Why Study/Key Benefits

• Social Anthropology examines the relationship between human beings and culture, including cultural variation, cultural change and different ways of being human. Massey describes the discipline as using a comparative approach and fieldwork to understand societies ranging from hunter-gatherer communities to industrial nation-states.
• The programme is suitable for students interested in society, cultural variation and cultural change, and in understanding different cultures and ethnic groups.
• Students can develop knowledge of contemporary social and cultural issues alongside anthropological theory, ethnography and qualitative research methods.
• The Diploma in Arts is flexible: students can take courses across the Bachelor of Arts schedule and can either specialise in Social Anthropology or study without an endorsement.
• If a student subsequently progresses to the Bachelor of Arts, Massey states that all courses completed in the Diploma in Arts can be transferred to the Bachelor of Arts.

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

The Social Anthropology endorsement forms part of the broader 120-credit Diploma in Arts.

The current programme page lists the following Social Anthropology courses:

• 146101 Understanding Cultural Difference – 15 credits. Introduces key contemporary topics and concepts in social anthropology.
• 146102 Endangered Cultures – 15 credits. Examines the impacts of colonisation and capitalism on Indigenous peoples and their resistance to oppressive systems.
• 146201 Making the Self – 15 credits. Examines concepts of the self, person and individual across cultures.
• 146203 Religion, Nature and Sustainability – 15 credits. Explores religions, understandings of nature and sustainability practices.
• 146209 Food and Eating – 15 credits. Examines production, consumption and exchange of food, including links with identity and inequality.
• 146210 Anthropology of Ritual, Religion, and Witchcraft – 15 credits. Covers rites of passage, witchcraft, sorcery, myth, magic, spirits, death, symbols, ancestors, altered states of consciousness and shamanism.
• 146211 Systems of Healing – 15 credits. Examines different ways societies address illness.
• 146300 Anthropological Enquiry – 15 credits. Develops understanding of anthropological theory, theoretical frameworks and ethnographic analysis.
• 146308 Taking Anthropology to the World – 15 credits. Applies anthropological knowledge and skills to real-world and topical issues and develops a professional portfolio.
• 146309 The Ethnography of Aotearoa New Zealand – 15 credits. Critically examines ethnography as a way of understanding and representing Aotearoa New Zealand.
• 230302 Practicing Fieldwork: Doing Qualitative Research – 15 credits. Provides practical experience with qualitative social-science fieldwork methods.

Disciplines/Specialisations

Primary specialisation:

• Social Anthropology

The Diploma in Arts may be completed with or without an endorsement. Massey currently recognises Social Anthropology as one of the approved Diploma in Arts endorsements.

Programme Highlights

• NZQF Level 5 undergraduate qualification.
• 120-credit qualification.
• Can normally be completed in one year full-time.
• Social Anthropology is available at Auckland, Manawat? and through distance/online study, subject to course availability.
• Focuses on culture, society, cultural change, cultural difference and fieldwork.
• Includes qualitative research and fieldwork-related learning.
• Provides flexibility to combine Social Anthropology with other Diploma in Arts courses.
• Diploma courses can transfer to the Bachelor of Arts if the student subsequently progresses to that degree.
• Massey’s Social Anthropology teaching and research has an international and comparative orientation, with anthropological study extending across different societies and regions.

Career Outcomes

Massey identifies the following popular career destinations for Social Anthropology graduates:

• Government policy units
• Foreign affairs
• Overseas aid and development agencies
• Tourism industry

Latest Updates/Special Requirements

• The current 2026 Massey qualification regulations continue to recognise Social Anthropology as an approved Diploma in Arts endorsement.
• The programme page currently lists 146101, 146102, 146201, 146203, 146209, 146210, 146211, 146300, 146308, 146309 and 230302 among the Social Anthropology courses available for enrolment, subject to prerequisites, restrictions and course availability.
• Some higher-level courses have prerequisites. For example, 146308 requires 146101 plus 15 credits at 200 level from the 146 course-prefix series.
• Some courses have restrictions because of overlapping content, meaning students cannot necessarily count every similar course toward the qualification.
• Massey advises international students to apply at least three months before their anticipated start date so that admission and visa arrangements can be processed in time.
• If a student has already completed a bachelor's degree, they may request permission to replace the normal core writing/critical-thinking courses with other courses, subject to Massey's special-permission process and evidence of the completed degree. 

International Student Visa Requirements

For an international student travelling to New Zealand for full-time study, Massey states that most students will need a Fee Paying Student Visa. Before applying for the first student visa, students generally need to:

• receive an Offer of Place from Massey;
• pay the required tuition fees;
• apply to Immigration New Zealand;
• demonstrate sufficient funds and meet the relevant immigration, health and character requirements.