Social Anthropology and History

A undergraduate BA Social Anthropology and History degree at the University of Birmingham will enable you to understand and analyse the contemporary world and its past in all its variety. You'll investigate unfamiliar territory and explore alternative perspectives on today’s major topics as you question some of the myths, preconceptions and prejudices that surround history and culture.

This undergraduate degree course combines the contemporary, critical, and globally comparative perspective of social anthropology with historical study of modern, early modern and medieval Britain, Europe and the wider world. After a thorough grounding in both disciplines in the first year of your degree, you will be able to follow your interests by choosing from a wide range of optional modules in your second and third years. Your degree will culminate in a final year dissertation in either Social Anthropology or History.

Staff at Birmingham teaching Social Anthropology and History have an outstanding reputation for excellence in both teaching and research. This degree will provide you with valuable skills in analysis, research, reasoning, and time-management, equipping you to present yourself confidently orally and in writing, wherever your future takes you.

Why study this course?

Immerse yourself in a unique perspective - The Department of African Studies and Anthropology is the only one of its kind available at both undergraduate and postgraduate level allowing you to explore the disciplines in entirely new and exciting ways.

Access the richness of a vibrant student community - Enjoy access to a student experience team who co-ordinate performances, talks, trips, podcasts, quizzes and celebrations. In recent years, for example, our first years have enjoyed a Sudanese food evening and second and third years have gone on trips to the Liverpool Slavery Museum, the V&A in London, and the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.

Exceptional learning resources – You will have access to a range of learning resources including environmental and material culture teaching collections at the University of Birmingham; the Eton Myers Collection and the Danford Collection of African art and artefacts.

Taught by the very best – Our teaching staff are committed to long term, on the ground, research on matters of global importance. 100% of research published by academic staff in the Department was recently rated “world leading” or “internationally excellent” (Area Studies, Research Excellence Framework 2021).

Experience a history degree applicable to today’s society - Our modules explore how the past informs the present and provides a global historical understanding from the Middle Ages to this century, all through a modern lens.

Get a head start in the graduate market - Alongside practical research experience, you will gain critical and transferable skills that open up a broad range of career opportunities. You can also take advantage of our work-based placements and employability focused modules available to all our students.

Top 10 for Anthropology and Archaeology in the Guardian University Guide 2023

14th for History and Anthropology in the Complete University Guide 2023

2nd Times Higher Education ranked the Department of African Studies and Anthropology 2nd in the country for its performance in the latest Research Excellence Framework exercise

First-year modules cover a broad base of the subject and are designed to introduce you to ways of studying at university. By the final year the modules you take will become more specialised and reflect the research expertise of the academic staff. More detailed module information can be found on the ‘Course detail’ tab on the University of Birmingham’s coursefinder web pages.