Health and Human Sciences

Course details Our BSc Health & Human Sciences degree is designed to give you a thorough grounding in the anthropology of health, bringing together perspectives from both social and biological anthropology. This degree will expand your understanding of health, bringing together biological and evolutionary research into human genetics and physiology with ethnographic approaches to the social, political, ideological and ecological contexts that shape health risks and treatments. Studying the anthropology of health will equip you with the skills to critically debate healthcare from an interdisciplinary perspective that draws together local, regional and international scales of analysis.

Why Durham University? We are among the largest Anthropology departments in the UK with around 120 students in each year group, and one of the few to combine social, biological and medical aspects of anthropology. Our lecturers are passionate, dedicated teachers and researchers, and our modules cover numerous areas that overlap with other subjects, including culture, environmental issues, evolution, genetics, forensics, literature, health, music, politics, primate behaviour, religion, reproduction, skeletal anatomy and many others still. And with a research-led approach, our teaching is constantly evolving to incorporate the latest findings into the curriculum.

Facilities The Department’s research facilities include skeletal, fossil cast and material culture collections available for students to use as part of their learning activities and research projects. We also house a number of research centres and laboratories including an Infancy and Sleep Centre, a Physical Activity Lab and an Ecology and Endocrinology Laboratory which is equipped to analyse human samples.

Rankings 23rd in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2023 6th in The Guardian University Guide 2024 8th in The Complete University Guide 2024 Top 10 in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.

Career Opportunities With a degree in Anthropology, you will be equipped with a diverse and practical knowledge base, including highly transferable skills in research and communication. Employers worldwide value this skill set, particularly where creativity, curiosity and the ability to understand human diversity are at a premium. Our graduates apply their knowledge directly in fields as diverse as health, community work, conservation, education, international development, culture, and heritage. Many progress into careers that require a broad understanding of human society and behaviour as well as the interpersonal, organisational, problem solving and independent thinking skills that come with the discipline. Such careers include advertising, publishing, journalism, teaching, human resource management, law, consultancy and marketing.