Anthropology is the multifaceted study of humanity from an evolutionary, historical, and global perspective. Students in anthropology learn about their own cultures and those of other peoples as biological evolution, ecological constraints, political history, and sociological conditioning shape them.
The Department of Anthropology, Geography, and Environmental Studies offers ethnographic, theoretical, and methodological courses in five sub-disciplines: biological anthropology, prehistory, and archaeology, linguistic anthropology, sociocultural anthropology, and applied anthropology. Regional courses on major populations worldwide, especially the heritage cultures of North and South America and Asia, form an important component of the curriculum. The B.A. degree program bridges the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, preparing students for multidimensional careers. Fundamentally, the study of anthropology cultivates an appreciation for what all humans share and the ways they differ across time and space.
Anthropologist • Archaeologist • Artifacts Conservator • Curator • Environmental and Social Justice Organizer • Foreign Service Officer • Health and Housing Advocate • Immigration Advocate • International Aid Agencies Official • Journalist • Linguist • Multicultural Education Instructor • Museum/Park Interpreter • Park Service Official • Refugee Worker • Researcher • Social Worker • Travel Consultant • Urban Planner • User Experience Researcher
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Department of History and Global Cultures
A course in evolutionary biology with an emphasis on humans. Explores topics in the history of evolutionary thought, patterns and macroevolution, fossils and deep time, molecular biology and genetics, behavioral ecology, and evolutionary psychology.
Explore the origins, growth and interaction of the North American, Mesoamerican and South American societies, with particular emphasis on the large pre-contact civilizations, Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas. Observe archaeological, historical and ethnographic evidence.
Engage in critical analysis of foundational texts and ethnographies in social, economic, and environmental anthropology. Explore class, gender, ethnic, and ecological dynamics in the context of small-scale and global political economies.