London, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 25,320 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for overseas student fees | home student fees: GBP 12,220 per year
Key Summary
Introduction
The MRes Social Anthropology offers students training in social science research methods, with a strong focus on ethnographic methods. It aims to provide students with the skills they need to conduct research at a doctoral level or to work as social science researchers. In addition to the acquisition of strong methodological skills, students are able to benefit from SOAS' renowned offering of African and Asian languages, as well as its expertise in the humanities, including philosophy, linguistics, literature, and history.
Why study MRes Social Anthropology at SOAS
- We are ranked 5th in the UK and 12th in the world for Anthropology (QS World University Rankings 2023)
- 4th in the UK (2023 Times/Sunday Times League Table)
- 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 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
The MRes is recognised by the ESRC.
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
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 following three modules: a. Research Methods in Anthropology, b. the MRes Training Seminar, and c. Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Research.
All students are required to take 30 credits from the Anthropology and Sociology list.
The remaining credits can be selected from the Department of Anthropology and Sociology list or relevant options from other departments or a language module.
Core
- Dissertation (MRes) in Anthropology
Compulsory
- Research Methods in Anthropology
- Research Training Seminar
- Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Research
Guided options
- Mind, Culture and Psychiatry
- Ethnographic Locations: East Asia
- Ethnographic Locations: Sub-Saharan Africa
- Anthropology and Climate Change
- Anthropology of 'Race', Gender and Sexuality
- Anthropology of Sustainability: Global Challenges and Alternative Futures
- African and Asian Diasporas: Culture, Politics, Identities
- Migration, Borders and Space: Decolonial Approaches
- Food, Place and Mobility
- Bodies and Cultures
- Medical Anthropology: Global Perspectives
- Diet, Society and Environment
- How to Change Things
- Contemporary Anthropological Theory
- Ethnographic Encounters
- Conceptualising the Social
Program Outcome
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
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 the appropriate regional and theoretical literature
- Writing-up (in the field and producing ethnography) and communicating research results; and
- Language training
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Students from SOAS’ Department of Anthropology and Sociology develop an in-depth understanding of the world. Employers value our graduates’ cultural awareness and global perspective, as well as their skills in analysis, data interpretation and problem-solving.
Recent graduates have been hired by:
- Allen & Overy
- BBC
- British Council
- Deloitte
- Hackney Migrant Centre
- IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development)
- IOM- UN Migration
- Media 52
- New York Times
- Social Mobility Foundation
- The Week
- UNICEF
- United Nations Development Programme
- World Bank Group
Program delivery
During the academic year, modules are delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials and/or seminars. Students can expect an average of two hours of classroom time per week for each module. Outside of the classroom, students explore topics of the module through independent study and through personal exchanges with teachers and fellow students. In some cases, modules are taught by several teachers within the department to provide students with an array of perspectives on the subject. All modules involve the active participation of students in the discussion of ideas, viewpoints and readings.