MA Visual Anthropology

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

• Social Anthropology

A UK Honours degree (or overseas equivalent) at 2:1 level in anthropology, sociology, or related social science or humanities subject.

When assessing your academic record we take into account your grades, your academic references, and the standing of the institution where you studied.

We also welcome:  

Applicants with an academic or professional background in media production, such as in film-making, photography and sound-art as well as those coming from an art-making background.

Applicants with professional experience in journalism, social and development work.

Applicants whose first language is not English should meet the following language requirements:

• IELTS Academic test score of 7 overall, including 7 in writing with no further component score below 6.5
• TOEFL IBT 100 with 25 in writing and no further score below 22 in each section. TOEFL code for Manchester is 0757
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 76 overall, with 76 in writing and no further score below 70

Further information on accepted language requirements can be found here .

You are not required to submit an English language certificate at the time of application, however if you are eligible for an offer it will be subject to meeting our English language requirements.

Pre-Sessional English Courses

We will consider applicants who do not meet these scores but you will be required to complete a pre-sessional English language course at the University of Manchester prior to the start of the course.

To be considered for a pre-sessional English language course for this programme we require the following minimum IELTS (Academic) scores:

6 Week Pre-Sessional Course : IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing and no more than one sub-skill of 6.0.

10 Week Pre-sessional Course : IELTS 6.0 overall with 6.0 or above in each sub-skill

If you have not yet completed your current academic study and are interested in studying a pre-sessional course, you must hold an IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test certificate to ensure that you are eligible for a separate visa for the English language course.

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Applicants from Majority English-speaking countries

If you are a national of a   majority English-speaking country   (or have studied for a full bachelor's degree or higher from one of these countries) you may be exempt from submitting further evidence of English language proficiency.

We accept a range of qualifications from across the globe. To help international students, the university provides specific information for many individual countries. Please see our  country-specific information page   for guidance on the academic and English language qualifications which may be accepted from your country.

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2026, the tuition fees are as follows:

• MA (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £18,400
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £32,000

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

For information on available scholarships please visit: Master’s Fees and Funding

As there is a high demand for our courses we operate a staged admissions process with selection deadlines throughout the year. Due to the competition for places and high quality of applications that we receive, we give preference to students from high-ranking institutions and with grades above our minimum entry requirements.

Please ensure you submit all supporting documentation with your application to avoid a delay in processing.

Applications for 2026 entry:

Stage 1:Application received by 7th December 202 5; Application update by 20th February 2026

Stage 2:Application received by 1st March 2026 ; Application update by 1st May 2026

Stage 3:Application received by 3rd May 2026 ; Application update by 19th June 2026

Stage 4:Application received by 5th July 2026 ; Application update by 31st July 2026

Whilst we aim to give you a decision on your application by the deadline date, in some instances due to the competition for places and the volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date.

Applications received after our final selection deadline will be considered at our discretion if places are still available.

Please note:All places are subject to availability and if you apply at one of the later stages, some courses may already be reaching capacity or be closed to further applications. We, therefore, recommend that you apply early in the cycle to avoid disappointment.

Tuition fee deposits

If you are successful in receiving an offer, you will be required to pay a tuition fee deposit of £1,000 by the deadline stated in your offer letter to confirm your place. We ask for the deposit as competition for places is high and there is limited availability. The deposit amount is then deducted from your tuition fees when you register on the course.

A master’s degree is formed of 180 credits.

120 of these credits are made up by a mix of mandatory and optional course units, worth between 15 and 30 credits each. You will need to select between four and eight of these course units, with 60 credits taken each semester. The availability of individual optional course units may be subject to change. Information that is sent to you in August about registration onto the course will clearly state the course units that are available in the academic year ahead.

Your core units will give you practical training in film-making, directing, camera work and editing, as well as insights into film and anthropological theory.

Core units include:

• Elemental Media: Documentary and Sensory Practice;
• Ethnographic Documentary;
• Beyond Observational Cinema;
• Images, Text, Fieldwork;
• Anthropology of Vision, Senses and Memory;
• Screening Culture.

The remaining 60 credits are awarded through a compulsory research component in the form of a 12,000-to-15,000-word dissertation. Your dissertation must be within the area of one of the course units you have chosen.

Your dissertation research is supported by weekly research methodology lectures designed to improve your academic and legal research and writing skills.

Part-time students

Part-time students take four out of the five compulsory course units in the first year, and then take the other one in year two. The remaining 60 credits of optional course units are selected and taken accordingly over the two years.

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk