Anthropology BA Areas of Emphasis

To guide individual student curricular advising and planning, the following Pathways are recommended by the Anthropology faculty to students who wish to develop more in-depth knowledge and skills in one of Anthropology’s distinct focal areas. Students should use these recommendations–together with consistent contact with an anthropology advisor–to assemble courses and educational experiences that best meet their interests as well as prepare them for a particular career path.

Beginning in Fall 2017,  students following a given Pathway will also be able to simultaneously complete a corresponding Area of Emphasis (AOE) within the ANT major.  AOEs are what would be recorded in a student’s academic record/transcript.  The Pathways are what we are using within the program to give students a clear set of recommendations about the courses/experiences students who have particular career ambitions should be taking..  So, if a student follow the recommendations in any one of these Pathways, they will have also completed the requirements for the corresponding AOE.  The AOE will help clearly define an area of knowledge and skills development within the ANT major.

Note
Students do not need to have an AOE in order to complete the ANT major.

Those electing not to opt for one of the three choices for an AOE will simply have a “general studies” curriculum within the major.  Students may also elect not to follow the Pathways that are serving as recommended courses of study for them, even if they pursue a particular AOE.  As noted, the AOEs overlap/correspond to the the Pathways but AOEs can be pursued and completed without following the particular suite of courses/experiences listed in the corresponding Pathway.  It is recommended, however, that students opt into one of the three AOEs and follow the corresponding Pathway.

Find out more about the three Anthropology BA Areas of Emphasis.

PATHWAY I: Sociocultural Anthropology

Corresponds with Sociocultural Anthropology AOE (Code: LA13).

Students interested in Sociocultural Anthropology should consider focusing on the following:

  • The introductory course (ANT 201) for Cultural Anthropology
  • ANT 362 – Health, Culture & Society
  • ANT 460 – Crime and Custom
  • ANT 466 – Culture and Environment
  • ANT 472 – Language, Gender & Body
  • An ethnographic methods course such as ANT 361
  • An ethnological theory course such as ANT 491
  • A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course such as ANT 402
  • An internship or study abroad experience
  • The Senior Seminar or Honors Thesis sequence (if eligible) for your capstone experience

PATHWAY II: Archaeological Anthropology

Corresponds with Archaeological Anthropology AOE (Code: LA11).

Students interested in Archaeological Anthropology should consider focusing on the following:

  • The introductory course (ANT 322) for Archaeological Anthropology
  • ANT 325 – World Prehistory
  • ANT 326  – Classical Archaeology
  • A culture area course, such as ANT 442
  • An archaeological methods course such as ANT 324
  • An archaeological theory course such as ANT 428
  • A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course such as ANT 402
  • A field school experience such as ANT 323 is essential
  • The Senior Seminar or Honors Thesis sequence (if eligible) for your capstone experience

PATHWAY III: Anthropology of Health

Corresponds with Anthropology of Health AOE (Code: LA12)

Students interested in the Anthropology of Environmental and Community Health should consider focusing on the following:

  • The introductory course (ANT 362) for Medical Anthropology
  • ANT 464 – Design, Planning & Health
  • ANT 465 – Disaster, Culture & Health
  • ANT 466 – Culture and Environment
  • An ethnographic methods course such as ANT 361
  • A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course such as ANT 402
  • A social statistics course such as ANT 301
  • An internship or study abroad experience in a health-related agency or educational program
  • The Senior Seminar or Honors Thesis sequence for your capstone experience