The MA in Anthropology and Development is an advanced degree in socio-cultural anthropology with a particular emphasis on the Critical Anthropology of Development. During their studies students shall be provided with a sophisticated introduction to the theoretical underpinnings of socio-cultural anthropology, together with a block of modules that open up and explore the conceptual and methodological core of the discipline, and a series of specialised modules in the Critical Anthropology of Development. Students are also asked to write a thesis in the Anthropology of Development. This Masters programme is primarily a scholarly degree that aims to equip students for later doctoral research or for work in third sector roles that demand academic social-scientific knowledge or the particular skills of trained ethnographic researchers.
Students take a total of 90 credits over 1 year.
Compulsory Modules (70 credits)
AN651 Social Thought (10 credits)
AN653 Writing Cultures (10 credits)
AN649 Foundations of Anthropology & Development (5 credits)
AN652 Key Concepts in Anthropology (10 credits)
AN669 Topics in Anthropology & Development (5 credits)
AN634T Thesis (30 credits)
Optional Modules (subject to availability)
AN646 Foundations of Linguistic Anthropology (5 credits)
AN647 Foundations of Medical Anthropology (5 credits)
AN648 Foundations of Material Culture and Design (5 credits)
AN862 Ethnography Winter School (5 credits)
AN657 Ethnographic Ireland (5 credits)
AN630 Creole Culture (5 credits)
AN666 Topics in Linguistic Anthropology (5 credits)
AN667 Topics in Medical Anthropology (5 credits)
AN668 Topics in Material Culture & Design (5 credits)
PD606 Design Ethnography (7.5 credits)
GY621 Dublin Urban Laboratory (10 credits)
GY619 Public Engagement Research and Practice (10 credits)
GY627 Places, Landscapes, Mappings (10 credits)
Students complete an intensive course of four 6-week compulsory modules in anthropological theory (10 credits each) alongside four compulsory modules in Anthropology and Development (5 credits each), as well as two Saturday workshops. Students develop a proposal for a research project during the taught year in consultation with a member of the anthropology faculty, who will advise the student and mark the project. In the summer, students register for the 30-credit Thesis, which must be completed by early September.
An anthropology degree provides an excellent preparation for a wide variety of fields in both public and private sectors, and is an especially good foundation for an international career. Anthropology has become increasingly important as a job skill in the context of globalisation, where a deeper understanding of cultural difference is crucial, both locally and internationally. Our graduates go on to employment in a wide variety of careers in community work, education, the health professions, product design, international aid and development projects, NGO work, business and administration, and more.
The MA in Anthropology is an advanced degree in socio-cultural anthropology in which students are given a sophisticated introduction to the theoretical underpinnings of the discipline, a block of modules that open up and explore the conceptual and methodological core of the discipline, and a series of specialised modules that show the range of socio-cultural anthropology today. Students are also required to write a thesis. The MA in Anthropology is primarily a scholarly degree that aims to equip students for later doctoral research or for work in roles that demand academic social-scientific knowledge or the particular skills of trained ethnographic researchers.
In the autumn and spring semesters, students complete an intensive course of four 6-week compulsory modules in anthropological theory (10 credits each) alongside two professional development modules and two optional modules (5 credits each). The taught programme develops students’ core theoretical competence and combines this with the methodological tools necessary to successfully formulate an anthropological topic and carry out a research project. In the summer, students register for the 30-credit Thesis, which must be completed by early September.
Students take a total of 90 credits over 1 year.
Compulsory Modules (60 credits)
AN651 Social Thought (10 credits)
AN653 Writing Cultures (10 credits)
AN652 Key Concepts in Anthropology (10 credits)
AN634T Thesis (30 credits)
Optional Modules (subject to availability)
AN646 Foundations of Linguistic Anthropology (5 credits)
AN647 Foundations of Medical Anthropology (5 credits)
AN648 Foundations of Material Culture and Design (5 credits)
AN649 Foundations of Anthropology & Development (5 credits)
AN862 Ethnography Winter School (5 credits)
AN657 Ethnographic Ireland (5 credits)
AN630 Creole Culture (5 credits)
AN666 Topics in Linguistic Anthropology (5 credits)
AN667 Topics in Medical Anthropology (5 credits)
AN668 Topics in Material Culture & Design (5 credits)
AN669 Topics in Anthropology & Development (5 credits)
PD606 Design Ethnography (7.5 credits)
GY621 Dublin Urban Laboratory (10 credits)
GY619 Public Engagement Research and Practice (10 credits)
GY627 Places, Landscapes, Mappings (10 credits)
An anthropology degree provides an excellent preparation for a wide variety of fields in both public and private sectors, and is an especially good foundation for an international career. Anthropology has become increasingly important as a job skill in the context of globalisation, where a deeper understanding of cultural difference is crucial, both locally and internationally. Our graduates go on to employment in a wide variety of careers in community work, education, the health professions, product design, international aid and development projects, NGO work, business and administration, and more.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Anthropology is a one-year part-time course designed for students who would like to make a transition to studying anthropology but have no previous background in the subject, or for students who for various reasons are not able to enroll in the full MA programme. This Certificate can be applied to the MA in Anthropology, upon acceptance to that programme.
Students take a total of 40 credits over 1 year.
Compulsory Modules (30 credits)
AN651 Social Thought (10 credits)
AN653 Writing Cultures (10 credits)
AN652 Key Concepts in Anthropology (10 credits)
Optional Modules (subject to availability)
AN646 Foundations of Linguistic Anthropology (5 credits)
AN647 Foundations of Medical Anthropology (5 credits)
AN648 Foundations of Material Culture and Design (5 credits)
AN649 Foundations of Anthropology & Development (5 credits)
AN657 Ethnographic Ireland (5 credits)
AN630 Creole Culture (5 credits)
PD606 Design Ethnography (7.5 credits)
GY621 Dublin Urban Laboratory (10 credits)
GY619 Public Engagement Research and Practice (10 credits)
GY627 Places, Landscapes, Mappings (10 credits)
This course can serve as a foundation for further work to complete an MA in Anthropology & Development.
The PG Cert in Anthropology provides an excellent enhancement to existing careers in both public and private sectors. Anthropology has become increasingly important as a job skill in the context of globalisation, where a deeper understanding of cultural difference is crucial, both locally and internationally.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Anthropology & Development is a one-year part-time course designed for development and humanitarian aid professionals (and those who envisage such a career) who would like to add an anthropological perspective to their development expertise. The course provides a holistic and critical approach to culture, the inevitable context of all relief and development activity. This Certificate can be applied to the MA in Anthropology & Development, upon acceptance to that programme.
The course consists of four consecutive 6-week modules, offered on Tuesday evenings, plus two Saturday Workshops distributed over the course of the academic year (20 ECTS combined). The Saturday Workshops feature guest scholars who bring critical perspectives to development-related issues. PG Cert students are also welcome at our weekly Anthropology Department Seminar.
This course can enhance the career of development professionals by equipping them with a critical perspective informed by anthropology’s holistic approach. It is also suitable for those interested in pursuing NGO work in the voluntary/charity sector.
Students take a total of 40 credits over 1 year.
Compulsory Modules (30 credits)
AN651 Social Thought (10 credits)
AN653 Writing Cultures (10 credits)
AN652 Key Concepts in Anthropology (10 credits)
Optional Modules (subject to availability)
AN646 Foundations of Linguistic Anthropology (5 credits)
AN647 Foundations of Medical Anthropology (5 credits)
AN648 Foundations of Material Culture and Design (5 credits)
AN649 Foundations of Anthropology & Development (5 credits)
AN657 Ethnographic Ireland (5 credits)
AN630 Creole Culture (5 credits)
PD606 Design Ethnography (7.5 credits)
GY621 Dublin Urban Laboratory (10 credits)
GY619 Public Engagement Research and Practice (10 credits)
GY627 Places, Landscapes, Mappings (10 credits)
This course can serve as a foundation for further work to complete an MA in Anthropology & Development.
The MA in Linguistic Anthropology is an advanced degree in Socio-cultural Anthropology with a particular emphasis on Linguistic Anthropology in which students are given a sophisticated introduction to the theoretical underpinnings of the discipline of Anthropology, a block of modules that open up and explore the conceptual and methodological core of the discipline, and a series of specialized modules in Linguistic Anthropology. Students are also required to write a thesis in Linguistic Anthropology. The MA in Linguistic Anthropology is primarily a scholarly degree that aims to equip students for later doctoral research in this sub-field or for work in roles that demand academic social-scientific knowledge or the particular skills of trained ethnographic researchers.
The MA in Anthropology is an advanced degree in socio-cultural anthropology in which students are given a sophisticated introduction to the theoretical underpinnings of the discipline, a block of modules that open up and explore the conceptual and methodological core of the discipline, and a series of specialised modules that show the range of socio-cultural anthropology today. Students are also required to write a thesis. The MA in Anthropology is primarily a scholarly degree that aims to equip students for later doctoral research or for work in roles that demand academic social-scientific knowledge or the particular skills of trained ethnographic researchers.
Year 1
Those intending to take the part-time MA in Anthropology are expected to take 40 credits in the first year. Except in circumstances where permission is given, students are expected to complete the three 10-credit foundational modules in semester 1, Social Thought, Key Concepts in Anthropology, and Writing Cultures. The remaining 10 credits should be completed in the form of two 5-credit modules.
Year 2
Students will complete 50 credits in the second year. Students are required to write a thesis which represents 30 credits. The remaining 20 credits should be completed in the form of four 5-credit modules. The MA in Anthropology is primarily a scholarly degree that aims to equip students for later doctoral research or for work in roles that demand academic social-scientific knowledge or the particular skills of trained ethnographic researchers.
The MA in Linguistic Anthropology is an advanced degree in Socio-cultural Anthropology with a particular emphasis on Linguistic Anthropology in which students are given a sophisticated introduction to the theoretical underpinnings of the discipline of Anthropology, a block of modules that open up and explore the conceptual and methodological core of the discipline, and a series of specialized modules in Linguistic Anthropology. Students are also required to write a thesis in Linguistic Anthropology. The MA in Linguistic Anthropology is primarily a scholarly degree that aims to equip students for later doctoral research in this sub-field or for work in roles that demand academic social-scientific knowledge or the particular skills of trained ethnographic researchers.
The MA in Anthropology & Development is a taught master’s programme designed for development and humanitarian aid professionals (and those who envisage such a career) who would like to add an anthropological perspective to their development expertise. The course provides a holistic and critical approach to culture, the inevitable context of all relief and development activity. The MA course is quite intensive and is designed for students with a background in anthropology. Students with no background in anthropology are encouraged to pursue the Postgraduate Certificate in Anthropology & Development.
Students complete an intensive course of four 6-week compulsory modules in anthropological theory (10 credits each) alongside four compulsory modules in Anthropology and Development (5 credits each), as well as two Saturday workshops. Students develop a proposal for a research project during the taught year in consultation with a member of the anthropology faculty, who will advise the student and mark the project. In the summer, students register for the 30-credit Thesis.
CREOLE is an innovative two-year Anthropology degree (120 ECTS), funded under the EU SOCRATES Programme, in which students are required to spend two of the four semesters at one or more European partner institutions:
- Universität Wien (Austria)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain)
- Université Lumière Lyon 2 (France)
- Univerza v Ljubljani (Slovenia)
- Stockholms Universitet (Sweden)
- Universität Bern (Switzerland)
- Adam Mickiewicz University (Poland)
This unique international Master’s degree allows the opportunity to study and analyse multiple complex societies, and to deal with cultural diversity, transnationalism, visual and popular culture. The programme’s main language is English. Proficiency in the language of the proposed partner institution (French, German, Spanish, Swedish, or Slovenian) is desirable.
Normally, Maynooth University students complete 60 ECTS worth of taught modules in their first year at home in Maynooth. For their second year, students visit at least one of the partner universities where they must carry out original research and submit a thesis. For the thesis, students identify their primary supervisor at the home university (MU) as well as a co-supervisor at the partner university they visit. There is also an Intensive Programme (IP) which takes place every year between Semesters 2 and 3 – normally in July – where all students from all partner universities come together for learning, teaching and networking in one of the 6 partner universities. This MA allows the opportunity to study and analyse multiple complex societies, and to deal with cultural diversity, transnationalism, visual and popular culture. The programme's main language is English but proficiency in the language of the chosen university partner is desirable.
