Undergraduate Curriculum

Requirements for an Undergraduate Major in Anthropology

3 Introductory Courses [9 hours]

  • Anthr. 101 Biological Anthropology
    • (3). General education introductory course. Provides an introduction to the understanding of biological evolution and behavioral development of humans. Introduces the history and basic concepts of biological/evolutionary thought; genetics and cell biology; human origins, ecology, and culture, along with the types of data and modes of analysis currently used in biological anthropology. Formulates explanations of physical and cultural developments of human and nonhuman primates in the last 70 million years. Explores patterns of human variation in biological and behavioral traits among present-day populations and discusses current issues (e.g., the social and biological meaning of variations).
  • Anthr. 102 Cultural Anthropology
    • (3). General education introductory course. The meaning of culture, its significance for human beings and its diverse forms among peoples of the world, past and present.
  • Anthr. 103 Introduction to Archaeology
    • (3). General education introductory course. Introduces the philosophy, theory, tools, and techniques of the practicing archaeologist. Illustrates the role or archaeology in understanding cultural change through time, and explains how archaeological method draws on natural science and humanities to demonstrate how we learn about past cultures from the material they left behind.

1 Further Study in Biological Anthropology [3 hours]

  • Anthr. 356.Human Variability and Adaptation
    • (3). General education further study course. A critical examination of the biological aspects of contemporary human variation, stressing human adaptations. Prerequisite: Anthr. 101 or Biol. 203 or equivalent.
  • Anthr. 555.Paleoanthropology and Human Paleontology
    • (3). A detailed examination of human evolutionary history as evidenced by fossil remains and a survey of various interpretive explanations of the fossil record. Prerequisite: Anthr. 101 or Biol. 203 or equivalent.
  • Anthr. 557.Human Osteology
    • (3). Deals with human skeletal and dental materials with applications to both physical anthropology and archaeology. Lecture and extensive laboratory sessions; includes bone and tooth identifications, measurement and analysis and skeletal preservation and reconstruction. Individual projects are undertaken. Prerequisite: Anthr. 101 or equivalent.
  • Anthr. 597.Topics in Anthropology
    • (3). Detailed study of topics in anthropology with particular emphasis being established according to the expertise of the various instructors.
  • Anthr. 600.Forensic Anthropology
    • (3). Cross listed as CJ 600. Encompasses the area of criminal investigation involving biological evidence: blood, hair, fingerprint, dentition and skeletal system. Covers procedures of collection, preservation, marking, transportation, referral, laboratory analysis, classification and identification emphasizing anthropological interpretation. Prerequisite: Anthr. 101 or equivalent.

1 Further Study in Cultural Anthropology [3 hours]

  • Anthr. 303 World Cultures
    • (3). General education further study course. Comparative case studies of the cultures of existing societies of varying types, including nonliterate peoples, Third World nations, and modern industrialized countries.
  • Anthr. 307.Peoples of Africa
    • (3). General education further study course. A description and analysis of the culture areas of Africa south of the Sahara Desert from ethnohistoric and ethnographic sources.
  • Anthr. 312.Asia Pacific Cultures
    • (3). General education further study course. Studies of the cultures and nations in eastern Asia bordering the Pacific Ocean, focusing on historical background, cultural beliefs and practices, and the distinctive patterns of each.
  • Anthr. 318.Psychological Anthropology
    • (3). General education further study course. The relationship of individual psychology (personality, emotion, cognition), both normal and abnormal, to group membership and cultural context.
  • Anthr. 327.Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion
    • (3). General education further study course. Cross-listed as Rel. 327. An examination of various concepts concerning the realm of the supernatural as held by various peoples around the world. Relates such religious beliefs and the resultant practices to the larger patterns of cultural beliefs and behaviors.
  • Anthr. 344.Ecological Anthropology
    • (3). General education further study course. Investigates the relationships of people both to their physical and sociocultural environments, including the effects of these relationships on economic activities, social organizations, and beliefs and behaviors emphasizing the evolutionary development of survival strategies.
  • Anthr. 361.Law, Politics, and Society
    • (3). General education further study course. Studies legal and political systems in non-Western societies. Includes the origin of the state, precolonial law and politics, the impact of colonialism, and problems in state building.
  • Anthr. 388.Cognitive Anthropology
    • (3). General education further study course. Concentrates on a transcultural comparison of the cognitive constructions of life-space, social reality, and worldview in foraging, agricultural, and industrial societies focusing on the socio-culturally conditioned aspects of intellectual functioning and perceptually based behavior.
  • Anthr. 506.Peoples of the Pacific
    • (3). General education further study course. A survey of the races, languages and cultures of nonliterate peoples of Polynesia, Micronesia and Indonesia.
  • Anthr. 511.The Indians of North America
    • (3). General education further study course. A survey of tribal societies and native confederations north of Mexico from the protohistoric through the historic period. Prerequisite: Anthr. 102.
  • Anthr. 515 China
    • (3). General education further study course. An introduction to the people of China and aspects of their culture: economy, government, society, religion and the arts. Historical attention on the many adjustments the Chinese have made during the 20th century following political revolutions, industrialization and expanding trade relations.
  • Anthr. 516 Japan: People and Culture
    • (3). General education further study course. An introduction to the culture of Japan including its history and prehistory, aspects of traditional culture and 20th century Japan, its economy, politics and social organization.
  • Anthr. 522 Art and Culture
    • (3). General education further study course. A survey of the visual and performing arts of nonwestern peoples with special attention to their relationships in the cultural setting. Prerequisite: Anthr. 102.
  • Anthr. 526.Social Organization
    • (3). A survey of the varieties of social organization among nonindustrialized peoples throughout the world. Deals with family systems, kinship, residence patterns and lineage, clan and tribal organizations. Prerequisite: six hours of anthropology.
  • Anthr. 528.Medical Anthropology
    • (3). General education further study course. Studies the health and behaviors of various human societies, especially in, but not limited to, those outside the western, scientific tradition. Covers attitudes toward the etiology of disease, the techniques of healing, the use of curative drugs and other agents, the roles of healers and therapists and the attitudes of the community toward the ill. A library or field research project is required. Prerequisite: 3 hours of nursing or 3 hours of anthropology or instructor's consent.
  • Anthr. 540.The Indians of the United States: Conquest and Survival
    • (3). An anthropological inquiry into four centuries of cultural contact, conflict, resistance and renascence. Prerequisite: Anthr. 102 or instructor's consent.
  • Anthr. 542.Women in Other Cultures
    • (3). General education further study course. Cross listed as WS 542. Deals with the place of women in primitive and other non-Western societies, in various aspects of culture: political, economic, social, religious, domestic, intellectual, psychological and aesthetic. Compares and contrasts societies in order to see how different kinds of roles for women are related to different kinds of societies.

1 Further Study in Archaeology [3 hours]

  • Anthr. 305 World Archaeology
    • (3). General education further study course. Introduces the basic concepts, methods, techniques, and modes of analysis of scientific archaeology. These are applied to a series of problems of increasing complexity: the emergence of human culture, the development of domestic plants and animals, and the evolution of cities and complex societies.
  • Anthr. 313.Archaeology of East Asia
    • (3). General education further study course. A broad survey of archaeology throughout eastern Asia from the early hominid fossils at Peking and Java to the development of Chinese and Southeast Asian civilizations. Emphasizes China (through the Han Dynasty), southeast Asia and Australia/New Guinea. Includes recent archaeological finds of the Peoples Republic of China.
  • Anthr. 335.Archaeology of North America
    • (3). General education further study course. A survey of the prehistoric cultures of North America north of Mexico from the earliest peopling of the continent to the time of European colonization.
  • Anthr. 508 .Ancient Civilizations of the Americas
    • (3). General education further study course. A cultural survey of the Aztec, Maya and Inca. Prerequisite: instructor's consent.
  • Anthr. 538.Early Man in the New World
    • (3). A critical examination of facts and theories concerning early man in the New World from the peopling of the continent to the beginning of the Archaic Tradition, and of the role of cultural contacts between eastern Asia and North America. Prerequisite: Anthr. 305.
  • Anthr. 611.Southwestern Archaeology
    • (3).General education further study course. A comprehensive survey of the prehistoric, historic and living cultures of the American Southwest particularly emphasizing the cultural continuities and changes covering 11,000 years. Prerequisites: one introductory course in anthropology or departmental consent.
  • Anthr. 612.Indians of the Great Plains
    • (3). An investigation of the cultural dynamics of the Great Plains area from the protohistoric period to the present. Prerequisites: six hours of anthropology and departmental consent.
  • Anthr. 613.Archaeology of the Great Plains
    • ( 3 ) . General education further study course. The archaeology of the Great Plains area from earliest evidence to the historic period. Prerequisite: one introductory course in anthropology or departmental consent.

1 Course In Method & Theory [3 hours]

  • Anthr. 647.Theories of Culture
    • (3). A survey of the main theoretical movements in cultural anthropology, including both historical and contemporary schools of thought. Prerequisite: six hours of anthropology.

3 Elective Courses [3 hours]

Lower Division Course Descriptions

  • Anthr. 100 .Anthropology of Modern Life
    • (3). General education introductory course. Introduces anthropological perspectives on the behavior and institutions of contemporary people, emphasizing the mass culture of the United States.
  • Anthr. 106.Biological Anthropology Laboratory
    • (1). Students collect and analyze data while learning to apply current techniques to the study of human and/or non-human primate skeletal, dental, and biological specimens. Prerequisite or corequisite: Anthr. 101.
  • Anthr. 107.Cultural Anthropology Laboratory
    • (1). Students participate in organizing, collecting, and analyzing data derived from cultural anthropological investigations. Prerequisite or corequisite: Anthr. 102.
  • Anthr. 150.Workshop in Anthropology
    • (1-3). Provides specialized instruction using a variable format in an anthropologically relevant subject. Repeatable for credit.
  • Anthr. 165.The Blues: Art and Culture
    • (3). Cross-listed as Mus. C. 165. The blues is a uniquely American musical form that has made an immense contribution to world popular culture. The history of the blues is also the history of Black America from the late 19th century to the present day. Focuses on major blues artists, both rural and urban, to trace the history and development of the blues as a folk art form that expresses both the joy and the despair of the people who created it.
  • Anthr. 200.Intercultural Relations
    • (3). General education further study course. Examines anthropological perspectives on the contact of individuals and societies which have different cultural histories. Examples are drawn widely from varied contemporary contexts: family life, international business, health and health care, the movement of populations, education in formal and informal contexts, and cultural strategies for survival in the global village.
  • Anthr. 281.Cooperative Education in Anthropology
    • (1-4). Provides practical experience that complements the studentís academic program. Consultation with and approval by an appropriate faculty sponsor are necessary. Offered Cr/NCr only.

Upper Division Course Descriptions

  • Anthr. 347.History of Anthropology
    • (3). An overview of the history of anthropology from the enlightenment through the middle of the 20th century. Emphasizes seminal events, theory, and contributions that shape the modern discipline of anthropology. Prerequisites: Anthr. 100, 101 or 102 or 104.
  • Anthr. 356.Human Variability and Adaptation
    • (3). General education further study course. A critical examination of the biological aspects of contemporary human variation, stressing human adaptations. Prerequisite: Anthr. 101 or Biol. 203 or equivalent.
  • Anthr. 397.Topics in Anthropology
    • (3). Studies current issues in anthropology. Content varies with interests of instructor. Consult current Schedule of Courses for topics.
  • Anthr. 398.Travel Seminar
    • (1-4). An interdisciplinary travel seminar that allows a student to gain credit for the study of one of the following: culture, art, literature, architecture, politics, society, science, and economics while visiting historic places of interest. Utilizes the archaeological, biological, linguistic, and sociocultural perspectives to better understand overseas cultures. Prerequisite: departmental consent.
  • Anthr. 481.Cooperative Education in Anthropology
    • (1-4). See Anthr. 281.
  • Anthr. 498.Readings in Anthropology
    • (2-3). Repeatable up to six hours. Special problems in anthropology. Prerequisite: 12 hours of anthropology. Courses for Graduate/Undergraduate Credit
  • Anthr. 502.Introduction to Archaeological Laboratory Techniques
    • (1-3). Maximum of three hours. An introduction to the laboratory processing of archaeology materials. Direct experience in all phases of preparing excavated materials for analysis, including cleaning, restoring, preserving, numbering and cataloging of ceramic and lithic artifacts and other remains. Prerequisite: Anthr. 305.
  • Anthr. 514.Anthropology of Aging
    • (3). General education further study course. Cross-listed as Geron. 514. An anthropological analysis of the latter stages of the life cycle with historical and cross-cultural perspectives.
  • Anthr. 519.Applying Anthropology
    • (3). General education further study course. The application of anthropological knowledge in the solution of social problems in industry, public health and public administration. Prerequisite: Anthr. 102.
  • Anthr. 577.Introduction to Linguistics
    • (3). Principles of descriptive and historical linguistics: phonetics and phonology, morphology and syntax. The phonological and grammatical structures of Modern Standard German and its development from ProtoGermanic.
  • Anthr. 602.Archaeological Laboratory Analysis
    • (1-3). Students analyze archaeological materials, including ceramic, lithic, faunal and vegetal remains according to accepted methods. Students learn to apply standard methods of identification and modes of interpretation to the materials to produce an acceptable archaeological report. Prerequisites: Anthr. 502 and instructor's consent.
  • Anthr. 606.Museum Methods
    • (3). An introduction to museum techniques relating to the acquisition of collections and related procedures, such as accessioning, cataloging, documentation, presentation and storage. Emphasizes current trends in museological philosophy concerning purpose, function and relevance of museums, as well as career opportunities. Prerequisite: instructor's consent.
  • Anthr. 607.Museum Exhibition
    • (3). Contemporary philosophy of exhibition design and the application of recent concepts to the planning and installation of an exhibit. Prerequisite: Anthr. 606 or instructor's consent.
  • Anthr. 609.Biological Anthropology Laboratory Analysis
    • (1-3) . Analyze biological anthropology materials including human and nonhuman skeletal material of both forensic contemporary or prehistoric origin according to standardized methods for recording and data collecting in biological anthropology. Learn methods of identification, analysis, and interpretation and prepare a standard technical report. Prerequisites: Anthropology 101, 106, 356 or 557.
  • Anthr. 651.Language and Culture
    • (3). Cross-listed as Ling. 651. An introduction to historical and descriptive linguistics. Deals with the ethnography of communications, lexicostatistics and linguistic determination. Prerequisite: six hours of anthropology.
  • Anthr. 667.English Syntax
    • (3). Cross listed as Engl. 667 and Ling. 667. Examination of aspects of the structure of English and their relation to linguistic theory. Prerequisite: Engl. 315 or Ling. 577 or Anthr. 577 or instructor's consent .
  • Anthr. 690.Field Methods in Anthropology
    • (3-6). A maximum of six hours can be counted as anthropology hours toward either degree. Instructs the student in archaeological and ethnological field methods through actual participation in a field research program. The project depends upon the specific Summer Session and varies from year to year. Prerequisite: instructor's consent.