Swansea Metropolitan University

Course Details

BA Ancient History and Anthropology

Course Description

Anthropology explores the fundamentals of what it means to be human. It takes the whole world as its point of interest and brings one face to face with the eye-opening variety of human behaviours both in the present and from the past. Anthropologists examine the daily and mundane, the rare and ‘exotic’, and the local alongside the global to help address the pressing social issues our world faces nowadays. Doing a degree in anthropology forces you to question ideas and assumptions about right and wrong and good and bad by giving ethically sophisticated consideration to the sustainability of human practices. This makes anthropology the most dynamic, challenging and rewarding discipline one can study in the humanities. The other part of your degree in Ancient History allows students to study a wide range of modules covering not only fascinating figures like Alexander the Great, but also basic aspects of everyday life, such as ancient myths, politics, warfare (both on land and at sea) and the economic and trading networks of Ancient Greece. You can also explore broader questions about how Rome grew into an empire, how Sparta became the legend that it is today and how religion shaped everyday life two thousand years ago. In the first year of study, modules can be taken on a wide range of periods and themes; in the second and third years, the School offers specialised modules on all aspects of Greco-Roman history so that you can gain in-depth knowledge in areas of particular interest to you. Options are also available to select modules in ancient Chinese History, Classical Archaeology or Theology. The culmination of the degree is the dissertation, where you are free to pursue a topic of your choice in line with the research interests of your tutor.

Course Duration

NumberDuration
3year

Career outcomes

Our graduates go on to a variety of careers, including: Media and Publishing Business and Commerce Teaching Volunteering Social work Advocacy and law Legal aid Library and Information Services Further Study Administration Civil Service Local Government There is no one path for our Ancient History and Anthropology graduates. The traditional routes of teaching, museum and heritage, the civil service and research – governmental, academic and media – are still pursued by our graduating cohort. However, the programme of embedded employability ensures that our graduates have the skills set and confidence to explore a wide variety of career paths. Indeed, our graduating students have explored options from outdoors sports instructors to prison superintendents, from the Armed Forces to careers in the medical environment, with a good selection of entrepreneurial spirits applying what they have learnt to the creation of their own companies. Taking all that they have gained from studying Ancient History and anthropology with us and combining it with a dedicated Careers Service, our graduates are equipped to follow their passions wherever they may lead.




BA Ancient History and Anthropology Swansea Metropolitan University