CONTROVERSIAL aspects of a Male Studies course will not go ahead, the University of South Australia says - though lecturers involved with it still believe that it will.

The Advertiser revealed yesterday that some of the lecturers listed for the professional certificates had links to extreme men's rights organisations that believe men are oppressed, particularly by feminists.

The university yesterday said two short courses that would cover male health and health promotion programs targeting males had been approved, that "no other courses have been approved" and that only university staff would teach the courses.

Over the past two days, The Advertiser has spoken to several lecturers who believe the remainder of the proposed courses - on topics including gender bias and male power and privilege - are set to go ahead. An information sheet on the Male Studies course said it would be considered "if there is sufficient interest".

US "anti-feminist" lawyer Roy Den Hollander said yesterday that he was preparing a course that looked at how the law favours females when it comes to employment, crime, domestic relations, property, divorce and illegitimate children.

"The course is really looking back at 200 or 300 years of history and how the law treated guys and girls - and it treated girls more favourably than guys and it still does, maybe even more so.

Mr Den Hollander also stood by his claim that men's remaining source of power was "firearms". Asked whether he thought that was "extreme", he said that it was true that it was "really the only area that they control in society now".

He said that even where men dominate areas such as boards and politics, they are still enforcing the belief system of feminism.

However, Mr Den Hollander is unlikely to be able to tell Adelaide students about similarities he sees between the men's rights movement and the civil rights movement, as the university says the subject he is down to teach was never approved.

A statement from the university issued yesterday said only UniSA staff would develop and teach courses, and that the university did not "endorse or support the controversial comments on gender issues" revealed in yesterday's Advertiser.

Yesterday men's rights activists attacked criticism of the course as lies, corruption and fascism.

"As we know, feminist ideologues are well placed with the luxury of great control. But while this is clearly an exercise in their power, it is an exercise in power that is waning," Paul Elam, editor of the anti-feminist site A Voice For Men wrote, adding the "only way forward" was "straight through them".

National Union of Students president Deana Taylor said a course like that proposed for the university provided "a dangerous platform for anti-women views".