Three students at Oxford Brookes University chatting and smiling while walking down the stairs in the new teaching building.

BA (Hons) Anthropology and History (joint honours)

Investigate the past through historical evidence and debate, developing research and critical thinking skills.

Key facts

Duration
Full time: 3 years
Part time: up to 6 years
Starts
September 2027
Level
Undergraduate
UCAS code
LV61
Location
Headington
School
School of Social Sciences
School of Education, Humanities and Languages

About this course

Our joint honours course lets you explore your interests in Anthropology and History while building a solid foundation in both subjects. You’ll gain a range of personal and professional skills that will serve as a springboard for your future career. The programme is carefully designed to enable you to gradually develop your knowledge and skills and become effective and independent learners.

When you study Anthropology, you’ll explore what makes us human, what drives our diversity and how we’re connected to our environment. History is about far more than studying the past. It enables you to discover why people act the way they do and to explore how societies develop.

Links between research and undergraduate teaching are an important and distinctive feature of the programme, and the combined research experience and competencies of staff have shaped its design, content and delivery.

  • Study abroad

    You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Most exchanges take place in the second year. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

QualificationTypical offer
UCAS tariff points120
Contextual offer tariff points96
A-levelBBB
BTEC Extended DiplomaDDM
International Baccalaureate31

Applications are also welcomed for consideration from applicants with European qualifications, international qualifications or recognised foundation courses. For advice on eligibility please contact Admissions: admissions@brookes.ac.uk

If you don’t achieve the required tariff points you can apply to join a foundation course.

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees
Fee types2026/272027/28
Home full-time£9,790£10,050
Home part-time£1,220 per single module£1,255 per single module
International full-time£17,250£18,500

Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.

For further information please see our tuition fees FAQs.

Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page.

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)

Learning and assessment

In your first year, you'll explore what it means to be human. You will study gender in different societies, ancient human communities and our endangered primate cousins. While developing the core skills for History, you will also study an exciting range of material - from the beginnings of Europe’s colonization to modern discussions of race and the environment.

In your second year, you’ll be able to focus on areas such as human origins and archaeology, international development, environment and conservation. You’ll examine global challenges like environmental hazards and disasters. You’ll explore more specialist historical issues, like what the Jack the Ripper case tells us about Victorian society, or how thinkers like Charles Darwin have influenced our culture.

In your final year, you'll be able to focus on topics that interest you most and explore them in your dissertation. You might examine the illegal wildlife trade or investigate habitat loss. You'll explore life in Renaissance Italy or the fall of the Russian monarchy.

You’ll learn in a supportive and stimulating environment. You’ll be part of a close-knit programme where you’ll know everyone and get lots of support from both teaching staff and fellow students. Participation and discussion are important features of the course that promote individual creativity and effective collaborative learning.

Most modules combine lectures and seminar-style discussion based on weekly readings. You'll have the chance to discuss and challenge a wide variety of critical views and perspectives in your seminars.

Contact hoursTotal workloadTimetabled
about 9 hrs a week1,200 hrs a yearMon–Fri, 09:00–18:00

Assessment

Your assessments will be diverse, and will support different learning styles - you’ll have a real opportunity to showcase your strengths.

You might write a blog, create a video diary or give a presentation. You’ll be able to write essays, literature reviews and position papers. You will also have opportunities to produce short presentations and work in group.

The assessments are designed to help you develop your confidence in using a wide range of skills, preparing you well for your future career.

Information from Discover Uni

Full-time study

Part-time study

Careers

As you study, you’ll develop highly transferable skills and competencies in the areas that employers care about.

These include:

  • critical thinking
  • creative problem solving
  • written, spoken and visual communication, in a variety of media and styles
  • intercultural and interpersonal understanding
  • research and analysis
  • working independently and collaboratively.

You’ll graduate able to analyse issues, express your ideas, inform and influence others, and respond to challenges – critical skills for the 21st century workplace.

Our graduates go on to work in diverse areas like:

  • NGOs and charities
  • Social work
  • Publishing
  • Public relations
  • Marketing
  • Teaching
  • Media and journalism
  • The civil service.

Many pursue postgraduate study, often here at Oxford Brookes.

Our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, so module availability and course structures may vary from what is listed here. On rare occasions, we may also need to make updates to our course programmes after publication; for full details, please visit our changes to programmes page (opens in a new tab)