Course summary

Course details Our MSc in Global and Planetary Health offers an in-depth study into the challenging and complex issues which have emerged around global health and environmental sustainability and are making a real impact on the conditions and resilience of daily life across the globe. This course will be perfect if you are a social scientist and you want to broaden your academic interests or you are from another field, such as natural science or engineering, and you want a better understanding of the social context and consequences of issues such as climate change and conflicts over natural resources. The MSc includes the choice of two forms of dissertation. The first enables you to carry out independent research into an agreed topic while the second is a vocational project which will be completed with a private, voluntary or public sector partner. Why Durham University? The Department of Anthropology is one of the largest among UK universities and one of only a handful covering Social Anthropology, Evolutionary Anthropology and Anthropology of Health. Our Department carries out game-changing research in the fields of social and evolutionary anthropology and the anthropology of health. We offer the opportunity to develop a real and robust understanding of humanity’s complex nature and the challenges faced by society through in-depth study supported by expert staff. Learning is delivered by subject specialists who are world experts in their particular field, be it energy use, sustainable development, the evolution of cognition, aesthetics, global health and sleep. We are proud to say that we produce some of the most innovative research taking place in contemporary anthropology. We are equally proud of the inclusive and supportive community that you will join in the Department, offering a stimulating and rewarding environment in which to work. Facilities In keeping with our vision to offer research-led teaching, the Department provides a wide range of state-of-the-art facilities to support postgraduate research projects and programmes. These include the Behavioural and Ecological Physiology Laboratory, the Physical Activity Laboratory and the South Africa Field Station as well as the award-winning Durham Infancy and Sleep Centre Laboratory. We are the location for one of the country’s best collections for paleoanthropological and morphometric research in biological anthropology and have a material culture collection of over 2,000 objects from around the world. Career Opportunities Our anthropology postgraduates are well-placed to build on the research-led teaching the department offers. Many continue their academic careers by carrying out further research into the complex and diverse nature of humanity. Durham courses develop a depth of practical skills and knowledge about understanding behaviour and society that are hugely applicable to the workplace environment and are highly sought after by employers in the UK and internationally. Such attributes and qualities are easily transferable to a range of stimulating and rewarding professional careers. Our postgraduates have secured roles in development, health, government, policy, social research, culture, heritage, consultancy, education and media. Recent postgraduates have moved into roles with employers that include Save the Children, HM Prison Service, Civil Service, Durham University, VSO, Office for National Statistics, National Graduate Development Programme (the local authority graduate scheme) and non-governmental organisations such as Concern Universal and Kenwa.