Cultural Anthropology - Master's Programme in the Humanities

Academic year 2022/2023

120 credits
Autumn 2022, Uppsala, 100%, Campus
Programme syllabus

Overview
Programme
Career
Admissions
Contact and further resources

In cultural anthropology, we try to gain a better understanding of people. Why we are who we are. Why we do what we do. How people organise socially and politically in relation to issues such as gender, sexuality, religion, ethnicity etc. The programme provides you with professional and analytical capacities that are valuable in areas such as international development, migration, business development, civil service, museums and tourism.

Why this programme?

The specialisation in Cultural Anthropology within the Master's Programme in the Humanities offers you an opportunity to study cultural and social anthropology in an international learning environment where approximately one half of the students are from outside of Sweden. The diversity of student backgrounds contributes to a rich educational experience and gives you a global professional network that will be very useful in your future career in the field. Our teaching is grounded in ethnographic research and inspired by the teachers' own field research experiences and insights.

The two-year programme broadens and further deepens your anthropological competences. In addition to enrolling in courses in applied anthropology at the Department, you have additional opportunities to select courses in other relevant disciplines at the University, to enrol for a semester at another university in Europe or elsewhere in the world, and to carry out an internship.

During the programme you can expect to:

study cultural and social anthropology in an international context
study courses grounded in ethnographic research
carry out your own qualitative fieldwork
do an internship in an organisation that fits your own interests.

While most students choose to complete a two-year degree, it is also possible to follow a one-year course of study. The one-year programme provides in-depth knowledge of theory and method in anthropology and includes the opportunity to complete a minor anthropological field study. If you have previously completed the one-year Master's degree in Cultural Anthropology you may be admitted to the second year of the programme and will then write a 15-credit essay during the second year.

Student profile

You have studied cultural or social anthropology for a year in your Bachelor's studies. You may have a Bachelor's degree in Cultural or Social Anthropology, but you may also have studied enough anthropological subjects in other programmes such as Development Studies, Political Science, Sociology or Archaeology. You have probably spent some time working or travelling to experience the world. This has increased your interest in understanding the world from a social and cultural perspective. You are naturally curious about people, societies and cultures. You have probably started to understand and appreciate that not everyone holds the same values as you do. Work in humanitarian aid, development work or diplomacy provides a good path into the studies.

You have a strong motivation and are prepared to take responsibility for shaping your education through the range of courses that Uppsala University offers. You are used to planning your work yourself and staying within given time frames. You have an open mind and want to contact potential employers for internships and work. Maybe you are considering a doctorate in the future.

Degree

The programme leads to a Master of Arts (120 credits) with Cultural Anthropology as the main field of study. It is also possible to graduate after one academic year with a Master of Arts (60 credits).

All specialisations of this programme

Programme

The Master's Programme in the Humanities, specialising in Cultural Anthropology, has a duration of two academic years (120 credits), but there is also a one-year version (60 credits) available.

The first semester is pre-planned to give you time to settle in. Three compulsory courses are scheduled and you select an additional elective course (7.5 credits each). From the very first day of the programme, you will spend time designing your research project.

The next three semesters are more flexible, allowing you to specialise and select courses that suit your research focus. During these semesters, you will carry out fieldwork for approximately two months and work on your thesis under the guidance of your supervisor.

You may also take advantage of the possibilities for stimulating international student exchanges and internships. The internships last five or ten weeks (7.5 or 15 credits respectively). Such an internship can be done in Sweden, but previous students have also done internships in, for example, South Africa, Luxemburg and the Philippines.

Courses within the programme

Examples of courses in the field of anthropology:

Introductory Course for Master's Students in Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology, 7.5 credits, (compulsory)

Advanced Study of Anthropological theory, 7.5 credits, (compulsory)

Ethnography,7.5 credits, (compulsory)

Political Ecology, 7.5 credits

Contemporary issues in medical anthropology, 7.5 credits

Anthropology in Practice, 7.5 credits

Design Anthropology of borders, 7.5 credits

Ethnography and Multiculturalism, 7.5 credits

Contemporary Debates and Developments in Cultural Anthropology, 7.5 credits

Additional courses are available as elective courses and you may select from among more than 50 courses at other departments in the Faculty of Arts.

Learning experience

Classes are comprised of both lectures and seminars. Examination forms vary between courses, but will include oral and written seminar presentations, written exams and shorter essays.

At seminars, you present your ideas and discuss the reading your have done beforehand (a course book or other study material) with your classmates, while the teacher usually only moderates the discussion. The aim is to develop critical thinking and collaborative skills. All the students are expected to be active participants in all forms of discussions.

To foster a sense of community and continuity you are required to participate in the monthly Master's seminar. This open forum serves to give all our students insight and enable them to inspire and guide one another even if they are at very different stages in the programme.

All instruction is in English.

Career

This programme provides you with professional, analytical capacities in areas such as international development and humanitarian assistance, migration, multiculturalism, journalism and media, tourism, museums and exhibitions. It also gives you a solid basis for pursuing a research career in anthropology and other related subjects.

Our previous students who graduated recently from the Master's programme have been employed, for instance as an/a:

educator by the Swedish organisation Friends, which works to prevent bullying;
curator at a German municipal museum;
developer within the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova.

These are solid first jobs, and a few years further down the road former students have gained important positions in development aid organisations such as at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), or started their own companies, such as Inculture, doing anthropological studies for leading international companies.

The possibilities are many, and experience holds that the focus of research that students carry out for their Master's thesis is vital for what kind of job they will get. Therefore, if you know where you want to work, this Master's degree from us and a thesis with the right focus will help take you there.

Career support

During your time as a student, UU Careers offers support and guidance. You have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities and events that will prepare you for your future career. Learn more about UU Careers.

Admissions

Below you will find the details about eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and tuition fees. For information on how to apply and what documents you need to submit, check the application guide. For this programme, besides the general supporting documents, you also need to submit two programme-specific documents: 1. your Bachelor's thesis in social or cultural anthropology, or equivalent; 2. a statement of purpose.

Cultural Anthropology

120 credits

Autumn 2022, 100%, Campus

Location: Uppsala

Application deadline: 17 January 2022

Application code: UU-M5022 Application

Language of instruction: English

Requirements:

Academic requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. The main field of study must be within the humanities or social sciences.

Also required is 60 credits in anthropology.

Language requirements

Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. This requirement can be met either by achieving the required score on an internationally recognised test, or by previous upper secondary or university studies in some countries. Detailed instructions on how to provide evidence of your English proficiency are available at universityadmissions.se.

Selection: Students are selected based on:

an overall appraisal of previous university studies;
the quality of the Bachelor's thesis; and
a statement of purpose outlining their anthropological proficiency (1–2 pages).

Special emphasis is placed on the quality of the Bachelor's thesis in social or cultural anthropology or equivalent subject.

Tuition fee-paying students and non-paying students are admitted on the same grounds but in different selection groups.

Fees:

If you are not a citizen of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) country, or Switzerland, you are required to pay application and tuition fees. Fees cover application and tuition only and do not cover accommodation, academic literature or the general cost of living. Read more about fees.

Application fee: SEK 900

Tuition fee, first semester: SEK 50,000

Tuition fee, total: SEK 200,000