Programme Specification: BA Anthropology and Law
1. Awarding Body
2. Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body, e.g. ESRC;
BPS etc
3. Name of final award
4. Programme Title
5. Duration of the course
6. Based in the Department/Institute:
7. Relevant QAA subject benchmark
statements
8. UCAS Code
9. First written/last amended
LSE
Accredited by the Law Society (same as LLB)
BA
Anthropology and Law
36 months full-time
Anthropology Department in collaboration
with the Law Department
Anthropology (2007) and Law (2007)
ML16 BA/Anth Law
2003 / Nov 2012
10. The programme aims to:
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give students a balanced grounding in both law and anthropology which will allow them to
pursue careers and/or further study in either discipline;
provide an understanding of social anthropology as the comparative study of human
societies, and of law and plural legal systems as situated within this comparative setting;
provide a knowledge of the theory and history of anthropology (British, French and North
American), and an advanced understanding of specific themes in social anthropology:
particularly political and legal anthropology;
make students aware of the significance of anthropological insights for the understanding
of practical policy issues, particularly with respect to the legal sphere, whether in the third
world or in the UK;
Make students aware of the political significance of ethnic and cultural differences in the
definition and making of legal systems both in different regions of the world and within the
UK.
11. Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
On successful completion of the programme, students will have developed:
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an understanding of and ability to use major theoretical perspectives and concepts in
anthropology and law, both orally and in written form;
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a general acquaintance with the rudiments of public law and government in the UK as
well as the basic principles of the law of civil wrongs (tort) and contracts;
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an understanding of the fundamental concepts of domains of the law (property, justice,
and so on) and of its social applications;
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A knowledge of the plurality of legal systems existing in different regions of the world as
well as in Western societies, specifically the UK;
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An ability to draw explicit connections between anthropology and law.
See information relating to careers.
12. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved
and demonstrated
Teaching and learning strategies:
 Content imparted in weekly lectures enables students to develop an understanding of
major theoretical perspectives and concepts in anthropology and law;
 First year students meet in several sessions of a ‘linking seminar’ led by members of
staff from the Anthropology Department and from the Department of Law, designed to
encourage students to make explicit and coherent connections between the two
disciplines;
 Weekly classes enable critical discussion of theoretical issues in anthropology and law,
and opportunities to apply theory to diverse ethnographic settings;
 Informal presentations to peers during seminars enable individual students to develop a
closer appreciation of specific topics;
 Hour-long tutorials in groups of three, with discussion of individual essays, enable
students to develop their critical and writing skills in preparation for assessment essays
and for the exams.
Assessment Strategies:
 Two assessment essays, counting 30% of the final mark for each anthropology course,
enable students to pursue and develop particular themes explored during the course.
Detailed feedback is provided by essay markers;
 Unseen examination papers in the Summer Term, counting 70% of the final mark for
each anthropology course and 100% for each law course, marked by two examiners,
enable assessment of students’ mastery of theoretical perspectives in anthropology
seen in their ethnographic contexts.
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
See the BA Anthropology and Law programme regulations
Additional information
14. Criteria for admission to the programme
Usual standard offer:
GCE A level: grades A A B
International Baccalaureate: Diploma with 37 points including 6 6 6 at higher level
Other qualifications are considered.
15. Indicators of quality
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Student assessment returns show both Departments have good records in terms of
teaching quality;
Successful completion of internal (LSE) and external (QAA) audits of teaching quality
in both Departments;
Research quality: The Department has consistently been awarded very high scores in
the Research Assessment Exercise. In 2001 it was the only Anthropology department
in the country to obtain 5* based on 100% staff submission. In 2008 it obtained a
higher proportion of 4* (quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance
and rigour) than any other Anthropology department (40%);
Authorship of key texts: members of both departments have published important texts
in the areas which we teach;
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The LSE Careers Centre website provides data on career destinations of LSE
graduates.
16. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and
learning
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Student feedback during small group tutorials throughout the year.
Student satisfaction surveys as conducted by TQARO.
External examiners’ reports.
Participation in activities of LSE’s Teaching and Learning Centre.
Mentoring/review/promotion process includes an assessment of teaching.
A TLAC review of the Department once every five years.
The Department reviews its programmes according to its own system of periodic
review.
School quality assurance processes include:
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regular staff appraisal and review;
improvements in teaching technique are effected by the Teaching and Learning
Centre (TLC) through observations, advice and further training;
induction programme and mentoring scheme for new members of staff;
Staff/student liaison committee;
centrally administered student satisfaction questionnaires by the Teaching Quality
Assurance and Review Office;
an improved system for ensuring that External Examiner’s
comments/recommendations are fed through to Departments and acted upon;
the School’s Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee (TLAC) which regulates
all aspects of teaching quality;
annual monitoring of courses and periodic reviews every 3-5 years. The outcomes of
the annual reviews are presented to TLAC;
the School’s Undergraduate Studies Sub Committee and Graduate Studies Sub
Committee which oversee all taught programmes and ensure that significant changes
to programmes and courses pass through a sequence of formal stages to ensure that
curricular changes are appropriate and compatible with other developments.