- UCAS course code
- L600
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSocSc)
BSocSc Social Anthropology
- Typical A-level offer: ABB
- Typical contextual A-level offer: BBC
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: BBC
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 34 points overall with 6,5,5 at HL
Overview
Course overview
- Engaging in real-world ethnographic research with support from our staff, who are conducting studies from Everest to the Arctic.
- Enjoy a year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions.
- Join our thriving student-led Anthropology Society.
Open days
We are pleased to announce that we are returning to hosting on-campus open days in the summer and autumn.
Please see open days for the dates, registration, and other information.
If you're a prospective student, you can also find out more about student life by chatting with our student ambassadors at a time that suits you, and ask any questions you may have about life at Manchester.
Please check our Coronavirus FAQs for the most up to date information regarding events.
You can also look at our virtual open day content to help you learn more about the University.
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Social Sciences
- Contact name
- School of Social Sciences Admissions Office
- Telephone
- +44 (0) 161 306 0100
- socialsciences@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- http://www.manchester.ac.uk/socialsciences
- School/Faculty overview
-
See: School Subjects
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Compare this course
Entry requirements
A-level
- ABB
- We do not accept two A/S Levels grades in place of one A-Level.
- Applicants must be studying at least one of the following A-level subjects: Accounting; Economics; Finance; Business Studies; Development Studies; Government and Politics; Economic and Social History; Mathematics; Anthropology; Sociology; Philosophy; Religious Studies; English Language; English Literature; Geography; Psychology; Classical Civilisation; History; Archaeology; Communication Studies; Environmental Studies; World Development; Biology; Chemistry; Physics; Modern Languages.
- We accept native language A Levels providing they are taken in the same sitting as your other subjects. We will not accept combination of Mathematics, Further Mathematics and a native language.
- We accept the Level 3 Diploma in Financial Studies (DipFS) as equivalent to an A-level if taken alongside two full A-levels from the list of acceptable subjects above.
Contextual offer
BBC
Refugee/care-experienced offer
AS-level
Unit grade information
The University of Manchester welcomes the provision of unit information where available. Like all other information provided by applicants this may be taken into consideration when assessing your application. Unit grades will not normally form part of an offer conditions.
GCSE
International Baccalaureate
6,5,5 at Higher level, 34 points overall.
Other international entry requirements
We accept a range of qualifications from different countries.For detailed information please refer to our country-specific requirements and requirements for foundation years .
For general requirementsnot listed abovesee accepted entry qualifications from your country .
Still need help? Email us at socialsciences@manchester.ac.uk .
Scottish requirements
We accept Scottish Advanced Highers and Highers in one of the following combinations:
Three Advanced Highers at grades BBB.
or
Two Advanced Highers at grades BB, plus two additional Highers at grades BB.
Applicants taking a different combination of Highers and Advanced Highers should contact socialsciences@manchester.ac.uk for further advice. Applicants not taking English language or Mathematics at Higher level must achieve grade C in English language and Grade B in Mathematics at SCQF Level 5.
Welsh Baccalaureate
The University welcomes and recognises the value of the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma/Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and usually requires two A Levels or equivalentto be included within this.
Weconsider theWelsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma/Advanced Skills Challenge Certificateas equivalent to an A-level on a grade-for-grade basis.
European Baccalaureate
The University of Manchester welcomes applicants with the European Baccalaureate. Acceptable on its own or in combination with other qualifications, applications from students studying for this qualification are welcome and all applicants will be considered on an individual basis.
We typically require 77% overall in the European Baccalaureate.
AQA Baccalaureate
The University recognises the benefits of the AQA Baccalaureate and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills.
In making offers, the University will focus on the three A Levels taken within the AQA Baccalaureate. Students need to check the standard A Level requirements for their chosen course.
The units of broader study, enrichment activities and the Extended Project are considered to be valuable elements of the AQA Baccalaureate and we would therefore strongly encourage students to draw upon these experiences within their personal statement.
Foundation year
The University recognises a number of foundation programmes as suitable for entry to this undergraduate programme:
Applicants completing the INTO Manchester in partnership with The University of Manchester international foundation programme are required to achieve ABB in academic subjects and grade B in the EAP with writing and speaking grade B and listening and reading grade C.
Applicants completing the NCUK International Foundation year are required to achieve ABB in academic subjects and grade B in the EAP with writing and speaking grade B and listening and reading grade C.
For all other foundation programmes please see our full list of approved UK foundation programmes .
Pearson BTEC qualifications
The School accepts Pearson BTEC Level 3 qualifications for entry as long as it is in a relevant subject and taken alongside A-levels. The A-level you are taking must be included in the list of subjects found in the A-level entry requirements above.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma - accepted with grades MMM in combination with an A-level at grade A in a different subject area to the diploma.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma - accepted with grades DM in combination with an A-level at grade A in a different subject area to the diploma.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma - accepted with grade M in combination with two A-levels at grade BB in different subject areas to the diploma.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate - accepted with grade D in combination with two A-levels at grade BB in different subject areas to the diploma.
We do not accept the Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate.
The University of Manchester welcomes applications from students who have achieved legacy BTEC qualifications (pre-2016) such as the BTEC Extended Diploma, BTEC Diploma and BTEC Subsidiary Diploma. The grades required are likely to be the same or vary similar to the new BTEC qualifications (first teaching 2016, awarded 2018). Please contact the Academic School for clarification.
OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications
The School accepts OCR Cambridge Technical (CTEC) Level 3 qualifications for entry as long as it is in a relevant subject and taken alongside A-levels. The A-level you are taking must be included in the list of subjects found in the A-level entry requirements above.
Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma - accepted with grades MMM in combination with an A-level at grade A in a different subject area to the diploma.
Cambridge Technical Diploma - accepted with grades DM in combination with an A-level at grade A in a different subject area to the diploma.
Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma - accepted with grades MM in combination with two A-levels at grade BB in different subject areas to the diploma.
Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate - accepted with grade D in combination with two A-levels at grade BB in different subject areas to the diploma.
We do not accept the Cambridge Technical Certificate.
The University of Manchester welcomes applications from students who have achieved legacy CTEC qualifications (pre-2016) such as the CTEC Extended Diploma, CTEC Diploma, and CTEC Subsidiary Diploma. The grades required are likely to be the same or vary similar to the new CTEC qualifications (first teaching 2016, awarded 2018). Please contact the Academic School for clarification.
Access to HE Diploma
We require a QAA-recognised Access to HE Diploma (a minimum of 60 credits overall with at least 45 at Level 3), with merit or distinction in a subject area relevant to the chosen course.
- Typical applicant - A mature student returning to education after a number of years.
- Typical offer - Pass Access to HE Diploma with 45 level 3 credits (36 Distinctions / 9 Merits).
Cambridge Pre-U
T Level
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
The University recognises the benefits of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills.
Although the Extended Project will not be included in the conditions of your offer, we strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement and at interview.
A number of our academic Schools may also choose to take your performance in the EPQ into account should places be available in August for applicants who narrowly miss the entry grades for their chosen course.
Core Maths
The University welcomes and recognises the value of Level 3 core mathematics qualifications (e.g. AQA Certificate in Mathematical Studies).
Core Mathematics is not a compulsory element of post-16 study and as a result we will not normally include it in the conditions of any offer made to the student.
A Core Maths qualification does not satisfy the requirement of achieving A-level Mathematics for the School of Social Sciences.
Home-schooled applicants
If you are a student who has followed a non-standard educational route, e.g. you have been educated at home; your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course for which you are applying.
You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the specified academic entry requirements of the course.
We will also require a reference from somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education.
If you are a home schooled student and would like further information or advice please contact the academic School for your chosen course who will be able to help you.
Non-standard educational routes
Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.
Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest. There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.
The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates.If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.
Further information for mature students can be found here .
English language
All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:
- GCSE/iGCSE English Language grade C.
- IELTS 6.5 overall with no lower than 6 in any component.
- TOEFL (IBT) 90 overall with a minimum of 20 in each subset.
- iGCSE English (Second Language) grade B
- An acceptable equivalent qualification.
The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student from outside the UK and the EU must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language in order to be granted a UK visa (Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level. This level is often referred to as the 'B2 level'.
Additionally, our individual Schools may ask for specific English Language proficiency levels that are necessary for their academic programmes. In most cases these requirements are likely to be higher than the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found here .
English language test validity
Fees and funding
Fees
Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £26,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
Scholarships and bursaries, including the Manchester Bursary , are available to eligible home/EU students.
Some undergraduate UK students will receive bursaries of up to £2,000 per year, in addition to the government package of maintenance grants.
You can get information and advice on student finance to help you manage your money.
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
Applicants submitting mitigating circumstances
If you are submitting information about mitigating circumstances that have affected, or are likely to affect, your academic performance, you should include this in the referee's report.
We cannot take into account information that is supplied after an adverse decision has been made on an application.
(Examples of mitigating circumstances include family illness, problems with school facilities or an unusual curriculum followed by your school of college).
How your application is considered
Interview requirements
Returning to education
Overseas (non-UK) applicants
Deferrals
NB Some English Language test results, such as IELTS of TOEFL, are only valid from two years from the test date.
Policy for applicants who resit their qualifications
Contact: socialsciences@manchester.ac.uk
Re-applications
If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you can apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.
In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may refer back to previous applications or registrations at the University.
If you are applying for a place for the same year of entry through UCAS Extra, you should include additional evidence of your suitability for the course.
If you are applying through clearing you will need to meet the clearing requirements. In both UCAS Extra and clearing places will be subject to availability.
Course details
Course description

Studying Social Anthropology has been so valuable for my skillset because it’s allowed me to be exposed to so many different worldviews and experiences.
Through studying Social Anthropology, I’ve found that I am really interested in learning people’s stories and sharing them.
Carina Patel / BASS Politics and Social Anthropology
BSocSc Social Anthropology is a single honours course for Social Anthropology specialists.
You will learn the diverse ways human beings live in the world today.
Contemporary social anthropology is a discipline that critically tackles some of the most pressing issues of our time.
These range from the implications of new reproductive technologies, environmental crises, migration, and challenges to health and wellbeing through the analysis of ritual, kinship, and material culture.
You will also study violence, poverty, and the means to alleviate human suffering.
You will learn about our distinctive character focusing on the political and economic aspects of social and cultural life, and the anthropology of visual and other sensory media.
The course has both regional and global scope, teaching you to challenge common sense assumptions through cross-cultural comparisons.
Special features
We focus on contemporary political and economic challenges and are specialists in:
- visual, sensory, and digital media;
- race and genetic technologies;
- migration, climate change and disasters;
- AIDS and medicine;
- death;
- masculinities;
- social class;
- cities and infrastructures;
- border politics;
- humanitarianism and development;
- religion.
Study abroad
If you would like to broaden your horizons and your degree, you can apply to study overseas for a year at one of our partner universities. You apply in Year 2 to spend a year abroad in Year 3.
If successful, you will put together a programme of study at the host university in consultation with your Academic Exchange Advisor, to complement your studies at Manchester.
You will then come back to Manchester to study for a fourth year and graduate with a degree title including ‘with International Study'.
See The University of Manchester Study Abroad pages
Paid placement opportunities
Apply for a paid Q-Step internship between Years 2 and 3.
It is an excellent opportunity to gain work experience and future contacts.
Professional Experience Year
You apply in Year 1 to boost your employability through a paid Professional Experience Year. If you meet the criteria, the Professional Experience Team and Careers Service will work with you to find a suitable placement in Year 2.
You will complete your Professional Experience Year in Year 3 extending your degree to four years, before returning to University to finish your final year.
Your degree title will include 'with Professional Experience'.
Teaching and learning
Course units feature formal lectures supported by smaller tutorials or seminars where you explore the contents of lectures and recommended reading in greater depth.
Tutorials and seminars are key to improving your written and oral communication skills through group discussions, essay-writing, and presentations.
You are assigned an Academic Advisor who can advise you on selecting course units and career opportunities.
Coursework and assessment
The range of methods is designed to promote in-depth learning and understanding, including:
- essays, coursework, and other mid-term evaluations allow development and feedback on your knowledge and understanding;
- dissertations promote the development of argument and understanding of academic material, and test how you work independently;
- presentations or group projects promote the development of teamwork and communication skills.
Course content for year 1
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Visual Anthropology | SOAN10061 | 10 | Mandatory |
Anthropology of Art, Sound and Images | SOAN10092 | 10 | Mandatory |
Power and Culture: Inequality in Everyday Life | SOAN10301 | 10 | Mandatory |
Cultural Diversity in Global Perspective | SOAN10312 | 10 | Mandatory |
Key Ideas in Social Anthropology | SOAN10321 | 10 | Mandatory |
Intro to Ethnographic Reading | SOAN10322 | 10 | Mandatory |
Regional Studies of Culture: 1 | SOAN10331 | 20 | Mandatory |
Regional Studies of Culture: 2 | SOAN10352 | 20 | Mandatory |
Introduction to Business Anthropology: Consumers, Companies and Culture | SOAN10361 | 20 | Optional |
Course content for year 2
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Anthropological Theory | SOAN20830 | 20 | Mandatory |
The Ethnographer's Craft | SOAN20841 | 20 | Mandatory |
Anthropology of Kinship, Gender and Sex | SOAN20802 | 20 | Optional |
Anthropology of Religion | SOAN20812 | 20 | Optional |
Political and Economic Anthropology | SOAN20821 | 20 | Optional |
Materiality and Representation | SOAN20852 | 20 | Optional |
The Human and the Digital | SOAN20871 | 20 | Optional |
Course content for year 3
Course units for year 3
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Dissertation A | SOAN30610 | 40 | Mandatory |
Anthropology of Development and Humanitarianism | SOAN30112 | 20 | Optional |
The Anthropology of Health and Wellbeing | SOAN30252 | 20 | Optional |
Urban Anthropology in Britain | SOAN30382 | 20 | Optional |
Migrants, Borders and Im/mobilities | SOAN30452 | 20 | Optional |
Dissertation A | SOAN30610 | 40 | Optional |
Screening Culture | SOAN30791 | 20 | Optional |
Anthropology of Vision, Senses and Memory | SOAN30811 | 20 | Optional |
Food and Eating: The Cultural Body | SOAN30881 | 20 | Optional |
Extra-Terrestrial Anthropology | SOAN31021 | 20 | Optional |
Course content for year 4
If completing a year abroad or a professional experience year, you will take the Year 3 course content in Year 4.
What our students say
Read profiles of our students to find out more about studying Social Anthropology at Manchester.
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
The University of Manchester has one of the best records for placing graduates with employers of any British university.
Graduates pursue careers in a wide range of paths, reflecting the broad nature of our courses.
Popular careers include journalism and the media, charities, consultancy, civil service, finance, marketing, social work, teaching, and the law. Recent graduates work for:
- British Red Cross;
- Friends of the Earth;
- Department of Work and Pensions;
- Manchester City Council;
- Royal Bank of Scotland;
- Teach First;
- Manning Gottlieb.
Another popular route is postgraduate study with us.
The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate.
At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability .
Find out more at careers and employability and graduates and alumni .