Social Anthropology – Bachelor of Arts

See the world through fresh eyes. Get a unique perspective on the world, global culture, and society through the Bachelor of Arts (Social Anthropology).

Where you can study

Distance and online

International students

International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.

Definition of New Zealand citizens and residents

Open to international students studying online from outside New Zealand
Note: Not all courses are available in any given year

Specialise in Social Anthropology for your Bachelor of Arts at Massey

The Massey BA (Social Anthropology) will give you a unique perspective on the world, global culture and society.

Studying social anthropology will develop your understanding of other cultures and contexts and show you how your way of life is just one of many possible ways of being human. Social Anthropology invites us to ask questions about the cultural implications of migration, human trafficking, religion, gender fluidity, cyberspace, fracking, hyper-consumption, food security, scientific inquiry, city living to challenge your existing beliefs and put yourself in others’ shoes.

Study a wide range of subjects

At Massey, you will study topics such as:

  • personhood and self
  • ritual and religion
  • healing systems
  • food
  • migration and belonging
  • indigenous peoples
  • inequality
  • human-environmental relationships
  • human rights
  • Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Get out into the field

Discover how anthropologists study cultural differences through fieldwork that engages with societies around the globe. Massey staff and students are currently researching in Asia, the Pacific, Europe, South America and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Why not try doing a semester of your Social Anthropology major at one of Massey’s 400 partner institutions around the globe? As a Massey exchange student in a foreign country, you can apply your skills to the culture of your choice.

A Bachelor of Arts in Social Anthropology is a good fit if you:

  • Want to further your understanding of our changing societies and the world we live in
  • Are seeking a deeper understanding of cultural difference and cultural transformations
  • Want to better understand other cultures and contexts as well as your own.

Planning information

If you study full time, in the first year you’ll take eight 15-credit courses, making a total of 120 credits.

If you wish to study over two semesters, you should aim for 60 credits per semester. You may be able to take some courses at summer school if you wish. Make sure you include courses that are prerequisites for the next level of courses you wish to study.

You need to pass five courses at 300-level for your BA. One of these (230310) is in the compulsory core and three are required for your major. If you are not taking a double major or a minor, you will need to take one 300-level elective course to meet this requirement.

About this major

A Social Anthropology major consists of 120 credits (eight courses). 

Minors

Completing a minor is optional. Minors increase the breadth of your degree. They give you extra knowledge, attributes and capabilities.

A minor must be in a different subject from your major.

A Bachelor of Arts (Social Anthropology) with a minor

You may choose a minor from the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business or Bachelor of Science. If the minor is from another degree the regulations of that qualification will apply.

A social anthropology minor (for students who are studying a different degree) 

If you are not studying towards a BA (Social Anthropology) and wish to complete a minor in social anthropology see the BA regulations for requirements.  

Official regulations

To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.

You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Undergraduate Degrees, Undergraduate Diplomas, Undergraduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates.

Returning students

For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.

In some cases the qualification or specialisation you enrolled in may be no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.

Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.

Courses you can enrol in

Course planning key

Prerequisites
Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
Corequisites
Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
Restrictions
Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.

Core courses for the Bachelor of Arts

As well as the specialisation courses listed below, this qualification has core courses that you will need to complete.

Bachelor of Arts core courses

Social Anthropology courses

Compulsory courses

Course code: 146101 Understanding Cultural Difference 15 credits

An introduction to key contemporary topics and concepts in the discipline.

View full course details
Course code: 146300 Anthropological Enquiry 15 credits

A critical exploration of the role of theory in anthropology, key theoretical frameworks and the practice of theorising ethnography.

Restrictions: 146213

View full course details
Course code: 146301 Practicing Fieldwork 15 credits

An experiential course including practical exercises, designed to provide students with knowledge and skills to conduct anthropological fieldwork in a local context using a range of ethnographic methods.

Prerequisites: 146101, and 15 credits at 200-level from the 146 course prefix series Restrictions: 146303

View full course details

Subject course selections

Choose at least 30 credits from
Course code: 146201 Making the Self 15 credits

An exploration of how concepts of the self, person, and individual vary across cultures.

View full course details
Course code: 146202 Migration and Belonging 15 credits

An anthropological study of how increasingly rapid mobility impacts socially and culturally on communities and individuals.

View full course details
Course code: 146203 Religion, Nature and Sustainability 15 credits

An anthropological study of a range of religions, understandings of nature, and practices of sustainability.

View full course details
Course code: 146204 Following the Monsoon 15 credits

An introduction to the contemporary anthropology of Monsoon Asia, with an emphasis on environmental factors

Restrictions: 146302

View full course details
Course code: 146205 Environmental Anthropology 15 credits

An exploration of contemporary approaches in environmental anthropology.

Restrictions: 146318

View full course details
Course code: 146209 Food and Eating 15 credits

This course explores the food chain, from production, through consumption, to exchange. It considers the ways in which food is implicated in the reproduction of identities and inequalities.

View full course details
Course code: 146210 Anthropology of Ritual, Religion, and Witchcraft 15 credits

A cross-cultural study of selected topics in the anthropology of ritual and religion including rites of passage, witchcraft, sorcery, myth, magic, spirits, death, symbols, ancestors, altered states of consciousness, and shamanism.

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Course code: 146211 Systems of Healing 15 credits

A study of the variety of ways that people throughout the world address the problems of illness.

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Choose at least 15 credits from
Course code: 146308 Taking Anthropology to the World 15 credits

This course aims to workshop and assemble a professional portfolio applying anthropological knowledge and skills to respond to real world/topical issues, local and global.

Prerequisites: 146101, and 15 credits at 200-level from the 146 course prefix series

View full course details
Course code: 146309 The Ethnography of Aotearoa New Zealand 15 credits

This course critically explores the ethnography of Aotearoa New Zealand. It considers ethnography as a way of “knowing” Aotearoa New Zealand and what that means for how Aotearoa New Zealand is analysed and represented.

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Course code: 146310 Science, Culture, and Politics 15 credits

Cross cultural understandings of how scientific ways of ‘knowing’ operate [politically] in the world.

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Subject elective courses

Course code: 146102 Endangered Cultures 15 credits

An introduction to the impact of modern civilization on indigenous peoples based on ethnographic case studies and historical analysis.

View full course details

Entry requirements

Admission to Massey

All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.

Specific requirements

There are no specific entry requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (Social Anthropology), outside of university admission regulations.

English language requirements

To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.

If you have already completed a bachelor degree

If you have already completed a bachelor degree you may replace 230111 Tū Kupu: Writing and Inquiry or 230112 Tū Arohae: Critical Thinking with courses of your choice. You will need to apply for replacement courses via a Special permission request in your portal and you will need to attach evidence of your completed degree with the request.

English language skills

If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

Can't meet the entry requirements?

If you need to do a course before you start your qualification, there may be options for you in Summer School.

Fees and scholarships

Fees, student loans and free fees scheme

Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.

There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.

Already know which courses you're going to choose?

You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.

Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme

You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.

The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.

Current and returning Massey students can find their National Student Number in the student portal.

Scholarship and award opportunities

Search our scholarships and awards

Fees disclaimer

This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice.

Careers and job opportunities

The study of people can take you into almost any career path, anywhere in the world. Popular career destinations for social anthropology graduates include:

  • human rights and social justice
  • social work
  • social and commercial research
  • education
  • business and industry
  • government, diplomacy and policy
  • foreign affairs
  • overseas aid and development agencies
  • family court
  • health care
  • non-profit management
  • marketing
  • publishing
  • environmental issues
  • museum curation
  • art and heritage work
  • tourism.

International students

New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.

Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.

As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.

What our students say

“The things I have learnt from studying a Bachelor of Arts are the skills of critical thinking, communication and problem solving. Making decisions makes up a large portion of my job and the ability to analyse every perspective and make a decision based on the evidence given is a very valuable skill.”
Emma Booth

Bachelor of Arts (Social Anthropology)

“Studying anthropology gave me a lot of freedom to explore many varied cultural areas.”
Samantha Russell

Bachelor of Arts (Social Anthropology and Psychology)

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