Anthropology, B.A.
Program Description
Anthropology's goal is to document the diversity of ways humans live and have lived throughout the world. Anthropologists go "off road," working directly with people and their artifacts, to examine their beliefs and values, how they make a living, how they express themselves, how they interact, and how they affect and are affected by the natural world.
Why is this important? An increasingly globalized and multicultural world requires anthropological knowledge and insight. Anthropology is essential to students interested in working in both the U.S. and overseas on contemporary issues in areas such as social policy work, international development, public health, community-based advocacy, environmental and social justice, and cultural preservation.
Students develop their interests by taking a wide range of classes in cultural, linguistic and biological anthropology and archaeology. Anthropology majors can also do individually-driven, practical and hands-on research in internships, anthropology labs, excavations and field-schools, and study-abroad programs.
Degree Requirements
| Degree Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| General Education | 41 |
| Foreign language requirement (intermediate level required) | 0-12 |
| Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses) | 3 |
| Major requirements | 41 |
| University electives | 29-41 |
| Total | 120 |
Major Requirements
To earn a B.A. or B.S. degree in anthropology, students complete 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 advisors 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.
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 advisor and must be at the 300- or 400-level.
Anthropology Concentrations
General Concentration
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.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required General Concentration Courses | ||
| ANTH 195 | Cultural Anthropology [C4GE] | 3 |
| ANTH 196 | Biological Anthropology [C3NS] | 3 |
| ANTH 197 | Archaeology | 3 |
| ANTH 201 | The Discipline of Anthropology | 1 |
| ANTH 375 | Anthropological Theory 1 | 3 |
| Subtotal | 13 | |
| Electives | ||
| One elective from each of the following: cultural anthropology, biological anthropology and archaeology | 9 | |
| Other elective(s) 2,3 | 15 | |
| Choose one of the following: | 4 | |
| Ethnographic Genres and Methods | ||
| Methods and Research Perspectives in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Archaeology: Methods of Analysis and Interpretation | ||
| Subtotal | 28 | |
| Total Credits | 41 | |
- 1
Students should take two of ANTH 195, ANTH 196 or ANTH 197 and at least one anthropology elective before taking ANTH 375.
- 2
Students may take up to two advisor-approved electives at the 300 or 400 level from courses outside the program.
- 3
Students should consider including ANTH 305 as one of their electives to learn more about the subdiscipline of linguistic anthropology.
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.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Archaeology Concentration Courses | ||
| ANTH 195 | Cultural Anthropology [C4GE] | 3 |
| ANTH 196 | Biological Anthropology [C3NS] | 3 |
| ANTH 197 | Archaeology | 3 |
| ANTH 201 | The Discipline of Anthropology | 1 |
| ANTH 375 | Anthropological Theory 1 | 3 |
| ANTH 455 | Archaeology: Methods of Analysis and Interpretation | 4 |
| Subtotal | 17 | |
| Electives | ||
| Upper division courses in cultural and biological anthropology | 6 | |
| Electives 2 | 11-12 | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Spatial Analysis for Social Research 3 | ||
| Special Studies in Anthropology 3 | ||
| Choose one of the following regional archaeology courses: | 3 | |
| Buried Cities, Ancestral Places: The Rise and Fall of Early Human Societies [C2HQC] | ||
| Anthropology of the American Southwest | ||
| Andean Archaeology | ||
| Archaeology of Virginia | ||
| Ancient North American Civilizations | ||
| Total Credits | 41 | |
- 1
Students should take two of ANTH 195, ANTH 196 or ANTH 197 and at least one anthropology elective before taking ANTH 375.
- 2
Students may take up to two advisor-approved electives at the 300 or 400 level from courses outside of the program. GEOL 442, ARTH 394/HIST 394 and ARTH 396/HIST 396 are particularly recommended.
- 3
Students electing to take ANTH 490 to satisfy this requirement will complete a project that requires the analysis and interpretation of archaeological data. This course requires permission of instructor and must be taken for 3 credits. Total credits for the archaeology concentration must still add to at least 41.
Biological Anthropology Concentration
The focus of biological anthropology is the study of human biology from an evolutionary perspective. Biological anthropology is interested in understanding how and why the human species became what it is today. Thus, it involves the study of human evolution, human biology and its variation, human ecology (how humans interrelate with their environment) and primate behavior and biology (to place humans in the proper comparative context). Biological anthropologists also recognize that human culture, and learned behavior in general, are fundamentally important to understanding the human condition which leads them to emphasize a bio-cultural approach in which both biology and culture are integrated into a holistic understanding of humanity.
Students work closely with biological anthropology faculty to choose electives from both within and outside of the department to refine their own research and scholarly interests. Upper-level electives in biology, psychology and/or geographic sciences are recommended depending on the student's particular goals. Students might consider taking a minor or second major in these disciplines. Students are strongly encouraged to gain practical experience in biological anthropology through study abroad, internships or independent study with faculty.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Biological Anthropology Concentration Courses | ||
| ANTH 195 | Cultural Anthropology [C4GE] | 3 |
| ANTH 196 | Biological Anthropology [C3NS] | 3 |
| ANTH 197 | Archaeology | 3 |
| ANTH 201 | The Discipline of Anthropology | 1 |
| ANTH 375 | Anthropological Theory 1 | 3 |
| ANTH 445 | Methods and Research Perspectives in Biological Anthropology | 4 |
| Subtotal | 17 | |
| Electives | ||
| Upper-division courses in archaeology and cultural anthropology | 6 | |
| Electives 2,3 | 12 | |
| Choose two of the following: | 6 | |
| Fundamentals of Forensic Anthropology | ||
| Human Evolution | ||
| Human Evolutionary Psychology | ||
| Primate Evolutionary Ecology | ||
| Human Osteology | ||
| Plagues and Pandemics | ||
| Subtotal | 24 | |
| Total Credits | 41 | |
- 1
Students should take two of ANTH 195, ANTH 196 or ANTH 197 and at least one anthropology elective before taking ANTH 375.
- 2
Students may take up to two advisor-approved electives at the 300 or 400 level from courses outside of the program. BIO 270/BIO 270L and BIO 290/BIO 290L are accepted electives.
- 3
In addition to biological anthropology courses, students are encouraged to take electives from across the breadth of cultural and linguistic anthropology and archaeology.
Cultural Anthropology Concentration
Cultural anthropology is at the core of anthropology. It provides students with in-depth experience in the interpretation and comparison of cultures. It is closely linked to the humanities and to other social sciences. Students learn what culture is, how different cultural systems and forms of social organization work, how language both reflects and constitutes culture, and methodological and theoretical frameworks for interpreting cultural differences and similarities. Students work closely with cultural anthropology faculty to choose a series of electives from both within and outside of the department to refine their own research interests.
Students are encouraged (but not required) to become proficient in a foreign language and to develop a regional area of specialization through course work or a minor (e.g., Latin American studies, Africana studies, Middle Eastern studies, Asian studies). Outside upper-level electives are recommended in history, sociology, economics, religion, modern foreign languages and political science. Students are encouraged to pursue study abroad, ethnographic field school and internship opportunities.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Cultural Anthropology Concentration Courses | ||
| ANTH 195 | Cultural Anthropology [C4GE] | 3 |
| ANTH 196 | Biological Anthropology [C3NS] | 3 |
| ANTH 197 | Archaeology | 3 |
| ANTH 201 | The Discipline of Anthropology | 1 |
| ANTH 375 | Anthropological Theory 1 | 3 |
| ANTH 435 | Ethnographic Genres and Methods | 4 |
| Subtotal | 17 | |
| Electives | ||
| Upper-division courses in archaeology and biological anthropology | 6 | |
| Electives 2,3 | 15 | |
| Choose one of the following Regional Cultural Anthropology courses: | 3 | |
| Peoples and Cultures of Latin America and the Caribbean | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa | ||
| People and Cultures of East Asia | ||
| Japanese Society and Culture | ||
| U.S./Latin American Borders | ||
| Contemporary American Culture | ||
| Afro-Latin America | ||
| Subtotal | 24 | |
| Total Credits | 41 | |
- 1
Students should take two of ANTH 195, ANTH 196 or ANTH 197 and at least one anthropology elective before taking ANTH 375.
- 2
Students may take up to two advisor-approved electives at the 300 or 400 level from courses outside the program.
- 3
Suggested electives include ANTH 305, additional area studies courses and upper-level topical courses.
Recommended Schedule for Majors
Transfer students on a two-year course of study should change "Year" in this sequence to "Semester."
The following is an example of a four-year course of study for a student seeking a degree in anthropology:
| First Year | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 195 | Cultural Anthropology [C4GE] | 3 |
| ANTH 196 | Biological Anthropology [C3NS] | 3 |
| ANTH 197 | Archaeology | 3 |
| General Education, B.A. degree requirements, and/or university electives | 21 | |
| Credits | 30 | |
| Second Year | ||
| ANTH 201 | The Discipline of Anthropology | 1 |
| Anthropology electives and/or concentration courses | 9 | |
| General Education, B.A. degree requirements, and/or university electives | 20 | |
| Credits | 30 | |
| Third Year | ||
| ANTH 375 | Anthropological Theory | 3 |
| Anthropology electives and/or concentration courses | 6 | |
| General Education, B.A. degree requirements, and/or university electives | 21 | |
| Credits | 30 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 4 | |
| Ethnographic Genres and Methods | ||
| Methods and Research Perspectives in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Archaeology: Methods of Analysis and Interpretation | ||
| Anthropology electives and/or concentration courses | 9 | |
| General Education, B.A. degree requirements, and/or university electives | 17 | |
| Credits | 30 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |