Anthropology with Foundation Year

Program Overview

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BA (Hons) Anthropology with Foundation Year

Course Overview

Our Anthropology programme is a fascinating exploration of human societies, looking at present-day western and non-western groups, the biological aspects of humanity, and social development through time as seen in material culture.

Course Features

• Explore what it means to be human by developing an understanding of the biological aspects of humanity and delving into a wide array of human societies both past and present.
• Get up close and hands-on with a range of materials, from primate skeletons to religious relics, in our University’s cutting-edge departmental laboratory
• Become a sought-after employee by diverse industries, from medicine and museums to academia and advertising
• Develop intercultural understanding – a key asset in today’s job market

Course Details

Work Placements

You have the option to undertake a work placement in Year 3 instead of a dissertation. You can also undertake a volunteering placement in Year 2.

Study Abroad

Our BA (Hons) Anthropology course provides an opportunity for you to study abroad in the United States of America (USA) or Canada.

Learning and Teaching

Our aim is to shape 'confident learners' by enabling you to develop the skills needed to excel in your studies here and as well as onto further studies or the employment market. You are taught primarily through a combination of lectures and seminars, allowing opportunities to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups. Additionally, you are encouraged to access academic support from staff within the course team and the wide range of services available to you within the University.

Independent Learning

Over the duration of your course, you will be expected to develop independent and critical learning, progressively building confidence and expertise through independent and collaborative research, problem-solving and analysis with the support of staff. You take responsibility for your own learning and are encouraged to make use of the wide range of available learning resources available.

Overall Workload

Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning and assessment activity. While your actual contact hours may depend on the optional modules you select, the following information gives an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities at each level of the course

• Year 0 (Level 3): Teaching, learning and assessment: 212 hours. Independent learning: 988 hours
• Year 1 (Level 4): Teaching, learning and assessment: 252 hours. Independent learning: 948 hours
• Year 2 (Level 5): Teaching, learning and assessment: 204 hours. Independent learning: 972 hours
• Year 3 (Level 6): Teaching, learning and assessment: 168 hours. Independent learning: 1032 hours

Location

Taught elements of the course take place on campus in Winchester.

Teaching Hours

All class based teaching takes places between 9am – 6pm, Monday to Friday during term time. Wednesday afternoons are kept free from timetabled teaching for personal study time and for sports clubs and societies to train, meet and play matches. There may be some occasional learning opportunities (for example, an evening guest lecturer or performance) that take places outside of these hours for which you will be given forewarning.

Assessment

Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances. We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.

The assessment balance between examination and coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by different assessment modes is as follows:

• Year 0 (Level 3): 100% coursework. 0% written exams. 0% practical exams
• Year 1 (Level 4): 62% coursework. 25% written exams. 13% practical exams
• Year 2 (Level 5): 62% coursework. 25% written exams. 13% practical exams
• Year 3 (Level 6): 75% coursework. 25% written exams. 0% practical exams

Modules

Year 0

• Developing Academic Skills and a Sense of Vocation 15 Credits
• Important Thinkers and the Big Questions 40 Credits
• Exploring the Past: People, Place and Perspectives 40 Credits

Year 1

• Being Human: Introduction to Social Anthropology 30 Credits
• Becoming Human: Introduction to Biological Anthropology 30 Credits
• Anthropological Questions and Perspectives 30 Credits
• The Archaeology of Past Societies and Cultures 30 Credits

Year 2

• Theory and Research in Anthropology 30 Credits
• Biological and Social Identities 30 Credits
• Exploring Art and Visual Culture 30 Credits
• Thinking Through Theory 15 Credits

Year 3

• Extended Independent Study: Dissertation or Work Placement 30 Credits
• Migration and Movement in Anthropology 30 Credits
• Anthropology, Archaeology and Heritage: Communication and Interpretation 30 Credits

Optional Modules

• Death, Burials and Bioarchaeology - 30 credits
• Global Religions: Spaces and Places - 30 credits
• Rites, Religions and Rituals - 30 credits
• Alternative Spiritualities: New and Indigenous Religions - 30 credits
• Themes in European Prehistory - 30 credits

Entry Requirements

• UK: 48 points
• International: 48 points

Our offers are typically made using UCAS tariff points to allow you to include a range of level 3 qualifications and as a guide, the requirements for this course are equivalent to:

• A-Levels: BBC-BBB from 3 A Levels or equivalent grade combinations (e.g. BBB is comparable to ABC in terms of tariff points)
• BTEC/CTEC: DMM from BTEC or Cambridge Technical (CTEC) qualifications
• International Baccalaureate: To include a minimum of 2 Higher Level certificates at grade H4
• T Level: Merit in a T Level

Additionally, we accept tariff points achieved for many other qualifications, such as the Access to Higher Education Diploma, Scottish Highers, UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma and WJEC Applied Certificate/Diploma, to name a few. We also accept tariff points from smaller level 3 qualifications, up to a maximum of 32, from qualifications like the Extended Project (EP/EPQ), music or dance qualifications.

In addition to level 3 study, the following GCSE’s are required:

• GCSE English Language at grade 4 or C, or higher. Functional Skills at level 2 is accepted as an alternative, however Key Skills qualifications are not.

If you will be over the age of 21 years of age at the beginning of your undergraduate study, you will be considered as a mature student. This means our offer may be different and any work or life experiences you have will be considered together with any qualifications you hold.

Tuition Fees

• UK / Channel Islands / Isle of Man / Republic of Ireland: £5,760 (Foundation year)
• International: £16,700 (Foundation year)

Fees for future academic years will be determined in line with our Terms and Conditions. The fee is currently subject to a governmental fee cap for each academic year. It is our policy to charge tuition fees at the level of the cap set by the Government. If the cap set by the Government changes, then we may increase our Fees in line with governmental policy.

Additional Costs

• Anthropological field studies: Different options for field studies in anthropology exist over the course of the degree programme, from week-long field trips to field research over the summer on university-led or independent field research projects. Students may have to cover project-specific costs, including travel, accommodation and subsistence for the duration of the project.

Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards

We have a variety of scholarship and bursaries available to support you financially with the cost of your course. To see if you’re eligible, please see our Scholarships and Awards page.

Career Prospects

Due to the broad nature of the topic, anthropologists are highly valued by employers in many industries for their cross-cultural communication skills and their ability to analyse human behaviour. As Margaret Mead, the great American anthropologist, once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

Anthropology graduates work in a wide range of careers such as international development, government, NGOs, business (especially cross-cultural communication), museums, or health and tourism.

The University of Winchester ranks in the top 10 in the UK for graduates in employment or further study according to the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023, HESA.

Pre-approved for a Masters

If you study a Bachelor Honours degree with us, you will be pre-approved to start a Masters degree at Winchester. To be eligible, you will need to apply by the end of March in the final year of your degree and meet the entry requirements of your chosen Masters degree.