MA Visual Anthropology: The University of Manchester

Course description

This course is delivered by the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology. It provides training in practical audiovisual skills combined with the study of visual and sensory anthropology.

When applying, prospective candidates MUST choose between the 2 pathways; The Ethnographic Documentary with Film Pathway (EDF) & the Ethnographic Documentary with Sensory Media Pathway (EDSEM). In Semester 1, the programme is the same for students on both pathways. It includes intensive hands-on training in ethnographic documentary-making, & courses on the history of ethnographic film & theoretical issues of visual perception/representation. In Semester 2, the pathways diverge. Students on the EDF pathway undertake further film training & discussion, whilst those on the EDSEM pathway undergo practical & intellectually-oriented training in other visual & aural media, including photography, sound recording, moving images, art, etc.

Recruitment is highly international: roughly one third of students are from the UK, a thrid from the European Union & the remainder from countries outside Europe. The programme is taught by anthropologists who are also film-makers and/or other media practitioners, complemented by highly qualified audiovisual staff. There are workshops conducted by visiting professionals, including film-makers, photographers & sound recordists. Except for the final dissertations, students work in teams and develop team-working & presentational skills as well as technical and artistic expertise. Each team presents its work to the class and receives feedback both from instructors and fellow students. Students can thereby learn from each other's successes as well as failures, generating a strong sense of camaraderie.

The course is supported by a well-equipped University Media Centre as well as the Granada Centre's own AV resources, including a Film Library of over 2000 titles.  The 'bench fees' component of the course fee covers all equipment needed on the course, including professional digital cameras, sound recorders, edit suites and technical assistance.

Career opportunities

Although the course offers training in ethnographic documentary film-making, a genre that has a direct relevance to a university career in social or cultural anthropology, graduates of the course have also applied these skills in a broad variety of other film-making contexts. These include secondary and further educational institutions, museums, development agencies, advertising, television and the feature film industry.

In addition to technical skills in camerawork, sound recording and editing, this course also trains students in a broad range of transferable skills that are applicable to a variety of careers. These include the development of team-working and presentational skills, as well as the interpersonal skills required to carry out ethnographic fieldwork and an awareness of the legal and ethical issues raised by this research activity.

The generic skill of presenting an argument in conjunction with developing an engaging narrative that underlies all good ethnographic documentary film-making can also be applied in a broad range of media and not only the audiovisual media. Graduates of this course have applied these narrative skills in contexts as diverse as journalism and the writing of novels.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview:

UK 2:1 (or overseas equivalent) in social or cultural anthropology.  Those with related backgrounds are also encouraged to apply.

Applicants should indicate via the "further information" field on the on-line form which of the 2 pathways they wish to be considered for: Film and Sensory Media or Ethnographic Documentary.

English language: Applicants whose first language is not English must attain one of the following:

• IELTS - Overall 7, writing score  7
• TOEFL - Overall 623, TWE 5 (PBT)
• TOEFL - Overall 263, TWE 5 (CBT).  This test is no longer available but results less than 2 years old can be submitted.
• TOEFL  - Overall 100, with 25 in each of the 4 sections (IBT)