Minor in Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of all aspects of human life, including our biological evolution and genetics, primate and human behavioral biology, economic, and political institutions, forms of social organization, symbolic systems, and religious practices. In our minor in anthropology, you will have the opportunity to explore both biological and sociocultural anthropology. Biological anthropology is the study of humans in an evolutionary perspective, covering areas such as primatology, paleontology, and human biology, ecology, and behavior. Sociocultural anthropology studies how contemporary social groups live in and make meaning of the world around them. Combining both subfields allows students to get a cross-cultural, interdisciplinary, and eye-opening taste of the full complexity of human life.

A minor in Anthropology consists of six 4-credit courses:

  • CAS AN 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology or CAS AN 103 Anthropology Through Ethnography (only one of these two courses may be taken for credit in the minor)
  • CAS AN 102 Human Biology, Behavior, and Evolution
  • Four additional anthropology courses, two of which must be at the CAS AN 300 level or above

Minor in Medical Anthropology

A QUICK GUIDE TO THE NEW MINOR IN MEDICAL 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. Students pursuing the minor combine broad introductory coursework with specialized electives in the College of Arts & Sciences Department of Anthropology and in the Program in Medical Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Practice (MACCP) at Boston University School of Medicine’s Division of Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS).

A minor in Medical Anthropology consists of six 4-credit courses:

  • Either CAS AN 101 (Introduction to Cultural Anthropology), AN 102 (Human Biology, Behavior, and Evolution), or AN 103 (Anthropology Through Ethnography)
  • CAS AN 210 Medical Anthropology
  • 2 other courses in the Department of Anthropology, at least 1 at the CAS AN 300-level or higher
  • 2 courses chosen from the list of 600-level GMS coursesoffered by the Program in Medical Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Practice at the BU School of Medicine. CAS AN 210 should be completed before taking these courses.