Why in Utrecht

Intersectionality and multiple feminist waves

By choosing to study at Utrecht University, you gain the opportunity to learn from a diverse multidisciplinary team of teachers, that consists of multiple feminist generations. Concepts from different waves of feminism are thus represented in the seminars and master classes. You’ll also benefit from our intersectional approach to all topics, a hallmark of the Utrecht programme. We believe that sexism, racism, ageism, and other mechanisms of exclusion go hand-in-hand and co-constitute one another, and should therefore be studies as such.

Teaching Staff

Our lecturers are internationally recognised as experts in their fields. The core lecturers of the Research Master's programme in Gender Studies include:

• Prof. Rosemarie Buikema
• Prof. Anne-Marie Korte
• Dr Koen Leurs
• Dr Eva Midden
• Dr Domitilla Olivieri
• Prof. Sandra Ponzanesi
• Dr Christine Quinan
• Dr Kathrin Thiele
• Prof. Berteke Waaldijk
• Magdalena Górska PhD

Meet all our staff members.

Leading in education

Utrecht University offers Bachelor-level courses, two Master's programmes, and PhD studies in Gender and Postcolonial Studies. We are a key player in advanced academic training and research with regard to women’s, gender, and postcolonial studies. Our staff played an important role in developing the ATGENDER Tuning brochure, an official document published by the European Commission with guidelines to assess the quality of gender- and ethnicity-oriented programmes.

A global and local network

Our extensive networks of academic and research exchange partners offer you the opportunity to pursue studies and research through numerous organisations in the Netherlands and abroad.

Utrecht University:

• Coordinates the Netherlands Research School of Gender Studies.
• Runs a yearly NOI♀SE Summer School at an advanced research level.
• Coordinates the Postcolonial Studies Initiative (PCI).
• Coordinates the EU-funded COST Action New Materialism: Networking European Scholarship on 'How Matter Comes to Matter'.
• Collaborates with Utrecht University's Centre for the Humanities.
• Hosts Terra Critica - Interdisciplinary Network on the Critical Humanities.

Furthermore, the programme participates in:

• GEMMA, the Erasmus Mundus Master’s programme in Women’s and Gender Studies.
• AtGender - The European Association for Gender Research, Education and Documentation.
• RINGS - International Research Network of Institutions and Advanced Gender Studies.
• InterGender - Research school in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies.

On a local level, studying Gender Studies in Utrecht also means being part of an ambitious, open-minded, and intellectual community. We encourage you to join the student society AskAnnabel, which unites students of this programme and the Gender Studies programme and provides additional avenues for engaging in relevant discussions.

Study Abroad

During your studies, you are strongly encouraged to spend a semester at a university abroad. You may also choose to participate in the International NOI♀SE Summer School for Advanced Interdisciplinary Women’s Studies, co-organised every year by Utrecht University.

Doing Gender Lecture Series

What is the state of the art definition of gender? How do contemporary scholars and activists utilise this definition?

A key feature of the Utrecht programme is the Doing Gender Lecture Series. These lectures stress the importance of doing gender work combined with an active involvement in the practice of gender theory and research. During the lectures, you will meet the new generations of gender theorists and practitioners. These instructors come from around the globe and provide innovative perspectives that enhance the field and encourage us to ‘do gender’ in a new way.

World-class University

Choosing Utrecht University means choosing one of the best universities in the country. Several renowned international rankings place Utrecht University among the 100 best universities in the world. The teaching environment at Utrecht University is international: half of the Utrecht Master's programmes are taught in English. The existing and former academic staff of Utrecht University include twelve Nobel Prize laureates. Read more about Utrecht University.