Scottish History and Social Anthropology

Scottish history and social anthropology is a combination that brings together two disciplines with complementary and mutually enriching approaches to the human world. Scottish history examines Scotland's distinctive historical development, from the medieval kingdom and the Reformation through the Union of Parliaments, the Enlightenment, industrialisation, and the modern devolution settlement. Social anthropology takes a comparative and ethnographic approach to understanding human societies, examining how different cultures organise kinship, politics, religion, and economic life, and what Scotland's history and contemporary society look like when placed in this comparative frame.

At St Andrews, the Scottish history strand provides a grounding in the history of the country and its place in the wider world, enriching your understanding of Scotland whether you come to study and work here or approach it from outside. You will develop the historian's skills of archival research, critical reading of primary sources, and historical argumentation, alongside the anthropologist's methods of ethnographic observation and comparative analysis. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study in a different cultural and intellectual context that will deepen your anthropological and historical perspective.

The degree runs over four years full-time and leads to an MA (Hons), with a typical entry tariff of 200 points.

Graduates of Scottish history and social anthropology programmes pursue careers in heritage, museums, archives, public policy, journalism, the civil service, education, and international development. The deep knowledge of Scottish culture and history combined with the comparative anthropological perspective is valued in institutions that engage with Scotland's past and present, as well as in organisations working across diverse cultural contexts. Many graduates go on to postgraduate research in Scottish history, social anthropology, or related fields.