2017–2018 Bulletin Addendum BA in Anthropology

Anthropology is the comparative study of human biological and cultural diversity—as seen over time in human evolution, and as seen around the globe in the range of cultures and societies that define our modern age.

For undergraduates, we offer several courses of study:

BA in Social Anthropology

Our social anthropology faculty are at the forefront of research in the study of modern religion, politics, and society; youth culture, gender, and sexuality; public anthropology; human rights and democratic transitions; and the anthropology of cross-cultural psychology and morality. Social anthropology coursework prepares students for careers in law, business, international relations, development, and related fields.

We also offer a joint BA in Anthropology and Religion.

BA in Biological Anthropology

Our biological anthropology faculty are at the leading edge of paleoanthropological research on primates and other mammals, the genetics of human and primate variation, evolutionary biology of contemporary humans, and primate ecology and behavior. Biological anthropology coursework prepares students for careers in medicine and health sciences.

Minor in Medical Anthropology or Anthropology 

Medical anthropology is a subfield of anthropology that explores how society, culture, and biology influence global health and well-being, the experience and distribution of illness, the prevention and treatment of sickness, healing processes, and the utilization of pluralistic medical systems. A minor in Medical Anthropology develops knowledge and skills that are important for thinking critically about contested definitions of health and healthcare.

For additional information, visit the department website.

Instructional and Research Facilities 

Department facilities include two Biosafety Level 2 lab spaces that are approved for handling, storage, and analysis of nonhuman primate and human biological samples. Our labs are equipped for genetic, hormonal, immunological, and nutritional analyses. These labs also have computational space to train students in quantitative analysis as well as in silico methods for genetics and genomics. Finally, we maintain a paleoanthropology dry lab with extensive skeletal and cast collections.

Our Anthropology Department Library contains over 1,100 books, articles, and papers, and 173 periodical titles.

Student Research, Honors, and Awards 

Faculty actively engage undergraduates in their research. Students may choose to do independent research for a semester or get involved in more substantial projects during the senior year as part of work for distinction. Projects to date have included studies on in utero factors associated with obesity in vervet monkeys, disease patterns among Turkana nomads of Kenya, traditional versus Western concepts of illness in Ghana, adolescent development of sex-typical facial features, and comparative study of human mate choice. Students are encouraged to apply for funding for research expenses through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP).

Study Abroad 

Study abroad is strongly encouraged. Students have completed programs in diverse locations from Ecuador to Dublin.