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Environmental Anthropology MSc

London, Bloomsbury

Environmental anthropology studies human relations with the environment, including how we shape the environments we live in, and how relations with the environment shape our cultures and societies. This flexible MSc will give you a practical and theoretical grounding in applying anthropological and wider social science approaches to real-world conservation, sustainability and development challenges, preparing you for a career in the environmental sector and beyond, or doctoral research.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£16,000
£8,000
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£33,000
£16,500
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Environmental Anthropology MSc will teach you the research and analytical skills essential to addressing global challenges of environmental change, sustainable development, biodiversity conservation and social justice.

You will join a world-leading research community and benefit from research-embedded teaching in human ecology, social anthropology, political ecology, conservation science and socio-ecological systems, and graduate equipped with the latest knowledge and insights in environmental anthropology.

You will specialise in the elements of environmental anthropology that interest you most, choosing from a range of optional modules to enhance your learning experience, including an optional 5-day field trip to the Amazon Forest to explore conservation and development projects operating in the region.

Designed to enhance your skill set and professional profile, you will develop highly sought after skills, including data analysis and interpretation, and the communication of complex ideas. These will also prepare you for PhD level study should you wish to pursue it.

You will study at the top university in London, and 4th in the world, for Anthropology (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024) and The Times and Sunday Times University of the Year 2024.

You will study in a warm and welcoming department that is also one of the largest and most comprehensive anthropology departments in the UK, and which continually works to expand and reshape the discipline.

Who this course is for

The Environmental Anthropology MSc is best suited to students looking to gain a qualification and training in integrating natural and social science approaches to environment and sustainable development challenges as a foundation for professional practice or doctoral research, or for graduates from other fields or careers looking to supplement their existing knowledge and experience.

The degree is well-suited to working professionals who wish to study part-time over two years.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

You will receive advanced academic training in the fundamentals of scientific inquiry, including independent research design and implementation; ethics; quantitative and qualitative data synthesis, collection and analysis (such as ethnography, interview and survey techniques); critical evaluation; interpreting and presenting complex data; academic writing; and fundraising, including grant writing.

You will also graduate with demonstrable practical competencies, including the ability to critically reflect on environmental, economic, political and social challenges relative to the different values, beliefs and practices of different cultures; complex problem solving and creative initiative; effective written and oral communication and independent and team working; and time and project management.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Graduates of this degree will be equipped to pursue a range of careers, including:

  • Policy, advocacy and project management in governmental, non-governmental (NGOs) and intergovernmental (IGOs) organisations, including international development and conservation.
  • Research in universities, research institutes and funding bodies.
  • Academic publishing.
  • Consultancy.
  • Marketing and communications.
  • Media and journalism, including TV, radio and publishing.

A number of our graduates choose to progress directly to PhD-level study, with this degree qualifying students to apply for funded PhD studentships (Graduate Outcomes survey 2017-2022).

Employability

There is a need for rigorously trained anthropologists with advanced research skills that can be translated into non-academic contexts in diverse professional fields.

You will graduate an expert in applying anthropological and wider social science approaches to real-world challenges, fully equipped to pursue a successful career in fields related to the environment, conservation or sustainability, or any profession requiring strong project management, problem-solving and communication skills.

Networking

As a student in the Department you have access to many opportunities to help further your career:

  • You will become part of the department's Human Ecology Research Group (HERG), learning from and networking with world-leading internal and external researchers through a weekly research seminar series.
  • You will be encouraged to attend complementary departmental seminars given by active researchers and expert creative practitioners in evolutionary, medical, public and social anthropology and material, visual and digital culture throughout your studies.
  • You will be encouraged to take advantage of the broader anthropology and environment communities at UCL, our neighbouring institutions and across London more widely, including attending and participating in seminars, conferences, exhibitions and research partnership opportunities to help you establish sector connections and extend your professional networks.
  • You will be encouraged to engage with the department’s active careers support activities and initiatives, which include regular career development seminars and networking events.

All students are encouraged to host and/or participate in a Reading and Research Group (RRG), which are open spaces to exchange ideas on themes of mutual interest and that welcome staff and student participation from across UCL and our neighbouring institutions. 

The department's central London location presents a range of opportunities to work, volunteer and carry out fieldwork in major government, business and third sector organisations.

The department also houses London's global non-fiction film festival, Open City Documentary Festival, which all students are invited to volunteer to support to network with non-fiction film industry leading professionals.

Teaching and learning

You will learn through lectures, interactive seminars involving critical discussion, collaborative exercises including group presentations and independent, directed and self-directed reading.

While researching and writing your dissertation, you will benefit from one-to-one academic supervision.

You will be assessed through a series of formative (exercises for which you will receive feedback but do not count toward the degree) and summative exercises (exercises for which you will receive feedback and do count toward the degree), including essays, presentations, a take-home exercise focussed on a research scenario and your dissertation.

In terms one and two full-time students can typically expect around 12 contact hours per teaching week through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. Students are also expected to attend the 2h Human Ecology Research Group seminar series each week. Overall, full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.

In term three and the summer period students will be completing their own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisor.

Modules

The degree is available either full-time over one calendar year or part-time over two calendar years. It comprises of:

  • two compulsory modules
  • three optional modules, with students taking at least one Environmental Anthropology MSc optional module
  • dissertation
  • attendance at research seminars
  • a personal and professional skills development programme run through the Graduate School

Students take both their compulsory modules and at least one optional module in the first year. In the second year, they take their remaining optional module(s) and complete the dissertation.

Compulsory modules





Optional modules












Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded a in Environmental Anthropology.

Fieldwork

You will spend the summer term researching and writing your dissertation, for which you must carry out out original research, with many students choosing to undertake self-funded fieldwork-based projects in the UK or abroad.

The scope and nature of fieldwork is formulated in discussion with your appointed supervisor, and subject to departmental approval. It is usual for students to find their own fieldwork site, facilitated by staff and usually in collaboration with a relevant external organisation.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £16,000 £8,000
Tuition fees (2025/26) £33,000 £16,500

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

Many students take the opportunity to carry out fieldwork-based dissertation projects in the UK or abroad. This can entail additional costs, including travel, accommodation and living costs, which students must cover themselves.

As this degree is based at the Bloomsbury campus, students choosing to take an optional module only available at the UCL East campus in Stratford will need to fund their own travel between campuses. Tickets from zone 1 to zone 2 costs £8.50 for students or a travel card zone 1-4 for £15.90.
 

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

When we assess your application, we would like to learn:

• why you want to study Environmental Anthropology at graduate level
• why you want to study Environmental Anthropology at UCL
• how your personal, academic and professional skills and experience inform your interest in, and will enable you to succeed on, this MSc degree
• where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Anthropology
Anthropology

anthro-masters@ucl.ac.uk

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