Human Sciences
BA Hons Human Sciences
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Average intake at Wadham: 3
Human Sciences is an interdisciplinary degree course which enables students to study humans from multiple interconnecting perspectives across the biological and social sciences. Underlying the degree concept is the recognition that it is important to understand connections among biological, social, and cultural phenomena in order to address the major issues and problems humans face in a rapidly changing world. The programme offers an exciting and challenging alternative to more traditional undergraduate courses.
Human Sciences at Wadham
The Human Sciences course ranges over a wide spectrum from Social Anthropology and Sociology to Human Genetics. Many of the lectures are shared with other courses, so you will move around Oxford between departments during a typical working day.
Students taking Human Sciences at Wadham have two tutorials a week until the preliminary examination. During their work for final exams, they have three tutorials a fortnight. The syllabus is a mix of biological and social science that is not found in other universities. An important part of the third year is an extended dissertation of 10,000 words, which must combine at least two of the main subject areas of the course.
Tutors
A Student's Perspective
Rose, Third Year Human Sciences
Hi, I’m Rose and I’m in my third (and final) year studying Human Sciences. So far I have loved Wadham, both for Human Sciences and as a college in general. Outside of my degree I play netball for college and last year was an Entz rep meaning I had to help organise and run all college bops and big events such as Queerfest and Wadstock. However, day to day, I love studying here because there are 3 or 4 Human Scientists a year in Wadham meaning you know them all well and can help each other with tutorial work.
We also have weekly seminar with our tutor where all students doing Human Sciences in Wadham come and sit in her office with a cup of tea to check everyone’s ok, is fine with their work and then to discuss a broad, interesting and normally currently relevant topic. You learn a lot in these sociable sessions other than you might just in lectures and they’re good fun because they can get quite heated and enthusiastic.
Unlike many subjects, Human Sciences tutorials are held mainly outside of college as it is such an interdisciplinary degree and you get to meet people from all across the university. However, Wadham is a great base to go from as it fosters an atmosphere of awareness of global and current issues and being proactive which I often find complements my degree. For instance, I often learn things from speakers at Wadham-based talks which I will use in tutorials.