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Visual Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London - UCAS

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2025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

The MRes Visual Anthropology offers advanced-level training to students who normally already have an undergraduate degree or an MA. Alternative practical experiences will be considered and assessed on a case-to-case basis. The programme offers training to students who intend to undertake a doctorate in Anthropology and/or it presents a research degree in and of itself.

  • The MRes Visual Anthropology is the only programme of its kind in the UK and has a worldwide reputation
  • It is a taught degree that provides training through classes and close supervision which will enable you to develop your own research proposal and complete training modules that will support your intended project
  • The MRes provides you with in depth and a wide range of training in social science research methods, and in-depth training in anthropological methods and issues around anthropological research, including ethics and practicalities of undertaking fieldwork and has a visual theory component that enable students to critically engage with visual-based research methods
  • The MRes Visual Anthropology is a stand-alone degree, and some students choose it as a basis to develop professional research skills. However, most of our MRes students use this is a training year for the MPhil/PhD in Visual Anthropology programme in order to sharpen their proposal and to acquire necessary critical skills, as well as acquainting themselves with relevant bodies of scholarship as part of writing the dissertation
  • The taught elements of the program include modules on research design; ethnographic methods, and visual theory/methods and opportunities to audit a wide range of courses in the department, including modules on Visual Anthropology and practice, as well as modules engaging with visual cultures the university provides and available across the University of London
How to choose between MRes and MPhil/PhD Normally all research students are encouraged to register for the MRes in order to complete the requisite training for carrying out a doctoral research project in Anthropology regardless of whether they hold a degree in anthropology. Students who complete the MRes successfully will transfer to MPhil status after completing the dissertation (usually in September) and register for the MPhil/PhD degree afterwards. However, if you hold an MA in Anthropology with a substantial methods training component or substantial training in visual methodologies it is possible to register directly for the full-time MPhil/PhD in Visual Anthropology, provided the Department and your future supervisor(s) agree after interviewing you. MPhil-registered students are expected to audit the courses available to the MRes students and present assessed material similar to the MRes dissertation and portfolio during their first year to be upgraded to PhD status. Only after they have been upgraded successfully they can start fieldwork or other forms of data-collection. Students cannot be registered as PhD students without having gone through this process.

Modules

In the week before the beginning of the academic year in mid-September there is an Induction Programme for all new research postgraduates at Goldsmiths. You will be introduced to Goldsmiths-wide and departmental facilities and procedures, and attend workshops on what is involved in doing a research degree. The MRes is a training year, in which work on your own research project is coupled with general training in anthropological and social science methods - as follows: Doing Ethnography (10 weeks x 2 hours) Research Design (10 weeks x 2.5 hours) Visual Practice in Anthropology (10 weeks x 2 hours) Department of Anthropology Research Seminar You are encouraged to audit other modules depending on your specific training needs, such as learning a language, or auditing an MA module, either in the department or elsewhere, of particular relevance to your research project. You are also encouraged to attend seminars in other parts of the University of London, attend conferences. There are funds available across the university to enable you to attend such events.

Assessment method

The taught modules are assessed individually via written and portfolio work. The final assessment for the MRes in Visual Anthropology consists of a 10.000 word dissertation and a portfolio of multimodal work, which prepares the ground for rewriting a viable fieldwork proposal at MPhil level.

Entry requirements

Most direct entrants to the MRes already have a first degree or an MA in Social Anthropology. If you don't have this the MRes acts as a conversion course that allows you to apply for the MPhil/PhD in Visual Anthropology. The MRes is a qualification in itself and if you achieve the required standard, you can apply to register for the MRes or MPhil/PhD. We accept a wide range of international qualifications. If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Visual Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London - UCAS