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Undergraduate Study

We offer three programmes, with the opportunity to apply to study abroad for a year

Our programmes are grounded in extensive theoretical and methodological training so you become skilled anthropologists. You will engage in a diverse range of topics and receive training in mixed media methods, ethnographic methods and anthropological theory.

BA Social Anthropology

Study on our BA Social Anthropology to explore what makes us human. You’ll examine the variable and universal aspects of human culture and society and the political, economic, family, and religious systems that influence people’s beliefs, values and practices. At every stage, we’ll encourage you to look at the world in new ways and challenge your own perceptions.

Anthropology can be considered an art or a science so you choose either the BA or BSc title for your degree award – the course content is the same. See BSc Social Anthropology.

Opportunities to train in ethnographic methods:

Politics or International History specialism

If you take and pass at least one course from the departments of Government or International History in each year of your degree (25% of the overall programme), you’ll have the option to add a specialism from the subject studied to your degree award, for example:

BA in Social Anthropology (with Politics)

BA in Social Anthropology (with International History)

To qualify, you must take an introductory course in your first year and more advanced courses in the second and third years.

Full programme details, including programme structure, and entry requirements can be found here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/undergraduate/ba-social-anthropology

BSc Social Anthropology

Study on our BSc Social Anthropology to explore what makes us human. You’ll examine the variable and universal aspects of human culture and society and the political, economic, family, and religious systems that influence people’s beliefs, values and practices. At every stage, we’ll encourage you to look at the world in new ways and challenge your own perceptions.

Anthropology can be considered an art or a science so you choose either the BA or BSc title for your degree award – the course content is the same. See BA Social Anthropology.

Opportunities to train in ethnographic methods:

Politics or International History specialism

If you take and pass at least one course from the departments of Government or International History in each year of your degree (25% of the overall programme), you’ll have the option to add a specialism from the subject studied to your degree award, for example:

BA in Social Anthropology (with Politics)

BA in Social Anthropology (with International History)

To qualify, you must take an introductory course in your first year and more advanced courses in the second and third years.

Full programme details, including programme structure, and entry requirements can be found here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/undergraduate/bsc-social-anthropology

BA Anthropology and Law

Our BA Anthropology and Law brings together two different, but complementary fields – with an equal focus on both areas.

Through anthropology, you’ll explore how our lives are shaped by religious, political and economic systems. You’ll engage in debates about social justice, multiculturalism, race, gender and the direction of political and economic change in today’s world.

The law components delve into the legal system and the technical procedures needed to practise law.

Full programme details, including programme structure, and entry requirements can be found here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/undergraduate/ba-anthropology-and-law

Year Abroad Programme

The Department of Anthropology runs a Year Abroad Programme with the University of Melbourne, Fudan University (Shanghai), the University of Tokyo and the University of Cape Town.

The programme is for one academic year taken between Year 2 and Year 3 of the BA/BSc in Social Anthropology and BA Anthropology and Law. All LSE Department of Anthropology students interested in studying at one of our exchange partner institutions are invited to apply. Students are required to have achieved at least an average grade of 60.0 in Year 1 exams, and have completed 2 full years of study at the LSE. Places are allocated based on academic merit, their proposed study plan and personal information given on the application form submitted in during the second year of their degree.

LSE Anthropology students participating on an exchange with the University of Melbourne are required to take at least 50% of their full load study in Anthropology programs and 50% of other approved options available in their year of study. For more information on exchanges with the University Melbourne go to http://www.mobility.unimelb.edu.au/inbound/.

Students going to Fudan University in Shanghai study within the School of Social Development and Public Policy. Courses are offered in English, and therefore there is no requirement to speak Mandarin to participate in this exchange. Click here to find out more information on Fudan University’s School of Social Development and Public Policy.

Students going to the University of Tokyo will be enrolled in their Department of Anthropology and may also take courses outside this department if approved and available in their year of exchange. The programme is offered to English native speakers so there is no requirement to speak Japanese. For general information on exchanges with the University of Tokyo go to https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/academics/ustep.html.

Students going to the University of Cape Town are required to take at least 50% of their full load study in Anthropology courses and 50% of other approved options available in their year of study. For general information on exchanges with University of Cape Town go to http://www.studyabroad.uct.ac.za/.

For further information about the Department of Anthropology Year Abroad Programme contact Jade Laverick at anthropology.exchanges@lse.ac.uk.

Click here to read about past exchange students' experiences. 

Other Opportunities

As a student, you’ll have the chance to get involved in a range of activities beyond your core studies. Students can join the Anthropology Society or lead and contribute to the student journal, The Argonaut. In your second year, you can also apply for funding to carry out your own Summer Ethnography Project. This is a valuable opportunity to build your research skills, explore your interests, and gain hands-on experience outside the classroom.

Learn about previous Summer Ethnography Projects conducted by students:

2024/5 Summer Ethnography Projects

2023/4 Summer Ethnography Projects

2022/3 Summer Ethnography Projects

What have students said about studying anthropology at LSE?

Read about Cece's experience studying with us here.

"The most rewarding aspect of my degree has been exploring the unexpected synergy between law and anthropology. The combination of these disciplines, while seemingly disparate has offered me an enriched perspective on how legal frameworks shape societies and how cultural contexts influence the interpretation and application of law. The contrast between the regimented study of rule-based law, and the flexible, often anti-structuralist approach to anthropology has given me a unique but grounded understanding of cultural and societal phenomena.” – Oliver Geddes

“Studying social anthropology at the LSE has been an incredible opportunity for me. It has taught me to develop my critical thought and to always scrutinize powerful discourses and narratives.” – Iacopo Nassingh

“What I enjoyed most: I most enjoyed how studying social anthropology challenged and reshaped the way I think and see the world. This course has shown me that no ideas can be taken for granted. I appreciate how the course in social anthropology creates the space for creativity and opportunities to explore your own ideas. I also enjoyed the range of modules available, from studying to gender to political systems and religions.” – Natalie Watson

“Studying Anthropology opened my mind to radically alternative ways of being, and provided me with new lenses through which to analyse many contemporary cultural and political issues. The department’s close-knit community has made my academic journey all the more rewarding.” – Pia Tasso

‘My dissertation explored how social media is reconfiguring menarche-aged girls’ relationship to menstruation, providing a platform for education and discourse. Applying the concept of the ‘menstrual hut’, I concluded that platforms like TikTok are making space for digital menstrual huts to be formed, replicating social processes in the non-digital world. I used the field site to challenge assertions that communitas is inherently de-political, presenting a paradox between affective solidarity and communitas. My research was conducted through digital ethnography ’ - Hila Davies

‘This research project is based on accessible theatre spaces for those with disabilities and people on the neurodivergent spectrum. My fieldwork was conducted at Face Front, a theatre group which specialises in accessible theatre and inclusivity. I learned about what elements of performance affect identity and agency for the participants. However, my research also lead me to question how anthropology as a practice could be made more accessible, and whether ethnography truly could represent neurodiversity.’ – Mevna Bulathsinhala

“In my final-year dissertation, I explored kabaklaan, an expression of queerness in the Philippines, and its intersection with drag, religion, and the figure of the bakla. Focusing on Pura Luka’s drag performance of the Ama Namin (Our Father) as a hyper-feminised Jesus Christ, I introduced the idea of “permissible transgression”. This was more than a study of identity — it was to challenge our understanding of what it really means to be visible, to be tolerated, and to be free.”  - Daeniel Monreal