Event Summary

This webinar is hosted by Jon Cheek, the Founder and Director of UniTasterDays. Guidance is provided for students to help them make good choices when considering university. The guest speakers for this event are Professor Kate Hampshire from Durham University and Professor Sarah Elton from Durham University.

What is anthropology
Kate explains what anthropology is at university – the study of human beings over very different time scales.

This is a broad discipline and there are varying branches you can study such as biological/evolutionary anthropology, medical anthropology and social/cultural anthropology.

The most widely studied branch is social anthropology and this is about understanding human society and culture in different contexts around the world, explains Kate. The biological side of anthropology focuses on how we evolved as humans. Kate talks about ethnography and important fieldwork you will complete on the course, with opportunities to travel and study other people and their culture.

Kate speaks in detail about the course content and touches on topics you will cover such as the evolution of language, how our humanistic capacities have evolved, and she talks about opportunities you will have to study both branches of anthropology.

Each university will differ with their entry requirements so it is important to do your research. Kate looks at what universities are looking for in potential students and the factors you should take into consideration when choosing a course. She goes on to speak about the fieldwork you will undertake and the transferable skills you will gain from the experience.

What to expect on a Biological Anthropology course
Sarah talks about what you will study on a biological anthropology course. One of the things she compares is the skull of humans and animals, showing the physical differences which determine how we behave and have evolved.

Comparing us to other primates sees what makes humans different, explains Sarah. She goes on to look at the careers you can pursue after a degree in anthropology and speaks about the transferable skills you will gain which are valued by employers in many sectors. Finally, she touches on the benefits of studying anthropology and shares useful resources about careers after an anthropology degree.

Final reflections
Kate shares her final thoughts on studying anthropology at university, and touches on the many ways you will benefit from this degree after you graduate.

Session summary from Rubaya Zaman, an English Literature Graduate from the University of Birmingham.