Undergraduate

2009 Anthropology Graduates

Entering Anthropology

Many students choose Anthropology courses because they find the subject matter fascinating. Students in our courses learn to appreciate and understand the commonalities and differences that shape our world, coming to understand, for example, how inequalities are produced and maintained, and how they affect vulnerable populations.

As a discipline that transcends conventional academic boundaries between the sciences and the humanities, we study human history over long time scales, addressing questions surrounding human evolution, how humans have responded to climatic change, and how connections between people living in different world areas have transformed societies. Anthropologists are also studying the ways in which technology and media shape our experience of the world. Thus, you'll find that anthropology courses offer a wide range of engaging subject matter.

Skills Based Education

Less often recognized is that Anthropology courses will help you to develop a variety of skills and perspectives that are valued across a range of careers. In addition to the foundational skills of a degree in the social sciences, which include the ability to speak, write and present well, you'll develop the ability to analyze contexts and be aware of the bases of generalizations. You'll experience small group work on a common problem to achieve a solution. You'll learn how to identify taken-for-granted assumptions and how those shape what we come to know about the world. You'll engage in hands-on learning in lab and field courses. You'll hone your critical thinking abilities and perhaps most importantly develop a cultural adeptness that comes from being able to recognize the familiar in what might on first impression seem strange, and an ability to denaturalize commonsensical ways of knowing that are often taken for granted by those in power.

Get started

Whether you are a student looking to diversify your course experience or contemplating a major or minor in Anthropology, our department has much to offer you. We invite you to explore our courses and our curriculum and encourage you to participate in our lively academic world by attending colloquia, social events and taking advantage of opportunities to participate in departmental research. A world of interesting learning awaits you.