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The University of Edinburgh: Social Anthropology
| Institution | The University of Edinburgh View institution profile |
|---|---|
| Department | School of Social and Political Science |
| Web | https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying |
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
Summary
Our Social Anthropology group forms an international centre of excellence for postgraduate training, recognised as one of the premier research departments in the UK.
Edinburgh’s Social Anthropology department is among the largest in the UK, and our research interests are correspondingly diverse.
Our research is global in scope and includes core themes in:
- health and wellbeing
- religion and society
- migration and refugee studies
- science and technology
- the anthropology of kinship
- peace and conflict studies
- anthropology and the arts
- media anthropology
- cultural heritage
- international development
- human-animal relations
- the anthropology of design
Our work generally combines a traditional anthropological emphasis on ethnographic fieldwork with a focus on contemporary issues.
We welcome interdisciplinary research and are home to the Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology (EdCMA), and numerous collaborations with the Edinburgh College of Art, including the Atelier Network.
We also work closely with the Centre for African Studies (CAS), particularly with research on international development.
| Study type | Research |
|---|---|
| Level | SCQF Level 12 |
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on the University of Edinburgh website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
Summary
Our Social Anthropology group forms an international centre of excellence for postgraduate training, recognised as one of the premier research departments in the UK.
Edinburgh’s Social Anthropology department is among the largest in the UK, and our research interests are correspondingly diverse.
Our research is global in scope and includes core themes in:
- health and wellbeing
- religion and society
- migration and refugee studies
- science and technology
- the anthropology of kinship
- peace and conflict studies
- anthropology and the arts
- media anthropology
- cultural heritage
- international development
- human-animal relations
- the anthropology of design
Our work generally combines a traditional anthropological emphasis on ethnographic fieldwork with a focus on contemporary issues.
We welcome interdisciplinary research and are home to the Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology (EdCMA), and numerous collaborations with the Edinburgh College of Art, including the Atelier Network.
We also work closely with the Centre for African Studies (CAS), particularly with research on international development.
| Study type | Research |
|---|---|
| Level | SCQF Level 12 |
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on the University of Edinburgh website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
MSc
Summary
This programme offers an intensive introduction to contemporary social anthropology.
We provide a programme of study that will enable you to consider your own cultural and social context, comparing this to other cultures.
You will work within a rich and active research culture, exploring the distinctive nature of social anthropology and its contribution to a critical and informed understanding of the contemporary world. A world reflected in the diversity of our research and teaching interests.
Courses range from those offering an overview of anthropological theory to those examining specific issues such as:
- kinship
- gender
- development
- religion
**Who this programme is for**
The programme is primarily intended for graduates with little or no previous training in anthropology. You may be contemplating future doctoral research in the subject. Or you might want to acquire anthropological expertise to supplement an existing range of professional skills. A number of courses share teaching with honours students from our undergraduate programme.
Whatever your aim, this MSc offers an intensive introduction to social anthropology.
| Study type | Taught |
|---|---|
| Level | SCQF Level 11 |
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on our website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
| Location | Central area campus George Square Edinburgh EH8 9JZ |
Summary
This programme offers an intensive introduction to contemporary social anthropology.
We provide a programme of study that will enable you to consider your own cultural and social context, comparing this to other cultures.
You will work within a rich and active research culture, exploring the distinctive nature of social anthropology and its contribution to a critical and informed understanding of the contemporary world. A world reflected in the diversity of our research and teaching interests.
Courses range from those offering an overview of anthropological theory to those examining specific issues such as:
- kinship
- gender
- development
- religion
**Who this programme is for**
The programme is primarily intended for graduates with little or no previous training in anthropology. You may be contemplating future doctoral research in the subject. Or you might want to acquire anthropological expertise to supplement an existing range of professional skills. A number of courses share teaching with honours students from our undergraduate programme.
Whatever your aim, this MSc offers an intensive introduction to social anthropology.
| Study type | Taught |
|---|---|
| Level | SCQF Level 11 |
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on our website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
| Location | Central area campus George Square Edinburgh EH8 9JZ |
Edinburgh. Extraordinary futures await.
The University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, and placed 27th in the 2025 QS World University Rankings.
Our position as one of Britain’s leading research universities was reaffirmed by the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 90% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
Our …
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