Anthropology is the study of human beings. It is an incredibly wide field that combines linguistics, archeology, sociology, history, and many more to form a picture of people, both past and present. As an anthropology student, you’ll do much more than memorize facts and figures. You’ll learn how to incorporate different areas of knowledge to form a coherent picture of a particular group of people at a certain period in history.
You’ll learn how to solve problems using different tools and models. This requires creativity: just like no two societies or individuals are identical, you won’t run into the same problem twice. You’ll need to come up with innovative ways of collecting and interpreting data.
Contrary to what some may think, anthropology doesn’t just involve spending hours in dusty rooms and pouring over old tomes. Technology has changed this field as much as any, and a degree here will teach you how to use big data and computer models to help you in your quest for knowledge.
An anthropology degree will open doors in museums, the public sector, and academia. If you’re looking for a degree in the field but don’t want to break the bank, keep reading. In this article, we’ve compiled some of the free anthropology schools with no-tuition programs.
How do these free anthropology schools fund their operations and programs?
When it comes to free anthropology schools or free schools in general, it is easy to understand that they are sponsored by someone in order to continue their work. The majority of free schools are funded by the government, while some others may be funded by non-profit organizations that want to contribute to the education field. The benefit of these types of schools is large, as they do not cause a financial strain for the students. If you are interested in searching for courses that may have free tuition, you can check all the available courses on our website.
Free Anthropology Schools
1. Freie Universität Berlin
Anthropology was one of the first programs offered by the Freie Universität (FU) Berlin when it was founded in 1948. Today, it is run by the university’s Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, which offers undergraduate and graduate programs. These programs give students the opportunity to do plenty of hands-on work in the field and in labs, as well as allow them to choose topics they want to conduct independent research on.
FU Berlin is a free anthropology school that places a particular emphasis on culture. Its students and professors conduct research on the physical and nonphysical artifacts that make up a society’s religion, traditions, language, etc. The FU Berlin also allows students to learn about a variety of cultures, such as those of Muslims and East Asians.
As its name would suggest, the Freie Universität Berlin offers its programs to both domestic and international students for free. Note that anthropology courses are conducted in German.
2. University of Oslo
The University of Oslo is generally considered to be the best institute of higher learning in Norway and one of the best places in Europe to study anthropology. Its Department of Social Anthropology is a leader in the field when it comes to teaching and research. As its name suggests, there is a particular emphasis here on the social aspect of anthropology. Students and professors here work to understand the sociological element of the problems we face today and how studying human behavior can help solve them.
The University of Oslo offers a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Social Anthropology. These programs allow students to focus on a particular area in the world should they choose to do so. One also has the option to take courses from fields like science and business to diversify their education. The university also offers a PhD program where students can explore a research area of their choice.
The University of Oslo is a free anthropology school for both domestic and international students.
3. University of Vienna
- Free tuition
- Free for: EU students; Students from some developing countries; minimal fee for everyone else
The University of Vienna’s Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology is one of the most prestigious in the region. Students here learn about the social and developmental aspects of the field. Research topics include migration, globalization, and postcolonialism. As Vienna is home to one of the UN’s main offices, plenty of graduates from the University of Vienna go on to work there.
Like most Austrian schools, the University of Vienna is subsidized by the government. EU citizens and citizens of certain developing countries like Senegal and Uganda are not charged a tuition fee. Those who do not fall under these categories pay a small fee of 726.72 euros per semester.
4. Universidad de Buenos Aires
- Free tuition
- Free for: Undergraduate students; Graduate students are charged a small fee
Being the only South American university on this list, the Universidad de Buenos Aires will definitely give you a unique perspective on anthropology. While it doesn’t have a dedicated undergraduate degree in the topic, there are several humanities programs at this level that will give you a solid foundation.
At the graduate level, you can choose from a number of specializations like pedagogies for equality in different socio-educational contexts, reading and writing processes, and child and adolescent social issues. There is also a wide range of master’s and doctorate programs to choose from. As you can imagine, most of these focus on the Latin American context.
Universidad de Buenos Aires is a free anthropology school where domestic and foreign undergraduate students don’t have to pay tuition fees. Graduate students need to pay a small tuition fee.
5. Aarhus University
Aarhus University has one of the top anthropology programs in Europe. Its School of Culture and Society offers degrees in the field at the undergraduate, graduate, and PhD levels. Like many of the other universities on this list, Aarhus University places special emphasis on social anthropology. Besides learning about anthropology as an academic subject, studying here will give you opportunities to use it to make the world a better place.
Aarhus University provides tuition-free education to all EU citizens. Non-EU citizens can also study for free if they meet certain conditions.
We hope this article on free anthropology schools was informative and helpful. To know more information like this, check out the Available Programs for International Students!
