Social Anthropology – Master of Arts

Immerse yourself in another world. With Massey’s Master of Arts (Social Anthropology) you can build on your undergraduate study and complete advanced research of an aspect of social anthropology that interests you.

Where you can study

Auckland campus
Distance and online
Manawatū campus (Palmerston North)

International students

International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.

Definition of New Zealand citizens and residents

Open to international students on campus in New Zealand, or studying online outside New Zealand

Specialise in Social Anthropology for your Master of Arts at Massey

The Massey MA (Social Anthropology) gives you a different perspective on world affairs. Studying social anthropology develops your understanding of other cultures and ethnic groups. It shows you how your way of life is just one of many possible ways of being human. You’ll learn to challenge your existing beliefs and put yourself in others’ shoes.

Follow your passion

Take an issue in social anthropology that grabbed your attention as an undergraduate student and develop it fully through independent study.

Get into the field

Discover how anthropologists study cultural differences through fieldwork that examines societies across the globe, from hunter-gatherers to industrial nation-states. Massey staff and students research in Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Africa and New Zealand, and you could join them.

Complete your MA in three semesters 

Massey’s Master of Arts is 180 credits. This means you can complete an MA in three semesters of full-time study. If you study part-time, an MA will normally take three years to complete.

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

  • have an undergraduate degree in social anthropology
  • wish to keep up with current debates in social anthropology
  • want to investigate an issue in social anthropology through a research report or thesis.

Planning information

If you study full-time, you’ll take 120 credits per year or 60 credits per semester.

Not all courses are available in each semester.

The Master of Arts (Social Anthropology) is a parts-based qualification. That means you must complete the first part, before moving to the second.

Grades achieved in the first 60 credits will determine eligibility for progression to Part Two.

  • For the coursework pathway a minimum B grade average is required.
  • For the research pathway a minimum B+ grade average is required.

If you enrol in a thesis, you commence with Thesis (90 or 120 credits) Part 1, followed by Thesis (90 or 120 credits) Part 2 in the next enrolment period. Both parts combine to meet the thesis requirements with a single grade assigned to each part.

If the thesis cannot be submitted at the end of the initial Thesis (90 or 120 credits) Part 2 enrolment, you must re-enrol in Thesis (90 or 120 credits) Part 2 and pay fees each semester until submission is made.

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 Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, and Postgraduate 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 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.

Part One: Coursework Pathway (120 credits) or Research Pathway (Between 60 and 90 credits)

Compulsory courses

Choose 60 credits from
Course code: 146701 Contemporary Approaches in Anthropological Theory 30 credits

A study of current theoretical issues and debates in social anthropology.

View full course details
Course code: 146703 The Practice of Anthropology 30 credits

A study of the methodological and ethical dimensions of anthropological research.

View full course details

Subject courses

Choose no more than 60 credits from
Course code: 146707 Reading and Writing Ethnography 30 credits

Students in this course will examine contemporary exemplary ethnographies and develop their own ethnographic writing practices.

View full course details

Coursework Pathway only

Course code: 146708 Anthropology Today: Current Issues 30 credits

Based on a close reading of an issue of a contemporary social anthropology journal, students in this course will explore current issues, topics and debates in social anthropology.

View full course details

Part Two: Coursework Pathway

Choose 60 credits from
Course code: 146873 Research Report (60 credits) 60 credits

A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a report.

View full course details

Part Two: Research Pathway

Choose between 90 and 120 credits from
Course code: 146816 Thesis 120 Credit Part 1 60 credits

A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.

View full course details
Course code: 146817 Thesis 120 Credit Part 2 60 credits

A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.

Corequisites: 146816

View full course details
Course code: 146881 Thesis 90 Credit Part 1 45 credits

A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a thesis.

View full course details
Course code: 146882 Thesis 90 Credit Part 2 45 credits

A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a thesis.

Corequisites: 146881

View full course details
Course code: 146883 Thesis 90 credits

A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a thesis.

View full course details
Course code: 146899 Thesis 120 credits

A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.

View full course details

Entry requirements

Admission to Massey

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

Specific requirements

To enter the Master of Arts (Social Anthropology) you will have been awarded or qualified for:

  • a Bachelor of Arts degree (or equivalent) with a major in the intended postgraduate subject, with at least a B grade average across the 200/300 level major courses

  • a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) with a subject in the intended postgraduate subject or a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts with an endorsement in the intended postgraduate subject, or an equivalent qualification, with at least a B+ grade average across the 700-level courses for entry to the Research Pathway or a B grade average across the 700-level courses for entry to the Coursework Pathway.

If you have a BA (Hons) or PGDipArts from Massey University in the intended Master of Arts subject as outlined above, you may apply for credit towards Part One of the qualification.

You will need to provide copies of all official academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.

English language requirements

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

English language skills

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

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.

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 knowledge of human behaviour and interactions you’ll gain from an MA (Social Anthropology) will be useful in 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
  • 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.

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