BA (Hons) Anthropology & Sociology

Note about optional modules (if available): The below is indicative of the typical modules offered, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. The module content and availability is subject to change.

Year 1

In your first year, you'll learn the main theories within social anthropology, and will be introduced to ethnography and anthropological methodological practice. You'll complete five compulsory modules and one optional module.

Compulsory modules

You'll complete the following compulsory modules:

Module title	Credits
Being Related	15 credits
Approaches to Contemporary Anthropology	30 credits
Anthropological Methods	15 credits
Modern Knowledge, Modern Power	30 credits
Critical Readings: the Emergence of the Sociological Imagination 1A	15 credits

Optional modules

You'll take one of the following three optional modules:

Module title	Credits
Critical Readings: the Emergence of the Sociological Imagination 1B	15 credits
Culture and Society B	15 credits
Imaginative Criminology	15 credits

Year 2

In your second year, you'll take the following compulsory modules:

Module title	Credits
Thinking Anthropologically	15 credits
Critical Ecologies: black, indigenous and transnational feminist approaches	15 credits
Philosophical and Methodological Issues in Sociology and Anthropology	15 credits
Governing Everyday Life	15 credits

You'll also take the following optional modules:

• 15 credits of optional modules from a list provided annually by the Department of Sociology. This includes the option to take a Sociology Work Placement.
• 15 credits of optional modules from a list provided annually by the Department of Anthropology.
• 15 credits from the Goldsmiths Elective Module option, which opens up a range of options from departments across the university.
• 15 credits from the Social Change Module, which draws together students from across the university to study together in an option.

Year 2 Anthropology optional modules

Recent second-year Anthropology modules have included:

Module title	Credits
Anthropology of Religion	15 credits
Anthropology and Public Policy	15 credits
Indigenous Cosmopolitics, Anthropology and Global Justice	15 credits

Year 2 Sociology optional modules

Recent second year Sociology modules have included:

Module title	Credits
Social Change and Political Action	15 credits
Sociology Work Placement	15 credits
The Body: Social Theory and Social Practice	15 credits
Sex, Drugs & Technology	15 credits
Leisure, Culture and Society	15 credits
Organisations and Society	15 credits
London	15 credits
Social Change and Political Action	15 credits
Food and Taste	15 Credits
Religion, Crime, and Law	15 credits
Crimes Against Humanity	15 credits

Year 3

In your final year, you'll take the following compulsory module from the Department of Sociology:

Module title	Credits
Confronting climate crisis	15 credits

You'll then choose:

• 30 credits from modules offered by the Department of Sociology.
• 30 Credits from modules offered by the Department of Anthropology.
• 45 credits to be used across any of the optional modules from the two departments.

Year 3 Anthropology optional modules

Recent third year Anthropology modules have included:

Module title	Credits
Psychological Perspectives in Anthropology	15 credits
Anthropology of Health and Medicine	15 credits
Anthropology of Art	15 credits
Anthropology and the Environment	15 credits
Anthropology of Development	15 credits
Anthropology and Gender Theory	15 credits
Anthropology of Rights	15 credits
Multimodal Experiments	15 Credits
Theorising the Visual	15 credits
Anthropology of Violence	15 credits
Anthropology in Public Practice	30 credits
Learning from Social Movements	15 credits
Borders and Migration	15 credits
Digital Anthropology	15 credits
Anthropology and the Visual: Production Module	15 credits
Critical Voices in Development	30 credits
Environmental Anthropology	15 or 30 credits
Ethnographic Film and Cinema Studies	30 credits
Anthropology of Religion	15 credits
Economic and Political Anthropology 1	30 credits
Material Culture	15 credits

 

Year 3 Sociology optional modules

Recent third year Sociology modules have included:

Module title	Credits
Sociologies of Emerging Worlds	15 credits
Philosophy, Politics and Alterity	15 credits
Identity and Contemporary Social Theory	15 credits
Law, Identity and Ethics	15 credits
Analysing the Complexity of Contemporary Religious Life	15 credits
Race, Racism and Social Theory	15 credits
Citizenship and Human Rights	15 credits
Migration, Gender and Social Reproduction	15 credits
Childhood Matters: Society, Theory and Culture	15 credits
Social Theory Through Film	15 credits
Globalisation, Crime and Justice	15 credits
Crimes of the Powerful	15 credits

Teaching style

This programme is mainly taught through scheduled learning - a mixture of lectures, seminars and workshops. You’ll also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. This includes carrying out required and additional reading, preparing topics for discussion, and producing essays or project work.

The following information gives an indication of the typical proportions of learning and teaching for each year of this programme*:

• Year 1 - 16% scheduled learning, 84% independent learning
• Year 2 - 13% scheduled learning, 87% independent learning
• Year 3 - 13% scheduled learning, 85% independent learning

How you’ll be assessed

You’ll be assessed by a variety of methods, depending on your module choices. These include coursework, examinations, group work and projects.

The following information gives an indication of how you can typically expect to be assessed on each year of this programme*:

• Year 1 - 25% coursework, 75% written exam
• Year 2 - 50% coursework, 50% written exam
• Year 3 - 100% coursework

*Please note that these averages are based on enrolments for 2022/23. Each student’s time in teaching, learning and assessment activities will differ based on individual module choices. Find out more about how this information is calculated.

Credits and levels of learning

An undergraduate honours degree is made up of 360 credits – 120 at Level 4, 120 at Level 5 and 120 at Level 6. If you are a full-time student, you will usually take Level 4 modules in the first year, Level 5 in the second, and Level 6 modules in your final year. A standard module is worth 30 credits. Some programmes also contain 15-credit half modules or can be made up of higher-value parts, such as a dissertation or a Major Project.

Download the programme specification.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

We accept the following qualifications:

A-level: BBB
BTEC: DDM
International Baccalaureate: 33 points overall with Three HL subjects at 655
Access: Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 30 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject-specific modules
Scottish qualifications: BBBBC (Higher) or BBC (Advanced Higher)
European Baccalaureate: 75%
Irish Leaving Certificate: H2 H2 H2 H2

We don't assume you have any knowledge of anthropology, and welcome applications from anyone with arts, social studies or science backgrounds. 

International qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.0 with a 6.0 in writing and no element lower than 5.5 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.

Alternative qualifications

See our full list of undergraduate entry qualifications.

We welcome students with a range of educational experiences. If you believe you may not meet the standard qualification requirements we would still encourage you to apply because we consider all aspects of your application when making a decision.

We’ll pay particularly careful attention to your personal statement, which is your opportunity to demonstrate your interest in the subject you’ve applied for. Your referees are also welcome to include any relevant contextual comments around your academic achievements. We’ll look at all these things when making a decision on your application, as well as your qualifications and grades.

Annual tuition fees

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2024/2025 academic year.

From August 2021 EU/EEA/Swiss nationals will no longer be eligible for 'Home' fee status. EU/EEA/Swiss nationals will be classified as 'International' for fee purposes, more information can be found on our fees page.

• Home - full-time: £9250
• International - full-time: £20160

If your fees are not listed here, please check our undergraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time under a student visa. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Funding opportunities

We offer a wide range of scholarships and bursaries, and our careers service can also offer advice on finding work during your studies. Find out more about funding your studies with us.

Skills

The BA Anthropology and Sociology programme will help you develop the following skills:

• an understanding of human behaviour and organisation
• an understanding of current and emerging concepts and theoretical approaches that are central to sociology and anthropology
• the ability to examine how social, public and civic policy can be influenced by sociological knowledge
• the ability to investigate, appraise and communicate empirical information
• research and problem-solving skills
• communication skills

Careers

Sociologists enter careers that centre on the challenges and demands that members of a society face. This could be jobs in social services, education, criminal justice, welfare services, government, the voluntary sector, management, the creative industries, marketing and policy.

This degree enables graduates to go on to a wide range of careers, covering areas including:

• social and community work
• teaching
• business and management
• the media
• the public sector
• the voluntary and charitable sector

Students who achieve the best results during their undergraduate course may also get the chance to go on to postgraduate research for a higher degree with the aim of making a career in higher education either as a lecturer combining teaching with research or as a specialist researcher.

You can learn more about the career options open to you after you graduate on our Sociology employability pages. Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths.