Anthropology and International Development

Anthropology and international development is a degree that addresses the world as it actually is: unequal, diverse, interconnected, and changing at a pace that creates both opportunities and profound challenges for human communities. Anthropology brings a deep and comparative understanding of human cultures, social structures, and ways of life, developed through ethnographic research and rigorous engagement with diversity. International development asks why poverty, inequality, and vulnerability persist in a world of extraordinary wealth, and how societies and international institutions can work towards more just and sustainable outcomes.

At the University of Sussex, this three-year, full-time programme includes a foundation year and combines both disciplines to give you an in-depth understanding of global cultures and processes of social change. You will develop anthropological skills in ethnographic thinking, cultural analysis, and comparative understanding alongside the policy frameworks, economic arguments, and organisational knowledge of international development. A sandwich year, year abroad option, and work placements are all available, giving you professional experience in development organisations, international NGOs, or research contexts, and the chance to deepen your understanding of development challenges in different parts of the world.

Graduates go on to careers in international development organisations, NGOs, the United Nations and related agencies, humanitarian response organisations, policy research, social enterprise, and the civil service. The combination of cultural sensitivity and development knowledge that anthropology and international development together provide is particularly valued in roles that require engagement with communities in complex political and cultural contexts. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in development studies, social anthropology, international relations, or public policy.