Programme Title

BA Anthropology

Final Award
(exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes)

Bachelor of Arts

Programme Code

ANT-BA-S

UCAS Code

L600

HECoS Code

100436

ATAS Clearance Required

No

Mode of Study

Full Time

Type of Programme

Single Honours

Length of Programme

3 Academic Year(s)

Total Credits for Programme

360

Exit Awards available

Teaching Institution

Queen's University Belfast

School/Department

History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics

Framework for Higher Education Qualification Level 
www.qaa.ac.uk

Level 6

QAA Benchmark Group
www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements

Anthropology (2015)

Accreditations (PSRB)

Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations
(Please see General Regulations)

General University Regulations apply at all stages.

Programme Specific Regulations

At Level II a student may substitute up to 20 CATS of optional modules with the equivalent number of CATS from a list of approved modules beyond those listed below.

At Level II & III a student may substitute up to 20 CATS of optional modules with the equivalent number of CATS from a list of approved modules beyond those listed below.

Students with protected characteristics

The School works with internship and placement providers and partner institutions to ensure that students with disabilities are able to access workplace and residence abroad requirements.

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

No

Learning Outcomes: Cognitive Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

• exercise sound, reasoned judgment;
• think independently and imaginatively
• appreciate a range of historical and cultural perspectives on academic enquiry;
• engage with and interpret layers of meaning within primary sources;
• assess and appraise differing views on significant areas of academic debate;
• discriminate between what is central and what is peripheral to the issue in question;
• evaluate sources critically in their context;
• make judgments on the basis of varied and problematic evidence and according to the persuasiveness of the arguments or the reliability of the evidence used.
• gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information; and be familiar with appropriate means of identifying, finding, retrieving, sorting and exchanging information.
• synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement, primarily through essay writing;
• demonstrate an analytical ability, and have the capacity to consider and solve problems, including complex problems to which there is no single solution
• demonstrate clarity and fluency of written expression
• reflect on their own learning and seek and make use of constructive feedback
• recognise the importance of explicit referencing and the ethical requirements of study, which requires critical and reflective use of information and information technology in the learning process;
• produce intellectually coherent academic analysis under time-managed conditions and within word limits;
• Demonstrate an understanding of how qualitative research skills relate to quantitative data problems.
• structure, manage and adapt strategies for self-directed independent research.
• demonstrate intellectual integrity and maturity

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Seminars and tutorials offer a variety of tutor-led and student-led learning opportunities as well as a more sustained opportunity to debate and evaluate a breadth of knowledge gained independently from directed reading and from the sharing of resources and information.

Through class discussions, sometimes assigned to pairs or sub-groups, students develop a comparative understanding of different approaches to material and the ability to formulate their own arguments and responses.

Through supervision of dissertations and research essays students are encouraged to identify a research topic; collate relevant data and write an independent analysis of it

Student-centred learning situations encourage the ability to present and summarise knowledge to peers in a coherent, structured form, and to further enhance organisational and inter-personal skills.

Writing skills tutorials and dissertation workshops develop a student’s ability to structure and write a coherent and lucid essay and dissertation. Research skills in online bibliographical searches and the use of archives and libraries are developed through preparatory workshops for the dissertation. Students also have the opportunity to attend classes in database management.

Student placement opportunities will be integrated into dissertation and research methods modules.

Group projects are used to encourage students to collaborate with peers, negotiate the demands of teamwork and develop their understanding of a topic.

At the core of the programme are modules that provide the opportunity to undertake independent field research leading to a significant written dissertation.

Methods of Assessment

Examinations and essays require that students demonstrate coverage of material, appropriate methods of analysis, the ability to discriminate between arguments, and the ability to form an independent argument.

Written exams help students gain a knowledge of a topic that can be readily and directly applied to a set problem or question, and also test their ability to select relevant information and to write clearly and concisely within a set time.

Essays test their ability to collect, order and shape information, and to recognise ways in which to present and prioritise material.

Portfolios enable students to follow a significant project over time, completing a variety of tasks that develop different skills. They test a student’s ability to react to and build upon both instructor feedback and reflexive learning.

Dissertations test students’ ability to conceive of an independent research project; collate relevant data and synthesise it in a coherent and lucid analysis.

Coursework is required to be submitted in a specified form and to fixed deadlines, thus teaching students to learn to prioritise assignments and objectives and to hone their organisational and time-management skills.

Feedback is provided for each type and instance of assessment and students may seek dedicated feedback sessions with course tutors. The Personal Tutor system facilitates student reflection upon academic performance and assists in developing strategies for improvement.

Presentations designed to put over a large amount of material in a short period of time.

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge & Understanding

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

• demonstrated an understanding of the nature and extent of human diversity and commonality and account for this using a variety of analytical perspectives
• shown an understanding and facility in the use of the repertoire of concepts, theories and key research methods
• shown an appreciation and understanding of the relationship between local social and cultural forms in relation to global processes and broader historical developments
• indicated a critical awareness of how anthropology is related to other cognate subjects
• demonstrated knowledge and critical understanding of the potential applications of anthropological knowledge in a variety of contexts
• an ability to describe and analyse the ways in which human beings shape and are shaped by social, cultural and environmental contexts
• an ability to identify and question cultural assumptions
• an understanding of the social and historical processes that influence the objects of anthropological study
• Understand modes of human conflict and conflict resolution
• Comprehend the nature of policy and its relationship to governmental power and social relationships.
• an ability interpret and analyse a variety of oral, musical, visual and textual forms

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

The Anthropology programme incorporates a wide range of modules that focus on different anthropological themes and a range of cultures and regions

Analysis of anthropological texts incorporated into the curriculum at all levels
In lectures and tutorials students are encouraged to reflect on human cultural diversity and to compare different perspectives and methodological debates
In lectures and tutorials students are encouraged to identify different specialisms and the contribution that they make to our understanding of human cultural diversity.

The Anthropology curriculum provides students with a wide range of modules to choose from which reflect the different thematic and regional specialisms of members of staff, but which achieve appropriate breadth and depth in engaging with the discipline.

At level 3 emphasis is placed on developing students’ ability to interpret anthropological texts and critically engage with anthropological debates.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment of individual modules

Exams, essays, seminar/tutorial contributions and dissertations
In the criteria for assessment of written and oral work particular attention is paid to the student’s awareness of cultural assumptions (including their own) and the ways in which these impact on an interpretation of others, as well as their awareness of different methodological approaches and debates.

Assessment of dissertations is based on the following: students are expected to provide evidence of field research, to demonstrate an awareness of the secondary literature on their research topic, and to offer a critical analysis of the topic.

In the dissertation submitted in the third year, emphasis is placed on students critically engaging with relevant anthropological debates on the basis of primary field data.

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

• An understanding how human beings are shaped by, and interact with, their social, cultural and physical environments, and an appreciation of their social, cultural and biological diversity.
• An ability to formulate, investigate and discuss anthropologically informed questions and a competence in using major theoretical perspectives and concepts in anthropology and to critically asses their strengths and limitations.
• An ability to engage with cultures, populations and groups different from their own, without foregoing a sense of personal judgment. An awareness of cultural assumptions, including their own, and the ways in which these impact on an interpretation of others.
• An ability to critically read and interpret texts (for example: print, oral, film, multimedia) within their historical, social and theoretical contexts and acknowledge practical awareness of the strengths and limitations of ethnographic fieldwork and the different stages and requirements of carrying out an anthropological study.
• An ability to analyse and recognise the politics of language, indirect forms of communication and theoretical statements, forms of power and claims of authority.
• An ability to apply anthropological knowledge to a variety of practical situations, personal and professional plans, undertake and present scholarly work that demonstrates an understanding of anthropological aims, methods and theoretical considerations.
• An understanding of how to interpret and engage with policy documents
• Appreciation of types of conflict and methods of conflict transformation
• Intellectual independence and the initiative to set tasks and solve problems Intellectual independence and the initiative to set tasks and solve problems

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Discussions in tutorials encourage students to reflect on the human social and cultural diversity.
Lectures, seminars and tutorials aim to make students aware of the different cultures and able to critically analyse cultural difference.
Engagement with texts and class discussion to advance cultural self-awareness.
The Anthropology curriculum provides students with a wide choice of modules which reflect the different specialisms of members of staff and a commitment to research-led teaching.

Lectures, seminars and tutorials aim to advance students’ appreciation of the complexity of human cultural diversity and different theoretical traditions.

From level 1 through to level 3 students are taught the methods of professional anthropologists, and engage with how these skills are transferrable across disciplines and employment opportunities.



Methods modules, student placements and the dissertation module will profile engagement with policy and research problems.
Course at Levels 1, 2 and 3 which will examine the nature of human conflict
In seminars and tutorials students are encouraged to present their own ideas and views on particular topics.
In dissertations, students are expected to formulate their own research topic and engage in independent research on it.

Methods of Assessment

In written and oral work, students are expected to demonstrate a knowledge of human social and cultural differences and how they emerge and are reproduced.

Essays, portfolios, dissertations, oral presentations



Dissertations, portfolios, and presentations.
Essays, portfolios, dissertations, oral presentations
Essays, portfolios, and dissertations

Learning Outcomes: Transferable Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

• Manage time efficiently, work under pressure and to deadlines
• evaluate and judge evidence and the quality of information
• present high-quality analysis cogently and succinctly;
• collate and process information from an array of sources, including electronic media;
• use their knowledge in cogent, communicable ways to present arguments and clarify complex issues in both oral and written forms;
• present ideas and arguments orally in both formal and informal contexts; and the capacity to sustain a reasoned line of argument in the face of others, to listen, engage in sustained debate, and amend views as necessary in the light of evidence of argument
• work effectively and creatively both independently and in a team setting;
• understand the role and use of feedback in assessing and improving performance;
• respond constructively to criticism;
• reflect on intellectual and professional priorities;
• use libraries and online resources
• use IT skills (word processing, use of internet resources);
• take notes and summarise accurately and effectively;

• demonstrate self-reliance, initiative, adaptability and intercultural awareness

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Student preparation for seminars/tutorials requires them to read a variety of material and discuss this with their peers and the tutor. They may make individual or group presentations analysing the material in class.





Individual and group presentations

Group work on projects, particularly at levels 1 and 2
students may seek dedicated feedback sessions with course tutors

Engagement with Personal Tutors promotes student reflection upon academic performance. Personal Tutors also discuss career options with students; and the School works closely with the Careers Liaison Officer to present students with information on possible careers
Students are guided on the use of appropriate online resources and effective presentation of their written and oral work using word processing and presentation slides. At level 1, note taking is discussed in tutorials



Erasmus programme and Exchange programmes with international universities

Methods of Assessment

Examinations, portfolios, essays and dissertations require that students demonstrate appropriate methods of analysis, the ability to discriminate between arguments and evaluate information, and the ability to form a cogent, independent argument.
Written exams test students’ ability to select relevant information and to write clearly and concisely within a set time. With coursework essays, students are required to adhere to strict deadlines.




Individual and group presentations

Individual modules include group work assessment
Online and Oral Feedback is provided for each type and instance of assessment

Each student is allocated a Personal Tutor in level 1 and meets with him/her throughout the duration of the degree programme

Essays, portfolios, dissertations and presentations are assessed for presentation skills, appropriate bibliography as well as analysis
Research for essays, portfolios, and presentations
Coursework assignments (researching and writing)
For most international exchanges, students enrol on the host institution’s undergraduate programme.