Master's Programme in Cultural Anthropology

The Master’s Programme in Cultural Anthropology provides a solid foundation in ethnographic research and contemporary social analysis within a long‑established academic environment. Teaching is closely connected to research and draw on our teachers own fieldwork experience across different regions and social contexts.

In your studies, you will engage with central anthropological approaches to social organisation, politics, religion, gender, ethnicity, and cultural diversity, while studying alongside peers from a wide range of backgrounds. You will gain analytical and methodological skills relevant both for further academic study and for professional work in international settings, including public institutions, development organisations, migration‑related fields, and the cultural sector.

During the programme, you can expect to:

• learn about ethnographic research guided by scholars with fieldwork experience;
• benefit from a global environment;
• choose your own path through our breadth of anthropological themes.

As a research‑intensive university with extensive international networks, Uppsala offers a structured and supportive setting for anyone seeking advanced training in cultural anthropology within Europe.

Student profile

The programme is international, bringing together students from different parts of the world. Our students value the opportunity to engage with the diverse ideas and perspectives that this environment offers. You are motivated and eager to build a foundation for a career that requires an understanding of the world from social and cultural perspectives.

Career

Our previous students now work as, for example, programme coordinators, developers, and communications officers at organisations like The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, Institute of Network Cultures, Folke Bernadotte Academy and ACT Church of Sweden.

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

Experience shows that the research focus of your Master's thesis is vital for what kind of job you will get. Therefore, if you know where you want to work, this Master's degree and a thesis with the right focus will help take you there.

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.

Content

While most students choose to complete a two-year degree, it is also possible to follow a one-year programme. The one-year programme provides in-depth knowledge of theory and methods in anthropology and includes the opportunity to complete a minor anthropological field study.

The programme's focus is on cultural and social anthropology. The first semester is pre-planned with four compulsory scheduled courses, among them a methods course in ethnography. During the first semester, you will also spend time designing your thesis project. You will study together with the students in the Master's Programme in Ethnology and Folkloristics.

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 one month and work on your thesis under the guidance of your supervisor.

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

Courses within the programme

Compulsory courses

• Advanced Study of Anthropological Theory, 7.5 credits
• Contemporary Culture Theory, 7.5 credits
• Ethnography, 7.5 credits
• Introduction to Writing a Master's Thesis in Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology, 7.5 hp

Examples of elective courses in the field of anthropology

• Contemporary Issues in Medical Anthropology, 7.5 credits
• Anthropology and Ethnology in Practice, 7.5 credits
• Ethnography of Difference, 7.5 credits
• Political Ecology, 7.5 credits

Additional elective courses in the Department are available, but you may also choose among more than 50 courses in other departments in the Faculty of Arts.

Learning experience

Normally, two courses at half speed are read in parallel. These include both lectures and seminars, mostly on campus in Uppsala. Some lectures and seminars might take place remotely, via Zoom. The courses are examined through oral and written seminar assignments, which sometimes take place in groups, as well as through home exams and shorter essays.

As a student on the programme, you should be prepared to take responsibility for your own education and are accustomed to planning your work independently and meeting deadlines.

All courses are given in English.

Degree

The programme leads to the degree of Master of Arts (120 credits) with Cultural Anthropology as the main field of study. After one year of study, it is possible to obtain a degree of Master of Arts (60 credits).