- Where you can study
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Auckland campusDistance and onlineManawatū campus (Palmerston North)
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International students
International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.
- Not open to international students
- Note:
- Note: Not all courses are available in any 1 year
Specialise in Social Anthropology for your Graduate Certificate in Arts at Massey
The Graduate Certificate in Arts (Social Anthropology) is a bridging tool for graduates in other subjects to gain knowledge of social anthropology. You can use it to study another subject area without completing a second bachelor’s degree.
Develop your understanding of world cultures
Studying social anthropology will give you a different perspective on world affairs. It develops your understanding of other cultures and ethnic groups. It shows you how your way of life is just 1 of many possible ways of being human. You’ll learn 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:
- Politics
- globalisation
- inequality
- human-environmental relations
- human rights
- indigenous peoples
- racism
- visual culture
- healing systems
- food
- gender
- ritual
- religion.
Learn how anthropologists work in 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 are researching in Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Africa and New Zealand.
A Graduate Certificate 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 as well as your own.
Planning information
Planning information
This qualification may be completed in 1 semester of full-time study (depending on sequencing of courses) or over a longer period of part-time study.
100-level prerequisites
When you are granted entry to the qualification, you are not required to pass any 100-level prerequisite course/s for the specialisation. You may need to apply for 200-level courses using the Special Request function in Course Enrolment in your student portal if your previous study was not completed at Massey. If you plan to take any electives in subjects such as Languages, Economics, Mathematics or Statistics, you will need to meet the 100-level prerequisite 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
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.
Compulsory courses
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.
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 courses
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: 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: 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 detailsEntry requirements
Entry requirements
Admission to Massey
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Specific requirements
To enter the Graduate Certificate in Arts (Social Anthropology) you will have been awarded or qualified for a bachelor's degree.
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.
This qualification is classified as NZQF Level 7 and requires the same English language standard as most undergraduate bachelor degrees, diplomas and certificates.
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 and scholarships
2026 tuition fees
- Domestic students: $3,707
- International students: Not applicable
Tuition fees are estimates only. The exact fees charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment. The estimates are for full-time study (60 credits). Fees are in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax (GST).
The estimates do not include the Student Services Fee. This fee is $582 for on-campus students and $474 for distance students for full-time study (60 credits). For more information about this fee and other fees you may need to pay, see non-tuition fees.
There may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
Course fees
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. Students who are eligible for final-year fees free can normally receive up to 120 credits of fees free. However, if you choose to study this certificate you will only receive up to 60 credits fees free. You will not be able to claim the remaining 60 credits of fees free for future qualifications. For further information see the Inland Revenue website.
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
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
- health care
- non-profit management
- marketing
- publishing
- environmental issues
- museum curation
- art and heritage work
- tourism.
Related study options
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 – 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).
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.
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