Politics and Social Anthropology
University of Manchester
UCAS Code: LL26 | Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences - BASS
University of Manchester
UCAS Code: LL26 | Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences - BASS
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. Typical Contextual Offer: BBB 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.
AS level results are not considered as part of the standard admissions process at The University of Manchester.
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 International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Applicants are expected to achieve D3, M1, M1 in the Cambridge Pre-U. Applicants can either take three Pre-U qualifications or study them in conjunction with A-level subjects.
The University welcomes and recognises the value of the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma/Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and usually requires two A Levels or equivalent to be included within this. We consider the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma/Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate as equivalent to an A-level on a grade-for-grade basis.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade C or 4 in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/iGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/iGCSE English Language.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
6,5,5 at Higher level, 34 points overall.
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
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 Diploma - accepted with grades DM in combination with an A-level at grade A in a different subject area to the diploma.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate
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 Certificate - accepted with grade D in combination with two A-levels at grade BB in different subject areas to the diploma.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
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.
OCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma
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 Foundation Diploma - accepted with grades MM in combination with two A-levels at grade BB in different subject areas to the diploma.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
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 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 Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
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 Certificate - accepted with grade D in combination with two A-levels at grade BB in different subject areas to the diploma.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
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 Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
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 Foundation Diploma - accepted with grade M in combination with two A-levels at grade BB in different subject areas to the diploma.
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 [email protected] 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.
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 [email protected] 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.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Our BA in Politics and Social Anthropology course is one of the pathways within the BA Social Sciences degree.
It is ideal if you want to keep your options open or study specific topics such as race, class, crime or religion, from different perspectives.
This flexible degree lets you study at least three subjects in the first year, and then throughout the second and third year you deepen your understanding of the subjects that you feel passionate about.
The six subject areas are:
- Criminology - The study of the causes and consequences of crime.
- Philosophy - The study of the nature of knowledge, truth and values. It also encourages greater consideration of our reasoning, judgement and ethics.
- Politics - The study of human organisation, government and power. It examines and evaluates political systems and institutions.
- Quantitative Methods - The study of data and analysis to understand the social world.
- Social Anthropology - The study of societies and cultures across the globe in comparative perspective.
- Sociology - The study of society and examines issues such as social inequalities and forms of everyday life.
You are not tied to the course code you apply to through UCAS, and can change after Year 1.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Scholarships and bursaries are available to eligible home/EU students, including the Manchester Bursary . Approximately a third of all our 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 plenty of information and advice on student finance to help you manage your money.
The Uni
University of Manchester
School of Social Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Anthropology
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Politics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Anthropology
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
This is a pretty flexible degree and a good one if you want to keep your options open. Just over 1,250 graduates completed anthropology degrees last year, and they were well spread out across a whole range of jobs — many industries have jobs that can be done by anthropology graduates and unlike a lot of degrees, there aren't many jobs we can point to and say ‘graduates from this degree do that job’. Management, marketing, housing and recruitment jobs are the most popular, though, and many graduates go into the education or social care sectors. Graduates are also rather more likely than average to work in London, or to go overseas to work. This is quite a popular subject at postgraduate level, and if you want to go into research, you'll need to think about postgrad study - and it's one of the few where numbers are on the up at the moment.
Politics
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
The numbers of people taking politics degrees fell sharply last year and we'll keep an eye on this one - it can't really be because of graduates getting poor outcomes as politics grads do about as well as graduates on average. Most politics or international relations graduates don't actually go into politics - although many do, as activists, fundraisers and researchers. Jobs in local and central government are also important. Other popular jobs include marketing and PR, youth and community work, finance roles, HR and academic research (you usually need a postgraduate degree to get into research). Because so many graduates get jobs in the civil service, a lot of graduates find themselves in London after graduating. Politics is a very popular postgraduate subject, and so about one in five politics graduates go on to take another course - usually a one-year Masters - after they finish their degrees.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Anthropology
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£26k
£30k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Politics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£22k
£27k
£35k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Lower entry requirements
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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