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Immerse yourself in familiar and unknown worlds

Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology

Discover what is happening beneath the surface

Why is the gulf between poor and rich getter ever bigger? What if you were born in Mali? And why are there people in Europe who label refugees as freeloaders? 

In a world in which the differences between people are getting bigger, you, as an anthropologist, are looking for ways of understanding one another better. You will get to work straight away on issues from your own surroundings, city, country or region. Your own senses are your research tools: you observe, listen, interview and sometimes follow people for even months at a time. As a student of Cultural Anthropology, your goal will be to discover what is going on under the surface. 

In the course of the Bachelor’s programme in Cultural Anthropology you will interact with people from different backgrounds. VU Amsterdam itself is also diverse and international, and you will see that in the lecture rooms. Internationalisation at home. Your fellow students come from all corners of the globe and are of many different origins. You learn from and with one another. You will also work with students from other disciplines to look for solutions to social challenges such as globalisation, diversity and digitalisation. 

You are free to follow your own path and to choose what interests you. VU Amsterdam cooperates closely with organisations and companies so that you can apply your knowledge and skills straight away in the real world. You will work on new ways of solving current social issues, both worldwide and local. You will study how people live, what choices they make and why. You can use your knowledge straight away to make a difference. 

Would you prefer to follow Cultural Anthropology in Dutch? Take a look at Culturele Antropologie en Ontwikkelingssociologie.

The start date of Cultural Anthropology is September 1st.

Facts and figures 
More facts and figures about this programme: studiekeuze123 

First year Cultural Anthropology

In the first year of the Anthropology programme you discover important topics in anthropology, such as culture, ethnicity, nationalism, power, religion and inequality. You will work on techniques that you will use throughout your studies, such as (open) interviews, observation and academic writing. 

Subjects

  • Academic Citizenship Year 1
  • Academic Skills Lab
  • Core Themes in Anthropology
  • History and Theory of Anthropology
  • Social Research Methodology
  • Ethnographic Monographs
  • Challenges of the 21st Century
  • Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
  • Ethnographic Research Methodology
  • History of Social Science
  • Research Lab Anthropology

Please consult the Study Guide from Cultural Anthropology for more information

Second year Cultural Anthropology

In the second year of the Anthropology programme you take an in-depth look at topics like economics, politics and migration. You will work on two research projects on issues relating to big cities and organisations. In the second semester, with students from other disciplines, you take the Social Sciences for Society course. In each period you choose one course that interests you, such as in the field of gender inequality, healthcare and wellness, commodity chains, sustainability or artificial intelligence. At lectures and in seminar groups you will look for solutions to social challenges.

Subjects

  • Academic Citizenship Year 2
  • Development and Globalization: Anthropological Perspectives
  • Political and Economic Anthropology
  • Identity, Diversity and Inclusion
  • Nation and Migration
  • Urban Studies
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Organizations and Anthropology
  • Global Religion

Please consult the Study Guide from Cultural Anthropology for more information

Third year Cultural Anthropology

In the first semester of the Cultural Anthropology programme you yourself decide the composition of your programme. You can go on a work placement, study abroad or take a minor. In the second semester you learn more about digital anthropology, you form part of a team in which you conduct practical research and you write a Bachelor’s thesis on the basis of your own ethnographic research. 

Subjects

  • Digital Anthropology
  • Bachelor's Project Anthropology
  • Future Anthropology

Please consult the Study Guide from Cultural Anthropology for more information

  • 1st year

    First year Cultural Anthropology

    In the first year of the Anthropology programme you discover important topics in anthropology, such as culture, ethnicity, nationalism, power, religion and inequality. You will work on techniques that you will use throughout your studies, such as (open) interviews, observation and academic writing. 

    Subjects

    • Academic Citizenship Year 1
    • Academic Skills Lab
    • Core Themes in Anthropology
    • History and Theory of Anthropology
    • Social Research Methodology
    • Ethnographic Monographs
    • Challenges of the 21st Century
    • Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
    • Ethnographic Research Methodology
    • History of Social Science
    • Research Lab Anthropology

    Please consult the Study Guide from Cultural Anthropology for more information

  • 2nd year

    Second year Cultural Anthropology

    In the second year of the Anthropology programme you take an in-depth look at topics like economics, politics and migration. You will work on two research projects on issues relating to big cities and organisations. In the second semester, with students from other disciplines, you take the Social Sciences for Society course. In each period you choose one course that interests you, such as in the field of gender inequality, healthcare and wellness, commodity chains, sustainability or artificial intelligence. At lectures and in seminar groups you will look for solutions to social challenges.

    Subjects

    • Academic Citizenship Year 2
    • Development and Globalization: Anthropological Perspectives
    • Political and Economic Anthropology
    • Identity, Diversity and Inclusion
    • Nation and Migration
    • Urban Studies
    • Philosophy of Science
    • Organizations and Anthropology
    • Global Religion

    Please consult the Study Guide from Cultural Anthropology for more information

  • 3rd year

    Third year Cultural Anthropology

    In the first semester of the Cultural Anthropology programme you yourself decide the composition of your programme. You can go on a work placement, study abroad or take a minor. In the second semester you learn more about digital anthropology, you form part of a team in which you conduct practical research and you write a Bachelor’s thesis on the basis of your own ethnographic research. 

    Subjects

    • Digital Anthropology
    • Bachelor's Project Anthropology
    • Future Anthropology

    Please consult the Study Guide from Cultural Anthropology for more information

Change your future with Cultural Anthropology

Change your future with Cultural Anthropology

After the study Anthropology, you can further specialise by following a master's programme. 

When you graduate as an anthropologist, you could work as a researcher at a civil society organisation, as a cultural specialist in the public or private sector, as a journalist, or as a policy advisor at a national or international institute.

Discover your future prospects
Myrthe van den Broek