Social Anthropology – Diploma in Arts

Study the relationship between human beings and culture with Massey’s Diploma in Arts (Social Anthropology).

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
Note: Not all courses are available at all campuses.

Specialise in Social Anthropology for your Diploma in Arts at Massey

Social anthropology is the study of the relationship between human beings and culture. It gives you a deeper understanding of cultural variation and cultural change. It allows you to better understand your own culture as one among many possible ways of being human.

Social (or cultural) anthropologists seek to understand cultural differences. That includes the many ways people maintain and change culture in response to new social contexts. Social anthropologists bring a comparative approach to the description and analysis of society based on fieldwork that extends across the globe, from hunter-gatherers to industrial nation-states.

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

  • want to further your understanding of our society
  • are interested in cultural variation and cultural change
  • want to better understand other cultures and ethnic groups.

Planning information

If you study full-time you’ll take eight 15-credit courses (120 credits) in one year, or 60 credits per semester. You may be able to take some courses at summer school.

If you later proceed to the Bachelor of Arts degree, all of the courses in your Diploma of Arts can be transferred to the Bachelor of Arts.

If you have questions, contact us through the Get advice button on this page.

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 Diploma in Arts

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

Diploma in Arts core courses

Social Anthropology courses

Subject courses

Choose no more than 15 credits from
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: 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
Choose at least 45 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.

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Course code: 146203 Religion, Nature and Sustainability 15 credits

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

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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

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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.

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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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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

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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

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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

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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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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 this qualification, 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

Popular career destinations for social anthropology graduates include:

  • government policy units
  • foreign affairs
  • overseas aid and development agencies
  • the tourist industry.

Related study options