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Specialise in Social Anthropology for your Diploma in Arts at Massey
Social anthropology is the study of the relationship between human beings and culture. It gives you a deeper understanding of cultural variation and cultural change. It allows you to better understand your own culture as one among many possible ways of being human.
Social (or cultural) anthropologists seek to understand cultural differences. That includes the many ways people maintain and change culture in response to new social contexts. Social anthropologists bring a comparative approach to the description and analysis of society based on fieldwork that extends across the globe, from hunter-gatherers to industrial nation-states.
A Diploma in Arts in Social Anthropology is a good fit if you:
- want to further your understanding of our society
- are interested in cultural variation and cultural change
- want to better understand other cultures and ethnic groups.
Planning information
If you study full-time you’ll take eight 15-credit courses (120 credits) in one year, or 60 credits per semester. You may be able to take some courses at summer school.
If you later proceed to the Bachelor of Arts degree, all of the courses in your Diploma of Arts can be transferred to the Bachelor of Arts.
If you have questions, contact us through the Get advice button on this page.
Official regulations
To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.
You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Undergraduate Degrees, Undergraduate Diplomas, Undergraduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates.
Returning students
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
In some cases the qualification or specialisation you enrolled in may be no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.
Courses you can enrol in
Course planning key
- Prerequisites
- Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
- Corequisites
- Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
- Restrictions
- Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.
Core courses for the Diploma in Arts
As well as the specialisation courses listed below, this qualification has core courses that you will need to complete.
Social Anthropology courses
Subject courses
Course code: 146101 Understanding Cultural Difference credits 15
An introduction to key contemporary topics and concepts in the discipline.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146102 Endangered Cultures credits 15
An introduction to the impact of modern civilization on indigenous peoples based on ethnographic case studies and historical analysis.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146201 Making the Self credits 15
An exploration of how concepts of the self, person, and individual vary across cultures.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146202 Migration and Belonging credits 15
An anthropological study of how increasingly rapid mobility impacts socially and culturally on communities and individuals.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146203 Religion, Nature and Sustainability credits 15
An anthropological study of a range of religions, understandings of nature, and practices of sustainability.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146204 Following the Monsoon credits 15
An introduction to the contemporary anthropology of Monsoon Asia, with an emphasis on environmental factors
View full course detailsCourse code: 146205 Environmental Anthropology credits 15
An exploration of contemporary approaches in environmental anthropology.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146209 Food and Eating credits 15
This course explores the food chain, from production, through consumption, to exchange. It considers the ways in which food is implicated in the reproduction of identities and inequalities.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146210 Anthropology of Ritual, Religion, and Witchcraft credits 15
A cross-cultural study of selected topics in the anthropology of ritual and religion including rites of passage, witchcraft, sorcery, myth, magic, spirits, death, symbols, ancestors, altered states of consciousness, and shamanism.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146211 Systems of Healing credits 15
A study of the variety of ways that people throughout the world address the problems of illness.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146300 Anthropological Enquiry credits 15
A critical exploration of the role of theory in anthropology, key theoretical frameworks and the practice of theorising ethnography.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146301 Practicing Fieldwork credits 15
An experiential course including practical exercises, designed to provide students with knowledge and skills to conduct anthropological fieldwork in a local context using a range of ethnographic methods.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146308 Taking Anthropology to the World credits 15
This course aims to workshop and assemble a professional portfolio applying anthropological knowledge and skills to respond to real world/topical issues, local and global.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146309 The Ethnography of Aotearoa New Zealand credits 15
This course critically explores the ethnography of Aotearoa New Zealand. It considers ethnography as a way of “knowing” Aotearoa New Zealand and what that means for how Aotearoa New Zealand is analysed and represented.
View full course detailsCourse code: 146310 Science, Culture, and Politics credits 15
Cross cultural understandings of how scientific ways of ‘knowing’ operate [politically] in the world.
View full course detailsEntry requirements
Admission to Massey
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Specific requirements
There are no specific entry requirements for this qualification, outside of university admission regulations.
English language requirements
To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
If you have already completed a bachelor degree
If you have already completed a bachelor degree you may replace 230111 Tū Kupu: Writing and Inquiry or 230112 Tū Arohae: Critical Thinking with courses of your choice. You will need to apply for replacement courses via a Special permission request in your portal and you will need to attach evidence of your completed degree with the request.
English language skills
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.
Fees and scholarships
Fees, student loans and free fees scheme
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
- Get an estimate of the tuition fees for your qualification
- View a list of non-tuition fees that may be payable
Already know which courses you're going to choose?
You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.
Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.
Current and returning Massey students can find their National Student Number in the student portal.
- Student loans (StudyLink)
- Fees Free
- Student portal
Scholarship and award opportunities
Search our scholarships and awardsFees disclaimer
This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice.
Careers and job opportunities
Popular career destinations for social anthropology graduates include:
- government policy units
- foreign affairs
- overseas aid and development agencies
- the tourist industry.
Related study options
Social Anthropology – Graduate Certificate in Arts
Get a better understanding of the world. With Massey’s Graduate Certificate in Arts (Social Anthropology), you can study social anthropology without completing a second bachelor’s degree.
Social Anthropology – Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
With Massey’s Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (Social Anthropology) you can take your undergraduate study of social anthropology further.
Social Anthropology – Bachelor of Arts
See the world through fresh eyes. Get a unique perspective on the world, global culture, and society through the Bachelor of Arts (Social Anthropology).
Social Anthropology – Postgraduate Diploma in Arts
Take your study of social anthropology to the next level. By understanding human behaviour and interactions, you’ll have skills that will be useful in almost every career path, all over the world.
Social Anthropology – Master of Arts
Immerse yourself in another world. With Massey’s Master of Arts (Social Anthropology) you can build on your undergraduate study and complete advanced research of an aspect of social anthropology that interests you.
Social Anthropology – Graduate Diploma in Arts
Get a better understanding of the world with Massey’s Graduate Diploma in Arts (Social Anthropology). Gain the equivalent of an undergraduate major in social anthropology without completing a second bachelor’s degree.
Useful planning information
![Key information for students](https://d2ub1k1pknil0e.cloudfront.net/static/711d9ecc/images/KIS-Button-landscape.webp)
Key information for students
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