Anthropology, Archaeology Concentration, B.A.

Degree Requirements

Major Requirements

To earn a B.A. or B.S. degree in anthropology, students complete 40-41 credit hours in the major. Given the diverse opportunities the discipline provides, the major is designed to allow students the opportunity to work closely with their advisers to develop a curriculum appropriate to their personal and professional interests. Those students wishing to do so may elect to pursue a concentration in one of the three sub-disciplines of cultural, biological or archaeological anthropology.

The concentrations guide students in choosing courses to enhance opportunities for graduate school or allow them to pursue an area of personal interest within the larger discipline of anthropology. Up to two elective courses from a discipline outside of anthropology may be applied to the major. Elective courses from outside of the program must be approved by the student’s adviser and must be at the 300- or 400-level. Students must receive at least a “C-” in a class to have it count toward the major.

General Program

The general program provides students with a holistic introduction to the breadth of anthropology highlighting experience in the subdisciplines of cultural, archaeological and biological anthropology, as well as introductory experiences in linguistics. The program is designed to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of the discipline in preparation for advanced graduate training or as an adjunct to their personal and professional aspirations.

Archaeology Concentration

Archaeology is the study of the development and change of human societies from the prehistoric past to the present through the recovery, analysis and interpretation of material remains. Our program emphasizes an anthropological approach to archaeology and has close ties to anthropology’s other subdisciplines. Archaeology has developed its own body of theories and methods for addressing the human story, many of which are focused on understanding what human material culture reveals about peoples’ lives.

The archaeology concentration builds student expertise in a variety of areas of archaeological practice, including field methods, the analysis and interpretation of archaeological data, and an understanding of the culture histories of many world regions. Elective courses and independent projects allow students to explore a variety of facets of archaeological theory and practice, with an emphasis on hands-on experience and engagement with real world data and artifacts. Students work with faculty to determine what electives within and outside the program best serve their scholarly and professional interests. Archaeology concentrators can benefit from expertise gained in upper-level electives in history, the geographic sciences, geology, art history, and biology. Intensive training in field methods, though not required for the concentration, is strongly encouraged and is provided by a summer archaeological field school. Those interested in historical archaeology should consider the cross-disciplinary Historical Archaeology Minor .

Anthropology Course Designations