Majoring in Anthropology

The anthropology major is designed to give a global perspective on the comparative study of contemporary cultures and the evolution of human biological and cultural diversity over time. Students can choose to emphasize forensic anthropology through an emphasis on Forensic Investigation and Identification. The Core Courses provide students with a combination of theoretical, methodological, applied and research design knowledge and skills that are the foundation of anthropology’s four fields. The Breadth Requirements ground students in all of the content areas that inform the anthropological quest to understand the essence of humanness. Electives allow them to continue in the four field tradition, or to explore one of the four fields in more depth.

The program includes opportunities for hands-on experience doing fieldwork in both local communities and abroad, and with anthropological research and teaching collections including:

  • contemporary/fossil ape and hominin casts,
  • modern human skeletal material,
  • the Cultural and Natural History Collections.

From an anonymous student evaluation: “Physical anthropology should be a mandatory class every student should take because it teaches us who we are and why we are the way we are.”

Anthropology

Degree Requirements

Total program: 60 semester hours

Prerequisite Requirements

22 semester hours

ANTH 220Cultural Anthropology4
ANTH 240Language and Culture4
ANTH 260Archaeology4
ANTH 270Introduction to Biological Anthropology 14
or ANTH 252 Forensic Anthropology
ANTH 270LIntroduction to Biological Anthropology Lab2
One of the following:4
ANTH 305
Quantitative Analysis 2
ANTH 394
Ethnographic Field Methods
Total Semester Hours22
1

ANTH 252 Forensic Anthropology is required for the Forensic Investigation and Identification concentration.

2

ANTH 305 Quantitative Analysis is required for the Forensic Investigation and Identification concentration.

Core Requirements

18 semester hours

ANTH 393Anthropological Writing4
ANTH 400Anthropological Theory4
ANTH 497Internship2
ANTH 499CSenior Capstone 34,4
Select an Option:
Forensic Investigation and Identification Concentration
General Anthropology Concentration
Total Semester Hours18
3

Two ANTH 499C Senior Capstone Courses are required; each capstone must be in a different anthropological subfield.  When crosslisted with a Research Intensive course, that course may only be taken one time for credit (either as 499C or as a catalog course number).

Forensic Investigation and Identification Concentration

20 semester hours

ANTH 262Forensic Investigations4
ANTH 354Human Osteology4
ANTH 355Techniques in Skeletal Biology4
ANTH 360LArchaeology Lab4
ANTH 364Forensic Archaeology4
Total Semester Hours20

General Anthropology Concentration

20 semester hours

Upper Division Breadth Requirements

12 semester hours

Complete 1 of the following cultural anthropology courses:4
ANTH 321
Kinship and Social Organization
ANTH 322
Anthropology of Religion
ANTH 333
Women Across Cultures
ANTH 420
Environmental Anthropology 4
Complete 1 of the following biological anthropology courses:4
ANTH 351
Primate Morphology, Behavior and Ecology
ANTH 354
Human Osteology
ANTH 356
Human Origins
ANTH 357
Research in Biological Anthropology 4
ANTH 453
Human Adaptation and Variation 4
Complete 1 of the following archaeology courses:4
ANTH 364
Forensic Archaeology
ANTH 460
Research in Material Culture 4
Total Semester Hours12
4

Research Intensive Course; when crosslisted with ANTH 499C Senior Capstone, it may only be taken one time for credit (either as 499C or as the catalog course number).

Anthropological Methods Requirement

4 semester hours

Complete 1 of the following methods courses:4
ANTH 360L
Archaeology Lab
ANTH 394
Ethnographic Field Methods 5
Total Semester Hours4
5

Can be counted as a foundational course or methods course, but not both.

Electives

4 semester hours

Complete 1 of the following elective courses:4
ANTH 221
Peoples and Culture of Mexico
ANTH 231
Food and Culture
ANTH 250
Issues in Anthropology
ANTH 252
Forensic Anthropology
ANTH 262
Forensic Investigations
ANTH 321
Kinship and Social Organization
ANTH 322
Anthropology of Religion
ANTH 325
Anthropology of Terrorism
ANTH 331
Culture and the Individual
ANTH 333
Women Across Cultures
ANTH 334
Women's Experience in the US
ANTH 351
Primate Morphology, Behavior and Ecology
ANTH 354
Human Osteology
ANTH 355
Techniques in Skeletal Biology 4
ANTH 356
Human Origins
ANTH 357
Research in Biological Anthropology 4
ANTH 360L
Archaeology Lab
ANTH 364
Forensic Archaeology
ANTH 394
Ethnographic Field Methods
ANTH 409
Selected Topics in Anthropology 6
ANTH 420
Environmental Anthropology 4
ANTH 421
Environmental Justice
ANTH 460
Research in Material Culture 4
ANTH 470
Medical Anthropology 4
One Elective as Approved by Advisor
Total Semester Hours4
4

Research Intensive Course; when crosslisted with ANTH 499C Senior Capstone, it may only be taken one time for credit (either as 499C or as the catalog course number).

6

May be taken multiple times for credit with different topics.