Specialisations

Global Ethnography (MSc)
Sociology of Policy in Practice (MSc)
Visual Ethnography (MSc)

The Master's programme in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at Leiden University is specifically geared towards ethnographic research. Throughout the duration of this one-year programme, you will undertake independent research. You can choose your own topic, collaborate with ongoing projects within the Institute, or conduct research for a societal partner. You will acquire valuable skills for in- and outside academia, like cultural awareness, analytical thinking and communication and problem-solving skills.

All specialisations are part of one MSc in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology and grant the same degree. It is therefore possible to follow, and graduate in, only one specialisation.

Prospective students have to indicate which Master specialisation they would like to enroll for. Changing between the master specialisations Global Ethnography and Sociology of Policy in Practice will still be possible until (shortly) after the commencement of the programme. Please note that the VE specialisation is only accessible for students who meet the additional requirements.

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About our specialisations

The one year master’s programme in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology offers three specialisations: Global Ethnography, Sociology of Policy in Practice and Visual Ethnography. Each of these qualify students to apply anthropological knowledge in a professional business setting. Career possibilities exist for example in the fields of policy making, research & development, media and communication and development work.

Methodology in Practice & Theorizing Ethnographic Research

All Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology master students will start with the Methodology in Practice (MiP) week. This week-long program provide you with an immersive course on research design, which includes methodological training. MIP aims to offer practical exercises that will help you identify and address the specific challenges you may encounter during you individual research project.

The introduction course Large Issues, Small Places is also designed for all master students in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology. The objective is to familiarize you with the highest standards of empirical reasoning used in the field, focusing particularly on the skill of conducting ethnographic research. In line with the Leiden program's approach, this course emphasizes the integration of anthropological and sociological perspectives, blurring the boundary between "cultural" and "developmental" viewpoints. We aim to deconstruct the concept of "development" by examining it through the lens of culture. The main focus of this course is on introducing you to the practice of ethnographic research, with a specific emphasis on the challenges associated with writing ethnography and the complexities surrounding the term "culture."

Differences between the three specialisations

The programme offers diverse options based on your chosen specialisation. By choosing Sociology of Policy in Practice you follow an internship wherein you actively engage with societal partners, addressing their concerns and contributing valuable insights. With Global Ethnography you undertake an immersive three-month ethnographic field research, tailoring it to your specific interests. This research will serve as the foundation for an academic paper. If you prefer a more creative approach, with the Visual Ethnography specialisation you will translate your research findings into captivating mediums such as a documentary, art installations, graphic novels, or any other multi-model presentation formats.

Develop your personal research project

Each of the specialisations within the Master’s programme in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology 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.

Impressions of the field

Join one of our Field Research and Training programmes
Learn how to use audio-visual methods for producing contemporary anthropological research
Design your own Global Ethnography project anywhere in the world
Learn how to address challenges faced by (local) NGO's, government bodies, and commercial companies
Set up a Visual Ethnography project and translate your research findings into a documentary

Information activities

Do you want to know more about the master's programme in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology and what it's like to study at Leiden University? Get to know us through our online and in-person events for prospective students!

Upcoming events

The On-Campus Master's Experience Days allow you to visit the campus in person to get a feel for the city, the university atmosphere, and student life. You will learn more about our three Master specialisations and get to meet your future lecturers. The upcoming Experience Day will take place in March/April 2024. Stay tuned for more information on dates and how to sign up!

Master Talks: Programme videos

On the Master Talks: programme videos platform you can find videos for each master’s programme. This includes a video which gives a short introduction to the programme and the recording of the in-depth presentation during the Master's Online Open Days.

Pre-master's programme

The pre-master's programme has been designed to help the individual student achieve the requirements for admission in the MSc in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology of Leiden University.

Pre-master programme

Admission to the pre-master’s programme is selective. You will be required to complete a pre-master's programme if our Admissions Board decides that you lack appropriate knowledge to get direct admission to our master programme. This decision is made after careful evaluation of your diplomas and academic portfolio and proof of proficiency in English. A pre-master's programme is tailor-made by our Admissions Board, for each applicant individually.

General information

Please note that you cannot apply for the pre-master’s programme independently. Students need to apply in Studielink for one of our specialisations in the master programme. You may need to enroll in the bachelor programme in order to get access to pre-master's courses, depending on the decision of the Admissions Board.

Please make sure to apply in time since the pre-master may contain courses from both semesters.
The number of credits to be obtained and the titles of courses to be followed is decided upon by the Admissions Board and is not subject to further negotiation.
A pre-master's programme is tailor-made and has a limited validity of two years after the decision by the Admissions Board.
All courses of the pre-master's programme need to be successfully passed before admission to the master specialisation is granted.
Courses for the pre-master programme cannot be followed during one of our master's specialisation.
Upon successful completion of the pre-master’s programme, you will get admission to the specialisation you applied for.

If you are admitted to our pre-master's programme, and you accept the offer, you need to follow the instructions given by the Student and Education Affairs Officer to register in Studielink as a bachelor student. The registration in Studielink needs to be completed before August 31^st (in order to have admission to courses of the Fall semester) or before January 31^st (in order to have admission to the Spring semester).

The amount of tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors.

More information can be found on the Tuition Fee website.

Visual Ethnography specific information

If you do not have adequate training in visual ethnographic methods, you may be required to do a pre-master's programme that incorporates our BSc Visual Methods course.

The BSc Visual Methods course offers hands-on training in the use of photography, sound and video for anthropological research. Through screenings and lectures, it provides a general theoretical and practical training in visual methods. It will give you an introduction to the ways in which (audio) visual media are used in the anthropological research process and producing research outputs. During this course, you will make a short film. This course of 10 EC will be given in the fall semester. This course fulfills the admission requirement for the MSc specialisation in Visual Ethnography.

For more details about the BSc curriculum and the Visual Methods course, please refer to the prospectus: BSc Visual Methods.

The Visual Methods course is open to a limited number of pre-master's students with equivalent qualifications. Basic training in social scientific research methods is required, however, experience with audio-visual methods and techniques is not.

Application for students outside Leiden University
If you would like to take part in this course, please send a short motivation letter to our Secretary Education with the following information:

What do you study, at which university, and in which year are you now?
Do you already have experience with visual methods and techniques?
What is your motivation to participate in the BSc course Visual Methods?
Do you have the intention to enroll in the master's specialisation Visual Ethnography at Leiden University?

We will let you know as soon as possible if you are selected and how to register at Leiden University and enroll in the course Visual Methods. The deadline for applications is November 15 of each year.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding our pre-master's programme, please contact stucoanthropology@fsw.leidenuniv.nl

Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)