Anthropologists study humans and their biological and cultural development through time and space. Anthropology develops a respect for the various ways of life followed by humans, and knowledge of the reasons for these practices.

Special faculty interests include Native American peoples; peoples of Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa; Illinois prehistory; language; gender; history of anthropology; primate behavior and ecology; neotropical environments and conservation; zooarchaeology; museum studies; visual culture; ethnohistory; economic anthropology; urban culture; religion; clothing and textiles; political culture; and art and artifacts.  Distinctive features of the program include opportunities for supervised archaeological and ethnographic fieldwork, for training in museum work in conjunction with the Anthropology Teaching Museum, for field trips and involvement in urban community projects, and for participation by qualified majors in the Alpha Chapter of Illinois of Lambda Alpha, the National Collegiate Honors Society for Anthropology.  In addition, the faculty participates in interdisciplinary programs such as Women’s Studies, Religious Studies, Museum Studies, Black Studies, and Latin American Studies.

Students in good standing wishing to apply for a major or minor may enter the program by filing a formal application through the office of Academic Counseling and Advising, and then consulting with the department Chair. Pre-registration advisement is mandatory for all declared majors and minors. All majors and minors must achieve a C or better in all Anthropology courses to earn an Anthropology degree.

All Anthropology majors are required to complete at least one course in each of the four major fields of the discipline:  biological (physical) anthropology (Anth 360a-b:  Biological Anthropology Method and Theory), cultural anthropology (Anth 300:  Ethnographic Method and Theory), archaeology (Anth 325:  Archaeological Method and Theory), and linguistic anthropology (Anth 301:  Language and Culture).

Career Opportunities

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Anthropology majors may pursue graduate degrees at both the master’s and doctoral level; such degrees lead to careers in university teaching, research, or museum work. Undergraduate anthropology majors find employment in secondary education, industry, cultural resource management, environmental studies, museums, human services, contract archaeology, and government services. Because of the breadth of the subject matter in anthropology, students frequently combine anthropology with other disciplines such as history, sociology, geology, earth science, biology, psychology, medicine, law, and the arts. Such combinations enable students to understand complex community problems and many issues of contemporary life and to expand their opportunities for interesting and rewarding careers.

Degree Requirements Bachelor of Arts Anthropology

The Bachelor of Arts degree, designed primarily to prepare students for advanced studies in Anthropology, includes a foreign language requirement.

Degree Requirements Bachelor of Science Anthropology

The Bachelor of Science degree is designed for students desiring to pursue Anthropology in preparation for government service, industry, contract archaeology, museology, or foreign service, where advanced graduate degrees may not be required. The Bachelor of Science degree requirements include 9 hours in field methods courses: Anthropology 373 (3-6), 374 (3-6), 375 (3-6), 473 (3), 474 (3), and/or 475 (3).  Field methods courses are offered only during the Summer Sessions.

Minor Requirements

A minor in anthropology consists of 18 hours. Twelve of these hours must be in junior (300-level) or senior (400-level) courses. Students are required to take the introductory anthropology course (111). The remaining hours consist of Anthropology electives selected in consultation with an undergraduate Anthropology adviser.

Exit Requirements

Graduates are expected to be knowledgeable about the biological and cultural development of humans and the diversity of humankind. As seniors, students must successfully complete Anthropology 490 and 491.