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Anthropology MRes

London, Bloomsbury

Anthropology is the study of humanity in all its diversity, from human behaviour and biology to our cultures, societies and language, both past and present.

This one-year Anthropology MRes programme will give you a practical, methodological, and theoretical grounding in a wide range of social science and biological methods and approaches to understanding human beings, societies, and cultures, preparing you for doctoral research or professional practice.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£6,400
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£29,800
Duration
1 calendar year
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 04 Apr 2025

Applications closed

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants are usually expected to have an academic background in anthropology or a cognate discipline, either at the undergraduate or taught postgraduate level. Applicants should have a well-formed idea for a research project in advance, and are encouraged to contact proposed supervisors prior to applying to secure support for their application. The programme tutor can support applicants in recommending potential supervisors in the department.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Anthropology MRes will give you the research and analysis skills essential to addressing real-world, global biological, social, medical and material culture challenges.

  • You will join a world-leading research community and benefit from research-embedded general training in social science and biological research methods, and specialised training in broad-based anthropological research methods. 
  • From human evolution to documentary filmmaking, you will specialise in the elements of anthropology that interest you most, choosing from a range of optional modules to enhance your learning experience, and graduate equipped with the latest knowledge and insights in the field. 
  • Through your independent research project and dissertation, you will develop skills highly sought after in academia and by employers, including research design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, and the communication of complex ideas. The MRes also prepares you for PhD level study should you wish to pursue it.

You will study at the top university in London, and 4th in the world, for Anthropology (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024) and The Times and Sunday Times University of the Year 2024.

You will study in a warm and welcoming department that is also one of the largest and broadest anthropology departments in the UK, which researches and teaches across five sub-sections, and which continually works to expand and reshape the discipline.

Who this course is for

The Anthropology MRes is best suited to students with a background in anthropology looking to gain a qualification and training in integrating anthropological and wider social science approaches as a foundation for doctoral research or professional practice, or for graduates from related fields (e.g. social sciences) looking to supplement their existing knowledge and research skills, often with a view to doctoral research later on.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

You will receive advanced academic training in the fundamentals of scientific inquiry, including independent research design and implementation; ethics; practical approaches to quantitative and qualitative data synthesis, collection and analysis, including ethnographic studies, behavioural observation techniques and statistics; critical evaluation; and different genres of academic and professional writing, including writing for grant and project proposals.

You will also develop demonstrable practical competencies transferable to any profession, including complex problem solving and creative initiative; effective and succinct oral and written communication, including the ability to interpret and present complex data to diverse audiences; independent and team working; leadership; and time and project management.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

There is growing demand in diverse professional fields for critically trained anthropologists, with advanced research skills increasingly relevant in non-academic contexts.

Graduates of this programme will be equipped to pursue a range of careers, including:

  • Consultancy.
  • Design.
  • Ethnographic and visual research in both academic and commercial settings.
  • Marketing and communications.
  • Media and journalism, including TV, radio and publishing.
  • Policy and advocacy in governmental, non-governmental (NGOs) and intergovernmental (IGOs) organisations.
  • Social and market research.

A number of our MRes graduates choose to progress to PhD-level study (Graduate Outcomes survey 2017-2022). The MRes is our bespoke research methods programme and as such may act as a pathway into the doctorate, qualifying students to apply for funded PhD studentships such as the ESRC and AHRC.

Employability

You will graduate an expert in anthropological research methods, the study of human societies and cultures more broadly, and applying anthropological and wider social science approaches to real-world challenges, fully equipped to pursue PhD level study or a successful career in any professional setting requiring strong project management, problem-solving and communication skills.

Networking

As a student in the Department you have access to many opportunities to help further your career:

  • You will be encouraged to attend departmental research seminars, enabling you to learn from and network with leading internal and external researchers and expert creative practitioners in environmental, evolutionary, medical, public and social anthropology and material, visual and digital culture throughout your studies.
  • You will be encouraged to take advantage of the broader anthropology and research communities at UCL, our neighbouring institutions and across London more widely, including attending and participating in seminars, conferences, exhibitions and research partnership opportunities to help you establish industry connections and extend your professional networks.
  • You will be encouraged to engage with the department’s active careers support activities and initiatives, which include regular career development seminars and networking events.

All students are encouraged to host and/or participate in a Reading and Research Group (RRG), which are open spaces to exchange ideas on themes of mutual interest and welcome staff and student participation from across UCL and our neighbouring institutions.

The department's central London location presents a range of opportunities to work, volunteer and carry out fieldwork in major government, business and third sector organisations.

The department also houses London's global non-fiction film festival, Open City Documentary Festival, which all students are invited to volunteer to support to network with non-fiction film industry leading professionals.

Teaching and learning

You will learn through lectures; interactive seminars involving critical discussion; collaborative exercises including group presentations; practical laboratory work; and independent directed and self-directed reading.

MRes students benefit from one-to-one academic supervision throughout the year, including while planning and producing your dissertation.

You will be assessed through a series of formative (exercises for which you will receive feedback but do not count toward the degree) and summative exercises (exercises for which you will receive feedback and do count toward the degree), including essays; lab books; practical tests; presentations; take-home exercises; and your dissertation.

The compulsory methods module typically amounts to 18 contact hours. The compulsory literature review module is based on independent study conducted in dialogue with a supervisor over terms one and two. The optional 15 credit modules typically amount to 18 or 36 contact hours but will vary according to module selection. Dissertation supervision typically amounts to 20 hours, including group sessions.

Modules

During the MRes, students will take a number of modules grouped under four headings:

1.  Literature Review: Ethnographic Area Directed Reading
This component of the programme will provide students with an introduction to independent research under the guidance of your supervisor. Students will develop advanced knowledge of the context and literature related to their proposed research topic and will have an opportunity to demonstrate independence and initiative in selecting and defining a research project.

2. Research Methods and Transferable Skills
This component will provide students with in-depth training in social science research methods, anthropological research, and skills in the development of research design and presentation, while participating in relevant research seminars, plus attending selected specialist methods and language training where appropriate.

3. Theoretical, Conceptual and Regional Analysis
This component of the programme consists of two taught modules chosen from the diverse offering of postgraduate options in anthropology. Together, these elements constitute extensive preparation for research in the specific subfield of anthropology that the student intends to specialise; an in-depth knowledge of a particular area or set of topics; and a further flexible element to complement or expand their existing knowledge. In addition, these elements combine teaching by a range of staff members to promote collegial cooperation amongst research students and lecturers across the department, together with close direction by their supervisor or programme tutor on a one-to-one basis in the element of directed reading.

4. The Dissertation
The major research-based component of the programme is the dissertation itself, which is conducted under the supervision of the student’s dedicated supervisor. The 17,000-word dissertation is based on independent research and thought, and usually involves a substantial period of field research.

Please note that all students must take one of the following two optional modules: "ANTH0107 Introduction to Statistics for Social Research" or "ANTH0114 Research Methods in Evolutionary Anthropology", depending on their subject of research (in agreement with the programme lead).

Students are also expected to attend relevant research seminars across the department throughout the degree.

Compulsory modules





Optional modules








Current Themes in Material, Visual, Digital and Design Anthropology: Smart Phones





Anthropology of Capitalisms







Migration and Health






Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MRes in Anthropology.

Fieldwork

You will spend the summer term conducting research for your dissertation. For the MRes, students are required to carry out original ethnographic or other empirical research, with many choosing to undertake self-funded fieldwork-based projects in the UK or abroad.

The scope and nature of fieldwork is formulated in discussion with your appointed supervisor, and subject to departmental approval. The original research carried out will inform the final dissertation, which is written over the summer period and submitted at the end of the programme.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £6,400
Tuition fees (2025/26) £29,800

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

Students can choose to conduct ethnographic or other empirical research for their final dissertation projects, with most students taking the opportunity to do fieldwork-based projects in the UK or abroad. This can entail additional costs, including travel, accommodation and living costs, which students must cover themselves.

As this degree is based at the Bloomsbury campus, students choosing to take an optional module only available at the UCL East campus in Stratford will need to fund their own travel between campuses. Tickets from zone 1 to zone 2 costs £8.50 for students or a travel card zone 1-4 for £15.90.
 

There are a number of small to moderate grants available from funding organisations both within UCL and further afield. In recent years, our students have received fieldwork funding from the department’s Turing Scheme and Anna Sturm Law Travel Prize.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

Students may be eligible to apply for ESRC awards.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Aziz Foundation Scholarships in Social and Historical Sciences

Value: Full tuition fees (equivalent to 1yr full-time) (1 year)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

UCL East London Scholarship

Deadline: 26 June 2025
Value: Tuition fees plus £16,000 stipend ()
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

When we assess your application, we would like to learn:

• Why you want to study the MRes in Anthropology at graduate level
• Why you want to study Anthropology at UCL
• How your personal, academic and professional skills and experience inform your interest in, and will enable you to succeed on, this MRes programme
• Where you would like to go academically or professionally with your degree

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Anthropology
Anthropology

anthro-masters@ucl.ac.uk

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