Bachelor in Fieldwork And Ethnography

Tuition fees for Bachelor in Fieldwork And Ethnography are 17,000 GBP per year.

How do we meaningfully document the complexities of human experience, and what tools are required to translate lived reality into rigorous social analysis? This module serves as an introduction to the craft of the ethnographer, designed specifically for students taking their first steps into anthropological inquiry. Rather than observing from a distance, you are invited to immerse yourself in the field, developing a project on a topic that genuinely captures your curiosity.

The Ethnographer's Toolkit

You will be guided through the research process step-by-step, transforming initial questions into robust, ethically sound projects. Through this module, you will cultivate the specific competencies that define the discipline:

• Participant Observation: Learning to engage with people’s everyday lives in sensitive, unthreatening ways.
• Methodological Rigour: Developing the ability to synthesize literature, manage project budgets and timelines, and maintain strict ethical standards regarding data privacy.
• Creative Synthesis: Mastering the transition between social scientific data analysis and the literary techniques required to produce evocative, faithful ethnographic texts.

Our students consistently demonstrate remarkable breadth in their research, exploring diverse subcultures and social phenomena. Past projects have ranged from the materialisation of memory in historical re-enactment groups and the gender dynamics of fishing communities, to the sociality of digital worlds like Minecraft and the anthropology of urban subcultures such as skateboarding and climbing.

University of Plymouth, situated on England’s southwest coast, is a modern, student-centred university with around 18,000 students and a welcoming international community. The campus blends contemporary facilities with strong industry links, particularly in marine science, health, engineering and business. Plymouth emphasises practical learning and employability, offering placements, internships and project-based modules that connect students directly with employers and local partners.

International students find Plymouth attractive for its supportive campus services, range of student societies and manageable city scale that balances urban amenities with coastal lifestyle. The university provides pre‑arrival guidance, English language support and dedicated international student teams to ease transition and help with accommodation, visas and wellbeing. Teaching approaches combine lectures, labs and applied projects, while research-active staff bring real-world problems into the classroom.

Graduates from Plymouth benefit from strong regional and national employer engagement, which can lead to placements, graduate roles and entrepreneurial support through incubators and career services. The city’s quality of life, lower cost compared with larger UK cities and emphasis on hands-on learning make Plymouth a practical choice for students seeking a balanced academic experience and strong prospects for work or further study after graduation.