Our departments and programmes

The Department of Anthropology

People generally think that social anthropology is an extremely niche subject, but the converse is true. We explore various broad topics such as gender and sexuality, human nature, race and culture, and witchcraft. The Anthropology Department is a tight-knit community of dedicated teachers, enthusiastic seniors and fun-loving peers who bring the subject to life.

Berenice Low, BA Social Anthropology

Welcome to the Department of Anthropology. Here you can meet our students and staff virtually and find out more about the Department and our programmes. Take your time to browse through the information and follow the links to our Department webpages to really get to know us.

An introduction to Anthropology at LSE An introduction to Anthropology at LSE
Watch this video for an introduction to studying anthropology as an undergraduate at LSE

Visit the Department webpages

Virtual Undergraduate Open Day video

Virtual Undergraduate Open Day 2023 Anthropology Virtual Undergraduate Open Day 2023 Anthropology
An introduction to studying anthropology at LSE

Top three reasons why you should study anthropology at LSE

  1. Learn from the best – the most recent REF rated us the best anthropology department in the UK for the quality of our research outputs.
  2. Our courses offer a truly comprehensive overview of how social life is shaped by religious, political, legal, economic, kinship and gender systems.
  3. Take optional courses with world-renowned experts in the anthropology of childhood, activism, health and welfare, migration, development and revolution.

For even more reasons why you should pick anthropology at LSE, read on here.

What is it like to study anthropology at LSE?

Anthropology is the comparative study of culture, society and human experience. The discipline examines the influence of the social and cultural worlds we live in on individual beliefs, values and practices. Students will examine the variable and universal aspects of human culture and society through the exploration of political, economic, family, and religious systems.

Hear from our students 

Our programmes: BA/BSc Social Anthropology

Compulsory anthropology courses address political and legal systems, economic life, kinship and gender, religion and globalisation. All students will undertake an ethnographic study during the second year and complete an extended essay in the third year. Students can also select their own courses from within and outside of the Department. Students can also spend their second year summer break undertaking independent fieldwork through the Department's Summer Fieldwork Projects scheme.

Students can select whether they wish to graduate with a BA or BSc title - the programme content is the same.

Language specialism

Students who have taken and passed at least one language course in each year of their degree can opt to receive a language specialism attached to their degree certificate and transcript. The three courses must be consecutively harder in level, for example: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Students must take all courses in the same language (French, Spanish, German, Mandarin or Russian) in order to qualify for the specialism. Students who choose to take language courses are not obligated to receive a specialism, but have the option if they wish. Degree certificates which include a language specialism will state the language in the title, for example: BA in Social Anthropology (with French).

Politics specialism

Students who have taken and passed at least one course from the Department of Government in each year of their degree (ie, 25 per cent of their overall programme of study) will be offered the opportunity to receive a Politics specialism attached to their degree certificate and transcript. In order to qualify for the specialism, students must take an introductory course in their first year and more advanced courses in the second and third years. Students who choose to take Government courses are not obligated to receive a specialism, but have the option if they wish. Degree certificates which include a Politics specialism will state this in the title, i.e. BSc in Social Anthropology (with Politics).

International History specialism

Students who have taken and passed at least one course from the Department of International History in each year of their degree (ie, 25 per cent of their overall programme of study) will be offered the opportunity to receive an International History specialism attached to their degree certificate and transcript. In order to qualify for the specialism, students must take an introductory course in their first year and more advanced courses in the second and third years. Students who choose to take International History courses are not obligated to receive a specialism, but have the option if they wish. Degree certificates which include an International History specialism will state this in the title, i.e. BSc in Social Anthropology (with International History).

For detailed information regarding entry requirements, programme content, preliminary reading and accreditation please visit our BA Social Anthropology and BSc Social Anthropology programme pages.

Our programmes: BA Anthropology and Law

This is a qualifying law degree that enables students to combine their interest in the legal system with the study of what it means to be human. Students study law courses that enable them to take the LPC (Legal Practice Course) after graduation alongside compulsory and optional anthropology courses, including political and legal anthropology, development as well as a range of geographically or ethnographically specific courses. Students can also spend their second year summer conducting independent fieldwork with the support of the Department's Summer Fieldwork Projects scheme.

For detailed information regarding entry requirements, programme content, preliminary reading and accreditation please visit our BA Anthropology and Law programme page.

Study abroad opportunities

In addition to the School wide exchanges, students taking the BA/BSc Social Anthropology or BA Anthropology and Law programme can apply to participate in year long exchanges with the following institutions:

  • University of Melbourne, Australia
  • Fudan University, China
  • University of Tokyo, Japan
  • University of Cape Town, South Africa

The study abroad year takes place after the second year of study. Students will return to LSE after their study abroad year to complete their degree, making the total study duration four years. You can find more information about study abroad opportunities on our study abroad page and hear about the experiences of previous anthropology exchange participants here.

Our research and events

As a Department we are always busy. Explore our research, as well as the events and seminars we put on below.

You can play The Long Day of Young Peng here. Take a look at our interactive digital ethnography research overview and presentation summarising this.

Explore our research

Take a look at our events

Stay in touch

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