School of Anthropology & Conservation

Excellence in diversity Global in reach


 

Anthropology Ranked 1st in the National Student Survey 2012

In the NSS 2012 Anthropology at Kent has been ranked 1st in the UK for Overall Student Satisfaction and 1st in the UK for Teaching. Find out more of the reasons why students rank us 1st and about what our alumni are doing now.

 

BA (Hons) Social Anthropology

Unique Social Anthropology degree; opportunities include visual anthropology, a year abroad and study with a language!

The BA in Social Anthropology is a distinctive degree programme allowing for the holistic study of people's ideas, beliefs, practices and activities in a wide range of local, global, diasporic and transnational settings - from their rural and/or urban social, political and economic organisations to, their rituals, dwellings, lifestyles and forms of religious worship. Social anthropology entails a profound understanding of how and why people (including ourselves) do the things they do, for example, how they work, use technologies, and negotiate conflicts, relationships and change. As a research led department we offer a wide range of modules and ethnographic area modules.

A particularly unique strength of the BA programme at Kent is the opportunity to study visual anthropology, with modules on the anthropological use of photography, film and video, including practical classes and visual anthropology projects. A further special feature of training at Kent is the application of computers and IT to anthropological research and practice.

As an example of the interesting work you can undertake view our Self Spaces page highlighting the excellent work created by students who took the Visual Anthropology module.

 

Course Structure

Note: Some modules run in alternate years and all modules are subject to change. Select the module title to access full details of each module.

Stage 1

(a total of 120 credits to be taken)

Required Modules

We also recommend that you take:

Further optional modules may be chosen from a very wide range available to first-year Social Science students

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Stage 2 and 3

"A degree programme that takes a comparative look at human societies around the world, both small-scale and industrial. As well as being intellectually exciting in itself, it provides a range of skills to prepare you for your future including analysing complex data, getting to grips with challenging ideas, writing well, and researching and presenting your own project ."

Students take 240 credits over Stages 2 and 3. 120 credits are taken at each Stage. 60 credits must be taken in each of Autumn and Spring tems.

Stage 2 Required Modules (15 credits each)

Stage 3 Required Modules (15 credits each)

Recommended Modules (15 credits each unless stated)

Stage 2 take 45 credits and Stage 3 take 75 credits from the list below. The details of which year each module is running is available by clicking on the module title.

* At least 30 credits must be taken over stages 2 and 3 from these ethnographic area modules.

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With a Language (optional)

The various Social Anthropology with a Language degrees provide the opportunity to spend a year living and studying abroad, as part of a Social Anthropology programme. They are all four-year programmes, with years one, two and four spent at Kent, and year three abroad. Teaching and assessment at the overseas institution is in the relevant language.

We offer:

Social Anthropology with French

Social Anthropology with German

Social Anthropology with Italian

Social Anthropology with Spanish

The French and German programmes require the relevant language at 'A' level. The Italian and Spanish programmes require no previous knowledge of Italian or Spanish: however you need to demonstrate linguistic ability with a good 'A' level in a modern European language (not English).

Course Structure

Students taking Social Anthropology with a Language follow the same module structure as standard BA Social Anthropology students. The year abroad is taken during the third year of study following sucessful completion of the second year. Sucessful completion is defined as: obtain at least 2:i average in Stage 2; pass Stage 2 compulsory modules in Social Anthropology at first attempt; and to obtain at least a 2:ii in the Language paper.

During this year you follow an approved course of study, worth 120 credits, at your overseas institution. When your final degree classification is calculated this year will be given a half-weighting.

Overseas Institutions

France: Université de Provence Aix-Marseille 1

The Université de Provence Aix-Marseille 1 is one of the three Universities of Aix-Marseille and specialises in Arts and Social Sciences. It was founded in 1409 and now has around 23,000 students, of whom around 3,500 are from outside France.

Germany: Johannes-Gutenberg Universitat, Mainz

Originally founded in 1477, Mainz University is one of the oldest in Germany, and one of the few campus-based universities there. As with Provence, there are a large number of international students among the student body.

Italy: Università degli Studi di Siena

The University of Siena dates back to 1240, and is a member of the Coimbra group of elite European universities. It now has around 20,000 students in a city of 50,000 and describes itself as a "city campus" in that the city and the university are very much intermingled.

Spain: Universidad Complutense de Madrid

This is also a very old university, having been founded as a Studium Generale by the King of Castile in 1293. It's ranked among the top universities in Spain, and occupies a large campus in the university district of Madrid.

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Year Abroad (optional)

The various Year Abroad degrees provide the opportunity to spend a year living and studying abroad, as part of a Social Anthropology programme. They are all four-year programmes, with years one, two and four spent at Kent, and year three abroad. Teaching and assessment at the overseas institution is in English.

We offer:

Social Anthropology with a year in Finland

Social Anthropology with a year in Japan

Social Anthropology with a year in the Netherlands

Course Structure

Students taking Social Anthropology with a Year Abroad follow the same module structure as standard BA Social Anthropology students. The year abroad is taken during the third year of study following sucessful completion of the second year. Sucessful completion is defined as: obtain at least 2:i average in Stage 2 and pass Stage 2 compulsory modules in Social Anthropology at first attempt.

During this year you follow an approved course of study, worth 120 credits, at your overseas institution. When your final degree classification is calculated this year will be given a half-weighting.

Overseas Institutions

Finland: University of Jyväskylä

Jyväskylä is a city in south central Finland, a region of lakes and woods. The city is noted for the number and quality of its educational institutions. The university itself has strong international links, with students from around 70 countries studying there.

Japan: Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU)

APU is a new, campus-based university, in the suburbs of Beppu, on the southern island of Kyushu, an area famous for its hot springs. The university is very international in flavour, with around half of its staff and students coming from outside Japan. The department has a particular connection, in that one of our former lecturers, Jerry Eades, is now Professor of Asia Pacific Studies there.

Netherlands: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)

This is also a campus university in the southern suburbs of the Dutch capital, Amsterdam.

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School of Anthropology and Conservation - © University of Kent

School of Anthropology and Conservation, Marlowe Building, The University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR, T: +44 (0)1227 827056

Last Updated: 25/02/2013