CL86 - Durham University

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Typical offers

Typical offers
A Level	AAA
BTEC	DDD
International Baccalaureate	37

Course details

Durham’s Psychology and Anthropology Departments pride themselves on excellence in both teaching and research. The breadth of complementary research strengths across the two Departments means that you are guaranteed to be taught by staff who are actively engaged in the interaction of psychological and anthropological approaches, and are leading figures in their field of research.

The joint honours degree is designed to enable you to understand what it means to be human in our rapidly changing world, including why we, and other animals, behave as we do and our interactions with each other and other animals.

In Psychology you will study people (and animals) in terms of their internal mental processes, the biological mechanisms that underlie their behaviour, and the social and developmental context in which they act.

In Anthropology, you will use perspectives from human biology, cultural evolution, animal behaviour, and human evolution to illuminate inquiry into the mind and behaviour of past and present human and primate populations. You will learn how anthropology and psychology provide complementary and contrasting perspectives on what it is to be human, as well as a variety of quantitative and qualitative ways of addressing major questions. The interface of anthropology and psychology explicitly integrates intercultural, international and global issues. For example, in anthropology’s traditional focus on cultural diversity and the burgeoning recognition of psychology’s need to address cross-cultural issues and move away from studies biased by Western Educated Industrialised and Rich (WEIRD) samples.

The degree provides the opportunity to develop extensive subject-specific, interdisciplinary, and transferable skills. The course follows the British Psychological Society(BPS) guidelines with an extensive range of options in the final year, drawing both from work in fundamental scientific research and in applied areas of psychology and anthropology. You may choose to take modules that deepen your understanding of a smaller number of anthropologically and psychologically relevant topics or choose to take a more broad and varied selection. Several coherent pathways – for example in animal behaviour, infant and child development, and health – are possible, using complementary modules from the two departments.

Excellent research facilities are available, including a virtual reality suite, developmental testing facilities, and EEG labs (in psychology), as well as extensive collections of fossil hominin casts and material culture artefacts from around the globe, a sleep lab, hormone lab, and field station for primatology in South Africa (in Anthropology). You are encouraged to get involved in research being carried out by your lecturers, thus gaining a deeper and more hands-on understanding of the issues you are learning about in your degree, and adding to your contextual experience.

Year 1

Core modules give a broad introduction to methods, vital knowledge, and the most relevant theories in anthropology and psychology.

Anthropology (40 credits): Doing Anthropological Research
Human Evolution and Diversity
Psychology (40 credits): Introduction to Psychological Research

Optional modules allow the choice to follow and develop more specific interests.

Examples of optional modules include:

Anthropology (20 credits): Being Human OR Health Illness & Society or Peoples & Cultures (OR a language option if desired)
Psychology (20 credits): Introduction to Psychology 1 ORIntroduction to Psychology 2.

Year 2

Modules continue to build on project design and quantitative skills, broaden theory and topical knowledge (ensuring British Psychological Society accreditation), and explore the interface between psychology and anthropology in preparation for the level 3 dissertation:

Conceptual Issues in Anthropology & Psychology (10 credits)
Research Project Design (10 credits)
Statistics and Project Design (10 credits) AND
Evolution Variation & Adaptation OR
Sex Reproduction & Love OR
Global Health & Disease
Psychology (50 credits): Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology, Biological Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology

Year 3

Core modules include a dissertation that allows a deep, independently driven, exploration of a specific interdisciplinary research area, and the final psychology module required for British Psychological Society accreditation:

Dissertation: Interdisciplinary Psychology & Anthropology (40 credits)
Individual Differences (10 credits)

Optional 10 credit modules allow the choice to follow and develop more specific interests (e.g. animal behaviour, child development, health), or maintain broad interests.

Modules on offer vary but usually include:

Anthropology (30 credits):

Forensic Anthropology

Decolonising Anthropology
Homo Narrans: the Evolutionary Anthropology of Fiction
Comparative Cognition and Culture
Cultural Evolution of Music

Primates in Peril

Evolution of Cooperation

Palaeoanthropology

El Sidron Neanderthals

Tool Use in Primates

Human Reproductive Ecology

Infant and Maternal Health

Global Health

Human Ecology

Western Diseases

Reproduction and Ethics

Medical Humanities

Critical Medical Anthropology.

Psychology (30 credits):

Animal Cognition

Foetal Development

Child Health in a Social Context

Cognitive Development

Human Evolutionary Psychology

Vision and Visual Neuroscience

The Multisensory Body

Mind, Brain and Consciousness

Forensic Psychology

Sport and Exercise Psychology

The Psychology of Illness

Psychology and Health Promotion

Social Perception

Psychology in the Workplace.

Placement

You may be able to take a work placement. Find out more.

Typical offers

Typical offers
A Level	AAA
BTEC	DDD
International Baccalaureate	37

Course details

This British Psychological Society accredited degree explores what it means to be human, including our relationship to other species. You will be taught by staff who are leading researchers in their fields, including those with expertise in both subjects.

In psychology, you will study cognitive, biological, social and developmental perspectives. In anthropology, you will use primarily evolutionary and biological perspectives to inquire into the mind and behaviour of past and present human and primate populations. You will learn how anthropology and psychology provide both complementary and contrasting perspectives, plus the various quantitative and qualitative research methods used in both disciplines.

The interface of anthropology and psychology explicitly integrates intercultural, international and global issues. For example, both subjects address issues of cross-cultural diversity and representation in research.

In the first year, the core modules will give you a broad introduction to key methods, knowledge and theories in anthropology and psychology.

The second year continues to build on project design and research skills, broadens theory and topical knowledge (ensuring British Psychological Society accreditation), and explores the interface between psychology and anthropology.

The third year includes a dissertation that allows a deep exploration of a specific interdisciplinary research area, and the final psychology module required for BPS accreditation.

Course Structure

Year 1

Core modules:

Doing Anthropological Research provides a grounding in scientific and ethnographic research methods as used in both biological and sociocultural anthropology respectively. This will prepare you for further research, both quantitative and qualitative, and ensure you develop academic and transferable skills for your degree and beyond.

Human Evolution and Diversity introduces the biological basis of human diversity and the evolutionary history of our species. The module provides key concepts in evolutionary theory, human diversity, palaeoanthropology and primatology which are essential for an evolutionary and biologically-informed understanding of modern human psychology and behaviour.

Introduction to Psychological Research provides an introduction to key research methods and statistical techniques used in psychology.

Examples of optional modules:

Being Human: An Introduction to the History and Practice of Anthropology
Peoples and Cultures
Health, Illness and Society
Introduction to Psychology.

Year 2

Core modules:

Conceptual Issues in Psychology and Anthropology provides an advanced understanding of debates about the relationship between psychological and anthropological approaches. This module will develop your skills in researching and communicating a range of contemporary and conceptual issues, and prepare you for the integrated psychology and anthropology dissertation.

Research Project Design builds upon previous methods training by providing the skills necessary to develop independent research projects.

Our Place in Nature develops awareness and understanding of evolutionary biology as applied to primates, including humans. You will be introduced to the concepts and methods necessary to study behaviour and cognition from a comparative perspective.

Advanced Psychological Research will develop your experimental design and statistics knowledge to fulfil the requirements for a British Psychological Society recognised degree in Psychology. You will also discuss psychological research in a tutorial context and develop skills in studying classic papers in psychology.

Cognitive and Biological Psychology develops an understanding of theoretical, methodological and empirical approaches in cognitive and biological psychology, with particular emphasis on visual neuroscience and visual cognition.

Social and Developmental Psychology provides a broad knowledge and understanding of research and theory in some of the key areas of developmental psychology and examines the contribution that social psychology has made to an understanding of the relations between people and social structures.

Examples of optional modules:

Evolution, Variation and Adaptation
Sex, Reproduction and Love
Global Health and Disease
Anthropological Research Methods in Action
Environment, Climate and the Anthropocene.

Year 3

Core modules:

The Dissertation, a substantial research project in an interdisciplinary psychology and anthropology topic of your choice, allows a deep, independently driven exploration of a specific research area.

Differential and Clinical Psychology is the final module required for British Psychological Society accreditation. The module develops knowledge and understanding of theory and research in differential psychology, the study of psychological differences and similarities between people and understanding of theory and research in atypical and clinical psychology.

Examples of optional modules:

Anthropology of Physical Activity for Health
Evolutionary Medicine: Maternal and Infant Health
Evolution of Cooperation
Cultural Evolution of Music
Primates in Peril
Forensic Anthropology
Palaeoanthropology and Palaeoecology
Clinical Neuropsychology
Psychology in the Workplace
The Visual Brain
Criminological Psychology
Reward and Addiction.

Additional pathways

Students on the Psychology and Anthropology can apply to be transferred onto either the ‘with Year Abroad’ or ‘with Placement’ pathway during the second year. Places on these pathways are in high demand and if you are chosen your studies will extend from three years to four.

Placement

You may be able to take a work placement. Find out more.

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Meet Our Students

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Learning

As a student on the BSc (Hons) Psychology & Anthropology degree, your learning will be supported by formal teaching sessions, such as lectures and smaller-group teaching in seminars, workshops and practical classes. In general, lectures highlight the main areas of concern within a module topic, covering historical and current empirical findings and methodological issues together with their concomitant theoretical interpretations.

Small group seminars guide your learning of lecture-based material and that gleaned through independent study by promoting discussions and critical appraisal, developing your ability to organise and present information both orally and in a variety of written formats. Workshops and practical classes enable you to gain first-hand experience of key research skills in Psychology and Anthropology, and to learn and apply associated statistical and IT packages.

Our curriculum places a strong emphasis on inquiry-based learning, with a particular focus on learning how to carrying out your own research. As you move through your degree, you will shift from being a consumer of knowledge in the classroom to a generator of knowledge, ready for professional or postgraduate life. To help develop this independence, you will spend part of your time engaged in self-directed study, which will include reading, project work and preparation for classes. You will also make use of the diverse research facilities on offer across both Departments.

In your third year, you will undertake a dissertation on a topic of your choice that integrates psychology and anthropology, giving you the opportunity to engage in a major piece of independent work under the joint supervision of an appropriate psychology and anthropology staff member. The specialist topic modules are provided by lecturers eminent in their field, meaning you will have the unique opportunity to engage with and discuss the most recent theoretical, empirical and applied/societal issues.

Assessment on the BSc (Hons) Psychology & Anthropology degree varies by module, but may include written examinations, coursework in the form of essays, podcasts, museum displays and outreach activities, practical reports or research projects, and presentations, posters or articles aimed at the general public.

You will be given a Year Tutor when you start your degree, and will normally keep the same tutor for the duration of your studies. Year Tutors are there to support your academic work by providing advice about such things as study skills, module choices, dissertation topics, and applications for further study or employment. There is also a termly First Generation Scholars coffee morning to provide additional support on the transition to University. As well as discussing your academic work with your nominated tutor, you are encouraged to make use of the drop-in hours provided by academic staff during term-time. These drop-in hours give you the opportunity to discuss your work with module tutors, for example, to seek clarification on complex ideas, get suggestions for additional readings, and receive further feedback on assessments.

As a student in the Anthropology and Psychology Departments, you will be welcomed into the wider Departmental communities and can attend an extensive programme of research-focused Departmental and research group seminars where academic staff, postgraduate students and visiting scholars present their cutting-edge research, which may provide inspiration for your dissertation topic and even future study or employment. In addition, there are student-led Psychology and Anthropology Societies that hold talks, meetings and social events.

Fees and funding

Full Time Fees

Tuition fees
Home students	£9,250 per year
EU students	£30,250 per year
Island students	£9,250 per year
International students	£30,250 per year

The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.

The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

Scholarships and Bursaries

We are committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances and are delighted to offer a range of funding opportunities.

Find out more about Scholarships and Bursaries

Department information

Anthropology

Have you ever really thought about what it means to be human? If you have and you want to learn more, then anthropology could be for you.

Anthropology is the study of all aspects of humanity, from our evolutionary origins to our extraordinary social and cultural diversity. At Durham, we pride ourselves on the breadth of our research, learning and teaching, encompassing all aspects of anthropology, and influencing the wider world through research that has global significance.

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

29th in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2022
4th in The Complete University Guide 2023.

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see the Anthropology pages.

Research Excellence Framework

45% of our research was rated as world-leading (REF 2021)

Facilities

The Department of Anthropology hosts a range of state-of-the-art research facilities that are used and run by academic members of staff and their postgraduate students. Given our commitment to research-led teaching, undergraduates and taught postgraduates frequently conduct research projects using these facilities.

More information about our facilities and equipment.

Psychology

Psychology aims to understand and improve how people perceive, think, act, react and interact. In a Psychology degree at Durham, you will examine all aspects of behaviour by investigating the processes underpinning the thoughts, feelings and motivations behind our actions.

You will receive a genuinely research-led education. As well as learning the core principles of psychology, you will be actively encouraged to engage in research throughout practicals and seminars, for instance. You will also have access to our world-leading experimental facilities, including motion capture, eye tracking, and biophysical recording laboratories.

To find out more see our department pages.

Rankings

Top 10 in The Complete University Guide 2023
World Top 100 in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2022.

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see the Psychology Department pages

Facilities

Staff and students benefit from access to a wide range of cutting edge facilities and laboratories which allow us to understand the mind and behaviour through both high precision experimental methods, and ecologically valid controlled environments.

More information on our facilities and equipment.

Career opportunities

Anthropology

With a degree in Anthropology, you will be equipped with a diverse and practical knowledge base, including highly transferable skills in designing and carrying out research projects. Employers worldwide value this skill set, particularly where creativity, curiosity and the ability to understand human culture and society are at a premium.

Our graduates apply their knowledge directly in fields such as health, community work, conservation, education, international development, culture, and heritage. Many progress into careers that require a broad understanding of human society and behaviour as well as the interpersonal, organisational, problem solving and independent thinking skills that come with the discipline. Such careers include advertising, publishing, journalism, teaching, human resource management, public relations, finance, law, consultancy and marketing.

A significant number of graduates progress onto higher level study with many pursuing anthropological research. Others take up professional postgraduate programmes in both related and non-related fields.

Of those students who graduated in 2019:

85% are in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation across all our programmes

Of those in employment:

70% are in high skilled employment
With an average salary of £24,000.

(Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found herewww.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk)

Psychology

Your degree will equip you with the academic knowledge, analytical and problem-solving skills that are in demand across a wide range of professions.

We are committed to developing your skills and offer a range of support activities to help you find a career that’s right for you. From Year 1 you will have an academic advisor, and you will be invited to graduate careers fairs where you can talk to recruiters. You can also attend the Psychology Employability Retreat.

Our undergraduate degrees are recognised by the British Psychological Society – the first step towards a career as a psychologist.

Our graduates also progress to postgraduate courses and have qualified in areas such as teaching, law, and speech and language therapy.

Of those students who graduated in 2019:

90% are in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation across all our programmes

Of those in employment:

52% are in high skilled employment
With an average salary of £21,000.

Department information

Anthropology

Join a diverse and welcoming Department that takes a distinctly broad-based approach to the study of humanity. Each year around 120 undergraduate students join one of our single or joint honours degree courses. We are among the largest Anthropology departments in the UK and one of the few to combine the study of the social, biological and medical aspects of anthropology. This gives you the chance to explore humanity from multiple perspectives, covering our species' evolution over millions of years up to the present day diversity of human societies.

The academic team are passionate about teaching the next generation, with many lecturers actively involved in research and teaching in numerous areas that overlap with other subjects, including culture, environmental issues, evolution, genetics, forensics, language, literature, health, music, politics, primate behaviour, religion, reproduction, skeletal anatomy and many others still. And with a research-led approach, our teaching is constantly evolving to incorporate the latest developments into the curriculum.

Our flexible courses offer the opportunity both to explore the breadth of Anthropology and to specialise in one of our sub-disciplinary areas. We offer a residential field course to all our undergraduate students, providing hands-on experience of varied anthropological methods in practice.

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

29th in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2022.
4th in The Complete University Guide 2023.

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see the Anthropology pages.

Research Excellence Framework

45% of our research was rated as world-leading (REF 2021)

Facilities

The Anthropology department is housed in the Dawson Building. It is conveniently located next to the main library, and close to lots of other departments and university services.

The Department’s state-of-the-art research facilities include a skeletal collection, a fossil cast collection, a material culture collection and many other practical resources.

We also house a number of research centres and laboratories including an Infancy and Sleep Centre which investigates infant and child sleep; the Physical Activity Lab to monitor physical activity levels in our everyday lives and an Ecology and Endocrinology Laboratory which is equipped to analyse human samples.

More information about our facilities and equipment.

Psychology

Psychology is concerned with understanding the mind and human behaviour. You will investigate the processes that underpin the thoughts, feelings and motivations behind our actions. Learning from academics with real enthusiasm for their subject, you will explore topics such as social behaviour, childhood development and cognitive neuroscience.

Our psychology degrees offer a genuinely research-led education. While learning the core principles of psychology, you will have the opportunity to work alongside academics who are leaders in their field. You will have access to cutting-edge technologies, including the Department’s clinical and experimental facilities which include motion capture, eye tracking and biophysical recording laboratories.

Our innovative approach to learning takes us beyond the traditional student-lecturer dynamic. Through a combination of practical teaching sessions, an optional placement module, and even an employability retreat we actively prepare you for working life. The third year includes a research project, and you can gain additional lab-based experience with our popular Research Assistant Scheme. You can also apply for a placement year or year abroad.

Students who graduate with a 2.1 or higher are accredited by the BPS as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership – the first step towards a career as a psychologist.

To find out more see our department pages.

Rankings

Top 10 in The Complete University Guide 2023
World Top 100 in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2022

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see the Psychology Department pages

Facilities

Guided by experts in the field, you will have access to a range of world-leading clinical and experimental facilities. This hands-on experience brings theory to life and helps you gain a deeper understanding of the mind and behaviour. Facilities in the Department of Psychology include body scanners with integrated eye tracking, molecular psychology suites, VR suites with motion capture and mock environments for ecologically valid research.

You will be ideally located in a dedicated psychology learning space, adjacent to many university departments and services, and within walking distance of Durham’s historic centre.

More information on our facilities and equipment.

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Psychology and Anthropology

Psychology and Anthropology

Typical offers

Course details

Year 1

Examples of optional modules include:

Year 2

Year 3

Anthropology (30 credits):

Psychology (30 credits):

Placement

Typical offers

Course details

Course Structure

Year 1

Core modules:

Examples of optional modules:

Year 2

Core modules:

Examples of optional modules:

Year 3

Core modules:

Examples of optional modules:

Additional pathways

Placement

Learning

Entry requirements

Science A levels

Alternative qualifications

Fees and funding

Full Time Fees

Scholarships and Bursaries

Career opportunities

Anthropology

Of those students who graduated in 2019:

Of those in employment:

Psychology

Of those students who graduated in 2019:

Of those in employment:

Department information

Anthropology

Rankings

Staff

Research Excellence Framework

Facilities

Psychology

Rankings

Staff

Facilities

Apply

Apply

Learning

Assessment

Entry requirements

Science A levels

Alternative qualifications

Fees and funding

Scholarships and Bursaries

Career opportunities

Anthropology

Of those students who graduated in 2019:

Of those in employment:

Psychology

Of those students who graduated in 2019:

Of those in employment:

Department information

Anthropology

Rankings

Staff

Research Excellence Framework

Facilities

Psychology

Rankings

Staff

Facilities

Apply

Apply

Visit Us

Discover Durham Tours

Discover Durham Live Virtual Sessions