THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2026/2027

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.
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Degree Programme Table: Social Anthropology with Development (MA Hons) (UTSANDE)

Jump to: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4

Year 1 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: September

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Social Anthropology 1A: The Life Course

Must be passed

SCAN08013 20 credits
Social Anthropology 1B: Anthropology Matters

Must be passed

SCAN08012 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 80 credits in this group.

Social and Political Science Year 1 Electives

Select between 0 and 80 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Please note that some courses listed here might be already listed elsewhere on your DPT, therefore, make sure to check programme requirements when selecting courses.
International Development, Aid and Humanitarianism
AFRI08001 20 credits
Africa in the Contemporary World
AFRI08008 20 credits
Politics in a Changing World: An Introduction for non-specialists
PLIT08012 20 credits
Introduction to British Politics
PLIT08016 20 credits
South Asia in the World
SAST08003 20 credits
Empires
SCAN08010 20 credits
Social Anthropology 1B: Anthropology Matters
SCAN08012 20 credits
Introduction to Social Anthropology
SCAN08015 20 credits
Sustainable Development 1a: Introducing Sustainable Development
SCIL08008 20 credits
Invitation to Sociology
SCIL08017 20 credits
Sociology 1b: Individuals and Society
SCIL08018 20 credits
Social Policy and Society
SCPL08004 20 credits
Politics of the Welfare State
SCPL08005 20 credits
Understanding Public Policy
SCPL08012 20 credits
Social Work: Making A Difference
SCWR08003 20 credits
Understanding Race and Colonialism
SSPS08013 20 credits
Technology in Society
STIS08002 20 credits
Science, Nature and Environment
STIS08007 20 credits
AND

Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to T, W and Y

Select between 0 and 80 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to T, W and Y
Notes:
If you struggle with choosing level 8 electives, you can choose the SUGGESTED courses: Empires SCAN08010, Social Life & Climate Change SCAN08016, Introduction to Queer Studies DESI08141 and/ or South Asia in the World SAST08003.
AND

Challenge Courses: Engaging with complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Challenge Courses are designed to bring together students from different degree programmes to explore the complex issues facing the world today through interdisciplinary collaboration and creative thinking.

Working with each other and expert academics, students will gain new perspectives and develop important life skills highly valued by employers, such as teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability.
Our Changing World
BIME08006 20 credits
Sustainability and Social Responsibility (UG)
EDUA08116 20 credits
Wicked problems: Reason and Rhetoric
EDUA08126 20 credits
Understanding decolonisation in a globalised world
EDUA08127 20 credits
Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030
EFIE08008 20 credits
Living in the Anthropocene
GESC08004 20 credits
Understanding Society with Big Data: Computational Social Science
INFR08034 20 credits
Health in a Changing Climate
SCAN08017 20 credits
Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World
SSPS08012 20 credits
Navigating Energy Transitions
STIS08013 20 credits
Healthy Eating for People and Planet
VETS08016 20 credits

Year 2 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: August

Notes:
Students who are planning on spending their Junior Year Abroad must successfully progress to honours before they can proceed on their exchange. It is compulsory to have passed 240 credits by June before the JYA in September.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Ethnography: Theory and Practice

Must be passed

SCAN08005 20 credits
Social Anthropology 2: Key Concepts

Must be passed

SCAN08011 20 credits
International Development, Aid and Humanitarianism

Must be passed

AFRI08001 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 60 credits in this group.

Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to T, W and Y

Select exactly 60 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to T, W and Y
AND

Challenge Courses: Engaging with complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Challenge Courses are designed to bring together students from different degree programmes to explore the complex issues facing the world today through interdisciplinary collaboration and creative thinking.

Working with each other and expert academics, students will gain new perspectives and develop important life skills highly valued by employers, such as teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability.
Our Changing World
BIME08006 20 credits
Sustainability and Social Responsibility (UG)
EDUA08116 20 credits
Wicked problems: Reason and Rhetoric
EDUA08126 20 credits
Understanding decolonisation in a globalised world
EDUA08127 20 credits
Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030
EFIE08008 20 credits
Living in the Anthropocene
GESC08004 20 credits
Understanding Society with Big Data: Computational Social Science
INFR08034 20 credits
Health in a Changing Climate
SCAN08017 20 credits
Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World
SSPS08012 20 credits
Navigating Energy Transitions
STIS08013 20 credits
Healthy Eating for People and Planet
VETS08016 20 credits

Year 3 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: August

Notes:
Students who are planning on spending their Junior Year Abroad must successfully progress to honours before they can proceed on their JYA.

JYA students must take Imagining Anthropological Research (SCAN10104) in Year 3 as an audit to access course materials and prepare a proposal to submit to be assigned a dissertation supervisor.

JYA Students must take Social Development in Year 4.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Imagining Anthropological Research
SCAN10104 20 credits
Social Development
SCAN10044 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 80 credits in this group.

Key Anthropological Themes

Select between 0 and 80 credits of the following courses
Notes:
These courses cover key themes in Social Anthropology, it is recommended that students take 40-100 credits from this group over the two years of Honours study.
Kinship: Structure and Process
SCAN10021 20 credits
Anthropological Theory
SCAN10022 20 credits
Ritual and Religion
SCAN10023 20 credits
Culture and Power
SCAN10030 20 credits
Consumption, Exchange, Technology
SCAN10031 20 credits
Anthropology of Health and Healing
SCAN10062 20 credits
AND

Social Anthropology Honours Electives - Level 10

Select between 0 and 40 credits of the following courses
Notes:
In consultation with their Academic cohort lead, students are required to choose EIGHT honours-level elective courses (totalling 160 credits) over the two Honours years, using the following guidance:

-- At least 60 credits of Social Anthropology honours options.
-- Where possible, students are highly encouraged to take development-related courses in the School of Social and Political Science - OR - in other parts of the University, if there is substantial social science and development content.
Contemporary Issues in International Development
AFRI10004 20 credits
A World of Borders
AFRI10006 20 credits
African Studies: Topics & Themes
AFRI10007 20 credits
Artificial Intelligence and Global Development
AFRI10008 20 credits
South Asia: Culture, Politics and the Economy
SAST10001 20 credits
Kinship: Structure and Process
SCAN10021 20 credits
Anthropological Theory
SCAN10022 20 credits
Ritual and Religion
SCAN10023 20 credits
Culture and Power
SCAN10030 20 credits
Consumption, Exchange, Technology
SCAN10031 20 credits
Social Development
SCAN10044 20 credits
Anthropology of Health and Healing
SCAN10062 20 credits
Anthropology and Environment
SCAN10066 20 credits
Anthropology of Sex and Reproduction
SCAN10068 20 credits
The Anthropology of Language
SCAN10076 20 credits
Anthropology of Displacement and Migration
SCAN10077 20 credits
Anthropology of East Asia
SCAN10087 20 credits
Anthropologists Read the News
SCAN10091 20 credits
Digital Global Development
SCAN10092 20 credits
Anthropology of Race and Racism
SCAN10097 20 credits
Anthropology of the Far-Right
SCAN10100 20 credits
Health, Environment and Society
SCAN10101 20 credits
Anthropological encounters with clothing, textiles, and fashion
SCAN10103 20 credits
Energy Policy and Sustainability
STIS10008 20 credits
Sociology of Medicine
STIS10013 20 credits
Introduction to Internet, AI and Society
STIS10020 20 credits
AND

Level 10 courses in Schedules A to J and W

Select between 0 and 40 credits from Level 10 courses in Schedules A to J and W

Year 4 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: August

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Dissertation (MA Social Anthropology)
SCAN10036 40 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 80 credits in this group.

Key Anthropological Themes

Select between 0 and 80 credits of the following courses
Notes:
These courses cover key themes in Social Anthropology, it is recommended that students take 40-100 credits from this group over the two years of Honours study.
Kinship: Structure and Process
SCAN10021 20 credits
Anthropological Theory
SCAN10022 20 credits
Ritual and Religion
SCAN10023 20 credits
Culture and Power
SCAN10030 20 credits
Consumption, Exchange, Technology
SCAN10031 20 credits
Anthropology of Health and Healing
SCAN10062 20 credits
AND

Social Anthropology Honours Electives - Level 10

Select between 0 and 60 credits of the following courses
Notes:
In consultation with their Academic cohort lead, students are required to choose EIGHT honours-level elective courses (totalling 160 credits) over the two Honours years, using the following guidance:

-- At least 60 credits of Social Anthropology honours options.
-- Where possible, students are highly encouraged to take development-related courses in the School of Social and Political Science - OR - in other parts of the University, if there is substantial social science and development content.
Contemporary Issues in International Development
AFRI10004 20 credits
A World of Borders
AFRI10006 20 credits
African Studies: Topics & Themes
AFRI10007 20 credits
Artificial Intelligence and Global Development
AFRI10008 20 credits
South Asia: Culture, Politics and the Economy
SAST10001 20 credits
Kinship: Structure and Process
SCAN10021 20 credits
Anthropological Theory
SCAN10022 20 credits
Ritual and Religion
SCAN10023 20 credits
Culture and Power
SCAN10030 20 credits
Consumption, Exchange, Technology
SCAN10031 20 credits
Social Development
SCAN10044 20 credits
Anthropology of Health and Healing
SCAN10062 20 credits
Anthropology and Environment
SCAN10066 20 credits
Anthropology of Sex and Reproduction
SCAN10068 20 credits
The Anthropology of Language
SCAN10076 20 credits
Anthropology of Displacement and Migration
SCAN10077 20 credits
Anthropology of East Asia
SCAN10087 20 credits
Anthropologists Read the News
SCAN10091 20 credits
Digital Global Development
SCAN10092 20 credits
Anthropology of Race and Racism
SCAN10097 20 credits
Anthropology of the Far-Right
SCAN10100 20 credits
Health, Environment and Society
SCAN10101 20 credits
Anthropological encounters with clothing, textiles, and fashion
SCAN10103 20 credits
Energy Policy and Sustainability
STIS10008 20 credits
Sociology of Medicine
STIS10013 20 credits
Introduction to Internet, AI and Society
STIS10020 20 credits
AND

Level 10 courses in Schedules A to J and W

Select between 0 and 40 credits from Level 10 courses in Schedules A to J and W
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