Are you curious about the origins, formation and development of different societies? Do you wonder about the role of politics in these processes? Our Social Anthropology and Politics joint honours programme offers a comprehensive approach for the study of political systems in societies around the world and across time.
Kent’s School of Anthropology and Conservation has a range of experts working on social anthropology in regions as diverse as the Middle East, Europe, China and Amazonia.
Politics at Kent encourages you to think critically about political events, ideas and institutions while engaging with the key issues of today.
You learn to understand and address the challenges of our time and are given skills to contribute to society in a wide range of exciting careers after you graduate.
In your first year, you start by studying the fundamentals of social anthropology and political science. You then continue to learn about different quantitative and qualitative research methods relevant for both disciplines. There is a special focus on ethnography, a method used by social anthropology to understand diverse social worlds.
During all stages of your studies you have the opportunity to choose specialist modules that suit your interests and include topics like South East Asian societies, ethnicity and nationalism, visual anthropology, and international politics.
In your final year of study, there is an option to take a dissertation module on a subject of your choice, presenting your findings in writing or in the form of a visual or digital essay. This allows you to focus in detail on an area you are particularly passionate about.
In this video, students and staff discuss their experiences of the course.
Kent’s School of Anthropology and Conservation has a number of excellent subject-specific facilities to help your learning. These include:
You have access to a wide range of topical journals and books in hard copy and digital format through Kent’s Templeman Library. You can also view content from the European Documentation Centre, a useful resource for studying European politics and policy.
Your designated academic advisor provides guidance for your studies and academic development. Our Student Learning Advisory Service also offers useful workshops on topics like essay writing and academic referencing.
There are a number of student-led societies which you may want to join such as:
The School of Anthropology and Conservation puts on many events that you are welcome to attend. We host two public lectures a year for which we have been able to attract leading anthropological figures from around the world. In 2017 we hosted paleoanthropologist Professor Lee Berger, one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people.
You are also encouraged to get involved in the programme of events and activities run by the School of Politics and International Relations, which focuses on bridging the gap between academic study and real-life politics.
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Typical requirements are listed below. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
Please note that meeting this typical offer/minimum requirement does not guarantee an offer being made.Please also see our general entry requirements.
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
BBB
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.
Distinction, Distinction, Merit in an academic based subject. Other subjects such as Hospitality, Catering, Art & Design, Music, Photography and Dance will be considered on a case-by-case basis
34 points overall or 15 points at HL
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.
However, please note that international fee-paying students cannot undertake a part-time programme due to visa restrictions.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
For more advice about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
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.
Duration: 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time
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 ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
The 2020/21 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £9,250.
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.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
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.
Our main teaching methods are lectures, seminars, working groups, PC laboratory sessions and individual discussions with your personal tutor or module teachers. Assessment is through continuous feedback, written examinations, assessed essays and oral presentations.
We hold a weekly extra-curricular Open Forum organised by our School research groups, where students and staff have the opportunity to discuss and debate key issues that affect higher education and politics in the world today.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For programme aims and learning outcomes please see the programme specification for each subject below. Please note that outcomes will depend on your specific module selection:
Anthropology at Kent scored 90% overall and was ranked 13th in The Complete University Guide 2021.
In The Guardian University Guide 2020, over 91% of final-year Anthropology students were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course.
In The Guardian University Guide 2020, over 91% of final-year Politics students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
As part of your degree, you develop critical thinking, transferable knowledge and skills that enable you to work in a variety of professions.
Our graduates have gone on to work in:
The School offers an employability programme aimed at helping you develop the skills you'll need to look for a job. We offer:
Politics also runs a designated Employability Scheme. This includes workshops on a range of topics, for example:
The University has a friendly Careers and Employability Service which can give you advice on how to:
As well as gaining skills and knowledge in your subject area, you acquire key transferable skills that are essential for all graduates.
These skills include:
You can also gain additional skills by signing up for our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.
This course page is for the 2020/21 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of undergraduate courses we offer.
T: +44 (0)1227 768896
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk
Discover Uni is designed to support prospective students in deciding whether, where and what to study. The site replaces Unistats from September 2019.
Discover Uni is jointly owned by the Office for Students, the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and the Scottish Funding Council.
It includes:
Find out more about the Unistats dataset on the Higher Education Statistics Agency website.
