Academic Programs in Anthropological Sciences

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Anthropology is an exciting field of learning about the human experience in the past, and what it means as we go forward.  In this major you will learn skills that will serve you in a variety of employment opportunities. 

  • Critical Thinking - Learn about how shows like "Ancient Aliens" grab viewers, and what that means about scientific literacy.
  • Logical Analysis - Use the scientific method to research the behaviors of humans in prehistory based on the artifacts left behind.
  • Communication Skills - Learn how to use solid background data and respectful communication to explain findings or concepts in an audience appropriate way.  
  • Understand Human Diversity - Visit other cultures and learn to interact and gather data respectfully.  Practice the common frameworks for reporting about human behavior. 
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Overview of Programs

 The Department of Anthropological Sciences offers 4 programs of study.

Anthropology student practices flint knapping - the Stone Age way of creating arrowheads and other tools.

Major in Anthropological Sciences (R and A of REAL) with a choice of 4 concentrations: 

Archaeology - This concentration will prepare students for a career as an archaeologist by giving them training in both archaeological fields and lab techniques but also in an archaeological culture area in addition to their general training in anthropology.    

Bioarchaeology - Students interested in learning about culture and past societies from human skeletal remains can take the bioarchaeology concentration.  In this course of study, students will learn about human skeletal analysis, an archaeological culture area, and what we can learn about an individual and their culture from a burial.

Forensic Anthropology - This preprofessional concentration prepares students for graduate-level study of recent unidentified human remains in a medicolegal context. 

General Anthropology - This concentration is designed for students who wish for a broad foundation in anthropology. Students are encouraged to take a variety of anthropology coursework in order to build an interdisciplinary understanding of the field.

Courses in Anthropological Sciences reflect the four major subfields of the discipline: cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeology, and biological anthropology. Majors are given basic training in all of these areas, with additional specialization available through elective coursework. The Program features concentrations in Archaeology, Forensic Anthropology, Bioarchaeology, and General Anthropology. Please see the course catalog for the REAL requirements and the specific requirements for the B.A. and B.S. degrees. Students need a minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate.