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Master’s degree in Social Anthropology, 2 years, 120 ects
1. Programme coordinator
The Department of Social Anthropology (ISA), The Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tromsø. The programme board.
2. Language of instruction
Norwegian
3. Application deadline: 15. April
4. Admission requirements
To enter the Master’s degree programme in Social Anthropology the student need to have completed a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 90 ects in Social Anthropology. A course in qualitative methodology (SOA 2001 or an equivalent course) and an in-depth theoretical course (SOA 2002 or an equivalent course) are obligatory. The minimum requirement to enter is grade C, which is calculated on the basis of the average of the grades obtained from the obligatory courses in social anthropology. In addition at least grade C in required in the course SOA 2002.
Note that all teaching is in Norwegian. A considerable part of the syllabus is in English, as well as Norwegian. Good knowledge of English is therefore an advantage. Admission to the program require documented skilles in Norwegian language.
5. Qualification awarded
Master of Philosophy in Social Anthropology
6. Programme description
The Master’s degree programme provides an in-depth study of some of the most central theoretical perspectives and recent debates in Social Anthropology. Furthermore, the programme offers elective courses within more specific areas of research. The main part of the programme consists of preparation and completion of fieldwork and the writing of a master thesis based on fieldwork material.
7. Standards of competence
The Master’s degree programme aims at training professional anthropologists who are qualified for public assignments in areas which require or benefit from anthropological expertise. The theoretical training offers scholarly insight into matters of cross-cultural relations and cultural diversity. These qualifications are gained first and foremost through the students’ experience of preparing and completing an independent research project, which includes compiling and analysing fieldwork material and writing a master thesis.
Furthermore, the programme provides the student’s with the professional qualifications necessary to embark on a research career, such as the ability to develop a research design with the aim of applying for entrance to a PhD- programme in Social Anthropology.
8. Academic Organization
The Master’s programme is research based, and has a stipulated length of four semesters. It consists of courses of 10 and 20 credits and a 60 credits Master thesis.
The Master’s programme commences with a 20 credits course, addressing basic anthropological theory end recent theoretical debates (SOA-3001 Theoretical Perspectives).
Concurrently, the students work on a project proposal (10 credits) which outlines the research question(s) he/she will work on, and a discussion of the methodological aspects of collecting empirical material for the thesis. (SOA-3002 Project description). ISA also provides a 10 ects course where the topic may vary from one year to the next (SOA 300x). This course is given early in the spring semester in order to enable the student to conduct approximately 4 months of fieldwork. (It is also possible, subject to approval by ISA, to replace this course with a course from another discipline which supports the theme of the Master thesis).
The fieldwork is a practical methodology course with an estimated duration of two-thirds of a semester (SOA 3020). During this course, the student carries out an independent anthropological fieldwork according to the subject matter and regional choices described in the research design. Fieldwork gives the student the opportunity to get close to people and social environments which may be culturally and materially very different from his or her own. It is therefore important to prepare for fieldwork as early and as thoroughly as possible, preferably at the end of the bachelor’s degree (in connection with the 2000 level courses). During fieldwork the student shall keep in touch with the assigned tutor, and the course is completed with a field report which is to be handed in at the start of the third semester (i.e. 1. September).
The third and fourth semester are dedicated to the writing of the Master thesis (SOA-3900). In her/his Master thesis, the student will outline the thematic, methodological and theoretical foundations for the work. The empirical material analysed, should be presented clearly and accurately. The evaluation of the thesis will include the student’s knowledge of comparative ethnography and relevant theory.
During the third semester (autumn) a seminar is given with obligatory presentation by each student of the field material.
We recommend that the students familiarise themselves with the staff’s areas of research expertise, and seek to benefit from this in their choice of region and the research questions they wish to address. The staff’s areas of expertise are presented on the ISA homepage.
A tutor will be appointed for each student during the first half of the first semester.
9. Student exchange
There is a specific catalogue available, which details opportunities for overseas studies. Such a period of residence abroad must be approved beforehand as a part of the student’s general programme of study.
ISA currently has Nordplus and/or Socrates agreements with the following European Universities: Roskilde, Copenhagen, Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Paris VIII, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Oxford Brooks, and the Free University of Berlin.
Furthermore, the Faculty of Social Science has NUFU agreements with Universities in the following countries in which a period of study might be arranged: Botswana, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Cameroon, Nicaragua and South Africa.
10. Courses
11. Syllabus
The complete syllabus of the Master’s degree is approximately 4500 pages. The syllabus of the course ‘Theoretical perspectives’ (SOA-3001) comprises 2000 pages, and the course in project development ) SOA-3002) has a syllabus of 500 pages. The elective course SOA 300X comprises 500 pages, and finally the student will chose an individual curriculum of 1500 pages in connection with her/his work on the Master thesis (SOA3900).
12. Teaching and form of examination
The teaching is based on a combination of lectures, seminars and assignments. The research design course is taught through individual tutoring and seminars. Compulsory written assignments that are evaluated (in terms of passed/failed) by the teacher may be given as part of any course. For the final examination of the courses SOA 3001 and SOA 3011 the student’s will be given a 14 days written assignment (7000 words/20 pages for SOA 3001 and 3500 words/10 pages for SOA-3011) based on a given subject. The written assignment is evaluated (according to the grading scale A to F) by the course teacher and an external examiner. The courses SOA 3002 (research design course) and SOA 300X (elective subject) are evaluated in terms of passed/failed by the course teacher and student’s tutor. In addition there may be organised an oral examination in randomly selected courses.
The Master thesis should be between 80 and 100 pages.
As part of the final examination (the courses SOA 3900 and 3901) the student prepares a lecture based on a given subject, with 14 days of preparation. The lecture shall be a popularised presentation, aimed at Master level students. The lecture may be linked to the theme of the Master thesis, but should not be a repetition of the concerns of this thesis.
The final exam includes an oral examination of the student’s Master thesis and individual syllabus. The examination committee consists of the student’s tutor, a teacher and an external examiner. The final grade given ranges from A to F.
13. Recommended study progression
The study starts in the autumn semester (first semester) with the 20 ects course SOA 3001, providing in depth knowledge of some of central concerns in anthropology.
SOA 3002 (10 ects.) is an individual study coupled with individual tuition and a seminar, The students select an individual syllabus about the region and the theoretical perspectives they wish to concentrate on for the Master thesis. The course is completed with the presentation of a research design. The discussion of the theoretical and regional literature may later be developed further and included it in the Master thesis.
During the second semester (spring) the student should follow and take the exam in the course SOA 300X (the contents of this course will vary from year to year). Then the student should embark on the practical methodology course SOA 3020 (i.e. fieldwork) which may include the summer month if the student able and willing to do so. During the fieldwork the student should keep in touch with the tutor, to the extent that it is practically possible. A field report needs to be handed in by September 1st, which will get written feedback from the tutor, and which will be evaluated in terms of passed/failed.
In the third semester (autumn) the student should participate in a dissertation seminar, which along with the individual tutoring, forms part of the teaching offered in the course SOA 3900. During the seminar the student is expected to present an outline of the final thesis, along with sketches and drafts of individual chapters.
During the fourth semester (spring) the student will continue his/her work on the Master thesis under the supervision of his/her tutor. In order to be able to take the final exam in the fourth semester, the Master thesis must be submitted no later than the 15. May.
A graphical outline of the study progression:
| Social Anthropology |
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SOA-3001Theoretical Perspectives(20 ects.) |
SOA-3002Project Preparation(10 ects.) |
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SOA-300x subsidiary subject for master's degree (10 ects.) |
| SOA-3020 Practical Methodology Course(20. ects.) |
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(A) |
SOA- 3900 Master thesis (60 ects.) |
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