Anthropology and Sociology

Your learning will be supported by a variety of teaching formats, such as lectures and smaller-group teaching in seminars and practical classes.

You will have the opportunity to study through applied research, as part of the residential Anthropology Field Course module and/or as part of the Research Methods in Action module.

In Year 3, you will undertake a dissertation with one-to-one staff supervision to guide you through the process of creating and writing up a research project.

Assessment

We use a wide range of assessments designed to provide training in a variety of academic and broader transferable skills, including not only 'traditional' essays and exams but also research projects, popular academic writing and outreach activities.

In your final year you will have the chance to design and carry out your own research project for your dissertation, with support and guidance from your supervisor.

A level offer – AAB

Contextual offer – BCC

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma/OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma – DDD

IB Diploma score – 36 with 665 in higher level subjects

In addition to satisfying the University’s general entry requirements, please note:

• We also consider other level 3 qualifications, including T-levels.
• We welcome applications from those with other qualifications equivalent to our standard entry requirements and from mature students with non-standard qualifications or who may have had a break in their study.
• If you do not satisfy our general entry requirements, the Foundation Programme offers multidisciplinary degrees to prepare you for a range of specified degree courses.
• We are pleased to consider applications for deferred entry.

Alternative qualifications

• Other UK qualifications

• EU qualifications 

• International qualifications

International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.

English language requirements

Country specific information

Full Time Fees

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

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

Our graduates apply their knowledge directly in fields as diverse 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, law, consultancy and marketing.

A significant number of graduates progress onto higher level study with many pursuing further research in anthropology or other fields.

Of those students who graduated in 2021-22

• 80% of our UK/EU graduates were in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation

Of those in employment:

• 81% of those are in high-skilled employment.
• £26,750 is the average salary.

(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 here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk)

The combination of sociological knowledge and transferable skills gained during your studies will prepare you for a career in many different sectors. From interpreting and evaluating information to analysing situations and constructing a persuasive argument, these skills are highly valued by employers and will give you a competitive edge.

Sociology graduates work in a wide range of settings all over the world, including health and welfare, local and central government and the Civil Service, education, the police, social research, the media and non-profit organisations. Many recent graduates from the Department have progressed to careers with high-profile employers including M&S, Mencap, Accenture and Unilever. Others have moved on to postgraduate study and academic research.

Of those students who graduated in 2021-22:

• 92% of our UK/EU graduates were in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021-22).

(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 here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk)

Studying Anthropology at Durham allows you to gain a deep understanding of humanity in all its rich diversity and complexity, helping to navigate the biggest challenges our societies face today.

Join a dynamic and welcoming Department that takes a distinctly broad-based approach to the study of humanity. We are among the largest Anthropology departments in the UK with around 120 students in each year group, and one of the few to combine social, biological and medical aspects of anthropology. You can choose from one of three single-honours programmes or combine Anthropology with Sociology, Psychology or Archaeology as a joint-honours degree. 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.

Our lecturers are passionate, dedicated teachers and researchers, and our modules cover numerous areas that overlap with other subjects, including culture, environmental issues, evolution, genetics, forensics, 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 findings 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 (as well as a virtual alternative), providing hands-on experience of varied anthropological methods in practice.

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

• 5th in the Complete University Guide 2025.

• 5th in the Guardian University Guide 2025.

• 29th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see our department web pages.

Facilities

We are based in the Dawson Building, conveniently located next to the main library, and close to lots of other departments and university services. We have a common room which students are welcome to use for studying and socialising.

The Department’s research facilities include skeletal, fossil cast and material culture collections available for students to use as part of their learning activities and research projects.

We also house a number of research centres and laboratories including an Infancy and Sleep Centre, a Physical Activity Lab and an Ecology and Endocrinology Laboratory which is equipped to analyse human samples.

From individual behaviour to large-scale social movements, gain an understanding of how society is structured, how it develops and the social problems that impact the world around us. In a rapidly changing global environment, there has never been a greater need for the skills and knowledge that make a positive social change.

The field of Sociology helps us to understand the ways in which human behaviour is shaped by the way we think, feel and respond to different social settings. Our courses apply sociological theory to the issues that affect our daily lives from education, work and families to crime, physical and mental health, and culture. Sociology at Durham will help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself, others and the world around you.

Learning takes place in the Department of Sociology, a dynamic learning and research community of students and staff. We take a research-led approach to learning which means that courses are informed by subject specialists who contribute to shaping society through their innovative, socially conscious research.

We offer a BA in Sociology or a joint honours degree in Anthropology and Sociology, and students on the BA Education Studies or the BA Combined Honours Social Sciences can choose sociology modules as part of a broader social sciences curriculum. You will also benefit from hands-on work placements, community-based modules and international study opportunities. Whichever route you travel, flexible pathways can be chosen to suit your interests and career goals.

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

• Top 10 The Complete University Guide 2025

• 2nd The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

• Top 100 The QS World University Rankings by Subject.

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see our department web pages.

Facilities

The Department of Sociology is located at Old Elvet, near the medieval Elvet Bridge, and within easy walking distance of the Students’ Union, University Colleges and Durham’s historic centre with its Castle and Cathedral. Our buildings includes a student common space and networked computer access for our students to use.

Durham University library is one of the best in northern Britain and is well resourced with books, eBooks and journals supporting all of our areas of study. We make extensive use of Learn Ultra, the University’s virtual learning environment, and teach in facilities across the whole Durham campus.

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