MRes/PhD Anthropology entry requirements
Please note that in order to be considered for direct admission to the MRes/PhD programme you must have completed a degree in Social Anthropology, normally from a British university. You must have either a BA/BSc degree with a mark of 2:1 or higher (or the equivalent) or an MA or MSc with a mark of Merit or Distinction (or equivalent).
Students who do not hold a degree in Anthropology from a British university do not normally qualify for direct admission to the MRes/PhD and they will be advised to take one of the one-year MSc programmes taught in our department (MSc Social Anthropology; MSc Social Anthropology (Learning and Cognition); MSc Social Anthropology (Religion in the Contemporary World); MSc Anthropology and Development; MSc Anthropology and Development Management; or MSc China in Comparative Perspective) before applying to the MRes/PhD.
The following additional eligibility conditions apply to students who take one of the interdisciplinary MSc programmes (these additional conditions do not apply to students who take these programmes having already met our standard entry requirements).
MSc Anthropology and Development and
MSc Anthropology and Development Management
To qualify to apply for the MRes/PhD, students must take one full unit from the list below in addition to the core courses (AN436 The Anthropology of Development and either AN456 Anthropology of Economy (1): Production and Exchange (H) or AN457 Anthropology of Economy (2): Transformation and Globalisation (H)). A further requirement is that their proposed research is in the field of the anthropology of development.
AN402 The Anthropology of Religion
AN404 Anthropology: Theory and Ethnography
AN405 The Anthropology of Kinship, Sex and Gender
AN451 Anthropology of Politics (H)
AN479 Anthropology of Law (H)
Students who already have a substantial background in Anthropology and wish to take a different selection of optional courses should discuss their choice of options with the Anthropology Doctoral Programme Director.
MSc China in Comparative Perspective
To qualify to apply for the MRes/PhD, in addition to the China core course (AN447 China in Comparative Perspective) students must take AN404 Anthropology: Theory and Ethnography and one full unit from the list below. A further requirement is that their proposed research is in the field of the anthropology of China.
AN402 The Anthropology of Religion
AN405 The Anthropology of Kinship, Sex and Gender
AN451 Anthropology of Politics (H)
AN456 Anthropology of Economy (1): Production and Exchange (H)
AN457 Anthropology of Economy (2):Transformation and Globalisation (H)
AN479 Anthropology of Law (H)
Students who already have a substantial background in Anthropology and wish to take a different selection of optional courses should discuss their choice of options with the Anthropology Doctoral Programme Director.
MSc Social Anthropology (Religion in the Contemporary World)
To qualify to apply for the MRes/PhD, in addition to the Religion core course ( AN402 The Anthropology of Religion) students must take one full unit from the list below.
AN404 Anthropology: Theory and Ethnography
AN405 Anthropology of Kinship, Sex and Gender
AN451 Anthropology of Politics (H)
AN456 Anthropology of Economics (1) Production and Exchange (H)
AN457 Anthropology of Economics (2) Transformation and Globalisation (H)
AN479 Anthropology of Law (H)
Students who already have a substantial background in Anthropology and wish to take a different selection of optional courses should discuss their choice of options with the Anthropology Doctoral Programme Director.
Guide for Anthropology PhD applicants on how to complete question 29 of the application form: “the research proposal”
Please follow this guide rather than the instructions on the application form Question 29 of the application is meant to give the Selectors enough information to decide: 1) whether the Department has enough expertise to provide you with adequate supervision 2) whether your project addresses an intellectually interesting question 3) whether your project is feasible In view of this, we recommend that you structure your statement in the following way: a) Research questions: state the specific research questions you wish to address in your PhD project, explaining (with reference to existing literatures) why you (and others) think these are interesting and important questions that deserve to be studied. b) Regional setting: describe the regional setting in which you propose to undertake your research, being as specific as you can; if you have yet to identify a specific area, explain the general characteristics of an ideal setting for your research c) Research contexts and interlocutors: indicate the specific kinds of context in which you envisage to carry out your research (e.g., a school, a factory, a village, a neighbourhood) and who you expect to be your main interlocutors d) Evidence and methodological strategies: explain what evidence you will need to gather in order to address your research questions, and which methodologies you expect to adopt to gather such evidence. e) Relevant expertise: list any relevant expertise (e.g., language proficiency, established local contacts, prior experience in the region) The statement should be between 2000 and 2500 words.