Where you can study
International students
International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.
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.
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 detailsCourse 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.
View full course detailsCourse 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.
View full course detailsSubject course selections
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 detailsCourse 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 detailsCourse 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 detailsCourse code: 146204 Following the Monsoon 15 credits
An introduction to the contemporary anthropology of Monsoon Asia, with an emphasis on environmental factors
View full course detailsCourse code: 146205 Environmental Anthropology 15 credits
An exploration of contemporary approaches in environmental anthropology.
View full course detailsCourse 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 detailsCourse 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.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146211 Systems of Healing 15 credits
A study of the variety of ways that people throughout the world address the problems of illness.
View full course detailsCourse 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.
View full course detailsCourse 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.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146310 Science, Culture, and Politics 15 credits
Cross cultural understandings of how scientific ways of ‘knowing’ operate [politically] in the world.
View full course detailsSubject 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 detailsEntry 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.
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.
- Get an estimate of the tuition fees for your qualification
- View a list of non-tuition fees that may be payable
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.
- Student loans (StudyLink)
- Fees Free
- Student portal
Scholarship and award opportunities
Search our scholarships and awardsFees 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.
Plan your courses
View your course options and plan your study using our course planner.
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.”
“Studying anthropology gave me a lot of freedom to explore many varied cultural areas.”
Related study options
Social Anthropology – Graduate Certificate in Arts
Get a better understanding of the world. With Massey’s Graduate Certificate in Arts (Social Anthropology), you can study social anthropology without completing a second bachelor’s degree.
Social Anthropology – Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
With Massey’s Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (Social Anthropology) you can take your undergraduate study of social anthropology further.
Social Anthropology – Diploma in Arts
Study the relationship between human beings and culture with Massey’s Diploma in Arts (Social Anthropology).
Social Anthropology – Postgraduate Diploma in Arts
Take your study of social anthropology to the next level. By understanding human behaviour and interactions, you’ll have skills that will be useful in almost every career path, all over the world.
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.
Social Anthropology – Graduate Diploma in Arts
Get a better understanding of the world with Massey’s Graduate Diploma in Arts (Social Anthropology). Gain the equivalent of an undergraduate major in social anthropology without completing a second bachelor’s degree.
Useful planning information
Key information for students
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions. Learn more on careers.govt.nz