Anthropology and Development Studies

Study mode:On campus Study type:Full-time Languages: English
Local:$ 2.33 k / Year(s) Foreign:$ 12.5 k / Year(s) Deadline: May 1, 2025
StudyQA ranking:5190 Duration:12 months

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This unique Master's programme, which is at the cutting edge of social and cultural anthropology as well as development studies, also includes knowledge derived from sociology, politicology, economics and geography. Using a multidisciplinary perspective you will be encouraged to go deeper into the most relevant current local and global issues, including poverty, health, environment, inequality, mobility, multiculturalism and transnational networks. It is a study designed for those who want to break with traditional paradigms.

Ambitious

The programme attracts ambitious, enterprising students. You are not afraid of a vigorous training in methodology; you are involved with social issues and themes and you want to play a role in the international debate around global policy issues. You will learn how to reformulate these issues into research questions and discover the best methods to use when exploring them.

Contact with the world

The programme is run by two Nijmegen chair groups: Cultural and Social Anthropology (including the renowned Centre for Pacific and Asian Studies), and Development Studies (through the Centre for International Development Issues Nijmegen (CIDIN), which is recognised internationally for its expertise on issues related to development cooperation.

Both chairs have a wide network of international contacts that extend from China to Chile and from South Africa to the Balkans. This means that as a student you will have plenty of opportunities for arranging an internship.

CIDIN together with the citys cultural centre Lux organises a series of debates under the title Global involving academics with international reputations in the field of development. The Nijmegen programme is also part of the European Association of Development Institutes. In short, this programme will open doors for you around the world.

Key courses: Shifting Solidarities; Theorising Solidarities; Advanced Research Methods; Research Design; Field Research; Reflecting and Reporting.

The Master's programme will allow you to specialise in one field. The Master's in Anthropology and Development Studies offers you a choice of two majors: Anthropology or Development Studies. The Anthropology and Development Studies Master's programme is completed with a research project abroad and a Master's thesis.

Anthropology

The Anthropology major revolves around the theme of Culture and Mobility. Mobility is here not only related to physical movement of people and goods (as in migration, trade, or the case of refugees), but also encompasses movement in cultural phenomena and the social relations that hinge on those phenomena. Mobility can be split up into political, economic and religious mobility, and you will choose one of these three as the vantage point for your own research.

Development Studies

The Development Studies major covers issues such as inequality, poverty, sustainability and international cooperation. Theorising and topical debates help you gain insight into global and local developments, the changing aid set-up and sustainable development. Your research project will involve you delving into themes such as coherence in aid, new aid providers such as private initiatives and the volunteers business, sustainable/fair trade and corporate social responsibility, migration and development.

Doing research abroad Research seminars will teach you how to set up, execute and process your own research into complex issues. Most students do this research abroad, but that is not obligatory. Your thesis will present the results of your research and be the conclusion of your Master's in Anthropology and Development Studies.

A completed Bachelor's degree

In order to get direct admission to this Master's you will need a completed Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, Development Studies, Non-Western Sociology or related area that is the equivalent to a Dutch university diploma (this does not include a Bachelor’s from a University of Applied Science, in Dutch hbo; in German Fachhochschule).

Basic training in Social Science research processes

Our programme is based on research; we are an academic university and involved in many international research projects. Therefore, we require a basic training in Social Science research processes: research design, fieldwork and data-analysis.

Proficiency in English

In order to take part in this programme, you need to have fluency in both written and spoken English. Non-native speakers of English* without a Dutch Bachelor's degree or VWO diploma need one of the following:

  • A TOEFL score of ≥575 (paper based) or ≥90 (internet based)
  • A IELTS score of ≥6.5
  • Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with a mark of C or higher

* Applicants are considered to be a native speaker of English if they are from Australia, Canada (with exception of Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, USA or South Africa.

There are various scholarships available for studying at Radboud University. Some of the opportunities are described below. A full list, including detailed information, can be found on our scholarships and grants page at our website. 

Orange Tulip Scholarship

Open to students from Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia, South-Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,083 in 2019/2020). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Radboud Scholarship Programme

Open to a select number of excellent international students. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,083 in 2019/2020). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Fulbright-Radboud Scholarships

Open to excellent American students. The grant will be paid in 12 monthly instalments of 1,050 euros. International travel and the cost of the residence permit will be covered, and an extra allowance of €1150 will be paid on arrival.

Sino-Dutch Bilateral Exchange Scholarship

Open to excellent students from China. Consists of a contribution of € 16,113 towards the total costs of one year of study or research in the Netherlands.

DIKTI-Neso Scholarships

Aimed at lecturers at higher education institutions in Indonesia who wish to pursue a PhD or Master's at a university in the Netherlands. A DIKTI scholarship includes allowances for living expenses, insurance, travel costs, tuition fees and more.

Dutch Student Finance

EU/EEA students and Swiss students under 30 years of age are eligible if they are working at least 56 hours per month in the Netherlands, or have been living in the Netherlands for five years or more. Dutch student finance consists of four components: a basic grant, a supplementary grant (depending on the parental income), a student travel product, and a loan.

Holland Scholarship Programme

Open to excellent students from Canada, America, India and Turkey. Scholarship consists of 5,000 euros payed at the start of study.

Indonesian Education Scholarship (LPDP)

Open to excellent Indonesian students under the age of 35. Involves a full scholarship.

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