reflection on relevant social, scientific, or ethical issues, as well as to communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions to both specialized and non-specialized audience,
  • will have developed the learning skills necessary to pursue further studies in subsequent cycles of education.

Additionally, through training in research methods within the framework of specialized practicum courses/seminars, graduates will be able to understand how to conduct small-scale research based on fieldwork and participant observation, literature review, the study of historical sources, and the management and use of oral testimonies and visual material (depending on the practicum courses/seminars they have attended). They will also be able to use new technologies for the recording, processing, and presentation of research material and findings.