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Anthropology addresses the big question – what makes us human? It is the study of human beings: how we evolved, why we live in different sorts of societies around the world and how we interact with one another and the environment. An anthropology degree can give you a new perspective on the human world, providing a depth of insight into social and cultural difference and giving you an understanding of the history and behaviour of your own species.
Overview
The BSc in Anthropology at Kent is one of the few anthropology degree programmes in the UK that offer a mixture of biological anthropology, medical anthropology and social anthropology throughout the degree to give you a broad picture of what it means to be human. It is the perfect degree if you are interested in the study of primates, human evolution, disease, nutrition, skeletal biology or genetics, and want to combine this with the study of social and cultural aspects of being human. Whether you come from a humanities, social sciences or science background, you will find this programme interesting and exciting.
The year in Europe provides an excellent opportunity to experience another culture and a different learning environment. Students who engage in a year abroad often comment on how their experiences significantly shape their future plans, their academic insight and feel the opportunity enhances the overall university experience. Opportunities are currently available in Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Spain (subject to change). If you are interested in this programme then visit our Year Abroad webpage which includes students talking about their experiences of their Year Abroad programme.
To find out more about this programme visit the School of Anthropology website.
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2015, Anthropology was ranked 6th in the UK for student satisfaction with 95% of our students satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
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.
Year abroad
You spend a year between Stages 2 and 3 taking courses in anthropology at a university in Europe. Students are required to have obtained a Stage 2 average of 60% or above, before commencing their year abroad.
Courses in Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands are taught in English. Courses in France, Germany, Italy and Spain are taught in the language of the country.
Examples of modules available during your year abroad are available from the School of Anthropology and Conservation website.
In the unlikely event that force majeure prevents us from placing every student who meets the academic requirement, for example if a partner university is forced to terminate an exchange unexpectedly, and places become limited, the School/Schools concerned will weigh up applicant' academic performance, attendance and individual merit in order to decide who is placed. Individual merit would cover such things as commitment to the degree programme, participation and motivation.
For full details of the Year Abroad opportunities available to University of Kent students please visit our Go Abroad website.
Teaching and assessment
On average, you have four hours of lectures and six hours of seminars and/or lab sessions each week. For the Project in Anthropological Science, you receive regular one-to-one supervision.
The School of Anthropology and Conservation has a specialist teaching lab that provides equipment and specimens for teaching and research use. This lab has a completely integrated audiovisual system, providing cutting-edge lectures, and is primarily used by BSc students. You have access to an excellent fossil cast collection with more than 50 casts of extant and extinct primates and hominins, including an entire Homo erectus skeleton.
We are associated with the nearby Quex Museum, which has one of the largest collections of primate skeletal remains in the world, as well as an extensive collection of cultural artefacts to which undergraduates have access. We have dedicated computing facilities within the School, in addition to the general University IT provision, a darkroom, and an ethnobiology lab for studying human-related plant material.
Many of the core modules have an end-of-year examination which counts for 50% to 100% of your final mark for that module. The remaining percentage comes from practical or coursework marks. However, others, such as the Project in Anthropological Science are assessed entirely on coursework. Both Stage 2 and 3 marks count towards your final degree result.
The Year Abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and does not contribute towards your final degree classification.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- develop critical, analytical problem-based learning skills
- provide students with the skills to adapt and respond positively to changes in the discipline
- acquaint students with theoretical and methodological issues relevant to understanding anthropology
- demonstrate the relevance of anthropological knowledge to an understanding of local, national and international biological and social phenomena arising from the changing nature of human organisation in the distant past and in the contemporary world
- provide a broad range of knowledge in the discipline of anthropology, stressing the need for a biological approach, and showing how it is closely linked to other academic disciplines
- provide a grounding in human and primate biological variation and demonstrate the links between biological and sociocultural processes
- ensure that the research of staff informs the design of modules, their content and delivery in a manner that is efficient, reliable, and enjoyable to students
- prepare graduates for employment and/or further study in their chosen careers through developing students’ transferable skills.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You will develop knowledge and understanding of:
- the principles relevant to the study of human biology, evolution and sociality
- human diversity and an appreciation of its scope
- the fossil evidence of human evolution
- the similarities and differences between humans and other primates
- biological perspectives on human ecology
- the ethical implications of human biological diversity
- the principles of Mendelian and population genetics, as well as molecular biology
- the relevance of anthropology to understanding everyday processes of social life
- social anthropology as the comparative study of human societies
- specific themes in social anthropology such as religion, politics, kinship and religion
- several ethnographic regions of the world.
Intellectual skills
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
- general learning and study skills
- critical and analytical skills
- the ability to express ideas orally and in writing
- communication and IT skills
- statistical analysis
- practical skills specific to the scientific study of anthropology
- hypothesis testing.
Subject-specific skills
You gain specific skills in the following:
- the ability to describe and analyse aspects of biological diversity
- to identify the relationship between environmental and cultural influences in human ecology
- the ability to engage in intelligent debate on the process of human evolution
- to design and carry out a research project in the field of scientific anthropology
- an understanding of the processes involved in the development of human variation, including a working knowledge of the principles of classical genetics and molecular biology
- a general knowledge of human biology, and an appreciation of how biological processes interact with behaviour and culture in humans
- the ability to compare and contrast the morphology and behaviour of humans to that of other animals, specifically primates
- the ability to understand how people are shaped by their social, cultural and physical environments
- the ability to perceive the way in which cultural assumptions may affect the opinions of oneself and others
- to be able to make rational sense of cultural and social phenomena, which may appear at first sight incomprehensible.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- the ability to make a structured argument
- how to make appropriate reference to scholarly data
- time-management
- familiarity working with equipment in a scientific laboratory
- knowledge of IT
- oral presentations and methods of communication including poster and PowerPoint presentations
- working in a team.
Careers
Studying 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 graduates have gone on to careers in advertising; education; social work; town and country planning; housing and personnel management; journalism, film production, or research for radio and television programmes; consultancy in overseas development and relief agencies; science journalism; museum work; forensic science; business and the Civil Service.
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 | ABB Where the year abroad is taught in a foreign language then an A level in the relevant language (grade B or above) is required. |
| GCSE | Mathematics grade C, single or double science grade B. |
| 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 16 points at HL including 4 in mathematics at HL or SL (Mathematics Studies 5 at SL) and plus science 4 at HL or SL. There will also be language requirement for varients taught in a foreign language. |
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
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
UK/EU/International students on an approved Year Abroad for the full 2016/17 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Those on an approved Year in Industry pay an annual fee of £865 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
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 the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.