Understand the world from within

Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology

Why does the gap between rich and poor continue to grow?

How do communities deal with major change? Why do conflicts over land, water, or religion escalate? As an anthropologist, you look beyond the surface. You learn how people make sense of their world, what drives their choices, and how those relate to broader social issues.

At VU Amsterdam, you don’t just study in classrooms. You go out to do research, locally or across the world. You’ll learn to observe, listen, interview, and analyse. The programme is international and diverse: you’ll work with students from different backgrounds and learn from each other. At the same time, you’ll reflect on your own perspective: how your background, beliefs, and position shape what you see and understand.

The start date of Cultural Anthropology is September 1^st. Prefer to study in Dutch? In that case, opt for Culturele Antropologie en Ontwikkelingssociologie.

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1st year
2nd year
3rd year

Foundation

You’ll get to know key anthropological concepts, theories, and methods. You’ll learn how to conduct interviews, make observations, and write academically. Through masterclasses, you explore the three different profiles: researcher, practitioner, and creative professional.

Subjects

Academic Skills Lab
Discovering Anthropology: Histories, Theories and Practices
Social Research Methodology
Global History of Inequality
Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
Justice and Social Change
History of the Social Sciences
Ethnographic Research Methodology 1
Masterclass Anthropology 1 & 2

Please consult the Study Guide from Cultural Anthropology for more information

Deepening and choice

In your second year, you choose one of the three profiles. Want a broader perspective? Combine Anthropology with another discipline, such as Criminology or Communication Science and receive an official annotation on your diploma.

Subjects

Anthropology of Development: Decolonial Perspectives
Political and Economic Anthropology
Nation and Migration
Urban Studies
Philosophy of Science
Global Religion in the Digital Age
Masterclass Anthropology 3 & 4

Please consult the Study Guide from Cultural Anthropology for more information

Graduation

You’ll conduct your own fieldwork in the Netherlands or abroad. Through partnerships with local universities and organisations in Colombia, you can also carry out research there. You’ll write a thesis based on your fieldwork and produce a final project that fits your chosen profile: an academic article, policy report, or media production.

Subjects

Elective Space
Ethnographic Research Methodology 2
Anthropology for Society
Bachelor Project Anthropology (in the Netherlands or abroad)

Please consult the Study Guide from Cultural Anthropology for more information

1st year
Foundation

You’ll get to know key anthropological concepts, theories, and methods. You’ll learn how to conduct interviews, make observations, and write academically. Through masterclasses, you explore the three different profiles: researcher, practitioner, and creative professional.

Subjects
Academic Skills Lab

Discovering Anthropology: Histories, Theories and Practices

Social Research Methodology

Global History of Inequality

Descriptive and Inferential Statistics

Justice and Social Change

History of the Social Sciences

Ethnographic Research Methodology 1

Masterclass Anthropology 1 & 2

Please consult the Study Guide from Cultural Anthropology for more information
2nd year
Deepening and choice

In your second year, you choose one of the three profiles. Want a broader perspective? Combine Anthropology with another discipline, such as Criminology or Communication Science and receive an official annotation on your diploma.

Subjects
Anthropology of Development: Decolonial Perspectives

Political and Economic Anthropology

Nation and Migration

Urban Studies

Philosophy of Science

Global Religion in the Digital Age

Masterclass Anthropology 3 & 4

Please consult the Study Guide from Cultural Anthropology for more information
3rd year
Graduation

You’ll conduct your own fieldwork in the Netherlands or abroad. Through partnerships with local universities and organisations in Colombia, you can also carry out research there. You’ll write a thesis based on your fieldwork and produce a final project that fits your chosen profile: an academic article, policy report, or media production.

Subjects
Elective Space

Ethnographic Research Methodology 2

Anthropology for Society

Bachelor Project Anthropology (in the Netherlands or abroad)

Please consult the Study Guide from Cultural Anthropology for more information

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