Degrees Offered

• BA Single Honours Social Anthropology (UCAS Code: L600)
• BA Joint Honours English and Social Anthropology (UCAS Code: QL36)
• BA Joint Honours French and Social Anthropology (UCAS Code: RL16)
• BA Joint Honours History and Social Anthropology (UCAS Code VL16)
• BA Joint Honours Irish and Social Anthropology (UCAS Code: QL56)
• BA Joint Honours Social Anthropology and Spanish (UCAS Code: LR64)

Contact Information

For entrance requirements
E: admissions@qub.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)28 9097 3838

For course information
School of History and Anthropology
T: +44 (0)28 9097 3701/3876
E: anthropology2@qub.ac.uk
W: http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/AnthropologicalStudies

Entrance Requirements

• A-level
  BBB. There are no specific subject requirements at A-level.
  
  
• Irish Leaving Certificate
  B2B2B2B2CC/B2B2B2B2B2

BA Joint Requirements
For BA Joint Honours the requirements are stated separately under each programme.

For students whose first language is not English
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Further information on other acceptable English Language qualifications is available here

If you are an international student and you do not meet the entrance requirements, you should consider a preparation course at INTO Queen's University Belfast, which will prepare you for successful study on these degree courses. INTO Queen's University Belfast is based on the University campus and offers a range of courses. For a full list click here

The Subject

Social Anthropology seeks to understand what it is to be human across the world, studying societies across space and time in order to grasp their cultural similarities and differences. By doing this, Social Anthropology opens windows onto worlds different from your own, and also provides mirrors for reflection about your own cultural world.

Queen's has one of the most successful Social Anthropology units in the UK and Ireland. Besides its wide reputation for research in communities, its staff have first-hand specialist knowledge of people across the world, and share their research on contemporary issues in their teaching. It has consistently obtained excellent gradings in the UK Research Assessment Exercises, and has been commended by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education for the teaching and learning opportunities it provides for its students.

Course Content

Year 1
The following modules are offered in first year:

A World on the Move: Anthropological and Historical Approaches to Globalisation
Culture and Society: the Social Anthropological Perspective
Expressive Cultures: Interpreting Text, Image and Sound
Power, Ritual and Symbol: the View from Anthropology

Years 2 and 3
In second and third year the combinations of compulsory and optional modules vary according to the degree of specialisation in Social Anthropology. Note: Only some of the modules are available each year.

An Ethnography of Political Violence in Ireland
Anthropology of Art
Contemporary Classics in Ethnographic Writing
Human-Animal Relations: an Anthropological Perspective
Japanese Society
Key Debates in Anthropology
Leisure, Tourism and Culture
Love, Hate and Beyond: Emotions, Culture, Practice
Music of Brazil
Music, Medicine and Culture
Performance, Power and Passion
Religion and Ritual
Sex and Gender
The Anthropology of Modern Dance
Dissertation on an approved subject

Click here for more information on modules

Learning and Teaching

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential.

On the English and Social Anthropology degree programme we do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners.   Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:

• Lectures: introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading.  Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers).
• E-Learning technologies:   Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online.  A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example:  interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; IT and statistics modules; podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with design in practicals and project- based work etc.
• Seminars/tutorials:  Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students).  These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of peers.  You should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups.
• Self-directed study: This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
• Supervised projects:  In final year, you may choose a year-long double-weighted Dissertation module in English and/or Social Anthropology which requires you to carry out a significant piece of research on a topic that you have chosen.  You will receive support from a supervisor who will guide you in terms of how to carry out your research and will provide feedback to you on at least 2 occasions during the write up stage.
• Personal Tutor:  Undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor during Level 1 and 2 who meets with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic development.

Assessment and Feedback

Assessment (general):  The way in which you are assessed will vary according to the Learning objectives of each module.  Some modules are assessed solely through project work or written assignments.  Others are assessed through a combination of coursework and end of semester examinations.  Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction.

Feedback (general):  As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers.  University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:

• Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted. 
• Face to face comment.  This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
• Placement employer comments or references.
• Online or emailed comment.
• General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid.  In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time. 
• Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.

Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work.

Careers

Studying for an English and Social Anthropology degree at Queen’s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions.  The subject matter studied is invariably related to a wide range of contemporary issues, and shows that social, political and economic processes developing in the present need be understood in a proper cross-cultural, literary and historical perspective.  Graduates from this degree at Queen’s are well regarded by many employers (local, national and international) and over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline.   

The following is a list of the major career sectors that have attracted our graduates in recent years:

Employer Links

Consultations

We regularly consult and develop links with a large number of employers including, for example, BBC Northern Ireland who provide sponsorship for the English course in Broadcast Literacy (currently offered at postgraduate level but soon to be offered at undergraduate level also).   

Formal contact is made via an Employers’ Forum. Members of this forum include senior figures from: the Northern Ireland Civil Service; PricewaterhouseCoopers; the British Council; Bank of Ireland; and from the NGO sector such as Arts Care and the NI Institute for Conflict Research.

Graduate Careers and Achievements

Many of our former graduates have risen to the top of their fields and include many famous figures; for example:

• Seamus Heaney, Nobel prize-winning poet;
• Paul Muldoon, academic and poet;
• Stephen Rea, actor;
• Helen Madden, writer and actor;
• Annie Kelly, journalist and writer;
• Annie Mac, radio presenter.

You should also take a look at the Prospects website for further information concerning the types of jobs that attract English and Social Anthropology graduates.

Further study is also an option open to our graduates. Students can choose from a wide range of Masters programmes as well as a comprehensive list of research topics.

Other Career-related information: Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group and, therefore, one of the 20 universities most-targeted by leading graduate employers.  Queen’s students will be advised and guided about career choice and, through the Degree Plusinitiative, will have an opportunity to seek accreditation for skills development and experience gained through the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer.  See Queen’s University Belfast fullEmployability Statementfor further information.

Degree Plus and other related initiatives:  Recognising student diversity, as well as promoting employability enhancements and other interests, is part of the developmental experience at Queen’s.  Students are encouraged to plan and build their own, personal skill and experiential profile through a range of activities including; recognised Queen’s Certificates, placements and other work experiences (at home or overseas), Erasmus study options elsewhere in Europe, learning development opportunities and involvement in wider university life through activities, such as clubs, societies, and sports. 

Queen’s actively encourages this type of activity by offering students an additional qualification, the Degree Plus Award (and the related Researcher Plus Award for PhD and MPhil students).  Degree Plus accredits wider experiential and skill development gained through extra-curricular activities that promote the enhancement of academic, career management, personal and employability skills in a variety of contexts.  As part of the Award, students are also trained on how to reflect on the experience(s) and make the link between academic achievement, extracurricular activities, transferable skills and graduate employment. Participating students will also be trained in how to reflect on their skills and experiences and can gain an understanding of how to articulate the significance of these to others, e.g. employers.

Overall, these initiatives, and Degree Plus in particular, reward the energy, drive, determination and enthusiasm shown by students engaging in activities over-and-above the requirements of their academic studies.  These qualities are amongst those valued highly by graduate employers.

Special Features

In Social Anthropology, you will find first-hand knowledge of, and respect for, people from all sorts of societies and from all cultural backgrounds. Most importantly, if you choose to specialise with us, you will have the chance to develop your own fieldwork project. In recent years students have visited the Pacific, India, Africa, Latin America and various areas of Western Europe, as well as conducting research in their own home communities.

A wide range of approaches is adopted towards learning and teaching, including lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, practical exercises and individual supervision, depending on the modules undertaken. All of these approaches will provide transferable and employability skills, as well as enabling you to deepen your knowledge of anthropology.