Human Evolution and Behaviour

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Advanced.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Evolutionary theory has radically altered our understanding of human life. Our programme is designed to provide students with a solid practical and theoretical grounding in issues relevant to the evolution of humans and non-human primates. Our graduates go onto work in the civil service, health services, NGOs, science journalism and more, with many of students going onto prestigious PhD programmes.

The UCL Evolutionary Anthropology Group (see blog) is home to a diverse group of experts, covering Human Behavioural Ecology, Primatology, Palaeoanthropology, Evolutionary Medicine and Public Health. The department ranks fourth in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020, making it the top ranked institution in London, and third in the UK and Europe for the subject. Our excellent results in the Research Excellence Framework 2014 also identify us as a leading Anthropology department in the UK. Within this context of excellence, our programme has a rich and successful history, with many of our alumni now working as evolutionary anthropologists. 

Our teaching staff is highly research-active and has a strong record of securing external funding for large-scale projects. Our MSc students can get involved in these projects as active members or as collaborators, depending on their dissertation topics. Our programme offers field-, lab-, museum- and desk-based research projects, depending on the interests of students. All projects benefit from the use of on-campus and off-campus state-of-the-art research facilities. Our staff has active field projects and can facilitate research opportunities in local and international institutions, including field sites in Namibia, Tanzania, Congo, Japan, etc.

Our MSc programme is embedded in a wider network of a vibrant research community and students are encouraged to take full advantage of the broader anthropology and primatology communities in London. As part of this general network, students can attend seminars, participate in conferences, visit exhibitions and have research opportunities at other departments at UCL, neighbouring universities in London, the Natural History Museum, the Zoological Society of London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, etc. Our own seminar series offers a venue for interaction with researchers who are external to the department.

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, labs and seminars, including weekly two-hour departmental seminars, and occasional attendance at non-departmental seminars. Assessment is through take-home examination, essays, lab-books, practical tests, and presentation. The dissertation is assessed by a project presentation and the thesis.