Master in Anthropology

The programme opens the door to "traditional" careers in the social sciences: research into social issues, either more fundamental (university, research institutions) or more applied (consultancies, NGOs, international institutions). Experienced in the analysis of cultural change, anthropologists can be found, like sociologists, working in institutions directly involved in social change, in the design of social or cultural policies, in aid and development practices, etc.

Sectors:

• National and international institutions (European Union, World Bank, etc.)

• NGOs and international cooperation organisations

• Social services and voluntary organisations

• Civil service

• Consultancy

• Teaching

• Public or private research institutes

• Researcher in anthropology (university, research institute)

• Specialist or project manager in a consultancy, NGO or national or international organisation

• International aid / development agency (humanitarian, NGO, etc.)

• University-level social worker, or working in the non-profit or cultural sector

• Manager in the civil service or the private sector (working in areas basically linked to human and social sciences).

• Secondary school teacher / university lecturer

The MA in Anthropology enables students to acquire both theoretical knowledge and practice in the methodologies belonging to this discipline, in particular participatory observation. It also involves solid theoretical training looking at different geographical cultural areas, first and foremost Africa, but also several regions of Europe, Asia and Latin America. In addition, this "distant view" of non-European societies and the very much comparative approach used in anthropology help students to gain an original perspective enabling them to better understand contemporary worlds as a whole, including the complex nature of advanced industrial societies. At the end of the programme, graduates will have both general knowledge of the discipline's major issues and problems, and a wealth of in-depth knowledge in their specialised fields, via their choice of research subjects, specialisation and optional courses.

The MA in Anthropology trains specialists in a comparative approach to different societies and cultures and in field research. It provides students with the analytical skills necessary for reflecting on life within society.

So the MA in Anthropology starts by deepening the base knowledge gained at the bachelor level, as well as offering regional or specialised anthropological units and units borrowed from other disciplines (sociology, history, psychology, philosophy, political science, etc.)

The MA in Anthropology has the special feature of being largely organized around the research paper the student is asked to produce at the end of the master programme. In this context, students choose a research subjectat the beginning of the master, in dialogue with their chosen supervisor. The MA in Anthropology thus puts a focus on training by research, allowing students to acquire a range of skills associated with the design and implementation of an empirical field research project, from defining the methodology and producing the data to writing the dissertation.

The master in anthropology offers some solid basic knowledge in regional anthropology and units borrowed from other disciplines (history, linguistics, geography, religions...).

Giving prominence to research-based training, the MA has been designed to let students acquire basic ethnographical skills in a practical manner by putting them to the test in the field. Teaching is thus designed in close synergy with research, which allows students to share ideas during seminars with researchers working on diverse geographical areas and themes.

Importance is attached to training by research, with students acquiring practical competences through developing a research project over two years, from the definition of a research subject and a methodology to writing a dissertation featuring empirical fieldwork, whether in Belgium or abroad.

A team of lecturers-researchers is available, well-networked in international research programmes, with a wide range of interests and varied geographical specialisation areas, meaning that training is backed by high-level research.

The department offers a "European certificate in Anthropology of social dynamics and development". ULB is in charge of the coordination of this specific programme.

Teaching staff run hotlines in which students can request additional explanations or more in-depth details