An Introduction to Ethnographic Research Methods

The course totals approximately 150 hours of study and assessment time. That’s around 10-15 hours per week.

This is a rough guide, as you can largely set your own study hours each week to cover the materials. MyAberdeen is available 24/7, so you can log in and study when it suits you.

The course is structured into four units. Each unit contains learning resources that can be worked through at your own pace. This means that if you have a busy week or two during the 12-week course period, you can easily catch up.

There will be some activities that you have to attend at a fixed time, such as online meetings with your tutor. But otherwise, you can access and work through the course at your convenience.

Any scheduled activities you can’t attend for good reason will be recorded for you to view at a more convenient time, where possible.

This course is assessed entirely online.

You’ll be assessed online through four pieces of writing:

• Analysis of a published piece of ethnographic research, 500 words (15% of your mark)
• Discussion of ethics and politics in ethnographic research, 500 words (15%)
• Fieldnotes – an ethnographic description of a real-life setting, 500 words (15%)
• An essay on ethnographic methods, 1500 words (55%)

These pieces of written work will have set deadlines, one for each unit of the course.

Our first-class support structure will ensure that you aren’t alone in your studies. You’ll have contact with your tutors via email, phone or Skype. You can use social media and discussion boards to chat with your fellow students too.

We provide a wide range of services to support you in your studies and beyond:

• Careers service
• Disability support
• IT support
• Library support
• Student Support Service – help with finances, stress, wellbeing and non-academic issues
• Student Learning Service – study support, with advice sessions available via phone or Skype
• Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) – run by students for students
• Toolkit – clever apps and training that can make your study life easier

Wherever you are in the world, you’ll feel part of our very special Aberdeen learning community.

Entry requirements

We welcome students from all over the world. You do not need a visa to study online with us.

This course has no formal entry requirements, so you do not need to provide proof of your qualifications.

However, check the entry guidance above. It indicates the level of teaching delivered. If you do not have qualifications from the UK, check the equivalent teaching level for your country.

English language requirements

Teaching is delivered in English.

You do not have to provide proof of your English language skills to join this course. But we want to make sure that you can use English well enough to study successfully. At this level of teaching, you would usually have:

Duolingo English Test (taken from July 2019)

• 115 overall

LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator (Written and Spoken)

• All skills – B2

IELTS Academic – 6.5 overall

• 5.5 for listening and speaking
• 6.0 for reading and writing

TOEFL iBT – 90 overall

• 17 for listening
• 21 for reading
• 20 for speaking
• 21 for writing
• TOEFL DI code is 0818

PTE Academic – 62 overall

• 51 for listening and speaking
• 54 for reading and writing

Cambridge English: B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency – 176 overall

• 162 for listening and speaking
• 169 for reading and writing

For more information about language qualifications, see our English Language Requirements page.

You will need access to:

A computer (PC, laptop or Mac) operating on:

• Windows 8 or later
• Mac OS 10.12 (Sierra) or later.

All our teaching materials are smartphone- and tablet-friendly. However, you’re likely to need a proper laptop or computer keyboard for completing assignments comfortably.

Reliable internet access

With reasonable download speed. We broadly estimate at least 2Mbps so that you can take part fully in live sessions.

Speakers or headphones

• A headset with built-in microphone and earphones is useful if you’re likely to study in an environment with background noise.
• A webcam may be desirable for some interactive sessions.

Software

We will give you access to Office365 applications. This means that you can use online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and install these programs on up to five personal devices.

If your course requires any specialist software, then we’ll provide you with copies of this and a licence that lasts throughout your studies.

See our detailed IT requirements for more information.

When you study with us, you can expect a first-class support structure so that you’re never alone in your studies.

But learning online does mean you have to motivate yourself and manage your own time.

Your most important commitment to your course will be time – the time to work through, reflect on and understand your teaching materials.

Before you start a course that involves a high degree of independent study, we recommend looking at the time you will be able to devote to your course each week:

• Be realistic
• Create a weekly schedule as a guide

If you have any questions about studying online, get in touch with our friendly team. We’re here to help.

Fee payment

Your course fee needs to be paid in full before you start your course.

We accept payment via Visa Debit, Visa Credit and Mastercard.

Ways to save

You may be able to get help funding this course via:

• Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)
• discounts – if any discounts are available for this course, they’ll appear in the section below
• employer sponsorship – we accept full and partial fee payments from sponsors.

Find out more about funding options.

Student card

All our students are entitled to a University of Aberdeen student card. This gives you access to a range of student discounts around the city and online.