Anthropology - BSc (Hons)

Course structure

Duration: 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time

Modules

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 ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.

Teaching and assessment

Our teaching is research-led as all our staff are active in their fields. Social and biological anthropology staff have been awarded national teaching awards, reflecting the quality of the undergraduate programmes.

Anthropology at Kent uses a stimulating mix of teaching methods, including lectures, small seminar groups, field trips and laboratory sessions. For project work, you are assigned to a supervisor with whom you meet regularly. You also have access to a wide range of learning resources, including the Templeman Library, research laboratories and computer-based learning packages.

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 and, where appropriate, the marks from your year abroad, count towards your final degree result.

Contact hours

For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours.  The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

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
• 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
• to make appropriate reference to scholarly data
• time-management
• familiarity working with equipment in a scientific laboratory
• knowledge of IT
• oral presentations and other 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, analyse complex data and present your work with clarity and flair.

Graduate destinations

Our recent graduates have found work in:

• education
• social work
• town and country planning
• advertising
• journalism
• film production
• media research and production (TV and radio) 
• overseas development
• relief agencies
• international consultancy firms
• the civil service.

Help finding a job

The School offers an employability programme aimed at helping you develop the skills you'll need to look for a job.  This includes workshops, mentoring and an online blog featuring tips, advice from employers, job adverts, internship information and volunteering opportunities.

The University’s friendly Careers and Employability Service offers advice on how to:

• apply for jobs
• write a good CV
• perform well in interviews.

Career-enhancing skills

As an anthropology student, you develop expertise in understanding, interpreting and responding to human behaviour. Alongside such specialist skills, you also develop the transferable skills graduate employers look for, including the ability to:

• think critically 
• communicate your ideas and opinions 
• work independently and as part of a team.

You can also gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.