PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
Programme title:
MA Materials, Anthropology & Design
Final award (BSc, MA etc):
MA
(where stopping off points exist they should be
detailed here and defined later in the document)
UCAS code:
(where applicable)
Cohort(s) to which this programme
specification is applicable:
From 2014 entry
(e.g. from 2015 intake onwards)
Awarding institution/body:
University College London
Teaching institution:
University College London
Faculty:
Social and Historical Sciences
Parent Department:
Department of Anthropology
(the department responsible for the administration of
the programme)
Departmental web page address:
www.ucl.ac.uk/anthropology/
(if applicable)
Method of study:
Full-time, or Part-time over 2 years
Full-time/Part-time/Other
Criteria for admission to the
programme:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospectivestudents/graduate/degrees/taught/tmaarlscmd01
Length of the programme:
One year, or two part-time.
(please note any periods spent away from UCL, such
as study abroad or placements in industry)
Level on Framework for Higher
Education Qualifications (FHEQ)
(see Guidance notes)
Relevant subject benchmark statement
(SBS)
Level 7
n/a (none at M level)
(see Guidance notes)
Brief outline of the structure of the
programme
and
its
assessment
methods:
(see guidance notes)
Board of Examiners:
Students must take/submit
i) One 45 credit core course assessed by a 2 hour unseen written
exam; and by two pieces of coursework, the latter jointly totalling the
equivalent of 5000 words, and using the higher of the two grades;
and by a group practical project presentation.
ii) Three 15 credit option courses each assessed by the equivalent of
3000 words coursework;
iii) One 15,000 word dissertation.
MA Materials, Anthropology and Design
Professional body accreditation
(if applicable):
n/a
Date of next scheduled
accreditation visit:
EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME:
Striking a balance between theory, practice and research, the programme will
(a) introduce students to anthropological skills essential for the analytical engagement with materials in culture
and society;
(b) give them social science training in those skills
(c) introduce students to aspects of materials in culture and society at an intellectually demanding level
(d) equip students to undertake design anthropology work, thinking critically about design issues, and working
collaboratively
PROGRAMME OUTCOMES:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding,
qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:
A: Knowledge and understanding
Knowledge and understanding of:
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Teaching/learning methods and strategies
1. How to assess materials from a social
science (anthropology) and scientific
perspective (archaeology) perspective.
Including ‘old’ materials and ‘new’
materials in architecture, product design,
production and waste. Analyse materials
relevant to museum collections, art
installations, archaeological and heritage
sites, ethnographies and other sources.
Solve problems of conflicting sources and
conflicting interpretations, locate source
materials and interpretative studies, use
research resources (particularly research
library catalogues, archival inventories,
on-line catalogues, museum collections,
digital databases and other traditional and
digital resources relevant to anthropology
and archaeology ).
2. Subject specific skills, for instance,
analytical skills for understanding
materials in society as well as their
scientific properties and classification,
materials analysis, critical analysis of
product design, etc, textual bibliography,
the editing of texts, familiarity with
materials in culture and society.
3. Aspects of anthropological and
archaeological theory, material culture
and design theory, critical museology,
visual culture, visual anthropology,
cultural heritage,
Acquisition of 1 through seminars and classes. Several
courses, especially the required core course Materials,
Anthropology and Design, will also entail practical
instruction, e.g., visits to product design companies and
trade fairs; archaeological field sites; UCL Museums &
Collections to examine the physical characteristics of
objects, visits to Kew Botanical Archive, the Institute of
Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), the British
Museum to view materials in collections, visits to
materials libraries, viewing of films and photographic
archives in Department of Anthropology’s Audio-Visual
Laboratory, analysis of collections in Department of
Anthropology’s Material Culture Laboratory and Institute
of Archaeology conservation laboratories, consultation of
printed or digital catalogues in research libraries, notably
the British Library, the Centre for Anthropology (the
British Museum), the Wellcome Institute, and Senate
House. Participation in MADE (Materials and Design
Exchange network) and related events. Students will be
required to attend all classes, study extensively on their
own and, on the required course mentioned above and
on several of the optional courses, prepare nonassessed course work regularly.
Acquisition of 2 through the required core course
Materials, Anthropology and Design.
Acquisition of 3 through the optional courses offered.
B: Skills and other attributes
Intellectual (thinking) skills:
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
The programme aims to help students:
Acquisition of (a) and (b) is fostered in all courses
offered in the Programme, in that all courses will
introduce information that will need to be assessed
critically and will demonstrate that how conflicting
interpretations arise from the same information.
(a) be precise, to be cautious in their
assessment of evidence, and to
understand through practice what the
social and scientific analysis of materials
can and cannot tell us.
(b) question interpretations, however
authoritative, and reassess evidence for
themselves.
Acquisition of (c) is acquired through preparation of the
core course research methodology project which is
based on creating an analytical engagement with
materials in some form.
(c) be creative in thinking about materials
and their role in shaping culture and
society
C: Skills and other attributes
Practical skills (able to):
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Assessment:
This programme aims to help students
with the following practical skills:
(a) communicate effectively in writing
(b) improve their knowledge of materials
in culture and society, archaeology,
anthropology, material culture, museums
and heritage
(c) use data bases, digital resources and
word-processing programmes
(d) present (non-assessed) seminar
papers
(e) listen and discuss ideas introduced
during seminars
(f) practice research techniques as used
in a variety of specialised industries,
museum institutions, archaeological and
heritage fieldsites, research libraries and
photo / film archives
(g) maintain a constant rhythm of learning
and research
(h) choose their own long-essay and
dissertation topics
(i) adapt long-essays and dissertation
topics to the information that they
discover while working on their longessays
(a) through the writing of long-essays and dissertations
(b) through weekly reading exercises
(c) through ‘hands-on’ instruction
(d) through regular seminar presentations
(e) through seminar discussion
(f) through visits to museums, archives, libraries and art
institutes
(g) through the setting of clear deadlines for the
submission of written work
(h) through individual discussion with students
Skills (a)-(g) inclusive will be taught mainly on the
required core course Materials Anthropology and
Design.
They will be taught by scholars who have specialist
expertise in these fields. The classes will include
practical instruction, e.g., work on archaeological and
ethnographic documentation techniques, work with
museum collections and materials throughout the
course, visits to exhibitions to examine the
representations of materials in society, consultation of
printed or digital catalogues in research libraries, notably
the British Library, the Centre for Anthropology (British
Museum), the Wellcome Institute, and Senate House.
Assessment:
(a)-(c), (f)-(i) by ‘unseen’ examination, course work,
long-essays and dissertation. The latter is a required
method of assessment; (e) not assessed in courses
currently listed on the programme.
D: Skills and other attributes
Transferable skills (able to):
Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Assessment:
The programme will encourage students
to:
(a) long-essays, course work, dissertation
(b) reading archaeological and anthropological texts for
courses; writing short summaries of required readings in
preparation for course
(c) submitting word-processed written work; using data
bases, consulting on-line library catalogues, using website material
(d) seminar presentations
(e) seminars, library visits, ‘hands-on’ instruction
(f) reading about and discussing current ideas and
practices
(g) essays, dissertation, seminar presentations, ‘handson’ instruction, library and gallery visits
(h) seminar papers
(i) reading, class discussion
(j) essays, dissertation, seminar discussion
(k) essays, dissertation, seminar discussion
(a) write good essays and dissertations
(b) improve their analytical skills
(c) use computer resources and
information technology
(d) present material orally and visually
(e) listen and contribute in class
(f) understand ideas that are very
different to conventional ones
(g) study a variety of materials in physical
objects, exhibitions and digital materials,
in museums, libraries, archives and
research institutes of a kind that they will
not have used as undergraduates
(h) present (non-assessed) material orally
and visually
(i) reflect on their own ideas by becoming
Assessment:
acquainted with ideas and practices
foreign to them
(a)-(c), (f)-(k) ‘Unseen’ examination, long-essays and
(j) make original contributions to
dissertation; (e) not assessed in courses currently listed
Archaeological and Anthropological
on the programme though courses added in future may
scholarship by following through their
include oral assessment.
ideas
(k) assess evidence for themselves and
The following reference points were used in designing the programme:
 the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications:
(http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/qualifications-frameworks.pdf);
 the relevant Subject Benchmark Statements:
(http://www.qaa.ac.uk/assuring-standards-and-quality/the-quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements);
 the programme specifications for UCL degree programmes in relevant subjects (where applicable);
 UCL teaching and learning policies;
 staff research.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the
learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes
full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information on the learning outcomes,
content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each course unit/module can be found in the
departmental course handbook. The accuracy of the information contained in this document is reviewed annually
by UCL and may be checked by the Quality Assurance Agency.
Programme Organiser(s)
Adam Drazin
Name(s):
Date of Production:
20 January 2014
Date of Review:
April 2015
Date approved by Head of
Department:
April 2015
Date approved by Chair of
Departmental Teaching
Committee:
Date approved by Faculty
Teaching Committee
April 2015
August 2015