Master of Science by Coursework in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology

Differences from 2015/16 to 2021/22

  • 1. Candidates must follow a course of instruction in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, including training in research, for at least three terms, and will, when entering for the examination, be required to produce a certificate from their supervisor to this effect.

  • 2. Candidates will be required to present themselves for written and (if requested by the examiners) oral examinations and to submit three copies of a dissertation in a prescribed form on an approved topic as defined in (6) and (7) below.

  • 3. The written examination will consist of four papers, one in each of the subjects listed in the Schedule.

  • 4. For Paper 1, candidates will be required to submit three assignments (chosen fromcomplete a listtake-home examination paper (provided by the course convener not later than the Friday of eighth week of HilaryMichaelmas Term)., Thewhich assignments  must be submitted by the FridayThursday beforeof week 0 of Hilary Term anonymously via the startUniversity ofapproved Trinityonline Termassessment toplatform, accompanied by confirmation that it is the Chaircandidate's ofown Examiners, M.Sc. in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, c/o Examination Schools, High Street, Oxfordwork.

  • 5. For each of Papers 2, 3 and 4, candidates will be required to sit an examination.

  • 6. Candidates will be required to submit a dissertation of no more than 15,000 words in length, on a topic agreed with their supervisors. The proposed title of the dissertation, together with a paragraph describing its scope and the supervisor’’s written endorsement, must be submitted to the Chair of Examiners by TuesdayThursday of the secondfifth week of Trinity Term. Three typewritten copies of theThe dissertation must be deliveredsubmitted via the University approved online assessment platform not later than noon on the last Wednesday in August in the year in which the examination is taken. The dissertation must be anonymous, toaccompanied by confirmation that it is the Chaircandidate’s ofown Examinerswork, M.Sc.and submitted in Cognitiveelectronic andfile Evolutionary Anthropology, c/o Examination Schools, High Street, Oxfordformat. The dissertation shall be provided with an abstract of up to 250 words, to be placed immediately after the title page. The word count shall be stated on the outsidetitle front coverpage of the thesis.

  • 7. The four papers will be taken to constitute Part I of the degree and the dissertation to constitute Part II. At the close of the written examinations, the examiners will issue a list of those who have satisfied them in Part I.

  • 8. The oral examination, if held, may be on any or all of the candidate’’s assessed essays, and/or the dissertation.

  • 9. The examiners may award a distinction for excellence in the whole examination.

  • 10. In order to pass the degree, a student must pass all its assessed components. Where one or more components are failed, the student will be given the opportunity to re-sit or re-submit them once, as the case may be. Any subsequent award of the degree on successful completion of all the assessed components may be delayed by up to three terms, i.e. until the Examination Board next meets.

Schedule

  • Paper 1. Quantitative Methods in the Human Sciences

    • (a) Hypothesis testing

    • (b) Statistical analysis

    • (c) Research design

  • Paper 2.  Principles of Evolution and Behaviour

    • (a) Primate and hominin phylogeny and evolution

    • (b) Primate and hominin physiology

    • (c) Primate and human diet and substancesubsistence

    • (d) Reconstructing past behaviour from primatology and archaeology

  • Paper 3. Evolution and Human  Behaviour

    • (a) HominidHistory of evolutionary historyapproaches to human behaviour

    • (b) Human evolutionary psychology

    • (c) Human Kinshipbehavioural and inheritanceecology

    • (d) Cultural evolutionary processes

  • Paper 4. Mind and Culture

    • (a) Cognitive and evolutionary explanations in anthropology

    • (b) Pan-human cognition: developmental and evolutionary perspectives

    • (c) Cognitive origins of culture

    • (d) Communication and transmission of culture.