BA Anthropology
The mission of the Department of Anthropology and Geography is to:
1) offer and maintain instructional programs that provide a comprehensive overview and analyses of people and their cultures, both past and present;
2) conduct research in order to advance and expand knowledge of the fields of anthropology and geography;
3) participate actively in programs of interdisciplinary research.
The Department of Anthropology and Geography houses a faculty of cultural anthropologists, archaeologists, biological anthropologists, and geographers whose scholarship spans the breadth of the human experience. The program prepares undergraduate students to describe, analyze, and interpret the human condition. An examination of the social, environmental, and evolutionary contexts in which the human species is embedded defines most course work in the discipline. The program is integrative, drawing from geography, biology, the humanities, and other social and natural sciences. Geography figures prominently in our program and provides an important spatial lens through which human groups are examined over time. Four programmatic areas define faculty research and scholarship with which students can engage: humans and the environment, international development and globalization, health and well-being, and professional methods and techniques. In the education of undergraduates, the department values and promotes experiential training, primary research as well as public engagement and education.
The research endeavors of the anthropology faculty are trans-disciplinary and international. They are interested in diverse topics including but not limited to contemporary culture, ethnicity, linguistics, comparative religion, virtual worlds, subsistence patterns, archaeology, human ecology, human anatomy, human evolution, biogeography, land cover/land use patterns, and the behavior of non-human primates.
Anthropology majors follow a liberal arts curriculum that provides a broad education with an emphasis on learning how to learn. The department has ten research and teaching laboratories and three summer field schools; the Ethnographic Field School, the Archaeology Field School, and the Paleontology Field School.
Undergraduate students can pursue a general anthropology degree focused on an appreciation human diversity, past and present, from a broad and holistic perspective. Students can also declare a concentration within the program. Declaring a concentration allows for a focused course of study, specializing in the particular subfield of interest. Within each concentration (Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, and Cultural Anthropology), specific categories of classes guide students in learning the major theories, methods, and applications related to the modern practice of our discipline. Along with our offerings of world class field schools, course work in archaeological, biological, and ethnographic methods and geographical techniques are encouraged in order to further gain experience and perspective. Upon graduation, students are prepared for a diverse array of jobs or advanced training in graduate school. Students come away with a respect and appreciation for the diversity of human existence.
Students will:
Anthropology, like many majors in the liberal arts, provides students with a broad academic background suitable for a variety of jobs in the public and private sectors. Anthropology majors are trained to think independently and critically, communicate effectively, and function in a multicultural world. Employers appreciate liberal arts majors for their multiple skills and their ability to adapt to a variety of tasks and work environments. Participating in internships and cooperative education opportunities is highly recommended to enhance students’ practical training and development. Careers for graduates are available in international development, health care, education, business, natural resource management, and government. Graduates who go on for advanced studies can pursue careers in anthropology or attain advanced positions with the possibility of rising to top professional levels.
Some career opportunities for Anthropology graduates include, but are not limited to: museum curator/researcher, genealogist, international relief representative, salvage archaeologist, collections assistant, resource specialist, classical or historical anthropologist, cultural affairs officer, diplomatic service representative, immigration or foreign service officer, linguist, educational television researcher, forensic osteologist, biographical writer, scientific/technical writer, reporter, ethnographic photographer, anthropological linguist, rural development worker, ethnic groups’ special concerns advocate, intercultural educator, medical anthropologist, grant writer, psychological anthropologist, international development administrator, public relations representative, public opinion pollster, sales/marketing representative, consultant for cross-cultural relations, personnel worker, geographic information systems specialist.
The mission of the Department of Anthropology and Geography is to:
1) offer and maintain instructional programs that provide a comprehensive overview and analyses of people and their cultures, both past and present;
2) conduct research in order to advance and expand knowledge of the fields of anthropology and geography;
3) participate actively in programs of interdisciplinary research.
The Department of Anthropology and Geography houses a faculty of cultural anthropologists, archaeologists, biological anthropologists, and geographers whose scholarship spans the breadth of the human experience. The program prepares undergraduate students to describe, analyze, and interpret the human condition. An examination of the social, environmental, and evolutionary contexts in which the human species is embedded defines most course work in the discipline. The program is integrative, drawing from geography, biology, the humanities, and other social and natural sciences. Geography figures prominently in our program and provides an important spatial lens through which human groups are examined over time. Four programmatic areas define faculty research and scholarship with which students can engage: humans and the environment, international development and globalization, health and well-being, and professional methods and techniques. In the education of undergraduates, the department values and promotes experiential training, primary research as well as public engagement and education.
The research endeavors of the anthropology faculty are trans-disciplinary and international. They are interested in diverse topics including but not limited to contemporary culture, ethnicity, linguistics, comparative religion, virtual worlds, subsistence patterns, archaeology, human ecology, human anatomy, human evolution, biogeography, land cover/land use patterns, and the behavior of non-human primates.
Anthropology majors follow a liberal arts curriculum that provides a broad education with an emphasis on learning how to learn. The department has ten research and teaching laboratories and three summer field schools; the Ethnographic Field School, the Archaeology Field School, and the Paleontology Field School.
Undergraduate students can pursue a general anthropology degree focused on an appreciation human diversity, past and present, from a broad and holistic perspective. Students can also declare a concentration within the program. Declaring a concentration allows for a focused course of study, specializing in the particular subfield of interest. Within each concentration (Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, and Cultural Anthropology), specific categories of classes guide students in learning the major theories, methods, and applications related to the modern practice of our discipline. Along with our offerings of world class field schools, course work in archaeological, biological, and ethnographic methods and geographical techniques are encouraged in order to further gain experience and perspective. Upon graduation, students are prepared for a diverse array of jobs or advanced training in graduate school. Students come away with a respect and appreciation for the diversity of human existence.
Students will:
Anthropology, like many majors in the liberal arts, provides students with a broad academic background suitable for a variety of jobs in the public and private sectors. Anthropology majors are trained to think independently and critically, communicate effectively, and function in a multicultural world. Employers appreciate liberal arts majors for their multiple skills and their ability to adapt to a variety of tasks and work environments. Participating in internships and cooperative education opportunities is highly recommended to enhance students’ practical training and development. Careers for graduates are available in international development, health care, education, business, natural resource management, and government. Graduates who go on for advanced studies can pursue careers in anthropology or attain advanced positions with the possibility of rising to top professional levels.
Some career opportunities for Anthropology graduates include, but are not limited to: museum curator/researcher, genealogist, international relief representative, salvage archaeologist, collections assistant, resource specialist, classical or historical anthropologist, cultural affairs officer, diplomatic service representative, immigration or foreign service officer, linguist, educational television researcher, forensic osteologist, biographical writer, scientific/technical writer, reporter, ethnographic photographer, anthropological linguist, rural development worker, ethnic groups’ special concerns advocate, intercultural educator, medical anthropologist, grant writer, psychological anthropologist, international development administrator, public relations representative, public opinion pollster, sales/marketing representative, consultant for cross-cultural relations, personnel worker, geographic information systems specialist.
