Masters Degrees in Physical & Biological Anthropology, United Kingdom

Oxford Brookes is one of very few UK universities where social and biological anthropology are taught alongside each other.

This course emphasises the holistic and comparative breadth of anthropology - studying humans from a variety of social, cultural, biological and evolutionary perspectives.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/studying-at-brookes/courses/postgraduate/2015/anthropology/

Why choose this course?

- We are one of the few universities in the UK to teach social and biological anthropology side by side

- You get opportunities to work alongside leading, research-active academics such as Professor Anna Nekaris, Professor Jeremy McClancy and Professor Kate Hill.

- There are excellent learning resources, both at Oxford Brookes and at Oxford’s museums and libraries including the Bodleian Library, the Radcliffe Science Library, the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Museum of Natural History

- We have a dynamic community of research scholars undertaking internationally recognised and world-leading research

- The course flexibility in module choices enables students to follow their particular interests

- There is the option to join MSc students on a field trip to Apenhuel Primate Park in the Netherlands

- The Graduate Diploma in Anthropology enables graduates from other disciplines, and those with equivalent qualifications or work experience, to gain a qualification in anthropology at advanced undergraduate level.

Teaching and learning

We provide a broad range of learning experiences, including independent study, work in small groups, seminars and lectures.

We also use a wide range of assessment techniques, including essays, book reviews, class presentations, fieldwork reports and exams.

Field trips

You will be offered the opportunity to join MSc students on their annual trip to Apenhuel Primate Park in the Netherlands. The 3-day trip costs between £105 and £115, depending on numbers.

Careers

Many students choose the graduate diploma as a route to further study, continuing their education at master's and PhD level. However, anthropology graduates go on to a variety of careers including overseas development aid, environmental maintenance, education, eco-tourism, urban planning and the civil service.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.

Research highlights

Professor Anna Nekaris has been awarded a prestigious Leverhulme Trust grant of over £200k to undertake research in to why and how the seemingly cute and cuddly slow loris is the only primate to produce a biological venom. Understanding the nature of slow loris venom should also have implications for the conservation of this seriously threatened primate, a popular but illegal pet that is widely traded on the black market.

An international team of scientists, including Professor Adrian Parker, have revealed that humans left Africa at least 50,000 years earlier than previously suggested and were, in fact, present in eastern Arabia as early as 125,000 years ago. The new study published in the journal Science reports findings from an eight-year archaeological excavation at a site called Jebel Faya in the United Arab Emirates. Palaeolithic stone tools found at the Jebel Faya were similar to tools produced by early modern humans in east Africa, but very different from those produced to the north, in the Levant and the mountains of Iran. This suggested early modern humans migrated into Arabia directly from Africa and not via the Nile Valley and the Near East as is usually suggested. The new findings will reinvigorate the debate about man’s origins and how we became a global species.

Professor Jeremy MacClancy's latest book Centralizing Fieldwork, critical perspectives in primatology, biological and social anthropology, was co-edited with Augustin Fuentes of Notre Dame University and is published by Berghahn.

Research areas and clusters

Research can be undertaken in the following areas:
- Anthropology of Art
- Anthropology of Food
- Anthropology of Work, and Play
- Anthropology of Gender
- Social Anthropology of Japan, South Asia and Europe
- Social Anthropology of Family, Class and Gender in Urban South Asia
- Basque studies
- Culture and landscapes
- Environmental archaeology and palaeo-anthropology
- Environmental anthropology
- Environmental reconstruction
- Human origins
- Human resource ecology
- Human–wildlife interaction and conservation
- Physical environmental processes and management
- Primate conservation
- Primatology
- Quaternary environmental change
- Urban and environmental studies.

Research centres:
- Europe Japan Research Centre
- Anthropology Centre for Conservation, Environment and Development.

Consultancy:
- Oxford Brookes Archaeology and Heritage (OBAH).

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Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Ancient Egyptian Culture at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

The MA in Ancient Egyptian Culture is a distinct programme focussing on ancient Egyptian history, language and material culture offered by specialist international researchers.

Key Features

Egyptology at Swansea University enjoys an invaluable asset in its purpose-built Egypt Centre, which houses about 3,000 objects from Ancient Egypt. This impressive and important collection from Ancient Egypt illustrates more than 4,000 years of human development from the prehistoric to the early Christian era and plays an integral role in our teaching.

The University Library is particularly well stocked with original texts, literary and documentary, with basic works of reference and with secondary material of all kinds. It subscribes to a wide range of general and specialist periodicals.

Online access to external bibliographies and citation indexes is available. Resources include JSTOR Dyabola, TLG, Patrologia Latina and Teubner Latin texts online, and the Gnomon database.

Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology also has a thriving postgraduate seminar, which meets weekly.

Students of the MA Ancient Egyptian Culture can take advantage of the College of Arts and Humanities' Graduate Centre which fosters and supports individual and collaborative research activity of international excellence and offers a vibrant and supportive environment for students pursuing postgraduate research and taught masters study. The Centre provides postgraduate training to enhance academic and professional development and facilitates participation in seminar programmes, workshops and international conferences.

Modules

Modules on the MA Ancient Egyptian Culture course typically include:

• Understanding Ancient Egyptian Culture

• Reaching the Public: Museums and Object-Handling

• Reading Academic German

• Middle Egyptian I

• Advanced Egyptian language modules

• Private Life in Ancient Egypt

• The Reign of Ramesses III

The full-time Ancient Egyptian Culture course structure is split across the year with three modules offered in each academic semester (a total of six modules in part one) and then a dissertation over the summer (part two). Students study three compulsory modules and three optional modules. The dissertation component is written on a specialist research topic of your choosing.

Part-time students of the Ancient Egyptian Culture course normally take one compulsory and two optional modules in the first and second years and write their dissertation in the third year.

Student Quote

“I completed the Masters program in Ancient Egyptian Culture at Swansea University. During my time in the program, I was taught by experts in the field and I was encouraged to attend many conferences where I met other Egyptologists. I was also given the fantastic opportunity to do research at the British Museum for my Masters dissertation which involved working with a Nubian skeletal collection, thought to be the world’s first evidence of warfare (circa 12,000 BC). As a result of this research, I was offered two internships at the museum and I plan on applying for a PhD in Physical Anthropology in the near future. I have no doubt that I am well equipped to find a position in this field because of the excellent education and opportunities made available to me through the Masters program at Swansea University”.

Casey Kirkpatrick

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About the course

Sheffield’s MSc in Human Osteology and Funerary Archaeology has offered advanced training in the study of archaeological human bones for 25 years. This programme will provide you with both the technical skills and knowledge required to undertake analysis of archaeological human remains, and the cultural understanding of funerary practices needed to situate your findings within a broader archaeological and historical context, providing you with the tools to write human history from human remains.

Your future

Each of our masters courses is designed to equip you with valuable employment skills and prepare you for your future career. If you’re seeking to move into an archaeology-related field from a different academic or employment background, our courses and supportive staff will help you to realise your ambitions and develop professionally.

Graduates from our MA and MSc courses successfully compete for some of the most sought-after archaeological posts in the world. Our courses help students to develop essential transferable skills, and upon graduation they are also in demand by a wide variety of employers outside of the sector.Many of our graduates decide to continue their studies, carrying out doctoral research in their chosen specialist field, equipped with a solid theoretical and practical grounding from which to develop their research.

World-leading expertise

The character and strength of research carried out by Sheffield’s Archaeology department is captured under the following broad themes. These reflect the range of our research and its cross-disciplinary, embedded nature:

Funerary Archaeology
Landscape Archaeology
Bioarchaeology
Medieval Archaeology
Cultural Materials
Mediterranean Archaeology

Specialist facilities

The Archaeology department is situated on the edge of the main campus, near to Sheffield’s city centre. The department houses world-class reference collections and facilities to support teaching, learning and research in a range of archaeological disciplines. Facilities include specialist lab space dedicated to teaching and research, dedicated study spaces, and a student common room.

Fieldwork opportunities

We offer you the opportunity to get involved in our research projects in the UK, Europe and further afield.

How we will teach and assess you

Our students come from all around the world and the content of our courses reflects this. You can expect a balanced timetable of lectures, seminars and practicals. Many of our masters courses also include a fieldwork or project work component. Our teaching staff are leading scholars in their field. Through their research and field projects they are active in generating new knowledge that feeds directly into their teaching.

Funding, scholarships and bursaries

If you accept a place on one of our courses, you may be eligible to apply for WRoCAH and University of Sheffield studentships. There are also a number of departmental and programme-specific scholarships available each year. See our website for details.

Core modules

Funerary Archaeology; Quantitative Methods in Anthropology and Archaeology; Research Design: planning, execution and presentation; Biological Anthropology I; Biological Anthropology II; Human Anatomy; Human Osteology; Dissertation.

Indicative optional modules

A 15 credit module can be selected from a range across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

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What does it mean to be human? What are the origins of our species? Archaeological and palaeontological discoveries help us answer these fundamental questions and provide insights into human cognition, behaviour and life ways.

On this course you'll study human evolution by evaluating the ultimate source of information – the fossil record.

We'll teach you to think critically and train you in the analytical techniques required to describe and interpret the fossil evidence for early hominid and human evolution.

Our approach is both science- and humanities-based. You'll explore themes such as the evolution of bipedalism, cognition and the origins of modernity, providing you with a unique combination of biological anthropology, human and comparative anatomy, primatology and hominid palaeontology.

The course also offers an introduction to the use of innovative technologies for 2D and 3D imaging of skeletal and fossil materials in palaeoanthropological research. It's designed to appeal to those who want to create a strong platform for doctoral research in palaeoanthropology, as well as those who just want to deepen their understanding of our extinct ancestors.

You'll get unlimited access to excellent lab facilities and extensive collections of skeletons and replica casts of modern humans, primates and fossil hominins. A wide range of up-to-date resources are available in the department's palaeoanthropology and osteology teaching laboratories.

Core modules

The programme offers a range of closely integrated core modules in human anatomy and comparative osteology which enable you to develop your knowledge and understanding of the palaeoanthropological record.

Human Evolution: Theory & Practice in Research
Quantitative methods in anthropology and archaeology
Research design: planning, execution and presentation
Human anatomy
Human osteology
Evolutionary anatomy
Dissertation in Palaeoanthropology
Optional modules

Optional modules are available in philosophy, linguistics and other topics. Examples include:

Archaeobotany
Archaeozoology

If you study part-time, you'll take two 15-credit modules in each semester during Year 1 and Year 2, and either a dissertation or placement module over the summer of Year 2. We arrange for you to attend two days a week but we try to be as flexible as possible.

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The MPhil in Human Evolutionary Studies is a full-time interdisciplinary course, taken over a period of ten months, and involving teaching in evolutionary anthropology, human and hominin morphology, primate behaviour and evolution, archaeology and genetics. The lecturers are primarily involved in research and teaching within the Division of Biological Anthropology, in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology.

See the website http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/hsbamphes

Course detail

This taught MPhil recruits students who are prepared for graduate work and wish to receive interdisciplinary training, but who do not have sufficient education in human evolutionary studies in their background to be considered for the research MPhil or doctoral work. This is a demanding course which enables students to obtain interdisciplinary training and specialist knowledge in an area of human evolutionary studies over a relatively short time frame. The course prepares students to undertake an advanced degree, subject to performance in the examination.

Assessment

All students will write a thesis of not more than 20,000 words in length, excluding tables, appendices, and references, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee for the Faculty of Human, Social, and Political Science. This is worth 50% of the final mark.

All students will undertake a quantitative exercise on statistical analysis and interpretation, worth 10% of the final mark.

All students will write two essays of each not more than 2,500 words in length, excluding tables and references, based upon material from the core courses, as well as a 'News and Views' type of essay no longer than 1500 words. These are each worth 10% each of the final mark.

Finally, students will undertake a lab report based on one of the two lab practicals that will be carried out. The lab practicals will be based on hormones and genetics. These will contribute to 10% of the final mark.

Formative feedback is provided in written comments on essays for lecture papers and,when appropriate, for practical work. Verbal feedback is also given at the end of each term.

Continuing

MPhil students often apply to do a PhD following their masters degree and the department provides all students with the facilities and opportunities to do so.

How to apply: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying

Funding Opportunities

There are opportunities to apply for funding through the application process, as well as from external sources that applicants may wish to investigate.

General Funding Opportunities http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/funding

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The MPhil in Applied Biological Anthropology is a full-time interdisciplinary course, taken over a period of ten months, with core teaching in human nutritional ecology, growth and development, epidemiology and disease, reproductive ecology, conservation and molecular genetics. There are strong biostatistical and laboratory elements to the course as well as a focus on field studies.

The lecturers are primarily involved in research and teaching within the Division of Biological Anthropology, in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology. This taught MPhil recruits students who are prepared for graduate work and wish to receive interdisciplinary training, but who do not have sufficient background in Applied Biological Anthropology to be considered for the research MPhil or doctoral work. This is a demanding course that enables students to obtain specialist training and knowledge in an area of Applied Biological Anthropology over a relatively short time frame. Subject to performance in the examination, the course prepares students to undertake an advanced degree.

See the website http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/hsbampaba

Format

The MPhil in Applied Biological Anthropology is a full-time one year interdisciplinary course, taken over a period of ten months, with core teaching in human nutritional ecology, growth and development, epidemiology and disease, reproductive ecology, conservation and molecular genetics. There are strong biostatistical and laboratory elements to the course as well as a focus on field studies.

This taught MPhil recruits students who are prepared for graduate work and wish to receive interdisciplinary training, but who do not have sufficient background in Applied Biological Anthropology to be considered for the research MPhil or doctoral work. This is a demanding course that enables students to obtain specialist training and knowledge in an area of Applied Biological Anthropology over a relatively short time frame. Subject to performance in the examination, the course prepares students to undertake an advanced degree.

Assessment

- All students will write a thesis of not more than 20,000 words in length, excluding tables, appendices, and references, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee for the Faculty of Human, Social, and Political Science. This is worth 50% of the final mark.
- All students will undertake a quantitative exercise on statistical analysis and interpretation, worth 10% of the final mark.
- All students will write two essays of each not more than 2,500 words in length, excluding tables and references, based upon material from the core courses. These are worth 10% each of the final mark.
- All students will undertake two written assignments (either two essays or one essay and one lab report) based on material from the option courses. These are worth 10% each of the final mark.
- Lab report based on one of the two lab practicals that will be carried out. The lab practicals will be based on hormones and genetics. This will contribute towards 10% of the final mark.

Continuing

MPhil students are registered for one year only. Those who hope to read for a PhD at Cambridge immediately after the MPhil wil need to obtain support from a potential supervisor. This need not be the same person who supervises your MPhil thesis. But you will need to work hard to let the potential PhD supervisor see substantive work that you have written, in addition to your draft thesis proposal, at an early stage in the academic year. Once you have applied for the PhD a definite decision will be taken after your performance in the MPhil can be fully assessed; the Committee wil set conditions for your related to the entry requirements of the PhD. If you do not achieve these targets it is unlikely you wil be able to continue to reads towards a PhD.

How to apply: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying

Funding Opportunities

Students have the opportunity to apply for relevant funding during the application process. General Funding Opportunities http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/funding

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This is a Master's degree by research, in which the sole requirement is a dissertation. It is suitable for those who have a strong background in this field, or who have research experience. It is expected that the topic of research will fall within one of the areas supported by the Division.

An MPhil in Biological Anthropological Science may be obtained after one year of research on an approved subject within the field of Biological Anthropology, and includes an oral examination of the thesis and the general field of knowledge in which it falls. The dissertation topics are decided between the student and the supervisor, and assistance is provided on elements of methodology and analysis, as well as with the written presentation.

The thesis must satisfy the examiners that the candidate can design and carry out investigations, assess and interpret the results obtained, and place the work in the wider perspective of the subject. This course begins in October, with submission of the thesis by the end of August.

See the website http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/hsbampbas

Learning Outcomes

Prepare students for research at the doctoral level and to equip students to be future leaders in Applied Biological Anthropology and allied fields around the world.

Assessment

All students will write a thesis of not more than 35,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, footnotes, bibliography, and appendices, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee for the Faculty of Human, Social, and Political Science. The examination shall include an oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls. The thesis shall provide evidence to satisfy the Examiners that a candidate can design and carry out investigations, assess and interpret the results obtained, and place the work in the wider perspectives of the subject. The thesis and examination form the sole assessment for the degree.

Continuing

MPhil students are registered for one year only. Those who hope to read for a PhD at Cambridge immediately after the MPhil will need to obtain support from a potential supervisor. This need not be the same person who supervises your MPhil thesis. But you will need to work hard to let the potential PhD supervisor see substantive work that you have written, in addition to your draft thesis proposal, at an early stage in the academic year. Once you have applied for the PhD a definite decision will be taken after your performance in the MPhil can be fully assessed; the Committee wil set conditions for your related to the entry requirements of the PhD. If you do not achieve these targets it is unlikely you wil be able to continue to reads towards a PhD.

How to apply: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying

Funding Opportunities

Opportuniites for relevant funding on application.

General Funding Opportunities http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/funding

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Bioarchaeology is an exciting and fast-advancing field which combines archaeology with branches of the natural sciences to study key topics such as past health and well-being, diet, ecology, subsistence strategies and environmental impacts.

The MSc in Bioarchaeology aims to develop a broad understanding of these issues through the study of human remains. Students on this programme will also have the opportunity to study animal remains, as well as floral and faunal evidence.

The programme develops advanced practical skills in skeletal analysis, making use of the department’s well-provisioned specialist laboratories and reference collections. A particular strength of our provision is that we are able to address the bioarchaeology of both the New and Old Worlds. Those completing the Course acquire the skills necessary to continue into academic research or employment, as an osteologist in field units, museums or Cultural Resources Managament companies.

The programme allows you to specialise in one of two named pathways: Human Osteoarchaeology (physical anthropology and funerary archaeology) or Zooarchaeology (animal bones and other faunal remains).

Learning and teaching

Most of the formal classes that you attend will be based on a mixture of lectures, seminars, and workshops. The precise mix will vary between modules. These aim to outline the principal issues of the module, to explore some detailed issues, and, where relevant, to give you experience of working with a particular technique or data set.
All members of staff are actively engaged in research, both in Britain and abroad, and regularly attend conferences, symposia and workshops. It is through this active engagement in the discipline that we are able to supply top quality teaching by experts in their field and as a result we have a 24/24 grading for our teaching from the Quality Assurance Agency.
In addition to our established palaeobotany, experimental archaeology, and microscopy laboratories, we have a new bioarchaeology lab dedicated to the study of anatomical variation, palaeopathological conditions, and the funerary context of human and animal remains. The laboratory, accompanied by a designated store for the Department's collection of human remains, provides facilities for use by researchers and students for examining skeletal remains recovered from archaeological sites. Equipment includes anatomical casts and demographic reference standards used to determine the sex, age-at-death, stature and body proportions from human remains.

Research areas

Bioarchaeological research at Exeter combines the study of archaeology with branches of the natural and physical sciences to address questions of health and well-being, diet, ecology, subsistence strategies and natural and human-induced environmental impacts in the past.

Our approach is holistic and inter-disciplinary, drawing its inspiration from both definitions of ‘bioarchaeology’: as a study applied to human remains (human osteoarchaeology) and, as originally defined by Grahame Clark, as related to the integration of environmental archaeology, floral and faunal evidence – archaeobotany and zooarchaeology – in archaeological research.
Active field research programmes in North and South America and Eurasia link with extensive laboratory research to address questions of social structure and social organisation, the process of animal and plant domestication, the development of social inequality and power relations, violence and warfare, the rise of élites and craft specialists, and division of labour.

Programme Structure

This programme includes 135 credits of compulsory modules and 45 credits of optional modules.

Pathways

The two available pathways are; Human Osteology (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/archaeology/bioarch/humanosteology/) and Zooarchaeology
(http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/archaeology/bioarch/zooarchaeology/)

Compulsory modules

The compulsory modules for each of the pathways can include the following; Research Methods and Archaeological Theory; Musculo-skeletal Anatomy; Advanced Zooarchaeology; Advanced Human Osteology; Zooarchaeology (Masters level); Bioarchaeology Dissertation and Bioarchaeology Dissertation Zooarchaeology.

Optional modules

The following is a list of the possible optional modules; Advanced Project; Experimental Archaeology in Practice; Field Study; Landscape Archaeology: Understanding the historic environment; Material Culture; Advanced Human Osteology; ;Zooarchaeology (Masters level); Palaeobotany (Masters level); Funerary Osteoarchaeology (Masters level); Musculo-skeletal Anatomy and Researching the Historic Environment Online.

The modules listed here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand

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Anthropology deals with contemporary, real-life issues such as:
-Social and economic transformation
-The politics of race
-Religion
-Rights and citizenship

It provides fundamental insights into the human condition, applicable in everyday life and in a growing number of professional contexts from hospitals to international organisations, educational institutions and large companies.

This MA is for you if you want to deepen your knowledge of anthropology but it also offers professional training if you’re new to the field.

How will I study?

You take modules and options, and have the opportunity to take a research placement.

Modules are assessed by a range of methods including:
-Term papers
-Concept notes
-Book reviews
-Essays and case studies

You also write a 10,000-word dissertation.

Scholarships

Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals.

Chancellor's International Scholarship (2017)
-25 scholarships of a 50% tuition fee waiver
-Application deadline: 1 May 2017

ESRC 1+3 and +3 Scholarships (2017)
-A number of ESRC-funded standalone PhD and PhD with Masters scholarships across the social sciences
-Application deadline: 30 January 2017

HESPAL Scholarship (Higher Education Scholarships Scheme for the Palestinian Territories) (2017)
-Two full fee waivers in conjuction with maintenance support from the British Council
-Application deadline: 1 January 2017

USA Friends Scholarships (2017)
-A scholarship of an amount equivalent to $10,000 for nationals or residents of the USA on a one year taught Masters degree course
-Application deadline: 3 April 2017

Faculty

Our research themes range from economic and political anthropology to religion, sexuality and health. We have particular research expertise in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Europe, but also cover the Caribbean, Latin America, South-East Asia and China.

Our faculty and students are members of:
-Centre for Colonial and Postcolonial Studies
-Centre for World Environmental History
-Sussex Centre for Cultural Studies
-Centre for Cultures of Reproduction, Health and Technologies
-Africa Centre
-Asia Centre
-Sussex Centre for Migration Research
-Sussex Centre for Photography and Visual Culture
-Centre for Security and Conflict Research Centre for Global Political Economy
-Centre for the Study of Sexual Dissidence

Careers

Our graduates pursue a wide range of careers. Some become professional anthropologists in the public or private sector. Others go on to jobs where knowledge and understanding of the diversity of human cultures and social transformations is a significant advantage.

Recent graduates have found employment in:
-Policy think tanks
-Research firms
-Charities
-Museums
-Educational institutions
-The media

A number of graduates go on to pursue a PhD.

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Biological Anthropology is the study of evolution and variation in human populations and of the interactions between human biology and environment. This combines our international reputation for anthropology, archaeology and biology, specifically including studies in primatology, evolutionary anthropology, human osteology, zooarchaeology, but also (paeleo-) ecology and behaviour.

This exciting course gives a core grounding in human evolution, primate behaviour and ecology, the origins of human behaviour and how hominines adapted to their environment, as well as human and animal skeletal analysis. Ultimately this course offers a uniquely wide range of suitable project topics that can prepare you for a career in a variety of aligned fields.

Core units:

Human Evolution
Human Functional Anatomy
Primate Behaviour & Ecology
Principles & Methods in Zooarchaeology
Research Project

Optional units (choose one of):
Principles & Methods in Human Osteology
Techniques of Archaeological Recovery & Recording

And one of:
Archaeology of Human Remains
Bodies of Evidence - Skeletal Changes Before & After Death
Humans, Animals & Diet

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About the course

This programme combines the study of human and animal bones from archaeological sites, generally known as ‘human osteology’ and ‘zooarchaeology’ or ‘archaeozoology’. Teaching is centred on the explanation of methods and approaches that can be used to address many different types of archaeological questions, regardless of the period or geographic area. Students play an active part in the shaping of their own programme of study and have the opportunity to develop their own original research.

Your future

Each of our masters courses is designed to equip you with valuable employment skills and prepare you for your future career. If you’re seeking to move into an archaeology-related field from a different academic or employment background, our courses and supportive staff will help you to realise your ambitions and develop professionally.

Graduates from our MA and MSc courses successfully compete for some of the most sought-after archaeological posts in the world. Our courses help students to develop essential transferable skills, and upon graduation they are also in demand by a wide variety of employers outside of the sector.Many of our graduates decide to continue their studies, carrying out doctoral research in their chosen specialist field, equipped with a solid theoretical and practical grounding from which to develop their research.

World-leading expertise

The character and strength of research carried out by Sheffield’s Archaeology department is captured under the following broad themes. These reflect the range of our research and its cross-disciplinary, embedded nature:

Funerary Archaeology
Landscape Archaeology
Bioarchaeology
Medieval Archaeology
Cultural Materials
Mediterranean Archaeology

Specialist facilities

The Archaeology department is situated on the edge of the main campus, near to Sheffield’s city centre. The department houses world-class reference collections and facilities to support teaching, learning and research in a range of archaeological disciplines. Facilities include specialist lab space dedicated to teaching and research, dedicated study spaces, and a student common room.

Fieldwork opportunities

We offer you the opportunity to get involved in our research projects in the UK, Europe and further afield.

How we will teach and assess you

Our students come from all around the world and the content of our courses reflects this. You can expect a balanced timetable of lectures, seminars and practicals. Many of our masters courses also include a fieldwork or project work component. Our teaching staff are leading scholars in their field. Through their research and field projects they are active in generating new knowledge that feeds directly into their teaching.

Funding, scholarships and bursaries

If you accept a place on one of our courses, you may be eligible to apply for WRoCAH and University of Sheffield studentships. There are also a number of departmental and programme-specific scholarships available each year. See our website for details.

Core modules

Advanced Zooarchaeology; The History of the Human Animal Relationship; Zooarchaeological Assemblage Analysis; Archaeozoology; Biological Anthropology I; Biological Anthropology II; Human Osteology; Dissertation in either Human Osteoarchaeology or Zooarchaeology.

Indicative optional modules

A 15 credit module can be selected from a range across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

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Your programme of study

This programme gives you a solid advanced set of skills and processes to allow to analyse in all sorts of situations. You may be evaluating projects, observing issues with IT and people using systems, or understanding why people reacted to a specific issue in the way they did. You may end up working for research agencies, social research departments within public sector organisations, private research companies such as Ipsos and Mori which are well known and third sector organisations. Your degree will allow you to work in wide ranging sectors and you can go on to teach and research, publishing in your own right.

The programme educates you to gain knowledge, understanding and skills in quantitative and qualitative methods; and in transferable skills to enable you to communicate research findings to a wide range of audiences. If you don't want to study for MRes there are a number of options open to you which will add value to either your current career or allow you to consider a change of direction.  The programme is very flexible so if you want to apply for this programme you can apply in any month of the year. You get  great range of project work, presentations, essays and practice in communication. Teaching is provided from a virtuous circle of internationally respected research in the Centre for European Survey Research and New Europe Centre for Global Security Governance.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1

Qualitative Sociology: Philosphy and Methods

Advanced Social Theory

Semester 2

Qualitative Sociology: Philosophy and Methods

Approaches to Quantitative Analysis in Social Research

Semester 3

Dissertation

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/degree-programmes/298/social-research/

Why study at Aberdeen?

• You are taught by internationally renowned researchers known in their field
• The qualification is recognised by the Scottish Government Postgraduate Award Scheme
• You study in world-class library facilities

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• 4 Months, 9 Months,12 Months, 21 Months, 24 Months
• MRes, PgDip, PgCert, or RPS
• September or any month

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about fees:

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/tuition-fees-and-living-costs-287.php

*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/finance-funding-1599.php

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/funding/

Living in Aberdeen

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• Your Accommodation
• Campus Facilities
• Aberdeen City
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies

Find out more about living in Aberdeen:

https://abdn.ac.uk/study/student-life

Living costs

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/finance.php

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Anthropology prides itself on its inclusive and interdisciplinary focus. It takes a holistic approach to human society, combining biological and social perspectives.

All of our Anthropology Master’s programmes are recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as having research training status, so successful completion of these courses is sufficient preparation for research in the various fields of social anthropology. Many of our students go on to do PhD research. Others use their Master’s qualification in employment ranging from research in government departments to teaching to consultancy work overseas.

We welcome students with the appropriate background for research. If you wish to study for a single year, you can do the MA or MSc by research, a 12-month independent research project.

If you are interested in registering for a research degree, you should contact the member of staff whose research is the most relevant to your interests. You should include a curriculum vitae, a short (1,000-word) research proposal, and a list of potential funding sources.

About the School of Anthropology and Conservation

Kent has pioneered the social anthropological study of Europe, Latin America, Melanesia, and Central and Southeast Asia, the use of computers in anthropological research, and environmental anthropology in its widest sense (including ethnobiology and ethnobotany).

Our regional expertise covers Europe, the Middle East, Central, Southeast and Southern Asia, Central and South America, Amazonia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Polynesia. Specialisation in biological anthropology includes forensics and paleopathology, osteology, evolutionary psychology and the evolutionary ecology and behaviour of great apes.

Course structure

The first year may include coursework, especially methods modules for students who need this additional training. You will work closely with one supervisor throughout your research, although you have a committee of three (including your primary supervisor) overseeing your progress. If you want to research in the area of applied computing in social anthropology, you would also have a supervisor based in the School of Computing.

Research areas

- Social Anthropology

The related themes of ethnicity, nationalism, identity, conflict, and the economics crisis form a major focus of our current work in the Middle East, the Balkans, South Asia, Amazonia and Central America, Europe (including the United Kingdom), Oceania and South-East Asia.

Our research extends to inter-communal violence, mental health, diasporas, pilgrimage, intercommunal trade, urban ethnogenesis, indigenous representation and the study of contemporary religions and their global connections.

We research issues in fieldwork and methodology more generally, with a strong and expanding interest in the field of visual anthropology. Our work on identity and locality links with growing strengths in customary law, kinship and parenthood. This is complemented by work on the language of relatedness, child health and on the cognitive bases of kinship terminologies.

A final strand of our research focuses on policy and advocacy issues and examines the connections between morality and law, legitimacy and corruption, public health policy and local healing strategies, legal pluralism and property rights, and the regulation of marine resources.

- Environmental Anthropology and Ethnobiology

Work in these areas is focused on the Centre for Biocultural Diversity. We conduct research on ethnobiological knowledge systems and other systems of environmental knowledge as well as local responses to deforestation, climate change, natural resource management, medical ethnobotany, the impacts of mobility and displacement and the interface between conservation and development. Current projects include trade in materia medica in Ladakh and Bolivia, food systems, ethno-ornithology, the development of buffer zones for protected areas and phytopharmacy among migrant diasporas.

- Digital Anthropology: Cultural Informatics, Social Invention and Computational Methods

Since 1985, we have been exploring and applying new approaches to research problems in anthropology – often, as in the case of hypermedia, electronic and internet publishing, digital media, expert systems and large-scale textual and historical databases, up to a decade before other anthropologists. Today, we are exploring cloud media, semantic networks, multi-agent modelling, dual/blended realities, data mining, smart environments and how these are mediated by people into new possibilities and capabilities.

Our major developments have included advances in kinship theory and analysis supported by new computational methods within field-based studies and as applied to detailed historical records; qualitative analysis of textual and ethnographic materials; and computer-assisted approaches to visual ethnography. We are extending our range to quantitative approaches for assessing qualitative materials, analysing social and cultural invention, the active representation of meaning, and the applications and implications of mobile computing, sensing and communications platforms and the transformation of virtual into concrete objects, institutions and structures.

- Biological Anthropology

Biological Anthropology is the newest of the University of Kent Anthropology research disciplines. We are interested in a diverse range of research topics within biological and evolutionary anthropology. These include bioarchaeology, human reproductive strategies, hominin evolution, primate behaviour and ecology, modern human variation, cultural evolution and Palaeolithic archaeology. This work takes us to many different regions of the world (Asia, Africa, Europe, the United States), and involves collaboration with international colleagues from a number of organisations. We have a dedicated research laboratory and up-to-date computing facilities to allow research in many areas of biological anthropology.

Currently, work is being undertaken in a number of these areas, and research links have been forged with colleagues at Kent in archaeology and biosciences, as well as with those at the Powell- Cotton Museum, the Budongo Forest Project (Uganda) and University College London.

Kent Osteological Research and Analysis (KORA) offers a variety of osteological services for human remains from archaeological contexts.

Careers

Higher degrees in anthropology create opportunities in many employment sectors including academia, the civil service and non-governmental organisations through work in areas such as human rights, journalism, documentary film making, environmental conservation and international finance. An anthropology degree also develops interpersonal and intercultural skills, which make our graduates highly desirable in any profession that involves working with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Many of our students go on to do PhD research. Others use their Master’s qualification in employment ranging from research in government departments to teaching to consultancy work overseas.

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Research within this area centres on ethnobiological knowledge systems and other systems of environmental knowledge and is supported by members of the Centre for Biocultural Diversity (http://www.kent.ac.uk/sac/research/research-centres/cbcd/index.html).

We research local responses to deforestation, climate change, natural resource management, medical ethnobotany, the impacts of mobility and displacement and the interface between conservation and development. The Centre has an Ethnobiology Lab and Ethnobotanical Garden, and extensive collaborative links, including with the Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew), and Eden Project.

MSc by Research
This course is a one-year full time or two-year part-time programmes. You research and write a thesis under the supervision of one or two academic staff.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/204/ethnobiology

Course structure

The first year may include coursework, especially methods modules for students who need this additional training. In general, you work closely with one supervisor throughout your research, although you have a committee of three (including your primary supervisor) overseeing your progress.

Study support

- Postgraduate resources

The School has a lively postgraduate community drawn together not only by shared resources such as postgraduate rooms, computer facilities (with a dedicated IT officer) and laboratories, but also by student-led events, societies, staff/postgraduate seminars, weekly research student seminars and a number of special lectures.

The School houses well-equipped research laboratories for genetics, ecology, visual anthropology, virtual paleoanthropology, Animal Postcranial Evolution, biological anthropology, anthropological computing, botany, osteology and ethnobiology. The state-of-the-art visual anthropology laboratory is stocked with digital editing programmes and other facilities for digital video and photographic work, and has a photographic darkroom for analogue developing and printing. The biological anthropology laboratory is equipped for osteoarchaeological and forensic work. It curates the Powell-Cotton collection of human remains, together with Anglo-Saxon skeletons from Bishopstone, East Sussex. The ethnobiology laboratory provides equipment and specimens for teaching ethnobiological research skills, and serves as a transit station for receiving, examining and redirecting field material. It also houses the Powell-Cotton collection of plant-based material culture from Southeast Asia, and a small reference and teaching collection of herbarium and spirit specimens (1,000 items) arising from recent research projects.

Kent has outstanding anthropology IT facilities. Over the last decade, the School has been associated with many innovatory projects, particularly in the field of cognitive anthropology. It provides an electronic information service to other anthropology departments, for example by hosting both the Anthropological Index Online and Experience-Rich Anthropology project. We encourage all students to use the Centre’s facilities (no previous experience or training is necessary).

Anthropology at Kent has close links with the nearby Powell-Cotton Museum, which has one of the largest ethnographic collections in the British Isles and is particularly strong in sub-Saharan African and Southeast Asian material. It also houses an extensive comparative collection of primate and other mammalian material. Human skeletal material is housed at the Kent Osteological Research and Analysis Centre within the School.

Anthropology, together with the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) form the School of Anthropology and Conservation.

- Researcher Development Programme

Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme (http://www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool/skills/programmes/tstindex.html) for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subjectspecific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and teamworking, and career management skills.

Research areas

Work in these areas is focused on the Centre for Biocultural Diversity. We conduct research on ethnobiological knowledge systems, ethnoecology, and other systems of environmental knowledge, as well as local responses to deforestation, climate change, natural resource management, medical ethnobotany, the impacts of mobility and displacement and the interface between conservation and development. The Centre has an Ethnobiology Lab and Ethnobotanical Garden, and extensive collaborative links, including with the Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew), and Eden Project.

Careers

As a School recognised for its excellence in research we are one of the partners in the South East Doctoral Training Centre, which is recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). This relationship ensures that successful completion of our courses is sufficient preparation for research in the various fields of social anthropology. Many of our students go on to do PhD research.

The School has a very good record for postgraduate employment and academic continuation. Studying anthropology, you develop an understanding of the complexity of all actions, beliefs and discourse by acquiring strong methodological and analytical skills. Anthropologists are increasingly being hired by companies and organisations that recognise the value of employing people who understand the complexities of societies and organisations.

Many of our alumni teach in academic positions in universities across the world, whilst others work for a wide range of organisations.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree (BSc or equivalent) in Forensic Science or a related subject including Biosciences (Molecular Biology, Genetics, Human Genetics), Physical Anthropology, Archaeology and Criminalistics.

Selection of Candidates

Applications are reviewed by an admissions committee of departmental staff. Candidates are selected based on their academic qualifications and referee evaluations.

International student language requirements and application guidance can be found at http://www.wlv.ac.uk/international/apply

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