BSc in Social Anthropology

Page contents > Approved Outside Options (Year 1) | Language Courses | Anthropology Selection List A | Ethnographic options | Footnotes

Programme Code: UBANS2

Department: Anthropology

For students starting this programme of study in 2021/22

Guidelines for interpreting programme regulations

Three-year classification scheme for BA/BSc degrees for all students from the 2018/19 academic year

Students on this programme have the opportunity to receive a language specialism attached to their degree certificate and transcript. See the details at the bottom of this page for more information.

Please note that places are limited on some optional courses. Admission onto any particular course is not guaranteed and may be subject to timetabling constraints and/or students meeting specific prerequisite requirements.
Paper	Course number, title (unit value)
Year 1
LSE100	LSE100 The LSE Course (0.5) (withdrawn 2022/23)

Paper 1	AN100 Being Human: Contemporary Themes in Social Anthropology (1.0)

Paper 2	AN101 A History of Anthropological Theory (1.0)

Paper 3	AN102 Anthropology through Mixed Media (1.0)

Paper 4
	Courses to the value of 1.0 unit(s) from the following: Note that in addition to this list of courses offered in outside departments, any available language course run by the Language Centre will also be approved.
	Approved Outside Options (Year 1)
	Language Courses
Note:
	Students wishing to graduate with a language specialism should refer to the requirements set out in the Language Specialism footnote.
Year 2
Paper 5	AN200 The Anthropology of Kinship, Sex and Gender (1.0) (withdrawn 2025/26)

Paper 6	AN226 Political and Legal Anthropology (1.0) (withdrawn 2025/26)

Paper 7	AN256 Economic Anthropology (0.5) and AN298 Fieldwork in London: Learning Ethnographic Methods (0.5) (withdrawn 2025/26)
Paper 8
	Courses to the value of 1 unit(s) from the following:
	Anthropology Selection List A
	Ethnographic options
	Language Courses
Note:
	Students are strongly encouraged to take ethnographic options to the value of at least one half unit under Papers 8 and 12. See footnotes for details of the language specialism requirement.
Year 3
Paper 9	AN303 Advanced Theory of Social Anthropology (0.5) # and AN357 Economic Anthropology (2): Transformation and Globalisation (0.5)
Paper 10	AN301 The Anthropology of Religion (1.0) #

Paper 11	AN397 Special Essay Paper in Social Anthropology (1.0)

Paper 12
	Courses to the value of 1 unit(s) from the following:
	MC300 Media, Communication and Power (0.5)

	Anthropology Selection List A
	Ethnographic options
	Language Courses
Note:
	Students are strongly encouraged to take ethnographic options to the value of at least one half unit under Papers 8 and 12. See footnotes for details of the language specialism requirement.

Approved Outside Options (Year 1)



GV100 Introduction to Political Theory (1.0)
GV101 Introduction to Political Science (1.0)
GY100 Introduction to Geography (1.0)
GY121 Sustainable Development (1.0)
HY113 Empires and Resistance in Global History (1.0)
HY116 International Politics since 1914: Peace and War (1.0)
HY118 Faith, Power and Revolution: Europe and the Wider World, c.1500-c.1800 (1.0)
LN252 Contemporary Literature and Global Society (1.0) #
LN270 Society and Language: Linguistics for Social Scientists (1.0)
PB102 Social Psychology (1.0) (suspended 2025/26)
PH103 The Big Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy (1.0)
SO110 Power, Inequality, and Difference: Contemporary Themes in Sociology (1.0)

Language Courses



LN100 Russian Language and Society 3 (advanced) (1.0) #
LN101 Russian Language and Society 1 (beginner) (1.0) #
LN102 Russian Language and Society 2 (intermediate) (1.0) #
LN104 Mandarin Language and Society Level 1 (Beginner) (1.0) #
LN110 German Language and Society 3 (advanced) (1.0) #
LN112 German Language and Society 2 (Intermediate) (1.0) #
LN120 Spanish Language and Society 3 (advanced) (1.0) #
LN121 Spanish Language and Society 1 (beginner) (1.0) #
LN122 Spanish Language and Society 2 (intermediate) (1.0) #
LN130 French Language and Society 3 (advanced) (1.0) #
LN131 French Language and Society 1 (beginner) (1.0) #
LN132 French Language and Society 2 (intermediate) (1.0) #
LN140 Mandarin Language and Society 3 (Advanced) (1.0) #
LN142 Mandarin Language and Society 2 (Intermediate) (1.0) #
LN200 Russian Language and Society 4 (proficiency) (1.0) #
LN210 German Language and Society 4 (proficiency) (1.0) #
LN220 Spanish Language and Society 4 (proficiency) (1.0) #
LN230 French Language and Society 4 (proficiency) (1.0) #
LN240 Mandarin Language and Society 4 (Proficiency) (1.0) #
LN250 English Literature and Society (1.0) # A
LN251 Comparative Literature and 20th Century Political History (1.0) # B
LN252 Contemporary Literature and Global Society (1.0) # C
LN253 European Literature and Philosophy (1.0) # D
LN254 Literature and Aspects of Ethics (1.0) # E
LN270 Society and Language: Linguistics for Social Scientists (1.0) F
LN320 Spanish Language and Society 5 (mastery) (1.0) #
LN330 French Language and Society 5 (mastery) (1.0) #
LN340 Mandarin Language and Society 5 (Mastery) (1.0) # (suspended 2025/26)

Footnote for Language Courses

A: LN250: LN250 Not available to 2nd and 3rd year students on the BA/BSc in Social Anthropology programmes.

B: LN251: LN251 Not available to 2nd and 3rd year students on the BA/BSc in Social Anthropology programmes.

C: LN252: LN252 Not available to 2nd and 3rd year students on the BA/BSc in Social Anthropology programmes.

D: LN253: LN253 Not available to 2nd and 3rd year students on the BA/BSc in Social Anthropology programmes.

E: LN254: LN254 Not available to 2nd and 3rd year students on the BA/BSc in Social Anthropology programmes.

F: LN270: LN270 Not available to 2nd and 3rd year students on the BA/BSc in Social Anthropology programmes.

Anthropology Selection List A



AN253 Politics and Power: Debates in Anthropology (0.5)
AN256 Economic Anthropology (0.5)
AN273 Thinking as an Anthropologist (0.5) #
AN285 Mind and Society (0.5) #
AN287 Environmental Anthropology (0.5)
AN288 Gender, Sexuality and Kinship (0.5)
AN290 Anthropology and Religion (0.5)
AN390 Anthropology and Religion (0.5) (suspended 2025/26)

Ethnographic options



AN205 The Anthropology of Melanesia (0.5) (withdrawn 2025/26)
AN223 The Anthropology of Southeast Asia (0.5) (withdrawn 2025/26)
AN240 Investigating the Philippines - New Approaches and Ethnographic Contexts (0.5) (withdrawn 2024/25)
AN250 The Anthropology of South Asia (0.5) # (withdrawn 2025/26)
AN269 The Anthropology of Amazonia (0.5) # (withdrawn 2025/26)
AN277 Topics in the Anthropology of sub-Saharan Africa (0.5) # (withdrawn 2025/26)
AN282 Bangladesh and Beyond: Anthropological Perspectives (0.5) # (withdrawn 2024/25)
AN292 Anthropological Entanglements in the Middle East (0.5) (withdrawn 2025/26)

Footnotes

# means there may be prerequisites for this course. Please view the course guide for more information.

A: Note:: Language Specialism: Students who have taken and passed one language course in each year of their degree (i.e. 25% of their overall programme of study) will receive a language specialism attached to their degree certificate and transcript. Students must take all courses in the same language (French, Spanish, German, Mandarin or Russian) in order to qualify for the specialism. The three courses must also be consecutively harder in level, for example: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Students who choose language courses in each year according to these rules will receive a language specialism. Degree certificates which include a language specialism will state the language in the title, for example: BSc in Social Anthropology (with French).

B: Note:: Approved courses to the value of 1.0 unit can be selected from the Language Courses list. Language options may be chosen if they are a continuation of a language studied in Year 1, and must be above Level 1.

C: Note:: Approved courses to the value of 1.0 unit can be selected from the Language Courses list for students wishing to receive a language specialism attached to their degree certificate and transcript. Language options may be chosen if they are a continuation of a language studied in Years 1 and 2. Language options must be above Level 2.

Level 1 courses are not permitted as part of this degree programme in Years 2 and 3.

Note for prospective students:
For changes to undergraduate course and programme information for the next academic session, please see the undergraduate summary page for prospective students. Changes to course and programme information for future academic sessions can be found on the undergraduate summary page for future students.