A young university student examining cultural artefacts from different world regions in a modern university museum study room, with a world map and contemporary ethnographic research posters visible, representing the cross-cultural focus of Anthropology degrees

DEGREE GUIDE

Anthropology

What do Anthropology degrees involve?

Anthropology degrees teach you how humans have evolved, adapted, and developed diverse cultures, societies, and behaviours. You will study key areas such as archaeology, social anthropology, biological anthropology, linguistics, and human evolution. These courses help you develop strong research, analytical, and critical thinking skills while exploring how people interact with their environments, traditions, and belief systems. As you progress, you may specialise in areas such as forensic anthropology, medical anthropology, or indigenous studies. You will also gain hands-on experience through ethnographic fieldwork, lab research, and archaeological excavations. With a combination of scientific study and cultural analysis, you’ll be prepared for careers in research, heritage, international development, and social policy.

Example
Modules

Introduction to Social Anthropology: Discover how anthropologists study human societies around the world, exploring identity, kinship, belief, and social structure.

Anthropological Research Methods: Learn how to carry out ethnographic fieldwork and interviews, and develop skills in cultural analysis and interpretation.

Human Evolution and Diversity: Trace the evolutionary journey of humans, and examine physical and genetic variation across populations.

Common Degree Names

💼 Some degrees offer fieldwork placements or internships with NGOs, museums, or cultural institutions.
🌍 Study abroad is common, especially for students focusing on global cultures or development themes.

BA (Hons) Anthropology
BSc (Hons) Anthropology
BSc (Hons) Biological Anthropology
BA (Hons) Anthropology and Sociology
BA (Hons) Anthropology and Archaeology
MSci Anthropology

BA degrees focus more on cultural anthropology; BSc and MSci include biological or scientific approaches. MSci is a four-year integrated Master’s with research training.

Comparative hominin skulls alongside callipers and research notes on cranial measurements, with a human evolution chart in the background, illustrating the biological and scientific analysis skills developed in Anthropology degrees

Level 3 (A-level / IB Diploma (HL) / Scottish Highers)

Anthropology studies human societies, cultures, and our biological evolution. There are no required subjects – universities welcome students from many different backgrounds who are curious about how humans live and have lived.

Subjects that can strengthen your application:

History, Sociology, or Geography – great for building research and essay-writing skills
Biology – helpful if you're interested in biological anthropology
Religious Studies or Philosophy – useful for thinking about belief systems and culture
English Literature or Language – strengthens analytical and communication skills

✨ At least one essay-based subject shows the critical thinking and writing skills you'll need.

Universities may also accept:

BTEC Extended Diplomas (widely accepted). Some universities require A-levels alongside, particularly in an essay-based subject.
BTEC National Extended Certificates or National Diplomas alongside relevant A-Level subjects
IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) with at least two IB Higher Level subjects (ideally three) alongside your Career-Related Study — see above for IB subjects that could strengthen your application

Entry requirements can vary, especially for joint degrees—always check the course page on each university’s website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Level 2 Qualifications (GCSE / MYP / National 5)

You are likely to need:

GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 4/C or above, or equivalent qualifications such as National 5s or MYP

📘 A good grade in English is important because anthropology involves reading, writing, and discussing ideas.

If you’ve taken subjects like History, Geography, or Science at this level, they can help provide a useful foundation—but they’re not required.

💬 Interviews

Formal interviews aren't usually part of the application process. However, some universities may invite you for a short conversation, either online or in person, to learn more about your interest in the subject.

✨ Personal Statement Tips

What makes you curious about human societies and cultures? Anthropology is about understanding how people live, think, and organise themselves - and questioning assumptions about what's "normal." If you've found yourself fascinated by cultural differences, thought critically about your own community's practices, or explored how humans have lived in different times and places, reflect on what sparked that curiosity. Reading ethnographies, watching documentaries about different societies, or exploring anthropological ideas through podcasts can all show genuine engagement. Admissions tutors want to see you're willing to look at the world from unfamiliar perspectives, not just that you find other cultures interesting.

If your qualifications don't match the usual entry requirements, there are some other possibilities.

🌱 Foundation Year in Social Sciences or Humanities

Some universities offer a foundation year that can lead into Anthropology. This adds an extra year but provides a route in if you don't have the required subjects or grades.

🎓 Access to HE Diploma (Social Science or Humanities)

Accepted by universities offering Anthropology. Choose a pathway with units in sociology, psychology or history, and aim for a mix of Distinctions and Merits in your graded units.

Is this degree right for you?

Members can explore whether this degree fits who they are:

Skills you'd develop and whether they match your strengths
How this aligns with your interests, motivators and values
Career paths and where graduates end up

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Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Use the tabs to explore the kind of person that this would be a good fit for. Do you share the Interests, Motivations, Values, Work identity and skills that people who thrive in this course tend to have?

Not sure what these things are? Explore your Identity Tree with us first.

Interests that connect well with an Anthropology degree

Students who enjoy this degree often share these interests. You don't need to feel strongly about all of them, and interests develop over time. If one or two catch your curiosity, or sound like something you'd like to know more about, that's a good sign.

Society, Communities & How People Live Together: Anthropology treats society as something to be studied up close in the places where people live: how kinship, politics, economies and inequality work, and how social change takes shape in everyday community life.

Different Cultures, Languages & Beliefs: Much of the degree is about stepping into ways of life different from your own. You'll study religion, ritual, language, material culture, and the meanings people make of everyday practice in communities across the world.

Living Things & the Natural World: Biological anthropology runs through many degrees alongside the social and cultural side: human evolution, primate behaviour, genetic variation across populations, and how biology and environment have shaped our species over millions of years.

Students who thrive in an Anthropology degree are often motivated by

Engaging with People and Cultures

You're energised by working closely with people to understand what's really going on for them: talking, listening, asking questions, spending time, picking up on what isn't being said directly. That might be interviewing someone for a piece of research, sitting with a client who's trying to work something out, exploring a community you've not been part of, or working alongside people from a different culture. The energy comes from the engagement itself, not just from reading or thinking about people.

Research and Discovery

You're excited by the idea of uncovering something genuinely new: being at the cutting edge, running experiments, and contributing knowledge that didn't exist before. You want to discover, not just learn what others have found. The prospect of adding something original to human understanding is what drives you, and you're willing to spend long periods on uncertain work for that possibility.

Analysing and Investigating

You're energised by making sense of information, looking for evidence, spotting patterns, and piecing together how things connect. Whether it's pulling apart data, questioning assumptions, or tracing a problem back to its source, you find energy in the process of understanding what's really going on. You'd rather dig into the details than accept things at face value.

Curiosity and Learning

You're energised by the activity of learning itself: diving into a subject you've never explored, watching documentaries, taking apart how something works, or constantly asking "why?" The process of learning gives you energy, not just the outcome. You don't just want the answer; you want to understand how things connect, why they matter, and what's underneath the surface explanation.

What makes Anthropology click for the students who love it?

They can't see any way of life as simply normal. Why does this ritual, this kind of trade, this way of raising children make complete sense to the people who live it? That question is what gets them. They would far rather find the answer from people themselves than from a book, and what they love most is coming back having worked out something about how people live that no one had understood before.

These are the skills that students who love this degree tend to enjoy using. You don't need to be great at them already, but if they sound like you, that's a good sign.

Skill Name

Skills that suit this degree

You don't need to be great at these already — but if you enjoy using them or want to get better at them, that's a good sign.

Would you rather learn about a community by spending time there and talking to people than by reading about it in a textbook?
Do you enjoy thinking about why people in different places live, believe, and organise their lives so differently?
Does it appeal to you to spend time in unfamiliar places and really try to understand how life works there?
Do you find yourself trying to understand how other people feel and why they see the world the way they do?

Careers an Anthropology degree could lead you to

Anthropology

What do Anthropology degrees involve?

Example Modules

Common Degree Names

Is this degree right for you?

Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Careers an Anthropology degree could lead you to

Example
Modules