Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology Leiden University

Overview

Are you interested in how people create the world around them? Do you want to conduct three-month ethnographic research on a socially relevant topic of your own choice anywhere in the world?
Do you feel engaged with a particular group of people or society or you have a socially relevant question in mind which you want to explore? This master's programme enables you to develop a research on a topic of personal preference. Possible topics vary from the fate of LGBT refugees to initiatives of global sustainable tourism, from water management in African gold mines to digitalisation of heritage in Holland, from kickboxing Muslimas to storytelling in the Caribbean.

Three specialisations:
*Global Ethnography provides you the opportunity to develop and conduct a research project at a location of your choice;
*Sociology of Policy in Practice teaches you to think along with organisations to help them respond to the challenges they are facing in our quickly changing societies;
*Visual Ethnography offers expanded training in using audio-visual methods for producing contemporary anthropological research.

What you will learn

To provide students with general theoretical knowledge of the discipline and thorough knowledge of culture and society in a certain region, to enable them to analyse the social problems of that region, to report in a academically sound way and to offer advice on policies; To equip students with the scientific skills required to independently design and execute fundamental and applied research.

Career prospects

As a graduate of the MSc in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, you are qualified to work within a variety of fields.

Your analytical qualifications and social science skills are a much desirable asset in various sectors, ranging from business and non-profit organisations to the governmental sector.
For example:
* Research projects commissioned by ministries or private institutes;
* Development projects in foreign countries, like the Junior Professional Officers Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the United Nations;
* Staff member in non-profit organisations like NOVIB and SNV;
* Ethnological museums: as education officers or as conservator involved in collecting, examining and presenting material culture;
* Communication consultant in a commercial company;
* Municipalities; as policy advisor dealing with issues concerning the multi-cultural society;
* Universities; teaching and doing scientific research.

Accreditation

Accredited by NVAO, the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders.