Approved by the Economics and Social Research Council, this MA provides training in research methods, with a focus on methods used by researchers in anthropology.
This Economic and Social Research Council approved MA provides training in research methods with a focus on methods used by researchers in anthropology. At the end of this course, you will be well-prepared to go on to do research in Anthropology or a related discipline. Most students expect to move on to a PhD.
The course includes training in qualitative and quantitative methods needed by researchers in social sciences and draws on expertise within the Department of Anthropology to provide specialised training in either sociocultural anthropology, medical anthropology, the anthropology of development or cultural evolution (depending on your chosen pathway). It is affiliated to the Northern Ireland and North East Doctoral Training Partnership, which offers funding to British and European Union students interested in taking the course preparatory to moving on to a PhD at Durham.
The full-time course runs for a full year, from October to September. You will attend classes between October and December (Michaelmas Term) and January and March (Epiphany), with assessment in April and May (Easter Term), and then work, under the supervision of a specialist supervisor, to complete a dissertation in September. This is often a pilot project for a PhD project. You will take core modules on qualitative and quantitative methods which will be co-ordinated through the Durham Research Methods Centre. Further modules are chosen from within each specialist pathway.
The course is delivered through a mixture of interactive lectures, seminars and workshops, in addition to one-to-one dissertation supervision. Typically, lectures deliver key information on progressively more advanced themes and topics. Seminars provide an opportunity to reflect in more depth upon material delivered in lectures and gathered from independent study outside the programme’s formal contact hours. They give you an opportunity to engage with academic issues at the cutting-edge of research in Anthropology, in a learning environment focused on discussion and debate of current issues.
Full-time students have on average 8 hours of formal teaching and learning contact per week and you are also expected to attend weekly departmental seminars and research group seminars (hosted by our Social Anthropology Research Group, our Anthropology of Health Research Group and our Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group, depending on your particular interests). Outside timetabled contact hours, you are also expected to devote significant amounts of time to reading, discussing and preparing for classes, assignments and project work. Throughout the course, all students meet fortnightly with their degree tutor, who provides academic support and guidance. Furthermore, all members of the teaching staff have weekly office hours when they are available to meet you on a ‘drop-in’ basis. You will work closely with leading academics (usually your expected PhD supervisors) to develop an original piece of research for your dissertation, and guidance on your dissertation is also provided by the dissertation leader. Before the academic year starts, we may provide information on preparation for the course. On arrival, we have induction sessions, including field trip, and social events, headed by the Director of Postgraduate Studies and the Degree Tutor for the MA. You will also attend an “Introduction to Research Groups in Anthropology”.
Entry requirements
A minimum 2:1 Honours degree from a UK institution (or the overseas equivalent) in a relevant subject. References play an important part in the admissions process.
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).
Students with a postgraduate qualification in Anthropology pursue a diverse array of careers in areas such as conservation, tourism, public health, health research and management, captive primate care and zoological research management, local government research and management, education (secondary, further and higher), social care, social research, in addition to academia.
For further information on career options and employability, student and employer testimonials and details of work experience and study abroad opportunities, please visit our employability pages.
Department information
Anthropology
Anthropology at Durham is now one of the largest integrated anthropology departments in the UK, carrying out cutting-edge research across social and evolutionary anthropology, and the anthropology of health.
45% of our research was rated as world-leading (REF 2021)
Facilities
The Department of Anthropology hosts a range of state-of-the-art research facilities that are used and run by academic members of staff and their postgraduate students. Given our commitment to research-led teaching, undergraduates and taught postgraduates frequently conduct research projects using these facilities.
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