Geography with Social Anthropology

Geography with social anthropology is a combination that places human life within its environmental and social contexts simultaneously, exploring the complex relationships between people, places and cultures from two complementary disciplinary perspectives. Geography examines the physical environment, climate, ecosystems and landscapes alongside the human geographies of cities, economies, migration, development and environmental change. Social anthropology focuses on the diversity of human social and cultural life, using ethnographic fieldwork and comparative analysis to understand how different societies organise kinship, authority, exchange, religion and identity.

Together they produce a richly integrated understanding of the human world.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year degree provides an exciting challenge for those who wish to think critically and creatively about the world and understand the interaction of environmental systems and human activity, as the university's own description puts it. You will study physical and human geography alongside the theory and ethnography of social anthropology, developing skills in fieldwork, data analysis, cultural interpretation and environmental assessment. A year abroad is part of the programme, giving you the opportunity to study at a partner institution overseas and to develop an international perspective on both disciplines, one that is directly relevant to fields concerned with understanding the full diversity of the human world.

The skills the combination builds, including the ability to work across disciplinary boundaries, to engage seriously with different cultural perspectives and to analyse both quantitative and qualitative data, are valuable across many professional contexts.

Graduates go on to careers in international development, environmental consultancy, conservation, urban planning, research, journalism, the civil service, non-governmental organisations, education and cultural organisations. Further study in geography, social anthropology, development studies or environmental management is also a common route.