Area
social Sciences
Sub-Discipline
Other Social Sciences
Austral University of Chile
- City: Valdivia,
- Commune: Valdivia,
- Region: Los Ríos Region
goals
The Master's Program in Anthropology has the following General Objective:
To train postgraduate students with analytical-ethnographic skills, based on an ethical commitment to social research from a broad disciplinary perspective, emphasizing sociocultural diversity situated especially in the southern territories of Chile in contexts of complexity typical of contemporary society.
The specific objectives of the Program are as follows:
i) Develop analytical and knowledge generation skills, based on contemporary socio-anthropological theoretical perspectives on cultural diversity, territory and environment, in contexts of local-global complexity.
ii) To provide methodological tools, framed within contemporary ethnographic perspectives, oriented towards the analysis of territorially situated sociocultural problems.
iii) Strengthen capacities that allow the student to incorporate the anthropological perspective into their work performance, enhancing skills for interdisciplinary work based on solid ethical principles.
Applicant Profile
Graduates in any discipline within the Social Sciences, Humanities, Education, and Arts are preferred candidates for the program. However, applications from other fields of study will be evaluated by the Committee. In this regard, it should be noted that, from our perspective, Anthropology—both social and cultural—remains an attractive and relevant field of study for a significant number of disciplines and professions offered in Chile and Latin America, from which our students will likely come.
To apply, you must complete the online Postgraduate Studies Office Admission Application (https://secure12.uach.cl/Postgrado/PostulacionAdmision/) and attach the following documents addressed to the Program Director:
1. Curriculum vitae in standardized format.
2. Academic degree certificate of Bachelor or a professional title whose level and content are equivalent to those required to obtain a Bachelor's degree obtained from a Chilean or foreign university.
3. Official transcript of grades from your last degree or diploma, certified by the competent authority. (Including grading scale).
4. Undergraduate graduation ranking (if any), if issued by the home university.
5. Copy of identity card or passport.
6. Two letters of recommendation from academics or professionals.
7. Certificate attesting to adequate command of the Spanish language, for those who do not have it as their native language.
8. Letter explaining the motivations for entering the Program, including your projections in accordance with the training lines offered by the Program.
9. Thesis proposal or research proposal according to the attached format.
Upon acceptance, international students must have their documents legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Interested applicants may submit their applications during two application periods: the first corresponds to the deadlines established by the Conicyt scholarships, and the second to the completion of their undergraduate studies.
1st Call for Applications: September and December
2nd Call: January
Extraordinary open application subject to scholarship offer.
In the case of the Undergraduate-Graduate Linkage, undergraduate students at the Universidad Austral de Chile with a current agreement who wish to enter the Program may opt for the linkage plan. This plan allows students to enter after completing eight semesters of their degree, according to the “Academic-Administrative Procedure for Linkage Programs between Undergraduate and Master's Programs at the Universidad Austral de Chile,” Resolution No. 68 of July 3, 2017, Academic Vice-Rector's Office. To do so, they must submit:
1.- Curriculum Vitae.
2.- Academic degree certificate (Bachelor's degree), if applicable.
3.- Letter of application identifying the Master's program in Anthropology and the reasons that motivate said application.
4.- Letter of support for the application signed by the School Director, indicating that it meets the requirements established in the Linkage Agreement.
5.- Concentration of grades corresponding to the first eight semesters of the study plan completed.
6.- Other documents that prove work and/or academic experience.
Applications for this program are normally accepted in March of each year and must meet the criteria established in the Partnership Agreement between the Program and the student's home degree program. These applications will be reviewed by the Program Committee and/or the entity established by the Partnership Agreement; the shortlisted student will be interviewed by the Committee. If accepted, the student must complete the undergraduate courses stipulated in the program's partnership agreement during the first year of the articulation. Continuation into the master's program in the second year will require a favorable report from the student's home undergraduate school, as established in the partnership agreement (see Annex 8, Partnership Agreement proposal), confirming that the student holds a professional degree.
It should be noted that both the requirements and application forms will be available on the website of the Graduate School of the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities of the University and will be disseminated through posters and brochures along with the Faculty's postgraduate program offerings.
Graduate profile
Graduates of the Program will be trained to:
i) Identify sociocultural problems, from an anthropological perspective, in the areas of identity diversities and southern territories.
ii) Develop research and action research, in an original and autonomous way, using theoretical-methodological tools specific to the ethnographic-anthropological approach and incorporating innovative perspectives.
iii) To work in diverse territories with the ability to integrate into interdisciplinary teams, contributing to addressing current problems with sociocultural relevance.
iv) To strengthen the principles of anthropological ethics and human rights in their professional practice.
Lines of investigation
The Program offers postgraduate training from a broad anthropological perspective. In social and cultural terms, this implies the inclusion and development of essential and up-to-date content and knowledge within the discipline. Within this framework, three lines of research constitute the core curriculum of the Master's in Anthropology, all grounded in anthropological ethics and human rights. These lines are approached from an interdisciplinary perspective that engages with other forms of knowledge, particularly the knowledge of local communities, using ethnographic theories and methodologies. As mentioned above, the spatial context primarily includes southern regions, considering national and Latin American perspectives, all viewed through a contemporary lens. The aforementioned lines of research are as follows:
i) Identity Dynamics: In the current context of globalization, issues arising from the coexistence, connection, and/or encounter/disagreement of diverse social groups, cultures, nationalities, and identities are addressed. Within this framework, approaches to sociocultural diversity and difference, social processes of heritage preservation, theories on the recognition of the other, representation and alterity, as well as contemporary perspectives on inclusion, redistribution, and equality are discussed. The thematic correspondence of this line of research with the curriculum is specifically addressed in the required course “Contemporary Anthropological Theory I: Diversities,” and is consistent with specific objective 1 of the program and points i and iv of the graduation profile.
ii) Environment and Territory: This area addresses, from contemporary perspectives, the classic debate on the relationship between culture and nature and its expressions under other terms, such as environment and society or space and territory, seeking to overcome these dichotomies. The conception of territory and landscape as a socially constructed space also considers its economic and political dimensions, where disputes, tensions, and conflicts are evident. This perspective includes the adaptive responses that enable relational dynamics among the various actors/agents involved. The thematic correspondence of this line of research with the curriculum is specifically addressed in the required course "Contemporary Anthropological Theory II: Environment and Territory," and is consistent with specific objective 1 of the program and points i and iii of the graduation profile.
iii) Construction of ethnographic knowledge: This area addresses reflection on the anthropological profession, incorporating current debates on ethnographic practice, the researcher's role in fieldwork, and its impact on participants. It employs situated and critical ethnography (phenomenological/interpretive/post-structuralist/constructivist) which, centered on people, allows for a reflective questioning of the anthropological research process and presents it as a co-construction of knowledge. The thematic correspondence of this line of research with the curriculum is specifically addressed in the required courses Ethnographic Laboratory I and II, and is consistent with specific objective 2 of the program and points ii and iii of the graduation profile.
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