MA Visual Anthropology

University of Manchester

Course description

The MA in Visual Anthropology course is tailored to meet the needs of different levels of anthropological and film-making experience, whether you have little or no background in formal anthropology, film-production, visual methods and photography, or if you have substantial experience in one or more of these areas.

For nearly 30 years, the University's Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology has been widely recognised as the world's leading centre for visual anthropology. Our graduates have produced more than 400 ethnographic films seen around the world and it is now at the forefront of the emergent dialogue between art and anthropology, including sensory ethnography and sound, experimental and practice-based methods, photographic and digital media, museum and gallery installations.

Teaching and learning

The course combines conventional lectures and seminars with practical 'hands-on' instruction and workshops. Students work in teams and individually.

Your final piece of work is an individual production, however, throughout the year you will spend time working in teams in order to develop team-working and presentational skills. Work is presented to the class and receives feedback from fellow students as well as instructors.

In this way, you learn to analyse your own and others works and through each other's successes and failures, generating a strong range of intellectual, practical and aesthetic resources as well as a sense of camaraderie and cooperation.

Career opportunities

The MA in Visual Anthropology provides you with the ability to combine the theoretical application of anthropology with practical training in film-making, editing, visual methods, photography, sensory ethnography and sound.

Our graduates have gone on to work in a wide range of professions including the media, film-making and journalism, education, social services, business and personnel management.

Some have gone on to work for the UN or have directed TV series such as Tribe, Horizon and BBC and C4 Documentaries.