Anthropology (Public Issues) - Master of Arts (MA) at University of Waterloo

Programme overview

Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology (PAS) Building on Waterloo's South Campus, across from Laurel Creek. Learn how to use anthropological theories and findings to understand and address important issues in public discourse with the Master of Arts in Anthropology (Public Issues) program. From prehistoric humanity all the way to contemporary cultural diversity, anthropologists engage with a wide range of issues and phenomena that affect individual and public life.

Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Department: Anthropology | Duration: 16 months | Study mode: full-time | Intake: Fall (September - December); application deadlines: February 1 (for admission in September) | Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

What you will study

Study option(s): Thesis.

Career pathways

You’ll conduct research, take courses, and collaborate with top scholars while gaining valuable analytical and communication skills. Upon graduation, you’ll be a well-rounded expert who is prepared for a variety of careers in academia, archaeology, advocacy, communications, community outreach, education, government, marketing, and research.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

An honours bachelor's degree with at least a 75% overall standing with 78% in the major. The expectation is that the undergraduate degree will be in anthropology, but students with at least 5 courses in anthropology may be admitted as long as these were part of a major in another social science or humanities program. The program will also accept students with a background in the natural sciences, as long as the 5 anthropology courses they have taken include content in both ethnography and anthropological theory. Students must demonstrate to the Advisory Committee competence in theory and methods adequate for study at the graduate level, e.g., through completing undergraduate courses which include these topics.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the courses you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Terms run fall (September to December), winter (January to April) and spring (May to August). Programmes are currently accepting applications for fall 2027; intake terms vary by programme.

Graduate applications are made online through the Graduate Studies Application and the non-refundable application fee is $150 CAD per program, paid in the applicant portal. Deadlines are set by each programme (for example MDSAI part-time: fall January 15, winter July 1). Apply two to four weeks ahead of the programme deadline.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.apply.uwaterloo.ca/apply/

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