AFRICAN STUDIES AND ANTHROPOLOGY

SCHOOL OF HISTORY AND CULTURES

2 School of History and Cultures

African Studies and Anthropology programmes

STUDY ABROAD

During your second year in the BA African Studies and BA African Studies with Development programmes you can apply to spend a semester abroad at one of our carefully selected partner universities, where we have close personal ties with academic staff. If your application is successful, during your time abroad you will be able to study modules in African Studies and related subjects, including topics specific to the place of study. It is possible to attend universities where all the modules offered will be taught in English.

Students on the BA Anthropology Joint Honours programmes can apply to study abroad for a year in an approved university around the world. If you achieve a grade of 2:1or above in your first year then you will be invited to apply for a Year Abroad in your second year. If your application is successful, you will go abroad in your third year and return to us for your final year. Find out more at:www.birmingham.ac.uk/yearabroad

n Times Higher Education ranked the Department 2nd in the country for its performance in the latest Research Excellence Framework exercise.

n The Department of African Studies and Anthropology (incorporating the Centre for West African Studies) at the University of Birmingham is the only one of its kind in the world, and we have built up over 50 years of expertise in teaching and research in this fascinating area. The Department consists of a friendly community of undergraduates, postgraduates, visiting scholars and staff from around the world.

n Our teaching is driven by the diverse research interests of our staff, who are internationally recognised specialists in their fields. Departmental research covers African societies across the continent and Anthropology is a key focus of several members of staff.

n The Department also houses the Danford Collection of African Arts and Artefacts, which is a collection of national significance. The core of the collection was assembled between 1943 and 1957 by John Danford OBE, an artist who worked for the British Council in Nigeria.

WHY STUDY AFRICAN STUDIES AND ANTHROPOLOGY AT BIRMINGHAM?

‘The staff are so friendly and helpful and there are countless opportunities to get involved in activities which help you to really make the most out of your degree.’

HANNAH, Anthropology and Classical Literature and Civilisation, third year

3School of History and Cultures

OUR PROGRAMMES

BA African StudiesAfrican Studies is a broad degree programme which combines arts and social science approaches. Most of our students enter the degree programme with an enthusiasm for, and interest in, Africa, but few have studied Africa in detail at school or college. In your first year you will have a series of options which allow you to explore aspects of African history, politics, culture, geography, society and development, giving you an awareness of the diversity of the continent. As you progress, you will be able to follow up a range of topics in greater detail, culminating in your final-year dissertation.

BA Anthropology and African Studies This Joint Honours degree programme develops an interdisciplinary understanding of Africa, its history, cultures and societies, alongside the critical, comparative perspective offered by anthropology. Your first-year module ‘Thinking Anthropologically’ takes you through a series of core questions, such as: What does it mean to be related? What is wealth? It shows how anthropologists study societies around the world, explaining how people can think very differently about questions that might initially appear simple or obvious. In your second year you can undertake an ethnographic project, in which you get to be a practising anthropologist, engaging in close observation and analysis of the social behaviour around you. Your final year culminates with a dissertation where you will have the opportunity to identify a topic that is of particular interest to you.

BA African Studies with Development This programme offers you a detailed insight into the varied views of Africa in a globalising world, and the varying assessments of the continent’s development prospects into the 21st century. The programme aims to promote a robust understanding of a vast and often misrepresented continent, and the ways in which societal change can be influenced.

The first year provides foundation courses in the sociology, history, development, politics and cultures of Africa. In the second year you will build up your disciplinary expertise with a module on history, theory and methods of development. The final year culminates in a dissertation, where you will explore a specific area of development, drawing on the knowledge and inter-disciplinary skills that you have built up over the degree programme.

BA Archaeology and AnthropologyThis integrated degree programme offers study in archaeological and anthropological theory, prehistory, historical archaeology, ethnography, field archaeology, bioarchaeology, and material culture studies. It is designed both for future archaeologists and anthropologists, and for those seeking an exciting and dynamic non-vocational degree course.

MODULES

Modules for BA Archaeology and Anthropology are an interesting mix of compulsory and optional modules offered by both the Department of Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology and the Department of African Studies and Anthropology.

MODULES

Modules for BA African Studies, BA African Studies with Development, and Joint Honours Anthropology and African Studies are tailored to ensure a firm grounding in the subjects studied. In the second and final years, a wide range of compulsory and optional modules are offered from within African Studies and Anthropology.

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This leaflet was written several months in advance of the start of the academic year. It is intended to provide prospective students with a general picture of the programmes and courses offered by the School. Please note that not all programmes or all courses are offered every year. Also, because our research is constantly exploring new areas and directions of study some courses may be discontinued and new ones offered in their place. Please note the information in this brochure is correct at time of publication but may be subject to change (June 2019).

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Joint HonoursIn addition to our Single Honours programmes, there is also the opportunity to study Anthropology as part of a Joint Honours programme with African Studies, Classical Literature and Civilisation, History or Political Science.

In your first year, study is split equally between the two disciplines. In subsequent years our Joint Honours programmes offer a flexible approach which allows you to tailor your course to suit your developing strengths and interests. In the second year you might stay with the equal weighting, or you might select to take more modules in one of your disciplines, effectively changing to a major/minor weighting. In the final year you have the option to maintain your second-year weighting, switch your major discipline to your other discipline or revert to an equal weighting between your two subjects.

Careers and employabilityOur unique degrees are designed to provide both academic excellence and vocational development, a balance that’s highly sought after by employers in today’s intellectual and creative industries.

You will develop a wide range of skills that will enable you to move into employment in many different careers. Some examples of the career paths of recent graduates include business adviser, caseworker, financial product analyst, graduate intern, IT project management trainee, production runner and parliamentary researcher. Graduates have also gone on to postgraduate work in either African Studies or Anthropology and in other fields such as Development Studies, Systems Analysis, Education and Political Science.

Course UCAS code Typical offer

BA African Studies T500 BBB

BA African Studies with Development T5L9 BBB

BA Archaeology and Anthropology LV64 ABB

BA Anthropology and African Studies LT65 BBB

BA Anthropology and Classical Literature and Civilisation LQ68 ABB

BA Anthropology and History LV61 ABB

BA Anthropology and Political Science LL62 ABB

Typical offer

NEXT STEPS

How to applyApply through UCAS

Offer-holder Visit DaysFollowing the application process, offer-holders will be invited to an Offer-holder Visit Day and are strongly encouraged to take this opportunity to visit the Department and meet staff and students with whom they would be studying.

LEARN MORE

Email: study-dasa-ug@contacts. bham.ac.uk

Full details on all courses with year by year breakdown can be found at:www.birmingham.ac.uk/dasa

@artsatbham