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ANTHROPOLOGY

About the programme 
Language: Danish and English  (See language requirements)  | Place of study: Moesgård (Aarhus)  | Commencement: August / September (no winter intake)

Introduction

Equipped for globalisation

In the degree programme, you work with cultures and societies around the world. You work with a comparative perspective and, through the study of social and cultural conditions, you seek to acquire an understanding of human conditions and the way they change. You gain insight into how people live and interact with each other and into the society's institutions, rules, traditions and technology. Anthropology deals with humans as social and cultural beings and with the way we interact with each other and society. These are important skills in an increasingly globalised world, and with a Master’s degree in Anthropology you are well equipped for the Danish as well as the international job market.

Anthropology in theory and practice

In the Master’s degree programme in anthropology at Aarhus University, you gain considerable practical experience. Independent anthropological fieldwork or fieldwork practicum in a Danish or foreign company or organisation provides you with an opportunity to use anthropological methods and theories in practice. You also strengthen your individual competence profile and specialise in specific topics through your choice of track and selection of topic for fieldwork and thesis. Many students draw on material and data from their fieldwork or practical training in the thesis.

Here you can find further information about the research and the events at Department of Culture and Society, Anthropology

Admission requirements

The following degree programmes qualify the student for admission to the Master’s degree programme in anthropology:

  • The Bachelor’s degree programme in anthropology (Aarhus University, University of Copenhagen)
  • A Bachelor’s degree in the humanities or social science with a 45 ECTS supplementary subject in anthropology (Aarhus University).

Other qualifications can provide admission to the Master’s degree programme, provided the university assesses that their level, extent and content correspond to the degrees mentioned above. As a minimum, these must contain:

  • 20 ECTS credits in central anthropological concepts and analysis
  • 10 ECTS credits in an anthropological theme or region
  • 10 ECTS credits in qualitative method

Legal right of admission

Students with a Bachelor's degree programme in Anthropology at Aarhus University have the right to be admitted to the Master's degree programme in Anthropology on the condition that application is made for admission to the Master’s degree programme no later than three years after completion of the Bachelor’s degree programme. The legal right of admission requires receipt of the application by Aarhus University within the appropriate period of time.

Restricted admission

There is a limitation on intake. Thus, meeting the admission requirements are not a guarantee for admission. However, applicants with a legal right of admission still have a right to being admitted to the Master’s programme in Anthropology.

If there are more qualified applicants than available slots, the selection criteria below will brought into effect.

Selection criteria

As the Master’s degree programmes in Anthropology (due to government legislation) only admits a limited number of students each year, meeting the admission requirements does not in itself guarantee admission to the programme.

In evaluating qualified applicants, the admissions committee assesses each applicant on the basis of the average mark (i.e. GPA) of the Bachelor’s degree at the time of application. Marks/grades obtained after the application deadline will not be included in the GPA.

The admissions committee assesses each applicant’s marks on the basis of the information provided by diplomas and transcripts.

General anthropology:

If there are more qualified applicants than student places, the qualified applicants will be admitted based on a simple average of their grades. The simple average is calculated on the basis of the courses with graded assessment which have been passed on the degree programme on which admission is based at the time of application.

Visual anthropology:

If there are more qualified applicants than student places, an academic assessment committee is set up to select applicants according to the following criteria: 

1. Academic background (weighted 75%), based on the average grade on the Bachelor’s degree programme on which admission is based at the time of application.

2. Other relevant experience (weighted 25%), based on the CV and the relevance description (see below for more information about the required documentation).

The academic assessment committee assesses each applicant based on the enclosed documentation, which includes diploma/transcript of records, CV, relevance description and, if relevant, academic regulations. 

Documentation

In addition to the general requirements regarding documentation, you must also upload the following: 

1) A CV describing any relevant education, work experience and other experience in a chronological order. This could be in fields such as media production (film, television, photography, exhibitions, multimedia, web-based formats, etc.), audiovisual or visual communication, artistic work or museum work as well as previous education or passed courses within these fields.

2) A relevance description (1-2 pages), which must be in English and provide details about:

The academic relevance of your Bachelor’s degree programme in relation to the visual anthropology programme

Which courses on your Bachelor’s degree programme you believe meet the academic admission requirements for the Master's degree programme in visual anthropology

Work experience, if relevant

3) If your qualifying Bachelor’s degree programme was not taken at Aarhus University, you must also upload or provide a link to the academic regulations for your Bachelor’s degree programme.

Language Requirements

In addition to the above, the following language requirements apply for admission to the Master's degree programme in anthropology:

The following specialisations require Danish at upper secondary school "A" level or equivalent:

  • The Danish-language line in General Anthropology

The following specialisations require English at upper secondary school "B" level or equivalent (Danish upper secondary school level):

  • Visual anthropology (number of student places: 15)

From the summer admissions 2024, all applicants must document English B with an average grade of at least 3.0 at a Danish upper-secondary school or the equivalent.

Programme structure

Academic regulations

As a student it is important to know the regulations for your chosen subject: what is the content, how is it structured and what does it require from you. You can find this information in the academic regulations.

In the following graphical presentation of the subject you can see the different modules and courses that, in addition, link to the course catalogue where you can read the course descriptions.

Tracks

There are two different tracks in the Master’s degree in anthropology, one is taught in English, and one is taught in Danish. 

  • Visual Anthropology (English)
  • General Anthropology (Danish)

Visual Anthropology (English)

The overall aim of this track is to qualify students of anthropology to take on the task of audiovisual research, consultancy and communication in a world that is increasingly being mediated through images, sound, and online media. Public institutions, private organizations, companies and academia are increasingly demanding audiovisual methods that can facilitate cross-cultural analysis, dialogue and imagination. The track provides students with practical and theoretical skills to work anthropologically within a visual framework. Through hands-on workshops in the production of ethnographic film, students learn to design audiovisual projects, apply audiovisual media as a participatory research method and as a means of analytic investigation and expression.

The aim is to develop practical and conceptual sensibilities that allow students to explore and experiment with the interfaces and dialectics of human perception, emotion and imagination beyond what can be contained in words. The Visual Anthropology track culminates in the production of a thesis, where you have the option to combind a written part and a visual anthropological product (film, photography, museum installation, or multimedia).

General Anthropology (Danish)

The track builds on a classical anthropological approach to the study of human relations. The structure of this track allows you to specialise in topics that interest you. This could be a specific topic, for example migration, material culture, religion and politics or change processes, or you can specialise in the cultural issues relating to a specific area such as East Africa, North America or South Asia.

You acquire a basic cultural understanding that enables you to analyse complex social and societal issues in a globalised world, cutting across genders, generations, ethnical groups and other divides.

Student life

The Department of Anthropology is based at Moesgaard – an old manor house located just south of Aarhus. Here you have access to a library, a common room, the Moesgaard Museum and beautiful countryside.

You also have plenty of opportunity to take an active part in student life. The following services are available at the Department of Anthropology:

The Student Committee is where you, as a student, can discuss the academic content of your degree programme and contribute to its further development.

The Danish Ethnographic Association is available for all people interested in anthropology and ethnography. The association publishes the journal Jordens Folk (People in the World) and holds meetings in Aarhus and Copenhagen.

BarBaren (Student bar)
Barbaren is the name of the Anthropological Friday bar, where students are invited for drinks and an open dance floor every other Friday. 

Kaiko
Kaiko is the name of the Tsembaga people’s pig festival but also the Anthropological party committee.

Socialiteten
Socialiteten arranges several social events each semester.

In addition, there are many other events for students at the Faculty of Humanities and the University of Aarhus – e.g. lectures, intro days, career days, seminars, celebrations and sports days.

Campus Moesgaard

Campus Moesgaard is a unique place. It includes the Moesgård Library, which is a joint library for the anthropology and archaeology programmes as well as  Moesgård Museum. The library primarily serves students and staff members at Moesgård. You will find study space in the library, including study spaces reserved for students writing their theses. You will also have the opportunity to see many changing exhibits at the Moesgård Museum during your time here. As a student at Moesgård, you can access the museum for free by showing your valid student card.

MoCa Mates

MoCa Mates connects new international students and senior Master’s students, with the purpose of sharing experiences of studying at Moesgård and living in Aarhus as a foreign student. The Mates meet up on a weekly basis (at least during the first few weeks), and function as an informal and social forum for student-to-student discussions. Furthermore, the MoCa Mates programme closely collaborates with the student counsellors, to whom the Mates can address certain issues if necessary.

Aarhus as a city

As the second-largest city in Denmark, Aarhus is a young and dynamic place with plenty of opportunities. The 40,000 students at the university make up 17.5% of the city’s population, which leaves its mark on city life. An attractive feature of Aarhus is that there are beaches and woods a short bike-ride away, as well as cultural events taking place throughout the year, including the Aarhus Festival in September. The theatres in the city and the ARoS international art museum offer many events that enable you to experience the Danish culture.

Why choose Aarhus? See studyguide.au.dk and get all practical information about being an international student. 

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Career

Job functions for grads

The chart shows the five most common types of work for graduates 1-2 years after finishing their degree. The data is derived from a survey made by Epinion for the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and Aarhus University in 2020.

Competence profile

A Master’s degree in anthropology and ethnography provides you with the following competences:

  • Cultural understanding: You acquire a thorough understanding of cultural differences and similarities and, in particular, ways to analyse complex cultural issues. This applies to foreign cultures as well as cultural differences in Denmark between companies, gender, generations, ethnic groups, etc.
  • Communication: You become skilled at communicating both verbally and in writing, especially with a view to publishising knowledge about work and project results.
  • Specialisation: You come to specialise in specific topics and regions, and acquire special skills in areas such as the environment, integration, China, etc.
  • Analysis: Your knowledge of anthropological tools of analysis enables you to plan and implement large projects that involve complex analysis and evaluation procedures.

Job profile

Anthropologists have many different career paths, including teaching, project management, development projects, and consultancy and analysis work within the following areas:

  1. The social sector: Many anthropologists are employed in private consultancy firms, municipalities or educational institutions within the social sector. Examples of these include project managers, job consultants in municipal job centres, labour market and integration consultants, researchers and teachers in education programmes for social workers.
  2. Organisation and staff: Anthropologists who specialise in organisational and industrial anthropology can find work in human resources and organisational development departments in both private and public sector companies via recruitment agencies or as external consultants.
  3. Development and aid to developing countries: Many anthropologists are involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of development projects, where they can be based in Denmark or posted abroad working for NGOs, the Danish International Development Agency (Danida), consultancy firms, etc.
  4. Analysis and evaluation: As an anthropologist, you become skilled at undertaking systematic analyses. Many graduates therefore find jobs in consultancy firms or public institutions, where they carry out evaluation and analysis work in different areas, such as psychiatry or the treatment of drug abusers.
  5. Health: You have the opportunity to specialise in health anthropology and apply for jobs such as a project manager, intermediary, development consultant or project evaluator in the health sector.

You can choose to work in research by studying for a PhD, either at the university or in collaboration with a private company. Click on for more information about PhD degree programmes at the Faculty of Arts.

You can read more about the career services that are available from Arts Karriere who provide information about employment opportunities as well as arranging various events and workshops.