Students preparing for their graduation ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral

Law and Social Anthropology - BA (Hons)

UCAS code ML16

This is an archived page and for reference purposes only

2014

This degree offers you the opportunity to study the closely related disciplines of Law and Social Anthropology in a three-year programme, with a pathway enabling you to obtain to Qualifying Law Degree (giving you the ability to progress to the next stage of legal training in England and Wales).

Overview

Covering the foundations of law alongside compulsory and optional modules in Social Anthropology (taught by our highly regarded School of Anthropology and Conversation, ranked 1st for Anthropology in the 2012 National Student Survey), you develop an understanding of the law, taught from a critical perspective which allows you to engage in informed debate about contemporary legal issues, and, in Social Anthropology, you engage in a holistic study of people's ideas, beliefs, practices and activities and develop a profound understanding of how and why people (including ourselves) do the things they do.

Independent rankings

The Kent Law Clinic won LawWorks/Attorney General’s Awards in 2012 (Best New Student Pro Bono Activity for the Clinic’s Public Access to Land Project) and in 2011 (Best Contribution by a Law School).

Anthropology at Kent was ranked 1st in the UK for student satisfaction in the 2012 National Student Survey.

Course structure

The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.  Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules, you may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.

Teaching and assessment

Law

Kent Law School emphasises research-led teaching which means that the modules taught are at the leading edge of new legal and policy developments. You are taught by as many of our leading researchers as possible. We also have one of the best student:staff ratios in the country, which allows small, weekly seminar-group teaching in all of our core modules, where you are actively encouraged to take part.

Most modules are assessed by end-of-year examinations and continuous assessment, the ratio varying from module to module, with Kent encouraging and supporting the development of research and written skills. Some modules include an optional research-based dissertation that counts for 45% or, in some cases, 100% of the final mark. Assessment can also incorporate assessment through oral presentation and argument, often in the style of legal practice (such as mooting), and client based work and reflection through our Law Clinic.

Law School staff include the winner of the 2012 OUP Law Teacher of the Year Award, with Kent the only law school in the UK to have had staff shortlisted for the award for three consecutive years.

Social Anthropology

Most modules are taught by a combination of lectures and seminars and involve individual study using library resources and, where relevant, laboratories and computer-based learning packages. If you are taking modules involving computing or learning a language, you have additional workshop time.

Assessment ranges from 80:20 exam/coursework to 100% coursework. At Stages 2 and 3, most core modules are split 50% end-of-year examination and 50% coursework. Both Stage 2 and 3 marks and, where appropriate, the marks for your year abroad count towards your final degree result.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

  • meet the needs of those contemplating a career in the legal professions and those motivated primarily by an intellectual interest in law and legal issues
  • be compatible with widening participation in higher education by offering a wide variety of entry routes
  • provide a sound knowledge and systematic understanding of the principal institutions and procedures of the English legal system
  • provide a sound grounding in the major concepts and principles of English law, the law of the European Union, and the European Convention on Human Rights
  • develop a critical awareness of law in its historical, socio-economic and political contexts, and to introduce students to a range of different theoretical approaches to the study of law
  • offer a range of modules covering the foundations of legal knowledge, as defined by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board, which will enable students who successfully complete them to obtain a qualifying law degree
  • offer a range of options to enable students to study some selected areas of areas of law in depth
  • provide a curriculum supported by scholarship and a research culture that requires students to engage with aspects of work at the frontiers of knowledge
  • offer the opportunity to acquire direct experience of legal practice and to critically reflect on it through participation in the Kent Law Clinic
  • enable students to manage their own learning and to carry out independent research, including research into areas of law they have not previously studied
  • develop general critical, analytical and problem-solving skills which can be applied in a wide range of different legal and non-legal settings
  • enable students to develop skills relevant to their vocational and personal development.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

  • principal features of the English legal system, including its institutions, procedures and sources of law
  • principal features of the law of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights
  • the concepts, principles and rules of a substantial range of English legal subjects, including an in-depth knowledge of some areas of law, and, depending on options, an in-depth knowledge of the law of the European Union, the European Convention on Human Rights, international law and comparative law
  • the relationship between law and the historical, socio-economic and political contexts in which it operates
  • a range of theoretical and critical perspectives which can be applied to the study of law.

Intellectual skills

You gain intellectual skills in how to:

  • recognise and rank items and issues in terms of their relevance and importance
  • effectively apply knowledge to analyse complex issues
  • collect and synthesise information from a variety of sources
  • formulate and sustain a complex argument, supporting it with appropriate evidence
  • recognise potential alternative solutions to particular problems and make a reasoned choice between them
  • independently acquire knowledge and understanding in areas, both legal and non-legal, not previously studied
  • demonstrate an independence of mind and an ability to critically challenge received understandings and conclusions
  • reflect constructively on your own learning processes.

 

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in:

  • recognising the legal issues arising in factual situations of limited and great complexity
  • identifying and applying case and statute law
  • providing informed and reasoned opinion on possible legal actions and their likelihood of success
  • identifying legal and related issues which require research
  • locating and using primary and secondary legal, and other relevant sources
  • conducting both guided and independent legal research using a range of resources
  • critically evaluating an area of law both doctrinally and in terms of its socio-economic and other consequences

Transferable skills

You develop transferable skills in the following areas:

  • communication – how to communicate effectively in speech and writing, in relation to legal matters and generally; engage constructively and effectively in arguments and discussions of complex matters; how to use communication and IT for the retrieval and presentation of information, including statistical or numerical data; how to read complex legal and non-legal materials and summarise them accurately; employing correct legal terminology and correct methods of citation and referencing for legal and other academic materials
  • information technology – how to produce written documents; undertake online research; process information using databases
  • working with others – how to define and review the work of others; work co-operatively on group tasks; collaborate with others and contribute to the achievement of common goals
  • improving own learning – how to explore personal strengths and weaknesses; review your working environment; develop specialist learning skills (for example in foreign languages); develop autonomy in learning; demonstrate initiative and manage your own time
  • problem solving – how to identify and define problems; explore alternative solutions and discriminate between them.

Careers

Law

Kent has an excellent employment record, with Law School graduates demanding some of the highest starting salaries in the UK. Law graduates can go into a variety of careers, including working as: solicitors or barristers in private practice; lawyers in companies, local authorities, central government and its agencies, or in the institutions of the European Union; non-legal careers, such as banking, finance and management.

Kent Law School has an active careers programme that sees a number of leading law firms and prominent members of the legal profession (including Kent alumni) visit the University to meet and speak with students. The Law School also gives students the opportunity to develop legal skills while at Kent, through modules in mooting and negotiation, and through involvement in the Law Clinic. We also actively work with employers to create work placement opportunities for our students.

Social Anthropology

Studying social anthropology gives you an exciting range of career opportunities. We work with you to help direct your module choices to the career paths you are considering. Through your studies you learn how to work independently, to analyse complex data and to present your work with clarity and flair.

Our recent graduates have gone into areas such as overseas development and aid work, further research in social anthropology, social sciences research, media research or production (TV and radio), journalism, advertising, social work, education, international consultancy and work with community groups.

 

For more information on the services Kent provides you to improve your career prospects visit www.kent.ac.uk/employability.

Professional recognition

This programme can lead to a Qualifying Law Degree, which exempts you from the first stage of professional examinations required for qualification as a solicitor or as a barrister by the English Law Society and Bar Council.

Entry requirements

Home/EU students

The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.

Qualification Typical offer/minimum requirement
A level

AAB

Access to HE Diploma

The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma)

The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances.

International Baccalaureate

34 points overall or 17 points at HL

International students

The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.

Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.

English Language Requirements

Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
 
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.

General entry requirements

Please also see our general entry requirements.

Fees

As a guide only, the 2014/15 annual tuition fees for this programme are:

UK/EU Overseas
Full-time
Part-time

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

Exceptions may apply. If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk

Funding

Kent offers generous financial support schemes to support eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Our 2014 financial support package includes a £6,500 cash bursary. Find out more about the support package, eligibility and terms and conditions on our fees and funding pages.

General scholarships

Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.

The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence

At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created a new scholarship, The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence, which will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our funding pages.

Full-time

Part-time

The Key Information Set (KIS) data is compiled by UNISTATS and draws from a variety of sources which includes the National Student Survey and the Higher Education Statistical Agency. The data for assessment and contact hours is compiled from the most populous modules (to the total of 120 credits for an academic session) for this particular degree programme. Depending on module selection, there may be some variation between the KIS data and an individual's experience. For further information on how the KIS data is compiled please see the UNISTATS website.

If you have any queries about a particular programme, please contact information@kent.ac.uk.