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Graduate (Research)
Application code:L6ZB
Department of Anthropology

MRes/PhD Anthropology

Make an original contribution to the field of anthropology with the support of our world-leading faculty members, each with their own specialist expertise.

Overview

Introduction

How would you like to train at one of the most famous anthropology departments in the world?

An MRes/PhD in Anthropology at LSE offers you the chance to undertake a substantial piece of innovative research that drives forward debates within the discipline.

You’ll do so with bespoke support from our faculty members. Our faculty’s research interests cover all the major theoretical spheres of modern social anthropology, and our expertise covers all regions of the world. We have experience of conducting fieldwork with a wide range of research participants, including rural and urban communities, activists, bureaucrats, corporations, therapists, NGOs, and members of religious and social movements. So whatever you want to research, you’ll have access to world-leading knowledge and resources to help you do it.

The programme is built around long-term participant observation fieldwork in your chosen research setting. You'll begin on the MRes, where you're trained in research methods and develop a detailed research proposal. You'll need to meet certain requirements to progress to the PhD. Upon completing that, you'll normally undertake fieldwork for around 18 months. After fieldwork, you begin work on your dissertation.

The MRes/PhD programme is central to the life of the department, and we look forward to having you join us.

Entry requirements

We require applicants to have a significant prior training in social anthropology at degree level. Normally, this will be evidenced by a merit or higher result on a taught MSc/MA in social anthropology from a UK university, or the equivalent of this from an overseas university; or by a 2:1 or higher result on an undergraduate BA/BSc in social anthropology from a UK university, or the equivalent of this from an overseas university. In brief, you need to have taken a significant number of anthropology courses at university level and to have achieved a good result in your degree overall.

Applicants who don't hold these qualifications should first complete a one-year MSc/MA programme in social anthropology, such as those convened by our department, before applying for the MRes/PhD track.

Note that for students who are already currently registered on one of the department’s MSc programmes, specific additional conditions of admission to the MRes/PhD programme may apply.

Please select your country from the dropdown list below to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

Overseas

English language requirements

The English language requirement for this programme is Higher. Read more about our English language requirements.

Competition for places at LSE is strong. So, even if you meet the minimum entry requirements, this does not guarantee you an offer of a place.

However, please don’t feel deterred from applying – we want to hear from all suitably qualified students. Think carefully about how you can put together the strongest possible application to help you stand out from other students.

Programme content

Year 1

MRes

The first year focuses on fieldwork preparation and training in research methodologies. You'll take courses and seminars based in the Department of Anthropology. Depending on your qualifications and background, you'll also be asked to take additional coursework in social anthropology by attending lecture courses in, for example, economics, kinship or religion.

You'll also audit (attend but not participate in assessment) one or two of the department’s main lecture courses, to the value of one unit.

Throughout the pre-fieldwork year, your main task is to prepare – in close consultation with your two supervisors – a formal research proposal (with a 10,000-word limit). This is formally assessed by the department. You'll normally be upgraded from MRes to PhD registration if your proposal is approved, and if you have achieved the required marks in your coursework. You're then allowed to proceed to fieldwork.

Why study with us

Discover more about our students and department.

Meet the department

The Department of Anthropology is world-leading and internationally renowned – rated the top anthropology department in the UK (Good University Guide 2024).

Our work is rooted in ethnographic research: we explore how different societies and communities work. We ask big questions about what people have in common and what makes us different – challenging traditional assumptions and ideas.

Anthropology has been taught at LSE since 1904. The department rose to prominence under Malinowski – the founder of British social anthropology. Many of the leading figures in the field have taught and/or studied at LSE. Today, we strive to work in the best radical traditions of the discipline while constantly pushing our thinking in new directions.

The department offers a mix of undergraduate and postgraduate study opportunities, including a single honours degree in Social Anthropology and a joint undergraduate Anthropology and Law programme.

We have a dynamic and active research community. Long-term anthropological fieldwork is a key strength of our department. Most staff are involved in ongoing field research, in both well-established and emerging fields. Our academics also work at the intersections with other disciplines, including history, cognitive psychology and religious studies.

The department has strong international links. Leading scholars from around the world come to LSE as visiting academics. Postdoctoral fellows and PhD students also make important contributions to the department’s research.

We’re proud to welcome students from all over the world and diverse academic backgrounds to our vibrant, welcoming and inclusive department.

Learn more about our programmes and research.

Your application

Overview

We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of our staff at LSE. For this reason, we recommend that you take a look at our staff research interests before applying.

We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your form, such as your:

  • academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications)
  • statement of academic purpose
  • references
  • CV
  • outline research proposal
  • sample of written work.

See further information on supporting documents.

You may need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. See our English language requirements.

Please note that LSE allows part-time PhD study only under limited circumstances. If you wish to study part-time, you should mention this (and the reasons for it) in your statement of academic purpose, and discuss it at interview if you're shortlisted.

Fees and funding

The table of fees shows the latest tuition fees for all programmes.

You're charged a fee for your programme. Your tuition fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It doesn't cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Home

£4,905

Home student fee (2025/26)

The fee is likely to rise over the full duration of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with fee levels recommended by the Research Councils.

Learn more about fee status classification.

Learning and assessment

How you learn

Graduate destinations

Overview

Hannah Cottrell (PhD 2024 – Lecturer, UCL Institute for Global Health)
Agathe Faure (PhD 2024 – LSE Fellow in Anthropology, LSE)
Anishka Lohiya (PhD 2023 – ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow, LSE)
Charlotte Ramble (PhD 2023 – Postdoctoral Research and Teaching Associate, University of Cambridge)
Ignacio Sandoval Marmolejo (PhD 2023 – Teacher, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile)
Meghan Rose Donnelly (PhD 2022 – Lecturer in Social Anthropology, University of Manchester)
Clayton Goodgame (PhD 2021 – Mary Seeger O’Boyle Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies, Princeton University)
Sara Lenehan (PhD 2021 – Head of Gender, Afghanistan, UN World Food Programme)
Imani Strong (PhD 2021 – Chief Operating Officer, Griffin & Strong, P.C.)
Simon Tawfic (PhD 2021 – Research Fellow, School of Law, University of Warwick)
Lucy Trotter (PhD 2021 – Lecturer in Education, Aberystwyth University)
Sandhya Fuchs (PhD 2020 – Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Criminology, University of Bristol)
Itay Noy (PhD 2020 – Research Fellow in the Anthropology of Energy, Data and Social Change, Department of Anthropology, UCL)
Giulio Ongaro (PhD 2020 – Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)
Doris Okenwa (PhD 2020 – Evans-Pritchard Fellow in African Anthropology, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford)
Gabriela Piña Ahumada (PhD 2020 – Associate Researcher, Centro de Estudios Intercultorales e Indígenas, Chile)
Michael Edwards (PhD 2019 – Lecturer in Anthropology, University of Sydney)
Jiazhi Fengjiang (PhD 2019 – Lecturer in Social Anthropology, University of Edinburgh)
Megan Laws (PhD 2019 – Senior Social Researcher, UK Government Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Xandra Miguel-Lorenzo (PhD 2019 – Associate Trainer, Talk for Health; NIHR UCL Mental Health for All Fellow and Springboard Awardee, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North Thames)

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