Anthropology & Subdisciplines
Introduction and Philosophy
Anthropology is the study of the culture of humankind, done on a comparative basis, to include the whole of human society, its diversity, and its past. The Department of Anthropology offers both undergraduate (B.A. & B.S.) and graduate (M.A.A., M.A.A./M.H.P., MPS in CHRM, & Ph.D.) degrees. The degrees reflect the department’s interest and expertise in applied anthropology – the application of anthropological knowledge, anthropology-in-use, and practicing anthropology – in a variety of institutional and community settings. This application of anthropology is intellectually informed by theories and approaches of the four subfields of the discipline (archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural and social anthropology, and anthropological linguistics). In addition, students are asked to focus in one of our areas of research concentration (anthropology of environment, anthropology of health, and anthropology of heritage).
An Applied Focus
The department’s commitment to applied anthropology includes research devoted to the generation and application of anthropological knowledge, perspectives and methods in the service of human problem-solving and decision-making, and support for the practice of anthropology in a variety of professional settings. In practice, the department faculty and students are interested in issues and problems related to human cultural and biological diversity, cultural understanding, the interactions between humans and their various environments, and ethnographic, archaeological, sociolinguistic, and biological research methods.