Anthropology

Anthropologists want to know what it means to be human. To understand someone’s way of life, we believe that we must meet them, listen to them, and learn from their experiences. We take people seriously: we’re curious about what they do, so we sit with them and hear their stories. To answer our questions, we work from the ground up. Anthropologists do research all over the world, in every situation in which people live. We assume that there is no one correct or normal way for people to live as a society, and so we also reflect on the rights of fellow humans in a world made up of diverse forms of being. At a time when our collective existence is at stake, anthropologists are finding ways we can live in, organise, and heal our world by learning alternative ways to be human.

In our classes, students explore people’s social experiences and cultural worldviews through ethnographic interpretations based on firsthand, participatory, and immersive methods. Anthropology students ask profound questions of social theory and engage with urgent current debates about our global future in which anthropology offers new possibilities and alternative visions. Some of the central areas we examine in anthropology units are:

• How are people’s relationships with the natural environment changing in the face of planetary ecological collapse? 
• How do global forces driving social inequality influence people’s lives, fortunes, health, relationships, and wellbeing? 
• Why do so many societies struggle with the legacies of colonialism and racism, and how have communities survived these historical injuries and their afterlives? 
• What is necessary for people who are invisible to be seen, heard, and heeded? 
• How have new struggles for justice and new global networks emerged in response to rapid political, economic, and ecological change? 

Graduates in anthropology are uniquely creative thinkers who can express their ideas effectively, ask tough questions, and discover new answers to complex problems. They have opportunities to pursue a variety of careers in media, journalism, research, education, technology, social justice, and social policy, and are well prepared for professional and postgraduate programs. 

Requirements for completion

The requirements of the major and minor in Anthropology are listed in the Anthropology unit of study table.

Advanced coursework

Students enrolled in the final (fourth) year of a Bachelor of Advanced Studies combined degree are required to complete a minimum of 24 credit points of advanced coursework, including a minimum of 12 credit points of project units.

Honours

Honours in Anthropology is an additional year of full-time undergraduate study following completion of a bachelor’s degree with a major in the discipline. It provides high-achieving students an opportunity to develop research skills by undertaking advanced-level coursework and conducting a supervised but independent research project. The honours year adds greater depth to an undergraduate degree and provides a pathway to higher degree by research (e.g., PhD) studies. Honours graduates are sought after by employers who value their superior research, analytical, and communication skills.

Students complete:

• two ‘seminar’ units of study relevant to their research project: one core and one selective, which prepare students to develop their own position on open questions in the discipline; and
• a substantial independent research project on an approved topic of their choice, culminating in the submission of a thesis of approximately 20,000 words. Students work on their thesis throughout the course, under the supervision of an academic staff member with expertise in the chosen area. The research should identify an area for investigation which makes an original contribution to knowledge.

Requirements and units of study for honours are listed in the Anthropology honours unit of study table. 

Admission criteria

Honours in Anthropology may be undertaken in certain appended honours degrees such as the Bachelor of Arts (Honours).

Applicants must have completed:

• the requirements of a bachelor's degree from the University of Sydney, including a major in Anthropology with a minimum weighted average mark of 70, or an equivalent qualification; and
• For pre-July 2024 students undertaking a Bachelor of Advanced Studies: a second major.

Admission is subject to the availability of appropriate supervision.

Students interested in undertaking Honours should contact the Discipline Honours Coordinator during the final semester of their bachelor’s degree. Information on the application process is available on the Honours page.

Contacts and further information

• Discipline of Anthropology
• Email: ssps.enquiries@sydney.edu.au