Students preparing for their graduation ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral

Social Anthropology and Economics - BA (Hons)

UCAS code LL16

This is an archived page and for reference purposes only

2017

Overview

Social anthropology involves exploring how and why people do the things they do – for example, how they work, use technologies, and negotiate conflicts, relationships and change. This programme also gives you the opportunity to explore key issues in economics, such as how economies grow and develop, challenges relating to the environment and use of natural resources, and the impact of financial crises.

Social Anthropology 

On the Social Anthropology programme you study people’s social relationships and cultural values in a wide range of local, global, diasporic and transnational settings – their political and economic organisation, their use of rural and urban spaces, and their systems of knowledge and forms of religious experience. 

As a research-led School, we offer a wide range of specialist topics and ethnographic area modules covering regions such as the Amazon, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Pacific. You also have the opportunity to study visual anthropology, with modules on the anthropological use of photography, film and video. A further special feature of studying at Kent is the application of IT to anthropological research and practice.

Anthropology is a friendly and cosmopolitan School where you are taught by leading authorities in their fields. Our Centre for Social Anthropology and Computing (CSAC) was one of the first in the country and our Centre for Biocultural Diversity (CBCD) is equally outstanding.

Economics

Economics examines some of the profound issues in our life and times, including: economic growth and sustainable development, emerging market economies, financial and monetary crises, environmental and natural resource problems, international trade and aid to poor countries. 

Student satisfaction with our programmes is very high and we consistently appear in the top ten economics departments in the National Student Survey. Students particularly like the ability of our staff to explain complex relationships, the efficient assessment arrangements and marking, and the organisation and running of the course.

The School has a strong international reputation for research in key areas of economics. Many staff advise government bodies, including the UK’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for International Development (DFID). They also advise international organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Central Bank (ECB).

Independent rankings

In the National Student Survey 2016, Anthropology at Kent was ranked 7th in the UK for overall student satisfaction, while 92% of Economics students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course. 

Anthropology at Kent was ranked 9th for teaching quality in The Times Good University Guide 2017. Economics at Kent was ranked 8th in The Guardian University Guide 2017.

For graduate prospects, Economics at Kent was ranked 2nd in The Guardian University Guide, while Anthropology was ranked 5th. Anthropology and Conservation students who graduated from Kent in 2015 were the most successful in the UK at finding work or further study opportunities, and 92% of students who graduated in Economics from Kent in 2015 were in work or further study within six months (DLHE).

Course structure

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

Teaching and assessment

Social Anthropology

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

Assessment ranges from 80:20 exam/coursework to 100% coursework. At Stages 2 and 3, most core modules are split 50% end-of-year examination and 50% coursework. Both Stage 2 and 3 marks count towards your final degree result.

Economics

All of our modules are taught by a combination of lectures and small group sessions, which include seminars, computing practicals, problem sets, debates and role-play games.

The School of Economics is committed to making sure that you leave Kent with much more than just a degree in Economics. We put great emphasis on the development of transferable skills, including numeracy, analytical problem solving, data analysis, and written and oral communication, as well as subject-specific skills for further study at postgraduate level.

The modules are assessed by continuous assessment of coursework throughout the year and an end-of-year exam in the final term. A number of modules at each stage are assessed solely through coursework.

Programme aims

For programme aims and learning outcomes please see the programmes specification for each subject below. Please note that outcomes will depend on your specific module selection:

Careers

Studying Social Anthropology and Economics gives you an exciting range of career opportunities. The range of modules available on the programme enables you to tailor your degree to support your particular career choice, giving you a competitive edge in the employment market; for instance, some of the Economics modules concentrate on preparing you for life as a professional economist. Throughout your studies you learn how to work independently, analyse complex data and present your work with clarity and flair.

Our recent Social Anthropology graduates have gone into areas such as overseas development and aid work, further research in social anthropology, social sciences research, media research or production (TV and radio), journalism, advertising, social work, education, international consultancy and work with community groups. Economics graduates have gone on to careers in accountancy, banking, finance, journalism, management consultancy and business.

Entry requirements

Home/EU students

The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice. 

It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.

New GCSE grades

If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.

Qualification Typical offer/minimum requirement
A level

ABB

GCSE

Mathematics GCSE grade A (unless grade C or above has been achieved at A/AS level)

Access to HE Diploma

The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. 

If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma)

The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances.

International Baccalaureate

34 points overall or 16 points at HL including Mathematics SL or HL at 4 or  Mathematics Studies at 5

International students

The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.

If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.

Meet our staff in your country

For more advise about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events. 

English Language Requirements

Please see our English language entry requirements web page.

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme. 

General entry requirements

Please also see our general entry requirements.

Fees

The 2017/18 tuition fees for this programme are:

UK/EU Overseas
Full-time

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

UK/EU fee paying students

The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.

In accordance with changes announced by the UK Government, we are increasing our 2017/18 regulated full-time tuition fees for new and returning UK/EU fee paying undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses will also rise from £4,500 to £4,625. This was subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. This fee will ensure the continued provision of high-quality education.

For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* 

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

General additional costs

Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.

Funding

University funding

Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details. 

Government funding

You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.

The Government has confirmed that EU students applying for university places in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will still have access to student funding support for the duration of their course.

Scholarships

General scholarships

Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.

The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence

At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.

The scholarship is also extended to those who achieve AAB at A level (or specified equivalents) where one of the subjects is either Mathematics or a Modern Foreign Language. Please review the eligibility criteria.

The Key Information Set (KIS) data is compiled by UNISTATS and draws from a variety of sources which includes the National Student Survey and the Higher Education Statistical Agency. The data for assessment and contact hours is compiled from the most populous modules (to the total of 120 credits for an academic session) for this particular degree programme. Depending on module selection, there may be some variation between the KIS data and an individual's experience. For further information on how the KIS data is compiled please see the UNISTATS website.

If you have any queries about a particular programme, please contact information@kent.ac.uk.