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Anthropology (BSc)
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GBP 3290
About Anthropology at Brunel University London
If you want to study a discipline that will enrich your everyday life as well as equip you for a great variety of occupations, this course is for you. It provides students with a broad comparative knowledge of cultural and social systems around the world as well as a fresh, informed perspective on their own backgrounds.Entry RequirementsGCE A/AS-levels 350 tariff points typically from 3 A-levels together with either 1 AS-level or Extended Project Qualification (typical offer BBB plus a B in either an AS or EPQ). Grade B in General Studies/Critical Thinking accepted as 4th AS-level only. Advanced Diploma 350 tariff points in Society, Health and Development, including an A-level for Additional and Specialist Learning. BTEC ND DDD in a related subject IB Diploma 33 points Irish 350 tariff points from 5 subjects.Scottish 350 tariff points from 3 Advanced Highers plus 1 Higher. Access Pass, including at least 50% of units with Merit or Distinction For all of the above, 5 GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C or above are also required, to include English.Why Anthropology?Anthropology offers a unique and powerful means for understanding cultural and social diversity in the modern world. It is concerned with such contemporary issues as multiculturalism, identity politics, racism and ethnic nationalism, changing forms of the family, religious conflict, gender, and the political role of culture. It also addresses the perennial questions about human nature: what do we have in common with each other cross-culturally, and what makes us different? If you are intrigued by these questions and want to study a discipline that will enrich your everyday life as well as equip you for a great variety of occupations, anthropology is for you. The Brunel BSc gives students a broad comparative knowledge of cultural and social systems around the world as well as a fresh, informed perspective on their own backgrounds Our team has carried out fieldwork in Oceania, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Britain and other parts of Europe, and our teaching scope is genuinely worldwide. Take the plunge and rediscover the world! Why Brunel?Uniquely, Brunel offers two alternative pathways to the BSc, a three-year degree or a four-year 'thin-sandwich' degree, which includes two six-month work placements (shorter if unpaid). Over half our students do a placement/fieldwork abroad, in places such as India, Nepal, Australia, Southern Africa, Papua New Guinea and Jamaica. Recent UK placements include the BBC, Foreign Office, Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, Amnesty International and the Department of Health. Students gain experience and contacts vital for future employment in a world that increasingly expects job candidates to offer something more than a degree certificate. Our broad-based social sciences first year programme gives anthropology students a grounding in the sister disciplines of psychology, sociology, media and communications and further strengthens their career prospects. Course ContentAnthropology is one of the more outward-looking and cosmopolitan of the social sciences, its subject being the documentation and explanation of cultural diversity. At Brunel we also apply the ideas of anthropology to practical issues, particularly in the field of medical anthropology and in the analysis of cultural processes in Britain and Europe as a whole. Level 1 will give you a broad introduction to the central themes in anthropology. At Level 2, you will begin to take specialised options in the history and theory of anthropology together with modules covering such topics as ethnicity, religion, international development, sex and gender and contemporary ethnography. At Level 3, advanced options in anthropology cover topics as varied as kinship and family, medical anthropology, children, education and psychological and psychiatric anthropology.Level 1 (Year 1)Students take modules in anthropology, psychology, sociology, media and communications. Students doing the four-year degree also embark on their first Work Placement.Typical Core ModulesResearch Methods Main Currents in the Human Sciences Introduction to Anthropology I Introduction to Anthropology II June-Dec. First Work Placement (four-year degree only)Level 2 (Year 2/3)Students take modules in anthropology, research methods, and options in sociology. Students doing the 4-Year degree also embark on their second Work Placement.Typical Core ModulesSex and Gender British Ethnic Minorities Issues in Social Anthropology History and Theory of Social Anthropology Ethnography of the Contemporary World Year 3, Jan-Sept. Second Work Placement (four-year degree only)Level 3 (Year 3/4)Advanced options in anthropology, including Kinship, Medical Anthropology, Film, Anthropology of Childhood, and Anthropology of the Body.Typical Modules (optional)Anthropology of the Body Anthropology of Childhood and Youth Anthropology of Education Themes in Psychological and Psychiatric Anthropology Anthropological and Psychological Perspectives on Learning Anthropology of the Person Anthropology and Public Health Anthropology of Disability and Difference Kinship and New Directions in AnthropologyDissertationAll students write a 10,000 word dissertation in their final year (which, on four-year degrees, usually combines with the second Work Placement). This is on a topic of your choice.Examples of past topicsThe Impact of New Information Technology in the Workplace The Effectiveness of Aids Education Programmes The Role of Indigenous Healers in a South African Village Community Radio: Dilemmas and Predictions Noncompliance to Drug Therapy and Outpatient Care Teaching and LearningOur approachWe pursue excellence in both teaching and research. Our aim is to produce degree programmes which combine innovative and classical teaching methods with leading-edge research, and which recognise the value of practical work experience in the learning process. We take great pride in both the quality of teaching and the extensive pastoral care of our students.The latest thinkingAll members of the academic staff are actively engaged in research and many have international reputations in their field. Their innovative findings feed into your courses to help to ensure that teaching is topical and interesting.How will I be taught?The course is taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical laboratory sessions and small group projects.Lectures - Most modules involve one or two hours of lectures a week. These provide a broad overview of key concepts and ideas relating to your course and provide you with a framework from which to carry out more in depth study.Seminars - These relatively small groups (3-15 students) are used to discuss the content of lectures and issues arising from the modules. Seminars are often student-led. You can use seminars to clarify your own ideas in an atmosphere of discussion and debate.Laboratory/research work- All students take part in practical modules. In the first year you will experience the similarities and contrasts between methods of enquiry used in psychology, sociology and social anthropology. The investigative methods used in projects include observation, interviewing, questionnaire design, psychological testing, experimentation and more specific research techniques. As you progress through the course, direction by staff over the design and implementation of projects is reduced.One-to-one - You will get one-to-one supervision on your final year dissertation and at all levels you will have a personal tutor who is available to discuss personal and academic problems. When you go on placement, you will also be allocated a work placement tutor who will monitor your progress and provide further support if you need it. Lecturers are usually available to answer particular queries outside of scheduled hours - either in one-to-one tutorials or by email.AssessmentLevel 1 does not count towards your final degree mark but you have to pass this level to continue with your degree. Level 2 is worth a third - Level 3 is worth the rest. The final year dissertation is worth a third of Level 3 marks. Methods of assessment vary and depends on which modules you select. Some courses are assessed on coursework only, some by (seen or unseen) examination only, and some by a combination of the two.CareersStudents of Social Anthropology can go on to develop both private and public sector careers including work with governmental organisations like the United Nations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) like Save the Children and Oxfam.
The awardBScHow you will studyFull-timeHow long you will study3 years
Course startsSeptemberDomestic course feesGBP 3290International course feesGBP 9750
The awardBScHow you will studySandwichHow long you will study4 years