Course information

Department

Anthropology

Length

1 year full-time or 2 years part-time

Scholarship information

Funding available

Course overview

Fusing Goldsmiths' academic excellence and professional training from the Horniman Museum, the MA in Anthropology & Museum Practice provides you with a uniquely comprehensive set of skills.

The Horniman Museum & Gardens

Why study MA Anthropology & Museum Practice at Goldsmiths

  • Whether you're a professional looking to expand your subject expertise in anthropology, or an anthropologist looking to move into the museum sector, the course will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to make a difference in your career.
  • This degree is run in partnership with The Horniman Museum and Gardens. You'll learn from professionals who work with the institution's world-renowned anthropology collection, and gain practical skills in curation and conservation, using material and digital archives, running museum education programmes and engaging diverse audiences.
  • You'll analyse museums as sites of imagination and distinction and think about how they can be more inclusive places. 
  • If you haven’t studied anthropology previously, you’ll have the opportunity to sit in on the Masters-level Introduction to Social Anthropology module, which will give you a solid grounding in the subject - and enable you to hit the ground running. 
  • You'll learn from leading academics in the Department of Anthropology, which has been rated top 10 in the UK for anthropology in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Sultan Doughan.

What you'll study

Compulsory Modules

You will study the following compulsory modules:

Module title Credits
Museum Anthropology 30 credits
Museum Practice 30 credits
Anthropological Research Methods 30 credits
Dissertation 60 credits

 

Option modules

You have the opportunity to tailor your studies and gain further specialist knowledge by choosing 30 credits of optional modules. These can be chosen from the wide range of options offered by departments across Goldsmiths, or from another University of London institution.

Some recent examples of optional modules include:

Module title Credits
Anthropology and Gender Theory 30 credits
Anthropology of Art 30 credits
Ethnographic Film and Cinema Studies 30 credits
Anthropology and the Visual 2 30 credits
Economic and Political Anthropology 2 30 credits
Borders and Migration 30 credits
Material Culture 30 credits

Download the programme specification.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

Entry requirements

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in a relevant/related subject.

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study.

Fees, funding & scholarships

Annual tuition fees

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2024/2025 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £12520
  • Home - part-time: £6260
  • International - full-time: £23660

If your fees are not listed here, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time under a student visa. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Funding opportunities

Find out more about postgraduate fees and explore funding opportunities. If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an application deadline.

Scholarships

See our departmental awards page for information about funding opportunities, including external scholarships which can help to support your anthropological work, from overseas research to thesis completion.

How to apply

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system. 

Before submitting your application you’ll need to have:

  • Details of your academic qualifications
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively a copy of your academic reference
  • Copies of your educational transcripts or certificates
  • personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online. Please see our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

When to apply

We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September. 

We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification. 

Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.

If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an earlier application deadline.

Selection process

Admission to many programmes is by interview, unless you live outside the UK. Occasionally, we'll make candidates an offer of a place on the basis of their application and qualifications alone.

Find out more about applying.

Careers

This course provides you with a unique opportunity to develop both your academic and practical skills in anthropology and museum practice. This combination will provide you with an excellent grounding for a career in museum and anthropology work. This could include roles such as:

  • Curator
  • Community education
  • Outreach
  • Exhibitions officer

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