This is an archived page and for reference purposes only
Biological anthropology focuses on the study of human evolution and adaptation. Biological anthropologists are particularly interested in investigating why variation arose and how it is maintained, as well as trying to explain how people are adapted to the environments in which they live. They study the human fossil and stone tool record, primate behaviour, human material culture and the development of modern human behaviour in evolutionary and comparative perspective.
Overview
Typical questions that interest biological anthropologists could be: why do people have different skin colours or facial shapes? Does the environment affect fertility? What are the best ways to assess childhood malnutrition? When and how did humans evolve? What does chimpanzee aggression say about human violence? How much can you really tell about a person from their skeleton? Why is sex fun?
Biological anthropology is not often studied at school, but if you have taken biology or psychology you may have already covered many of the basic principles that biological anthropologists use in their work. Biological anthropology is not offered as a stand-alone degree at many universities, and Kent offers a fantastic opportunity to study the subject in great detail.
The year in USA 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 acadmic insight and feel the opportunity enhances the overall university experience. Opportunities are currently available at California State University, Long Beach; University of California; Indiana University Bloomington; Purdue University; State University of New York Buffalo or; University of Tennessee at Knoxville (subject to change). In addition there are opportunities available in Canada. If you’re 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.
Think Kent video series
In this talk, Dr Tatyana Humle, senior lecturer in Primate Conservation and member of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) at the University of Kent, summarises some of the main challenges faced by people and chimpanzees in West Africa and highlights the key drivers putting at risk co-existence between them.
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2016, Anthropology was ranked 7th in the UK with 96% of our students stating they were satisfied with their programme and 99% agreeing that staff are good at explaining things.
Course structure
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
Year abroad
Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally. You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability.
You spend a year between Stages 2 and 3 taking courses in biological anthropology in the US, where courses are taught in English. Students are required to have obtained a Stage 2 average of 60% or above, before commencing their year abroad. If the requirement is not met, you will be transferred to the equivalent three-year programme.
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.
The Year Abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification.
For full details of the Year Abroad opportunities available to University of Kent students please visit our Go Abroad website.
Teaching and assessment
Anthropology at Kent uses a stimulating mix of teaching methods, including lectures, small seminar groups and laboratory sessions. For the Project in Anthropological Science, you will be assigned to a supervisor with whom you meet regularly. You will also have access to a wide range of learning resources, including the Templeman Library, research laboratories and computer-based learning packages. On average, you have four hours of lectures and six hours of seminars and/or lab sessions each week.
The School of Anthropology and Conservation has dedicated teaching and research laboratories. The teaching lab has a completely integrated audiovisual system, providing cutting-edge lectures and is primarily used by BSc students. You also 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 material in the world, to which our undergraduates have access; the biological anthropology research laboratory houses the Powell-Cotton collection of human skeletal remains, which provides you with material for hands-on learning and research. We have links with Howletts and Port Lympne wild animal parks, providing opportunities for students to conduct projects with non-human primates. We also have dedicated computing facilities within the School, in addition to the general University IT provision.
Many of the core modules have an end-of-year examination that accounts 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 and Human Osteology, 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 students’ critical and analytical powers with respect to biological anthropology
- provide students with the skills to adapt and respond positively to changes in the discipline
- offer a broad range of knowledge in the discipline of anthropology, stressing the need for a biological approach to the subject, and showing how it is closely linked to other academic disciplines such as psychology, archaeology and forensic sciences
- provide a grounding in human and primate biological variation and make explicit the links between biological and sociocultural processes
- ensure that the research of staff informs the design of modules, and their content and delivery in a manner that is efficient and reliable, and enjoyable to students
- offer the opportunity to study anthropology at a university in the USA. The year abroad experience will also expose students to life in a different culture and thereby broaden their anthropological perspective. To achieve this, Stage 3 learning will be undertaken at a US University, selected from those with whom the School has existing links for year abroad programmes
- prepare graduates for employment and/or further study in their chosen careers by developing students’ transferable skills.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- major aspects of human evolution, including the significant fossil evidence and its contextual associations, and behavioural and ecological reconstructions based on these
- the similarities and contrasts between humans and other primates, and their significance for human adaptive success
- selected aspects of primate diversity, behaviour, and acquaintance with relevant concepts of primatology
- aspects of human genetic and/or phenotypic diversity, their evolutionary implications and significance for schemes categorising human variability
- the range and flexibility of individual biological responses, and awareness of the distinction between such adaptability and population adaptation
- biosocial perspectives on human ecology, for example, subsistence and dietary diversity, and comparative study of health, well-being and disease across societies and/or over time
- consideration of human life history patterns, reproductive influences, population size and structure, and aspects of applied anthropology, including development studies
- awareness of the nature, complexity and richness of human biological diversity and an appreciation of its social and ethical implications
- an awareness of evolutionary principles relevant to the study of human evolution and adaptation
- an in-depth understanding of current issues relating to biological anthropology.
Intellectual skills
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
- learning and study skills
- the capacity to express your ideas in writing, to summarise the arguments of others, and to distinguish between the two
- independence of thought and analytical, critical and synoptic skills
- scholarly skills such as the ability to make a structured argument, reference the works of others, and assess historical evidence.
Subject-specific skills
You gain specific skills in the following:
- to interpret varied information on aspects of human biological diversity
- the ability to analyse and evaluate rqualitative and quantitative data utilising appropriate techniques
- to design and implement a project involving data collection on some aspect(s) of biological anthropology, and to display relevant investigative, analytical and communication skills
- an understanding of the subject, and qualities of mind associated with intellectual reflection, evaluation and synthesis
- knowledge of how human beings are shaped by, and interact with, their social and physical environments, and an appreciation of their social and biological diversity
- the ability to formulate, investigate and discuss anthropologically informed questions.
- competence in using major theoretical perspectives and concepts in biological anthropology
- the ability to apply anthropological knowledge to a variety of practical situations, personal and professional.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- information retrieval skills in relation to primary and secondary sources of information
- communication, IT and presentation skills using oral and written materials
- time planning and management skills
- the ability to engage in constructive discussion in group situations and group work
- statistical and computing methods
Careers
Studying biological 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 become professional biological anthropologists, science journalists, museum curators, forensic scientists, rescue archaeologists, or work in non-government organisations, development agencies like the World Health Organisation, Primate Conservation, business and the Civil Service.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
New GCSE grades
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | ABB including science (Biology preferred) or Psychology, Human Biology, Chemistry or Mathematics grade B. |
| GCSE | Mathematics grade C. |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If we make you an offer, you will need 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 for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 16 points at HL including Mathematics 4 at HL or SL (Mathematics Studies at 5), and science 5 in a HL or 6 in SL . |
International students
The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
Meet our staff in your country
For more advise about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
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. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2017/18 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.
UK/EU fee paying students
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
In accordance with changes announced by the UK Government, we are increasing our 2017/18 regulated full-time tuition fees for new and returning UK/EU fee paying undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses will also rise from £4,500 to £4,625. This was subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. This fee will ensure the continued provision of high-quality education.
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.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Fees for Year Abroad/Industry
As a guide only, UK/EU/International students on an approved year abroad for the full 2017/18 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Please note that for 2017/18 entrants the University will increase the standard year in industry fee for home/EU/international students to £1,350.
General additional costs
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Funding
University funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
Government funding
You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.
The Government has confirmed that EU students applying for university places in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will still have access to student funding support for the duration of their course.
Scholarships
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. The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
The scholarship is also extended to those who achieve AAB at A level (or specified equivalents) where one of the subjects is either Mathematics or a Modern Foreign Language. Please review the eligibility criteria.