University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2021/22 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Arts > Department of Anthropology and Archaeology > Anthropology (BA) > Specification
Please note: you are viewing unit and programme information for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
Programme code | 1ARCH026U |
---|---|
Programme type | Single Honours |
Programme director(s) |
Neil Carrier
|
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
School/department | Department of Anthropology and Archaeology |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups | Anthropology (2019) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 3 years (full time) |
Anthropology is the study of humanity in all its diversity, and to understand human social life in a holistic sense requires the comparative and relativist stance that is unique to the discipline. This programme aims to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental theories, methodologies and empirical bases of this interdisciplinary subject. Through this programme, Anthropology students learn the many different ways we can understand “being human”. These range from comparisons with our close primate relatives and our hominid ancestors, through to the diversity of human life-ways and an examination of the richness of variety and similarity in cultural phenomena worldwide. Students learn that anthropology is a dynamic subject that encompasses multiple perspectives and theories, from scientific experiments to reflexive interpretation.
In a comprehensive first year, students are introduced to the foundational studies and theorists in anthropology, and cover all aspects of the subject (including archaeology, as befits the Department’s interdisciplinarity). At all levels, students learn to apply their evolving knowledge and skills to the analysis of contemporary theories and debates. Students may choose to focus on social or evolutionary anthropology or material culture studies, or to retain a broad path through their degree. Whichever their focus, all students receive training in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and in descriptive, analytic, and project-management techniques. From the second year, students will undertake real-world fieldwork training in Bristol communities and further afield. The degree culminates in original dissertation research in the third year where students work closely with a member of staff in an area of specialisation. These specialities include human evolution and the evolution of behaviour, cross-cultural studies of language and cognition, kinship past and present, and the social life of objects as well as social networks of people. Staff undertake research focussed on Africa, Oceania, and the Middle East, as well as applied research including business anthropology. A particular strength of the department is the application of evolutionary theory to all aspects of human social life, behaviour, and biology.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
---|---|
|
Acquisition of subject-specific knowledge and understanding begins with a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental aspects of anthropology in the first year, and continues with mandatory units on contemporary theories, debates, and methodologies in second and third year. In-depth knowledge of topic-, sub-discipline- or regional-specific issues, case studies, and approaches is gained in optional units that allow students to specialise in e.g. social or evolutionary anthropology. Lectures, seminars, tutorials, and directed reading are the primary means of knowledge acquisition. Understanding is built with: anthropological methods training including guided fieldwork, ethnography and data analysis; small-group discussions, presentations and debates; and the application of knowledge in the third-year dissertation project, which allows students to work with a supervisor to explore their individual interests in a small-scale, original piece of research. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Summative assessments include essays, written examinations, and oral presentations for the majority of units, and also include research project reports (individual and/or group), contributions to online resources (e.g. wikis, blogs), reflective notebooks on anthropological practice, and the third-year dissertation. Diagnostic and formative assessment occurs through oral presentations, class and seminar participation, guided fieldwork, reflective notebooks, and in-class practice tests, as well as through feedback (written and oral) on summative work such as essays. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
---|---|
|
Intellectual skills, including discipline-specific skills, are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and practical sessions, as well as individual essay-preparation meetings and dissertation tutorials. Lectures provide model case-studies for the description, summary, and synthesis of information, as well as the assessment of arguments and the evaluations of claims. Seminars then provide an opportunity for students to develop their increasingly sophisticated intellectual skills in discussion, debates, and through individual or group presentations. Training in practical anthropological methods encourages the development of intellectual skills in ILOs 4-7 through hands-on lab, field, and discussion sessions. Independent learning skills are achieved through written coursework that rewards independent research and critical thought as students progress through their degree, culminating in the dissertation. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Summative assessments test intellectual skills include essays, written examinations, oral presentations, research project reports (individual and/or group), contributions to online resources (e.g. wikis, blogs), and reflective notebooks on anthropological practice. In the third year, the 12,000-word dissertation acts as a focal point for knowledge, understanding, and skills. In this piece of original work, students must apply their intellectual competencies by formulating a research topic and carrying out appropriate anthropological data collection and analysis. Diagnostic and formative assessment occurs through oral presentations, class and seminar participation, guided fieldwork, and reflective notebooks, as well as through feedback (written and oral) on summative work such as essays. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
---|---|
|
Training in these skills is delivered through lectures, exams, seminars, meetings with dissertation supervisors, guided fieldwork, group work, and both guided and independent reading. Independent learning is achieved through written coursework and the dissertation. Skills in information technology are developed throughout the programme, through independent research using online journal resources, data analysis in practical sessions, through direction towards appropriate specialist advice elsewhere in the University, and through preparation/feedback on IT-augmented coursework at all levels (e.g. word-processors, presentation and statistical software). |
Methods of Assessment | |
These skills form crucial components of both the formative and summative methods of assessment in the programme. Diagnostic and formative assessment of these other skills occurs in essay preparation meetings, short tutorial group summaries, essays (and the subsequent feedback), guided fieldwork, and dissertation tutorials. Summative assessments consist mainly of preparation for essays and written examinations. Group-work and project-management skills are assessed in presentations, research projects, and guided fieldwork assessments. Competence in IT skills is a component of all written coursework. |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
At level C, the student is expected to have gained an introductory knowledge and understanding of the main strands of anthropological theory and practice: sociocultural anthropology and kinship, evolutionary/biological anthropology, as well as the archaeological context of humanity. Discipline-specific, intellectual skills and key/transferable skills will have been developed at a foundational level in accordance with the aims and learning outcomes of particular units. Students will be encouraged to broaden their perspective beyond the Subject provisions and take an Open unit. |
---|---|
Level I/5 - Intermediate |
At level I, the student is expected to have further developed his/her knowledge and understanding of the main strands of anthropological theory and practice in their mandatory units of contemporary theory and anthropological methods. The opportunity to further develop knowledge and understanding is provided through optional units that take specific topics or regions as their subject matter. A greater degree of independent learning and a greater competence in some or all of the skills of research and written presentation is expected. Students submit summative essays in many units and therefore have the opportunity to further develop their research and writing skills towards synthesising a coherent, evidence-based argument. Students will gain guided experience in ethnographic methods and fieldwork techniques. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
At level H, the student is expected to develop his/her knowledge and understanding of one or more of the elements or themes of anthropology studied at Level I through (a) their optional units, (b) an advanced mandatory unit on anthropological issues, and (c) a specified piece of research work in their dissertation. Each optional unit offers learning opportunities in one or more of the following: extensive primary source material research, increasing independence (in terms of student learning and originality of thought), and greater competence in oral and written presentation than that expected at level I. The 40cps dissertation allows the student to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding, and intellectual skills while acquiring a host of key transferable skills in independent thinking and project-management, as well as the potential to implement practical methodological skills. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
UG Workload Statement
Success as an undergraduate student depends on you being able to make the transition to self-motivated, independent learning. Programmes are designed to assist you in this development, in many cases by starting with units in which timetabled teaching, such as lectures and practical classes, provides the foundations of knowledge and skills in a subject, moving on to individual research-based work. Over time you will be expected to take increasing responsibility for your own learning, guided by the feedback on your work that you will receive. At the heart of your studies at every level there must be regular and disciplined individual reading, reflection and writing and it is this skill of independent studies, above all others, that will serve you best when you leave the University.
Most programmes use credits and a 20 credit unit broadly equates to about 200 hours of student input. This includes all activities related to the teaching, learning and assessment of taught units.
A component of this is the time that you spend in class, in contact with the teaching staff, which includes activities such as lectures, laboratories, tutorials and fieldwork. Some of this activity may be online and could consist of activity that is synchronous (using real-time environments such as Blackboard Collaborate) or asynchronous (using tools such as tutor moderated discussion forums, blogs or wikis).
In some programmes there are field courses and/or placements that will take place in concentrated periods of time.
Outside scheduled activities you are expected to pursue your own independent learning to build your knowledge and understanding of the subjects you are studying. Such independent activities include, reviewing lecture material, reading textbooks, working on examples sheets, completing coursework, writing up laboratory notes, preparing for in-class progress tests and revising for examinations.
We recognise that many students undertake paid employment. To achieve a sensible balance between work and study, you are advised to undertake paid work for no more than 15 hours per week in term-time.
Professional Programmes
Many undergraduates in the Faculty of Health Sciences will be following the professional programmes of:
For these professional programmes, full time attendance is compulsory unless absence is formally approved. Academic activities are timetabled throughout the 5-day week and student workload is around 40 hours per week on average. Where possible, students in the early years are permitted Wednesday afternoons for sport and extra-curriculum activities. This may not be available in later years of professional programmes as when a student progresses through the curricula there is an increasing exposure to clinical and professional activities. Students in clinic or on placements may need to stay later than core times of 08.00 – 18.00 or even overnight to observe out-of-hours activities. This increasing exposure to clinical activities means that students on these professional programmes often have longer term dates than the University standard. Individual years within programmes are likely to vary in length (for example because of the timings of placements) and further information on this will be found in individual programme regulations. Another important point to note is that many of the assessments sit outside of the standard University examination timetable and are likely to be more frequent meaning that students will more oftentimes be engaged in revision activities and self-directed learning.
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty Assessment and Feedback Statement for Undergraduate Students. University of Bristol access only.
For more on the staff involved, please see: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/school-of-arts/people/group/dept/2243e
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
List A | |||||
Peoples, Culture and Language | ARCH10017 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
List B | |||||
Kin, Friends, Lovers and Others | ARCH10019 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
List C | |||||
Material Culture (C) | ARCH10013 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
List D | |||||
Evolution in Action | ARCH10014 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
List E | |||||
Big Ideas in Anthropology | ARCH10012 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
List F | |||||
20 CP From Bristol Futures, UWLP or Faculty Wide Units | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
List A | |||||
Anthropological Methods | ARCH20048 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
List B - Choose one from this list | |||||
The Anthropology of Gender and Childhood | ARCH20070 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Early Human Origins | ARCH20005 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
How Societies Evolve | ARCH20064 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Lives on the move: Migration and Mobility from a Global Perspective | ARCH20066 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List C - Choose one unit from this list | |||||
Britain AD | ARCH20068 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Lives on the move: Migration and Mobility from a Global Perspective | ARCH20066 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Anthropology and Contemporary Capitalism | ARCH20065 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Engaging with collections | ARCH20071 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List D | |||||
Evolution and Human Behaviour | ARCH20058 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
List E | |||||
Social Theories | ARCH20057 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
List F - Choose either: | |||||
Choose an additional 20 CP from list B (for a balanced workload) or from list C above, OR 20 CP of University Wide Language Programme (UWLP) or Faculty Wide Units | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Study Abroad (60cp) | ARCH25500 | 60 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
List A - Select ARCH30034 | |||||
Human Challenges | ARCH30034 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
List B - Select ARCH35022 | |||||
Dissertation | ARCH35022 | 40 | Mandatory | B | TB-4 |
List C -Choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
Cultural Heritage of the Built Environment | ARCH30051 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Introduction to Forensic Anthropology | ARCH30039 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Visions: Experiments in Creative Anthropology | ARCH30047 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Stimulating Anthropology: Drugs and Society | ARCH30040 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
A Planetary Caribbean: Land. Sea. Sky. Plantation. Plot | ARCH30053 | 20 | Optional | C | TB-1 |
List D - Choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
Introduction to Primatology | ARCH30050 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Museums and Heritage: Critical Perspectives | ARCH30048 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Anthropology of Disability and Difference | ARCH30049 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Work placement in Archaeology/Cultural Heritage | ARCH30046 | 20 | Optional | D | TB-2 |
Visions: Experiments in Creative Anthropology | ARCH30047 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List E - Choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
Sociolinguistic Anthropology: Language, Culture, and Society | MODL30016 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List F | |||||
20 CP From Bristol Futures, UWLP or Faculty Wide Units – OR choose an additional 20 CP from lists C or D above | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Anthropology (BA) | 120 |
Unit Pass Mark for Undergraduate Programmes:
For details on the weightings for classifying undergraduate degrees, please see the Agreed Weightings, by Faculty, to be applied for the Purposes of Calculating the Final Programme Mark and Degree Classification in Undergraduate Programmes.
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
Please refer to the specific progression/award requirements for programmes with a preliminary year of study, the Gateway programmes and International Foundation programmes.
All undergraduate degree programmes allow the opportunity for a student to exit from a programme with a Diploma or Certificate of Higher Education.
Integrated Master's degrees may also allow the opportunity for a student to exit from the programme with an equivalent Bachelor's degree where a student has achieved 360 credit points, of which 90 must be at level 6, and has successfully met any additional criteria as described in the programme specification.
The opportunities for a student to exit from one of the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry with an Award is outlined in the relevant Programme Regulations (which are available as an annex in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes).
An Ordinary degree can be awarded if a student has successfully completed at least 300 credits with a minimum of 60 credits at Level 6.
The pass mark for the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine and Dentistry is 50 out of 100. The classification of a degree in the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry is provided in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
University of Bristol,
Senate House,
Tyndall Avenue,
Bristol, BS8 1TH, UK
Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9000