Undergraduate Program in Anthropology

Spring 2022 Undergraduate Courses

QUICK LIST Spring 2022 Courses

Preliminary Syllabi will be added as received - if spring 2022 syllabus is not yet included below - click "Courses" in menu on right for a recent syllabus. All courses will use Canvas for their learning platform.

Prerequisite overrides spring 22 – If you cannot register for an upper level course because you have not met the prerequisite, in many cases you can get a prerequisite override. If you would like to request this, send an email to the professor with your name, RUID, and number/name of the course, with a CC to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If approved, you will be registered directly into the course. Be sure you do not have a conflicting course on your registration. If you have a conflicting “place-holder” course, mention this in your request message – the place-holder can be eliminated at the same time the new course is added.

All classes will be offered virtually until Monday, January 31.  As of January 31, 2022 the University plans to offer all classes scheduled as "in-person" on campus again.

Read more: Spring 2022 Undergraduate Courses

Spring 2021 awards

The Anthropology Department is pleased to announce our spring 2021 awards!

Read more: Spring 2021 awards

Why Major in Anthropology?

Anthropology teaches students to think in a critical way, and it exposes them to a fundamental part of the Western intellectual tradition. But it also gives them a perspective on their own position in a world of cultural, physical, and political diversity.  Anthropology seeks to understand the whole panorama of human existence in both geographic space and over long periods of time.  It offers a backdrop against which students can understand their own cultures, traditions, and behaviors and provides them with sensitivity to understanding human biological and cultural similarities and differences.

Cultural Anthropologists focus on understanding humans through a comparative perspective, one that teaches students to be acute observers and analysts of human behavior. 

Evolutionary anthropologists might study orangutans, observing behavior and collecting urine to assess their social structure. 

Archaeologists might jump back a million years to probe the survival strategies, successes, and failures of the earliest humans. 

Linguistic anthropologists might scrutinize conversation to learn more about the place of individuals in the family structure.

Other areas of anthropological study include forensic anthropology, business anthropology, visual anthropology, environmental anthropology, and museum anthropology.  In addition to careers in teaching and research, students of anthropology can continue on to careers in the many industries that value the anthropologist's perspective and skills.

The Undergraduate Director, Professor Robert S. Scott, can provide interested students with information and guidance in planning a major or minor, and discuss how anthropology can contribute to various goals.  Email for appointment: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Consider joining Lambda Alpha , the National Anthropology Honor Society.  See Undergraduate Director for verification of your grades.  Lifetime membership requires one-time fee of $25.00.