Anthropology and Philosophy

Anthropology and Philosophy at Aberdeen is a great combination, adding to your existing grounding in what it means to ‘be human’ with a deeper exploration of the the big questions that we humans have, and how we try to find the answers. The skills you will develop will put you in an excellent position to choose your career path in any area of business or other sector.

Anthropology will give you a thorough grounding in humanity, the differences in human cultures and communities and how they have developed. You will gain insights into human behaviours, beliefs and attitudes all over the world, exploring connections between aspects of life such as family, economics, politics and religion. Philosophy attempts to answer questions such as ‘what is knowledge?’ and ‘what is truth?’ It looks at how we apply reasoning and argument to these and other questions of fundamental importance to humans.

What makes Philosophy at Aberdeen especially attractive is the breadth of courses, the user-friendly materials you will use and the experts who will teach you. In your first year alone, you will study topics such as How Should One Live? Controversial Questions, and Experience, Knowledge and Reality. The skills you will develop through this combination are greatly sought by employers and open up a wide range of career options, including in business.

Anthropology at Aberdeen is ranked 1st in the UK for overall student satisfaction in the 2024 National Student Survey.
Ranked 3rd in the UK for Anthropology and Archaeology (Guardian University Guide 2025)
Ranked 4th in the UK for Anthropology (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025)
Global Top 100 for Anthropology (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024)