Anthropology is the study of what it means to be human. Linking science and the humanities, we study humans as members of cultures and societies, and as a biological species. We ask the big questions that only anthropology can answer. Can apes talk? How did language and culture evolve? Is family life the same in Amazonia as in London’s East End? Have women always been oppressed? What causes racism and ethnic conflict? We combine study of primate societies, the fossil record, archaeology and contemporary social anthropology, including politics, economics, kinship and religion. Anthropology’s core method is ethnographic fieldwork. You will be trained to carry out participant observation among people within their own community. This will lead you to develop professional skills in organising fieldwork, cooperating with others, planning and conducting interviews, making sense of different ways of life, collecting and analysing data, and finally, writing up your results. These are transferable skills, relevant to a wide range of careers. In this multicultural world, any job involving people needs an anthropologist. We offer the opportunity of a sandwich year at the University of New Mexico, with the chance to take specialist Native American studies.

And our support doesn’t end when you finish your course. As a UEL graduate you can use the services of the Employability and Enterprise Team after graduation. We can provide information on paid work opportunities and placements, and offer a Skills Academy scheme that includes sessions on essential business skills and internship opportunities to get you on the right path. For those thinking about taking the entrepreneurial route, UEL's business incubation space, Knowledge Dock, offers you the opportunity to start your own business by providing premises, IT support (including computers, printing and phone) and access to entrepreneurs and business advisers in east London.