MSc Programmes
Ahfad University has been offering courses on Women's Studies since 1987. In 1997 it started a graduate programme offering a Master in Gender and Development, which led to the establishment of the Institute of Women, Gender and Development (IWGD) in 2000. A PhD programme in Gender and Development Studies was also launched in 2001. In 2008, it launched a Master in Gender and Peace Studies; recently a Master in Gender, Migration and Multicultural Studies was added.
In January 2010, thanks to the five-year project RIGDPR, funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the old IWGD was promoted to become AUW’s Regional Institute of Gender, Diversity, Peace and Rights (RIGDPR), located in new facilities on the Ahfad University compound. Among other things, it works through a partnership with other African universities to build capacities at higher education level in Africa, and to promote gender equality and human rights in diverse contexts. On this basis, it is launching a new Master programme in Gender and Governance.
The new RIGDPR inherits the good work of the previous years, and continues to offer the first Master programme it launched more than ten years ago, although in an updated and improved version. The many students that continue to register for it after so long is a clear sign of the need for this Master in Gender and Development, and also of its success.
Degree Award
For the award of a Master Degree, students must past all courses and obtain a minimum accumulative average of “B” (70%) in addition to passing the dissertation
Master Programme in Gender and Development (GAD)
Coordinator: Dr. Mai Ezz Eldin
This programme is aiming to reach gender equality in the areas of cooperation development and policy making. The aim of the programme is to contribute to fulfil the agenda of women’s empowerment and enhance efficiency in participation in development projects and policies. Moreover, to improve the capacities of graduates by making them more able to compete and work in various fields, especially in areas related to women in development processes.
Learning Outputs
The programme consists of a comprehensive and interdisciplinary package of specialized courses that will enable students to:
1 – Master knowledge and critical and analytical skills on issues related to gender, women ́s rights and empowerment in development contexts at national and international levels.
2 – Understand the different approaches towards gender and development.
3 – Articulate and develop change strategies for the promotion of gender equality within development processes and organizations.
4 – Independently carry out research work related to gender and development.
Course Sequence and Credit Distribution
The Master programme runs over a period of 18 months and includes eleven specialized courses in addition to fieldwork and research dissertations making 39 CHs distributed as follows:
Semester 1: Total of 12 CHs (July-Nov)
Gender and Feminism: Concepts and Theories.
Peace and Conflict Concepts and Theories.
Development Concepts and Theories.
Gender and Multiculturalism.
Semester 2: Total 12 CHs (Dec-April)
Gender and the Economy.
Gender Sensitive Policies and Planning.
Research Methods.
Semester 3 and 4: Total 15 CHs (May-Nov)
Fieldwork.
Students will also choose three of four elective courses.
Gender, Peace and the Media.
Gender and Global Challenges.
Gender and Health.
Master Programme in Gender and Peace Studies (GAPS)
Coordinator: Dr. Mahasin Abbas
This programme is aiming to reach gender equality in the areas of peace, conflicts and democracy. The aim of the programme is to contribute to fulfill the agenda of women’s empowerment and enhance efficiency in participation in peace processes and conflict resolution. Moreover, to improve the capacities of graduates by making them more able to compete and work in various fields, especially in areas related to women/gender rights, human rights and legislations related to gender-based violence during conflicts.
Learning Outputs
The programme consists of a comprehensive and interdisciplinary package of specialized courses that will enable students to:
1 – Master knowledge and critical and analytical skills on issues related to gender equality, women ́s rights in conflict contexts, major contemporary challenges to peace, sources of conflict and violence, and peace building through non-violent instruments.
2 – Master knowledge and analytical skills apply these theories in the prevention, management, resolution and transformation of conflicts as well as general peace building processes.
3 – Articulate and develop gender sensitive policies in development, conflict management and resolution, human rights and political economy of armed conflicts, and peace building processes.
4 – Independently work with academia, media, governments, INGOs, NGOs as well as within wider community based, regional and international contexts.
Course Sequence and Credit Distribution
The Master programme runs over a period of 18 months and includes eleven specialized courses in addition to fieldwork and research dissertations making 39 CHs, distributed as follows:
Semester 1: Total of 12 CHs (July-Nov)
Gender and Feminism: Concepts and Theories.
Peace and Conflict Concepts and Theories.
Development Concepts and Theories.
Gender and Multiculturalism.
Semester 2: Total 12 CHs (Dec-April)
The Political Economy of Armed Conflicts.
Democracy and Human Rights in Africa/ Middle East.
Conflict and Population Mobility.
Research Methods.
Semester 3 and 4: Total 15 CHs (May-Nov)
Fieldwork.
Students will also choose three of four elective courses.
Gender, Peace and the Media.
Gender and Global Challenges.
Gender and Health.
Environmental Governance and Sustainable Development.
Master Programme in Gender and Governance (GAG)
Coordinator: Dr. Enrico Ille
This programme is aiming to reach gender equality in the areas of leadership, governance and governments. The aim of the programme is to contribute to fulfill the agenda of women’s empowerment and enhance efficiency in participation in political life and other public domains. Moreover, to improve the capacities of graduates by making them more able to compete and work in various fields, especially in areas related to women/gender rights, policies and legislations related to governance, diversity, and applying principles of governance in the public domain (government and civil society) and the private sector.
Learning Outputs
The programme consists of a comprehensive and interdisciplinary package of specialized courses that will enable students to:
1 – Master knowledge and critical and analytical skills in issues related to gender equality, human rights, cultural diversity, good governance, multiculturalism and democracy.
2 – Apply these theories of good governance in the fields of public administration, economy and democracy building at global, regional and civil society levels.
3 – Articulate and develop gender sensitive policies and plans in various domains of development applying governance principles.
4 – Independently carry out research work related to good governance indicators.
Course Sequence and Credit Distribution
The Master programme runs over a period of 18 months and includes seven specialized courses in addition to fieldwork and research dissertations making 39 CHs, distributed as follows:
Semester 1: Total of 12 CHs (July-Nov)
Gender & Feminism: Concepts & Theories.
Gender and Multiculturalism.
Gender and Governance.
Semester 2: Total 12 CHs (Dec-April)
Gender and Economic Governance.
Global and Regional Governance.
Public Policy and Governance.
Research Methods.
Semester 3 and 4: Total 15 CHs (May-Nov)
Research Fieldwork and Final Dissertation.
Master Programme in Gender, Migration and Multicultural Studies (GMMS)
Coordinator: Dr. Ahmed Gamal Eldin
Learning Outputs:
The programme consists of a comprehensive and interdisciplinary package of specialized courses that will enable students to:
1. Understand contemporary theories and approaches of migration, good governance and use them to analyze current migration patterns and trends.
2. Analyze the root causes and the triggers of various forms of migration in context of gender, human rights, multiculturalism, democracy and governance.
3. Apply a gender, governance perspective for analyzing the causes, challenges and consequences of migration.
4. Critically assess migration policies and instruments applying good governance and public policy approaches.
5. Critically analyze the governance, multicultural and intercultural dimensions of migration.
Course Sequence and Credit Distribution
The MSc. Programme runs over a period of 18 months and includes eight specialized courses, in addition to fieldwork and research dissertations making 42 CHs distributed as follows:
Semester 1: Total of 12 CHs (July – Nov)
Gender and Feminism Concepts and Theories 3 CHs
Identity and Multiculturalism 3 CHs
Gender and Economic Governance 3 CHs
Theories of Migration 3 CHs
Semester 2: Total 15 CHs (Dec - April)
Gender and Governance 4 CHs Patterns of Migration 4 CHs
Public Policy and Management 4 CHs
Research Methodologies 3 CHs
Semester 3 and 4: Total 15 CHs (May –Nov)
Research fieldwork and writing dissertation 15 CHs