Overview and entry requirements 

The BA Social Anthropology degree explores what it is to be human in a complex and changing world.You will study the great variety of beliefs and practices that exist around the world, from remote communities to global cities. You will learn theoretical frameworks and question your own assumptions, helping you to think creatively about how to address global problems.

Bridging the humanities and social sciences, anthropology offers a unique approach grounded in real-world research allowing for a greater understanding in cultural differences, political dynamics, social conflict, and human creativity.

Studying at SOAS is unique as it draws from the regional expertise of our academics in Asian, African, and Middle Eastern languages and societies. If you are passionate about understanding human society and behaviour, and want to learn to think critically about the world around you, then this Anthropology course is for you.

Why study Social Anthropology at SOAS

• SOAS is ranked 5th in the UK for Anthropology in the 2021 QS World University Rankings  and 16th in the world
• draw on the exceptional regional expertise of our academics in Asian, African, and Middle Eastern languages and politics, many of whom have joined us with a practical working knowledge of their disciplines
• join our thriving community of alumni and academics who have an impact on the world outside of academia
• flexibly structure your programme using our optional modules and/or optional modules from other departments, including the opportunity to learn a regional language
• we are specialists in the delivery of languages; your command of a second language at SOAS will set you apart from graduates of other universities
  

This programme has a first-rate graduate employability record, with graduates having moved on to work for a range of organisations such as Deloitte, The New York Times and the British Council.

Explore

• Upcoming Open Day
• See Department of Anthropology and Sociology
• For more information email: eh17@soas.ac.uk 

Programme Code: L600 BA/SA

Start of programme: September

Mode of Attendance: Full-time

Structure

Students take 120 credits per year composed of compulsory and optional modules.

All students are expected to complete all compulsory modules.

Students are entitled to select up to 30 credits of Open Option modules per year. These modules can be in anthropology or based in other departments within the School, either in another subject or a language option.

Programme

YEAR ONE

COMPULSORY MODULES

All students are expected to complete the following compulsory modules, totaling 90 credits.

AND

OPEN OPTIONS

Choose related Language or Non-Language Open Option modules to a total of 30 credits

• Language Open Option Modules
• Non-Language Open Option Modules

YEAR TWO

COMPULSORY MODULES

All students are expected to complete the following compulsory modules, totaling 45 credits.

AND

GUIDED OPTIONS

Choose module(s) from Year 2 Option List below to a total of 45 credits

AND

OPEN OPTIONS

Choose a total of 30 further credits from the Year 2 Option List or any related Language or Non-Language Open Option modules

• Language Open Option Modules
• Non-Language Open Option Modules

YEAR THREE

COMPULSORY MODULES

All students are expected to complete the following compulsory modules, totaling 45 credits.

AND

GUIDED OPTIONS

Choose modules from Year 3 Option List below to a total of 45 credits

AND

OPEN OPTIONS

Choose a total of 30 further credits from the Year 3 Option List and/or any related Language or Non-Language Open Option modules

• Language Open Option Modules
• Non-Language Open Option Modules

Option Modules (subject to availability)

Year 2 Option List

Year 3 Option List

Programme Specification

• BA Social Anthropology Programme Spec 2020 (pdf; 392kb)

Important notice

Teaching & Learning

The academic staff in the Department of Anthropology are dynamic, experienced teachers who are widely recognised for their expertise and enjoy working directly with students. Renowned scholars from other institutions also come to share their knowledge. The SOAS Anthropology Department sponsors several lecture series that are open to students, including the weekly Departmental Research Seminar, the Food Studies Centre's Food Forum and the Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies’ Seminar Series.

In addition to these formal settings for learning, our students also learn from one another. Hailing from around the globe, their diverse life experiences make our classes an exciting, rich environment for cultural and intellectual exchange. Students also benefit from campus-wide programmes, clubs, study groups, and performances.

The modules are taught by lectures and group discussions. Students become active in class through their reading and essay-writing as well as their participation in discussion groups. Whatever the topic, modules draw particularly on ethnographic studies of China, Japan, South East Asia, South Asia, the Near and Middle East, West Africa and East Africa, as well as their diasporas.

Independent Study Project (ISP)

The ISP can be taken by final-year students only. This is an opportunity for students to conduct original anthropological research on their own initiative, to engage in in-depth analysis of particular subjects and to undertake ethnographic fieldwork and/or library-based reseach. It is supported by a bi-weekly seminar on anthropological research and writing and is assessed by a single 10,000-word dissertation (including notes but excluding bibliography).

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Pre-entry reading

• Eriksen, Thomas H. 2015 Small Places, Large Issues: An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology, Pluto Press.
• Astuti, Rita, et al (eds.) 2007. Questions of Anthropology. Oxford: Berg.
• Engelke, Matthew 2017. Think Like an Anthropologist. Pelican.
• Abu-Lughod, Lila. 2015. Do Muslim Women Need Saving? Harvard University Press.
• Fassin, Didier. 2013. Enforcing Order: An Ethnography of Urban Policing. Polity Press.
• Kate Fox 2014. Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour. Stodder & Houghton.
• Macclancy, J. 2002. Exotic No More: Anthropology on the Front Lines. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Das, V. 2006. Life and Words. Violence and the Descent into the Ordinary. University of California Press.

Tuition fees

Fees for 2022/23 entrants per academic year

Please note that fees go up each year. 

For full details of undergraduate tuition fees, see our Registry's undergraduate tuition fees page.

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

Employment

Students from SOAS’ Department of Anthropology and Sociology develop an in-depth understanding of the world. Employers value our graduates’ cultural awareness and global perspective, as well as their skills in analysis, data interpretation and problem-solving.

Recent Department of Anthropology and Sociology graduates have been hired by:

• Allen & Overy
• BBC
• British Council
• Deloitte
• Hackney Migrant Centre
• IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development)
• IOM- UN Migration
• Media 52
• New York Times
• Social Mobility Foundation
• The Week
• UNICEF
• United Nations Development Programme
• World Bank Group

Find out about our Careers Service.

• How to Apply
• UCAS website
• Request a prospectus
• Got a question - use our enquiry form (opens a new window)
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts