Anthropology is the comparative study of societies and human diversity. It asks questions about behaviour, meaning and value between different societies and cultures. Anthropologists focus on groups within society that follow a distinct way of life, such as workers on the shop floor of a factory, people who live by hunting and gathering in the Amazon, corporate managers, Indigenous Australian artists, fans of Harry Potter books, opium growers in South-East Asia or members of a religious group. Although the social contexts in which they work are extremely diverse, anthropologists share a commitment to exploring and understanding different ways of life and cultural perspectives, and illuminating these for others.

For students from overseas, Macquarie uses an international selection rank to determine the minimum eligibility requirement for each undergraduate course. This rank has been converted into equivalent scores for various recognised international high school qualifications and university entrance examinations, including global qualifications like the International Baccalaureate (IB) and GCE A-Levels. All applicants for undergraduate coursework studies at Macquarie University are required to provide evidence of proficiency in English.