BSc Anthropology with a Year Abroad
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Coordinator: Dr. Ruth Mandel
UCL has
the leading broad-based anthropology department in the UK. It is located in the
heart of London, within walking distance of the city’s major cultural
attractions. At UCL, we pursue the big questions of the human present; thinking
about what are the meanings, symbols and
practices of the varieties of human cultures and societies? and the human past;
addressing questions around how did our
species evolveand what does it mean to be human? We relate these questions to
the everyday problems and decisions that shape people’s lives. You can expect
training in the full range of methods, theories and techniques from leading
researchers in a range of sub-fields within anthropology, whose work spans the
globe. Like other Anthropology degrees,
UCL Anthropology includes social anthropology, but unlike many others, we also incorporate material culture and biological anthropology. Amongst other things material culture studies takes seriously how new fashions and technologies, from mobile phones to denim jeans to Facebook, are transforming societies throughout the world. In addition, we are also committed to understanding how the past is used in the present through a critical approach to the ever-increasing role of museums, tourism and cultural heritage in the global economy. In addition, we have strong programmes in medical anthropology, ethnographic film, and human ecology and development.
Our teaching is structured around a combination of lectures, small-group discussions and seminars. We aim to provide close and regular contact between students and staff as you progress to more advanced levels of understanding. We have no particular expectations about your GSCE or A level choices, though a background in biology will help you with some of the courses. Sciences, humanities and social sciences are essential to an understanding of human diversity, and here you will learn how they relate to one another, regardless of your educational background so far. We offer opportunities to undertake practical fieldwork, so as to understand how anthropologists obtain information about human societies in the past and present. The skills that we offer are in wide public demand and have prepared former graduates for an extraordinary range of careers, both academic and non-academic. Some of our graduates continue on for specialised masters’ degrees or PhDs whereas others go on to work in international NGOs, government, journalism, market research, medical professions and a wide variety of other careers.
The four-year degree is identical to the three-year BSc with one difference: in your third year you will study abroad. We have many exchange programmes both throughout Europe and the USA which include studying in Finland, Norway, The Netherlands, France, Greece, Turkey, Spain and Malta. With the exceptions of Spain and France, all instruction is in English. The EU Erasmus programme provides the funding for living expenses while you are abroad if you choose a European partner. We currently have an exchange with the University of Arizona, Tucson, and are in the process of adding more US partners. The US exchanges operate on a tuition fee waiver, but there is no financial support for living expenses or travel.
After your third year abroad, you return to UCL and complete the requirements for the BSc, including the final year Individual Studies Dissertation. Many students will use the year abroad to design the research project and even carry out some of the research for it.
For further questions, please contact Dr Ruth Mandel: r.mandel@ucl.ac.uk
