Anthropology Major

Anthropology Major: Anthropology is the systematic study of humanity from a holistic, cross-cultural, and historical perspective. Within the field it draws upon the study of cultures, languages, investigation of human evolution, and the study of the human past through material remains. It also draws insight from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives, including the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. The major aims to promote greater inter-cultural understanding and awareness. The major provides both a general grounding in three subfields of anthropology (cultural anthropology, archaeology, and physical anthropology) and a detailed focus on a particular area of concentration. The major is designed to allow students to customize their program to best complement their topical and areal research interests. It will also effectively prepare students for graduate study in anthropology, archaeology, historic preservation, careers in contract archaeology and cultural resource management. Upper level courses span a range of topical and theoretical issues cross-culturally including foodways, health and nutrition, ethnobiology, colonialism, cultural resilience, race, identity, religion, and economics. The educational goal of the program is to provide the student with a component of a liberal arts education that draws on both the humanities and natural sciences.

The Anthropology major consists of 36 credit hours. Of these, 18 will be required courses with an additional 18 hours of relevant electives. Students can pursue a cultural anthropology focus and/or an archaeology focus. Students are encouraged to encourage to consult their academic advisors regarding course selections. Students may not count credit hours for required for the major toward requirements in another major.

Required Courses (9 credit hours)

           ANT 201 – Cultural Anthropology (3 credits) 

ANT 205 – Physical Anthropology (3 credits)

ANT 220 – Archaeology (3 credits)

Completion of the Core Quantitative Reasoning Literacy (COR 14X) (3 credits)

Method and Theory Courses (3 credit hours)

Students are required to take one anthropology theory and method course associated with their area of focus. Students may not take a method and theory course unless they have already completed the associated required course (ANT 201 for ANT 355 and ANT 220 for ANT 365). If a student takes both ANT 355 and ANT 365, one course will meet an anthropology elective requirement.

ANT 355 – Anthropological Theory (3 credits)

ANT 365 – Archaeological Theory and Method (3 credits)

Applied Field Methods (minimum of 3 credits)

Students must take at least one course from the following list of electives. Students focusing on archaeology are strongly encouraged to take an additional 3 credit hours, including one field course and one lab course.

        Field Electives:

ANT 420 – Urban Anthropology

ANT 471 – Archaeology Fieldwork (3-9 credits)

ANT 481 – Anthropology Internship (3-6 credits)

        Lab Electives:

ANT 371 – Archaeological Artifact Analysis (3 credit hours)

ANT 472 – Archaeology Lab Intensive (3 credit hours)

Skills Requirement (3 credit hours)

This requirement is designed to give students a background in analysis or language skills.

Analysis Methods:

NAS 215 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

MAT 323 - Statistical Methods

               Second Language:

               Students may satisfy the Skills Requirement by successfully completing SPA 201 or FRE 201 with a grade of C or higher, though language placement into SPA 202 (or                         higher level course) or FRE 202 (or higher level course), or through transfer credit for previous coursework in any foreign language at the appropriate level.

Senior Seminar (3 credits)

Students are required to take a senior seminar and engage in research in their chosen area of focus, archaeology or cultural anthropology.