UCL or SOAS for Medical Anthropology?
Been in education for 15yrs. Want to go back for Medical Anthropology, with an emphasis in Mental Illness. I do plan on going on for a Phd in Global Health and Public Policy with the intention on working for WHO or the United Nations. I have been in the trenches working with people and children with lived experiences and misdiagnosis, and now I want to stand up and make concrete policy changes that will help people.
I have looked into both schools. UCL is globally recognized and SOAS has a new center for Medical Anthropology and Mental Illness. I'm looking for a school with flexibility in choosing classes, great networking and help in achieving my goals. I don't want to be boxed in to researching specific countries, but of course am interested in multiple perspectives. Any help would truly be wonderful!
I have looked into both schools. UCL is globally recognized and SOAS has a new center for Medical Anthropology and Mental Illness. I'm looking for a school with flexibility in choosing classes, great networking and help in achieving my goals. I don't want to be boxed in to researching specific countries, but of course am interested in multiple perspectives. Any help would truly be wonderful!
Reply 1
UCL undoubtably (source, went to UCL for masters in anthropology, now doing a PhD in a different London uni following a vagugly health / care related topic)
Reply 2
Original post by Anonymous
UCL undoubtably (source, went to UCL for masters in anthropology, now doing a PhD in a different London uni following a vagugly health / care related topic)
UCL Med Anth will be a lot better for all the things you mentioned, there is so much more funding, connection, and scope for exploration. Also UCL has an actual Med school / biology programmes, don't underplay the importance of that for collaboration etc.
Reply 3
Original post by anherndon13
Been in education for 15yrs. Want to go back for Medical Anthropology, with an emphasis in Mental Illness. I do plan on going on for a Phd in Global Health and Public Policy with the intention on working for WHO or the United Nations. I have been in the trenches working with people and children with lived experiences and misdiagnosis, and now I want to stand up and make concrete policy changes that will help people.
I have looked into both schools. UCL is globally recognized and SOAS has a new center for Medical Anthropology and Mental Illness. I'm looking for a school with flexibility in choosing classes, great networking and help in achieving my goals. I don't want to be boxed in to researching specific countries, but of course am interested in multiple perspectives. Any help would truly be wonderful!
I have looked into both schools. UCL is globally recognized and SOAS has a new center for Medical Anthropology and Mental Illness. I'm looking for a school with flexibility in choosing classes, great networking and help in achieving my goals. I don't want to be boxed in to researching specific countries, but of course am interested in multiple perspectives. Any help would truly be wonderful!
Hi! Thanks so much for sharing your journey it’s incredibly inspiring, and honestly, SOAS could be an amazing fit for what you want to do.
The MA Medical Anthropology and Mental Illness at SOAS is built for students like you people who have been on the ground, working closely with communities, and now want to drive meaningful change at a policy level. One of the best things about SOAS is that it offers critical, decolonial perspectives you won’t find in many other places especially around how mental illness is understood and treated across different cultural and political contexts.
The course gives you a lot of flexibility to shape your own research interests, whether they’re global or focused on specific populations. And while SOAS is particularly strong on Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, it’s not limiting in fact, it encourages you to bring in comparative or transnational approaches, which sounds perfect for your goals.
There’s also a new Centre for Medical Anthropology and Mental Health, which means you’ll be part of an emerging hub that’s attracting exciting research, guest speakers, and new collaborations. Plus, SOAS has close ties with NGOs, UN agencies, and policy organisations, so networking and research opportunities are very much available (especially if you’re aiming for WHO or UN roles later on).
Finally, what sets SOAS apart is the community, it’s full of students from all over the world, with strong values and lived experiences, and the classroom discussions reflect that. If you want to work in global health with empathy, impact, and intellectual freedom, SOAS will absolutely support that.
Let me know if you want to hear more about specific modules or opportunities! 😊
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