Athhropology
Anthropology is the comparative study of humankind in the cultures of the world, both past and present and our BA (Hons) Anthropology degree at University College Cork brings together the many related disciplines to examine what defines us as humans and how we came to be the way we are. This exciting programme offers a unique way of looking at the world, offering a greater understanding of the human experience and a strong sense of global citizenship to meet the challenges of the future.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | National University of Ireland |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | National University of Ireland | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
3 or 4 Years full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Leaving Certificate entry requirements:
At least six subjects must be presented. Minimum grade H5 in two subjects and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish. Applicants will need to meet the following minimum entry requirements:
English O6/H7
Irish O6/H7
Other Language O6/H7
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
UCC awards the following points to the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme Link Modules:
Distinction 66 points
Merit 46 points
Pass 28 points
While Link Modules are counted for point scoring purposes they may not be counted as one of the six subjects to satisfy minimum entry requirements.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Careers / Further progression
Skills and Careers Information
This BA degree will provide you with the intellectual and practical means to understand cultural diversity around the world, and an ability to view our own culture in a critical manner. These skills are highly prized by employers. Career options include working as an archaeologist and forensic anthropologist, in arts administration and creative industries, community work, museums and heritage centres, journalism, librarianship, market research, the media, and in State bodies and NGOs dealing with social policy.
Direct entry into some of these careers is possible, while others require training at the postgraduate level to build on the academic foundation of a primary degree that has international recognition. Students with an Anthropology degree have a range of graduate career training options at masters and higher level, offered within UCC and in other Irish and overseas universities.
Postgraduate Options
Options for postgraduate study at UCC include:
MA Anthropology
MA Global Cultures & Languages
MA Human Osteoarchaeology
MA Museum Studies
MA Sociology
MA Sociology of Sustainability & Global Challenges
Please see the CACSSS postgraduate study page for more information including PhD in Anthropology and other PhD options for CACSSS graduates.
Further information
Approximate Available Places 3
Find out about the mature entry requirements at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/undergrad/entryreqs/matureapplicants/
Approximate Available Places Overall 35
Entry 2025
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2025 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2025 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2025 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2025 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2025 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2025 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2025. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2025, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2025 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2025 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2025 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
Anthropology is the comparative study of humankind in the cultures of the world, both past and present and our BA (Hons) Anthropology degree at University College Cork brings together the many related disciplines to examine what defines us as humans and how we came to be the way we are. This exciting programme offers a unique way of looking at the world, offering a greater understanding of the human experience and a strong sense of global citizenship to meet the challenges of the future.
Anthropology takes part in the long conversation about what it is to be human and gives flesh and blood to these fundamental questions. It is a genuinely cosmopolitan discipline in that it does not privilege certain ways of life above others, but charts and compares the full range of solutions to the perennial human challenges.
This discipline is of its time – it is crucial that we come to terms with a globalised world. Our responsibility as Anthropologists is to facilitate conversations across real or imagined cultural divides. This degree programme will go some way into addressing these many issues and parachute you into a career, or onto a path of further study, that will totally engage you.
Our BA in Anthropology programme addresses these many questions in a course that will provide you with a strong foundation in not only Anthropology, but the sub-fields of Archaeology and Sociology, as well as exposure to disciplines such as Celtic Civilization, Ethnomusicology, History, Philosophy, Ethnography and Folklore; and Religions and Global Diversity.
Programme
Our BA (Hons) Anthropology programme is a full-time, honours degree taken over three years. If you wish to spend a year abroad at one of our partner institutions in Europe and beyond, you can take the International Pathway option and spend Year 3 abroad before returning to UCC to complete your degree in Year 4.
Year 1 modules (60 credits total)
AR1001 The Archaeology of Ireland in Context (15 credits)
AY1001 Introduction to Anthropology (5 credits)
HI1007 Anti-Semitism in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Holocaust (5 credits)
HI1012 Women in Europe since 1800 (5 credits)
SC1005 Introduction to Sociology (5 credits)
SC1006 Key Issues in Sociology (10 credits)
Plus one 15-credit module from the following:
FL1004 Irish Folklore & Culture: An Introduction (15 credits) or
RG1001 Religions in the Contemporary World (15 credits)
Placement or Study Abroad Information
Study abroad: If you select the International Pathway in this degree, you will have the opportunity to spend Year 3 studying Anthropology at one of our numerous partner universities in Europe, North America, or Asia, before returning to UCC for Year 4 to complete your degree. See our Go Abroad with UCC page.
Work experience: There are a number of options for work experience both in the summer prior to and during your final year. There are also supported options through the CACSSS Professional Work Experience module (PX3001). This module offers preparatory training, a work placement organised by the UCC Careers Office, and post-placement follow-up.
You are also encouraged to seek summer employment in areas relevant to your studies, such as archaeological excavation, tourism and heritage, market research, and with State agencies working in public services and social policy, among others.
Professor William O’Brien
w.obrien@ucc.ie
+353 (0)21 490 4045
https://www.ucc.ie/en/anthropology/