MRes Social Anthropology (2019 Entry)

Overview:

Our MRes Social Anthropology programme focuses largely on the study of the developing world, from remote communities to more recent urban development. We are curious about the world and innovative in our approach to finding new solutions to recurring problems.

Studying the programme at SOAS is unique as it draws from our expertise in a plethora of humanities subjects including sociology, philosophy, linguistics, literature, and history. If you are interested in nurturing a better understanding of what it is to be human in the complex world in which we live, then this discipline is suited to you. Why study MRes Social Anthropology at SOAS

• Our Anthropology Department is ranked 6 in the UK and 16 in the world in the 2019 QS World University Rankings
• We 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
• You will be joining our thriving community of alumni and academics who have an impact on the world outside of academia
• You will be able to flexibly structure your programme using our programme optional modules and/or our Open Options 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, with graduates moving on to find employment in information and technology, the media, tourism, commerce and banking, government, the police and prison service, social services and health service administration.

Learn about the modules (courses) for this programme

The MRes is recognised by the ESRC.

Aims and Outcomes

The MRes is designed to train students in research skills to the level prescribed by the ESRC's research training guidelines. It is intended for students with a good first degree (minimum of a 2.1) in social anthropology and/or a taught Masters degree in social anthropology. Most students would be expected to progress to PhD registration at the end of the degree. By the end of the program students will:

• Have achieved practical competence in a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods and tools
• Have the ability to understand key issues of method and theory, and to understand the epistemological issues involved in using different methods

In addition to key issues of research design, students will be introduced to a range of specific research methods and tools including:

• Interviewing, collection and analysis of oral sources, analysis and use of documents, participatory research methods, issues of triangulation research validity and reliability, writing and analysing field notes, and ethnographic writing
• Social statistics techniques relevant for fieldwork and ethnographic data analysis (including chi-square tests, the T-test, F-test, and the rank correlation test)

Discipline specific training in anthropology includes:

• Ethnographic methods and participant observation
• Ethical and legal issues in anthropological research
• The logistics of long-term fieldwork
• Familiarisation with appropriate regional and theoretical literatures
• Writing-up (in the field and producing ethnography) and communicating research results; and Language training

Overview duration: 1 year full-time or 2/3 years part-time. The expectation in the UK is of continuous study across the year, with break periods used to read and to prepare coursework.

Fees 2019/20:

• UK/EU fees:

Interested Students.

Structure:

Learn a language as part of this programme

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.

Programme Overview:

The programme consists of 180 credits: 90 credits of modules and a dissertation of 15,000 words at 90 credits. All students are expected to take the core and compulsory modules listed below and must participate in the Research Training Seminar. All students are required to take 30 credits from the Anthropology and Sociology list.

The remaining credits can be selected the Department of Anthropology and Sociology list or relevant options from other departments or a language module. Programme Detail

Our mission is to inspire the next generation to develop ideas for a fairer and more sustainable world. We welcome the brightest minds from over 130 different countries, creating a community that is diverse, vibrant and multinational. From day one at our central London campus, our students are encouraged to challenge conventional views and think globally – and that’s one of the reasons why they develop careers that make a real difference. A SOAS student is typically passionate about their subject, opts to learn a second language, loves to learn, to travel, to be surprised; and is interested and engaged with the world around them.