Program Requirements
The Master of Anthropology (Advanced) requires completion of 96 units, which must include:
96 units must come from completion of 6000-level, 7000-level and 8000-level courses
A minimum of 72 units must come from completion of, credit for, or exemptions for courses on the following lists:
Introductory component
Compulsory research courses
Thematic courses
THES8103 Thesis
24 units from completion of the following introductory component:
A minimum 6 units from completion of courses from the following list:
ANTH6002 Culture and Human Diversity: Introducing Anthropology
ANTH6003 Global Citizen: Culture, Development and Inequality
A maximum 18 units from completion of courses from the following list:
ANTH6004 Spirit Rising: Religious Resurgence in its Local Context
ANTH6009 Culture and Development
ANTH6017 Culture, Social Justice and Aboriginal Society Today
ANTH6025 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective
ANTH6026 Medicine, Healing and the Body
ANTH6057 Culture and Person
ANTH6134 States and Citizens: Anthropological Perspectives
ANTH6138 Doing Medical Anthropology
ANTH6515 Crossing Borders: Migration, Identity and Livelihood
ANTH6516 Violence and Terror
ANTH6518 Food for Thought: Anthropological theories of food and eating
ANTH6519 Social Animals: anthropological perspectives on animal-human relationships
ESEN6101 Extended University English
24 units from completion of the following compulsory research courses:
ANTH8035 History of Anthropological Theory Extended
ANTH8059 Doing Ethnography: Research Practicum in Applied Anthropology
ANTH8070 Research Design and Field Methods in Anthropology
A maximum of 24 units from completion of courses from any of the following thematic lists
Ethnography and Research Methods
ANTH8001 Graduate Reading Course (Anthropology)
ASIA8038 Writing Ethnography in Asia and the Pacific
ASIA8047 The Death of God in the Asia- Pacific
ASIA8051 Language and Power in Asia and the Pacific
CHMD8014 Perspectives on Culture, Health and Medicine
ENVS6014 Qualitative Research Methods for Sustainability
HUMN8001 Interdisciplinary Humanities Research: Methods, Theories and Skills
HUMN8034 Collaborative Storytelling and Cultural Production
LING6311 Language and Social Interaction
SOCR8006 Online Research Methods
SOCR8008 Qualitative Social Research
Field Schools and Internships
ANIP6503 Australian National Internships Program Internship A (Graduate)
ANIP6505 Australian National Internships Program B
ANIP6507 Australian National Internships Program D
ANTH6065 Indonesia Field School : Contemporary Change in Indonesia
ANTH6066 Indonesia Field School Extension
ANTH6135 Vietnam Field School
ANTH6137 Vietnam Field School
HUMN8037 Culture and Heritage in China Field School
MUSC8004 Internship 1
MUSC8005 Internship 2
PASI6005 Pacific Islands Field School
Food Culture, Sustainability, and Society
ANTH6064 Anthropology of Environmental Disasters
ANTH6518 Food for Thought: Anthropological theories of food and eating
ANTH8058 Inequality and Development
ASIA8021 Activism and Social Change in Asia and the Pacific
ASIA8050 Social Conflict and Environmental Challenges in Asia and the Pacific
BIAN6119 Nutrition, Disease and the Environment
BIAN6120 Culture, Biology & Population Dynamics
CHMD8013 Life, Waste and Sustainability
CHMD8020 The Future of Food and Human Health
EMDV8082 Food Wars: Food Security and Agricultural Policy
ENVS6101 Environment and Society: Geography of Sustainability
ENVS8003 Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation
SOCY6065 Excessive Appetites: Sociocultural Perspectives on Addiction and Drug Use
Technology
ANTH6136 Piracy: Property wars from the high seas to Anonymous
BIAN6124 Evolution and Human Behaviour
CHMD8021 Indigenous Medicines, Health and Healing
CHMD8022 Biotechnologies in Biomedicine
GEND6501 Posthuman Bodies
SOCR8006 Online Research Methods
SOCY6064 Surveillance and Society
SOCY6170 Sociology of Emergent Media
Workplace and the social person
BUSI7280 Managing in a Global Context
MGMT7107 Managing Across Cultures
Migration and Travel
ANTH8042 Migration, Refugees and Development
ASIA8040 Engaging Asia: Australia and the Asian Century
ASIA8046 Maps and Mapping for the Social Sciences and Humanities
BIAN6120 Culture, Biology & Population Dynamics
CHMD8016 International Migration of Health Workers: Sociological and Ethical Aspects
HUMN8027 Critical Issues in Heritage and Museum Studies
HUMN8019 World Heritage: conserving cultural heritage values
HUMN8033 Tourism, Heritage and Globalization
HUMN8035 Critical Issues in Intangible Heritage
MUSI6007 Music and Globalisation
PASI8008 Gender and Sexuality in the Pacific
A maximum of 24 units from completion of courses from any of the following language specialisations and courses:
Arabic Language and Culture specialisation
Australian Indigenous Languages and Society specialisation
Chinese Language and culture specialisation
French Language and Culture specialisation
German Language and Culture specialisation
Hindi Language and Culture specialisation
Indonesian Language and Culture specialisation
Italian Language and Culture specialisation
Japanese Language and Culture specialisation
Korean Language and Culture specialisation
Persian Language and Culture specialisation
Portuguese Language and Culture specialisation
Russian Language and Culture specialisation
Sanskrit Language and Culture specialisation
Spanish Language and Culture specialisation
Thai Language and Culture specialisation
Vietnamese Language and Culture specialisation
INDG6003 Gamilaraay - introduction to an Australian Indigenous Language
INDG6004 Continuing Gamilaraay
BURM6002 Burmese 1
BURM6003 Burmese 2
TETM6002 Tetum 1
TETM6003 Tetum 2
TETM6104 Tetum 3
TETM6105 Tetum 4
TIBN6002 Tibetan 1
TIBN6003 Tibetan 2
24 units from completion of THES8103 Thesis
Students must have the written agreement of an identified supervisor in order to enrol in THES8103 Thesis in a specified semester one calendar year in advance of the start date of that semester.
Students who do not have the written agreement of an identified supervisor one calendar year in advance, or whose agreed supervisor either subsequently leaves the university or is on leave from the university, will be transferred to the Master of Anthropology.
Unless otherwise stated, a course used to satisfy the requirements of one list may not be double counted towards satisfying the requirements of another list
Master Research
This degree has been accredited at AQF Level 9 with a significant component of Research.
Master Research Training
This degree has been accredited at AQF Level 9 with a significant component of Research.
Specialisations
Study Options
| Year 1 48 units | Introductory Component course 6 units | Introductory Component course 6 units | Thematic list course 6 units | Thematic list course 6 units |
| ANTH6003 Global Citizen: Culture, Development and Inequality 6 units | Introductory Component course 6 units | Thematic list course 6 units | Thematic list course 6 units | |
| Year 2 48 units | ANTH8035 History of Anthropological Theory Extended 12 units | - | THES8103 Thesis 6 to 24 units | THES8103 Thesis 6 to 24 units |
| ANTH8070 Research Design and Field Methods in Anthropology 6 units | ANTH8059 Doing Ethnography: Research practicum on applied anthropology 6 units | THES8103 Thesis 6 to 24 units | THES8103 Thesis 6 to 24 units |
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements
At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry.
Applicants must present a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 6.0/7.0, and the approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis.
Students must have the written agreement of an identified supervisor in order to enrol in THES8103 Thesis in a specified semester one calendar year in advance of the start date of that semester. Students who do not have the written agreement of an identified supervisor one calendar year in advance, or whose agreed supervisor either subsequently leaves the university or is on leave from the university, will be transferred to the Master of Anthropology.
Cognate Disciplines
Anthropology, Cultural Heritage Studies, Development Studies, History, Human Ecology, Human Geography, Indigenous Studies, International Relations, Linguistics, Literary Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology
In line with the university's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors.
Academic achievement & English language proficiency
The minimum academic requirement for full entry and enrolment is a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 6.0/7.0.
However, applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes.
If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of:
• a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or
• demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency.
Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.
Further information: English Language Requirements for Admission
Diversity factors
As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe.
Assessment of qualifications
Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met.
Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au
ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications
Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.
Application for course credits
Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 24 units (one semester) of credit.
Applicants with a Graduate Diploma or Bachelor degree with Honours in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 48 units (one year) of credit.
Credit Granted
Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 24 units (one semester) of credit. Applicants with a Graduate Diploma or Bachelor degree with Honours in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 48 units (one year) of credit.
Cognate Disciplines
Anthropology, Cultural Heritage Studies, Development Studies, History, Human Ecology, Human Geography, Indigenous Studies, International Relations, Linguistics, Literary Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology
Indicative fees
- Annual indicative fee for domestic students
- $28,224.00
For more information see: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/costs-fees
- Annual indicative fee for international students
- $43,344.00
For further information on International Tuition Fees see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments/international-tuition-fees
Scholarships
ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.
Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are. Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.
For further information see the Scholarships website.
Anthropology is the study of contemporary human cultural lives. This degree centres on anthropology’s ethnographic approach, which is employed to understand how people live their lives, on their own terms. Such an approach enables anthropologists to examine key global challenges and events, like climate change and xenophobia, as well as how government policies, technologies, and products and services are incorporated into people’s lives. Designed for those whose work or interest is in understanding people in specific contexts, this program equips students with the necessary ethnographic skills and opportunities to undertake analysis of human lives, and to make cross-cultural comparisons.
Why study anthropology at the ANU?
The Master of Anthropology (Advanced) at the ANU is a highly sought-after program that places very strong emphasis on anthropological theory and methods with the intention of turning out graduates ready to work in applied research contexts in the public and corporate sectors, or to proceed to a PhD. The program provides students with central skills in anthropological and ethnographic theory and methods, which includes training in research and analysis, a broad suite of optional language training, field-schools, internship placements as well as a thesis option. We offer graduates comprehensive training in ethnographic methods and anthropological theory, followed by thematised progression in accordance with the student's interests and future intentions for work or study.
Career Options
Graduates from ANU have been rated as Australia's most employable graduates and among the most sought after by employers worldwide.
The latest Global Employability University Ranking, published by the Times Higher Education, rated ANU as Australia's top university for getting a job for the fourth year in a row.
Employment Opportunities
A Master of Anthropology will advance your career working in cultural institutions, the public service, non-government organisations, academia, or any professional area requiring an understanding of anthropology.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand when and how to apply ethnographic research techniques;
- Select from a range of anthropological methods those most suitable to a particular research or policy problem;
- Demonstrate knowledge of the history of anthropological theory and the different ethnographic methods associated with different periods;
- Articulate and demonstrate the value of conducting ethnographic work in a given context;
- Design ethnographically based programs of investigation ready for application in a given field or work or study.
- Apply anthropological knowledge to cross-cultural work environments and problem solving.
- Complete a major piece of research in the field of Anthropology
Research Strengths
This degree has been accredited at AQF Level 9 with a significant component of Research.
Inherent Requirements
Information on inherent requirements is currently not available
