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MA Social Anthropology
Overview and entry requirements
Our MA Social Anthropology programme is designed on a modular basis offering different routes to suit three categories of students:
- students with a degree in social anthropology wishing to pursue more specialist topics and/or more regional and language-based study
- students with little or no previous knowledge of social anthropology wishing to acquire a broad knowledge of the discipline
- students with little or no previous knowledge of social anthropology wishing to take the degree as a conversion course before proceeding to a research degree in anthropology
This course in also available as an alternative MA Medical Anthropology pathway, which is an interdisciplinary course of study designed to understand and address pressing global challenges in health and mental health from diverse perspectives: click here for more information.
Why study MA Social Anthropology at SOAS
- SOAS is ranked 5th in the UK in the 2021 QS World University Rankings for Anthropology, 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 outside world of academia
- flexibly structure your programme using our optional modules and/or the 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 language at SOAS will set you apart from graduates of other universities
- this programme has a first-rate graduate employability record.
For more information email: anthsoc@soas.ac.uk
Start of programme: September intake only
Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time
Entry requirements
- We will consider all applications with 2:ii (or international equivalent) or higher. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application including supporting statement and references.
- duration:
- One calendar year (full-time) Two or three years (part-time, daytime only)
We recommend that part-time students have between two and a half and three days free in the week to pursue their course of study.
The expectation in the UK is of continuous study across the year, with break periods used to read and to prepare coursework.
Degree programmes at SOAS - including this one - can include language courses in more than forty African and Asian languages. It is SOAS students’ command of an African or Asian language which sets SOAS apart from other universities.
Structure
The programme consists of 180 credits in total: 120 credits of modules and a dissertation of 10,000 words at 60 credits.
All students are expected to take the compulsory modules listed below, except for students with a previous Anthropology degree, who are not required to take the Theoretical Approaches to Social Anthropology (TASA) module but may wish to select this as one of their options. In addition to TASA, students who choose the Medical Anthropology pathway are required to take the compulsory modules associated with the pathway.
Programme
Compulsory Module
AND
Guided Module(s) from the Anthropology and Sociology list below, to the value of 30 credits.
AND
Guided Module(s) from the Anthropology and Sociology list below, OR modules from the Postgraduate Open Options List, to the value of 45 credits.
Dissertation
Students must complete a Dissertation (10,000 words) worth 60 credits.
Pathway in Medical Anthropology
Students who wish to undertake the MA Social Anthropology with a Pathway in Medical Anthropology must also fulfil the following requirements:
Compulsory Module
AND
Guided Module(s) from the Anthropology and Sociology list below, OR modules from the Postgraduate Open Options List, to the value of 45 credits.
List of Modules (subject to availability)
Anthropology and Sociology
Programme Specification
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. If you are a current student you can find structure information on the previous year link at the top of the page or through your Department. Please read the important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules.
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, 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 and bringing diverse life experiences to bear on their studies, all MA students in the Department of Anthropology can take courses together, making it a rich environment for intellectual exchange. Students also benefit from campus-wide programmes, clubs, study groups, and performances.
Contact hours
During the academic year, modules are delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials and/or seminars. Students can expect an average of two hours of classroom time per week for each module. Outside of the classroom, students explore topics of the module through independent study and through personal exchanges with teachers and fellow students. In some cases, modules are taught by several teachers within the department to provide students with an array of perpsectives on the subject.
All modules involve the active participation of students in the discussion of ideas, viewpoints and readings. The majority of the student’s time will be through their own independent study. Students become more active in class through their reading and essay-writing and should greatly enhance their participation in discussion groups.
Dissertation
The MA Social Anthropology culminates in a 10,000-word dissertation, based on original research on a topic of the student's own choosing and developed in discussion with a supervisor.
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.
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.
A Student's Perspective
I was nervous about the prospect of getting back into higher education. But staff and students alike have made the transition a really easy process for me; SOAS feels like home, after only 4 months of study here.
Mia Barrow-Sullivan
