The mission of the Department of Anthropology and Geography is to:
1. Offer and maintain instructional programs that provide a comprehensive overview and analyses of people and their cultures, both past and present.
2. Conduct research in order to advance and expand knowledge of the fields of anthropology and geography.
3. Participate actively in programs of interdisciplinary research.
The Department of Anthropology and Geography houses a faculty of cultural anthropologists, archaeologists, biological anthropologists, and geographers whose scholarship spans the breadth of the human experience. The program prepares undergraduate students to describe, analyze, and interpret the human condition. An examination of the social, environmental, and evolutionary contexts in which the human species is embedded defines most course work in the discipline. The program is integrative, drawing from geography, biology, the humanities, and other social and natural sciences. Geography figures prominently in our program and provides an important spatial lens through which human groups are examined over time. Four programmatic areas define faculty research and scholarship with which students can engage: humans and the environment, international development and globalization, health and well-being, and professional methods and techniques. In the education of undergraduates, the department values and promotes experiential training, primary research, as well as public engagement and education.
The research endeavors of the anthropology faculty are trans-disciplinary and international. They are interested in diverse topics including but not limited to contemporary culture, ethnicity, linguistics, comparative religion, virtual worlds, subsistence patterns, archaeology, human ecology, human anatomy, human evolution, biogeography, land cover/land use patterns, and the behavior of non-human primates.
Anthropology majors follow a liberal arts curriculum that provides a broad education with an emphasis on learning how to learn. The department has ten research and teaching laboratories and three summer field schools; the Ethnographic Field School, the Archaeology Field School, and the Paleontology Field School.
Undergraduate students can pursue a general anthropology degree focused on an appreciation of human diversity, past and present, from a broad and holistic perspective. Students can also declare a concentration within the program. Declaring a concentration allows for a focused course of study, specializing in the particular subfield of interest. Within each concentration (Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, and Cultural Anthropology), specific categories of classes guide students in learning the major theories, methods, and applications related to the modern practice of our discipline. Along with our offerings of world class field schools, course work in archaeological, biological, and ethnographic methods and geographical techniques are encouraged in order to further gain experience and perspective. Upon graduation, students are prepared for a diverse array of jobs or advanced training in graduate school. Students come away with a respect and appreciation for the diversity of human existence.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Employ anthropological theory and qualitative/quantitative research methods to describe and analyze human biological and cultural variation over time and across space.
-
Describe and evaluate the inter-relationships between environments, health and well-being, and human cultural and biological evolution.
- Synthesize anthropological theory, methods, and data to formulate arguments both orally and in written format.
- Articulate anthropology to non-specialists and explain anthropological concepts across subfields and/or with other social sciences and humanities disciplines.
- Transfer knowledge gained in anthropology program to a career trajectory after graduation.
Potential Occupations
Anthropology, like many majors in the liberal arts, provides students with a broad academic background suitable for a variety of jobs in the public and private sectors. Anthropology majors are trained to think independently and critically, communicate effectively, and function in a multicultural world. Employers appreciate liberal arts majors for their multiple skills and their ability to adapt to a variety of tasks and work environments. Participating in internships and cooperative education opportunities is highly recommended to enhance students’ practical training and development. Careers for graduates are available in international development, health care, education, business, natural resource management, and government. Graduates who go on for advanced studies can pursue careers in anthropology or attain advanced positions with the possibility of rising to top professional levels.
Some career opportunities for Anthropology graduates include, but are not limited to: museum curator/researcher, genealogist, international relief representative, salvage archaeologist, collections assistant, resource specialist, classical or historical anthropologist, cultural affairs officer, diplomatic service representative, immigration or foreign service officer, linguist, educational television researcher, forensic osteologist, biographical writer, scientific/technical writer, reporter, ethnographic photographer, anthropological linguist, rural development worker, ethnic groups’ special concerns advocate, intercultural educator, medical anthropologist, grant writer, psychological anthropologist, international development administrator, public relations representative, public opinion pollster, sales/marketing representative, consultant for cross-cultural relations, personnel worker, geographic information systems specialist.
Concentrations
Change of Major
To change your major to Anthropology, you can either call the College of Liberal Arts Academic Advising Center at 970-491-3117 or send an email to cla_advising@colostate.edu. More information is available at https://advising.libarts.colostate.edu.
Effective Fall 2024
Freshman | |||
---|---|---|---|
AUCC | Credits | ||
ANTH 100 | Introductory Cultural Anthropology (GT-SS3) | 3C | 3 |
ANTH 101 | Practicing Anthropology | 1 | |
ANTH 120 | Human Origins and Variation (GT-SC2) | 3A | 3 |
ANTH 121 | Human Origins and Variation Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 3A | 1 |
ANTH 140 | Introduction to Archaeology (GT-HI1) | 3D | 3 |
CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | 1A | 3 |
Quantitative Reasoning | 1B | 3 | |
Electives | 13 | ||
Total Credits | 30 | ||
Sophomore | |||
GR 100 | Introduction to Geography (GT-SS2) | 3C | 3 |
Arts and Humanities | 3B | 6 | |
Biological and Physical Sciences1 | 3A | 3 | |
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 1C | 3 | |
Anthropology electives (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 3 | ||
Electives | 12 | ||
Total Credits | 30 | ||
Junior | |||
ANTH 400/GR 400 | History of Theory-Anthropology and Geography | 4B | 3 |
Complete a minimum of 3 credits in archaeology not taken in another category: | 3 | ||
Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies | |||
Study Abroad--England: Hadrian's Wall | |||
Archaeology of North America | |||
Geoarchaeology | |||
Archaeology of Rock Art | |||
Race/Ethnicity in the Ancient Mediterranean | |||
Archaeology of the Ancient Nile | |||
Archaeology of Ancient Roman Food | |||
Study Abroad--Pompeii in Italy: Life and Death of a Roman City | |||
Archaeologies of Graffiti | |||
Colorado Prehistory | |||
Archaeological Investigation | |||
Digital Digging--Geophysics in Archaeology | |||
Andean Archaeology and Ethnohistory | 4A | ||
Archaeology of Mesoamerica | 4A | ||
Impacts on Ancient Environments | 4A | ||
Anthropological Perspectives on Food | |||
Great Plains Archaeology | 4A | ||
Archaeology and the Public | 4A | ||
Lithic Technology | |||
Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management | |||
Gods, Heroes, Stones--Greek Archaeology | |||
Field Class in Archaeology | |||
Anthropological Report Preparation | 4A | ||
Anthropology Curation and Exhibition Methods | |||
Zooarchaeology | |||
Archaeology of the Ancient Near East | |||
The Archaeology of Time | |||
Heritage Resource Management | |||
Seminar: Archaeology | |||
Complete a minimum of 3 credits in biological anthropology not taken in another category: | 3 | ||
Human Diversity (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||
Introduction to Forensic Anthropology | |||
Human Ecology | 4A | ||
Quantifying Anthropology | |||
Primates | 4A | ||
Growing Up Primate | |||
Human Osteology | |||
Human Evolution | 4A | ||
Human Biological Variation | 4A | ||
Evolution of Primate Behavior | 4A | ||
Evolution of Human Adaptation | 4A | ||
Anthropology Perspectives-Evolution, Society | |||
Bipedal Apes | |||
Evolutionary Medicine and Human Health | |||
Zooarchaeology | |||
Paleontology Field School | |||
Human Biology | 4A | ||
The Neandertals | 4A | ||
Human Skeleton Analysis | |||
Methods of Analysis in Paleoanthropology | |||
Seminar: Biological Anthropology | |||
Complete a minimum of 3 credits in cultural anthropology not taken in another category: | 3 | ||
Anthropology of the Arts | |||
Soundscapes-Music as Human Practice | 3C | ||
Peoples and Cultures of Africa | |||
Modern Indian Culture and Society | |||
Modernization and Development | |||
Southeast Asian Cultures and Societies | 4A | ||
Global Mobilities–The African Diaspora | |||
Anthropology of Human Rights | |||
Beer, Brewing, and Culture | 4A | ||
The Anthropology of Religion | 4A | ||
Human Ecology | 4A | ||
Anthropology of Sex and Reproduction | |||
Narrative Traditions and Social Experience | 4A | ||
Language and Culture | 4A | ||
Art and Culture | |||
Gender and Anthropology | 4A | ||
Medical Anthropology | 4A | ||
Applied Medical Anthropology | |||
Psychological Anthropology Laboratory | |||
Public Anthropology and Global Challenges | |||
Indigenous Peoples Today | 4A | ||
Development in Indian Country | 4A | ||
Gender, Culture, and Health | |||
Indigenous Environmental Stewardship | |||
Cultural Psychiatry | 4A | ||
Theory in Cultural Anthropology | |||
Method in Cultural Anthropology | |||
Ethnographic Field School | |||
Cultures of Virtual Worlds–Research Methods | 4A | ||
Psychological Anthropology | 4A | ||
International Development Theory and Practice | 4A | ||
Complete a minimum of 3 credits in geography (GR subject code) not taken in another category | 3 | ||
Anthropology electives (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 9 | ||
Advanced Writing | 2 | 3 | |
Electives | 3 | ||
Total Credits | 30 | ||
Senior | |||
Students must take ANTH 493 concurrently with one of the courses listed in the selection below it: | |||
ANTH 4932 | Capstone Seminar | 4C | 1 |
Select one AUCC 4A course from the following not taken in another category:2 | 3-4 | ||
Cultural Anthropology: | |||
Southeast Asian Cultures and Societies | 4A | ||
Beer, Brewing, and Culture | 4A | ||
The Anthropology of Religion | 4A | ||
Narrative Traditions and Social Experience | 4A | ||
Language and Culture | 4A | ||
Gender and Anthropology | 4A | ||
Medical Anthropology | 4A | ||
Indians of North America | 4A | ||
Indigenous Peoples Today | 4A | ||
Development in Indian Country | 4A | ||
Indigenous Ecologies and the Modern World | 4A | ||
Cultural Psychiatry | 4A | ||
Ethnographic Field Methods | 4A | ||
Cultures of Virtual Worlds–Research Methods | 4A | ||
Psychological Anthropology | 4A | ||
International Development Theory and Practice | 4A | ||
Archaeology: | |||
Andean Archaeology and Ethnohistory | 4A | ||
Archaeology of Mesoamerica | 4A | ||
Impacts on Ancient Environments | 4A | ||
Great Plains Archaeology | 4A | ||
Archaeology and the Public | 4A | ||
Anthropological Report Preparation | 4A | ||
Biological Anthropology: | |||
Human Ecology | 4A | ||
Primates | 4A | ||
Human Evolution | 4A | ||
Human Biological Variation | 4A | ||
Evolution of Primate Behavior | 4A | ||
Evolution of Human Adaptation | 4A | ||
Human Biology | 4A | ||
The Neandertals | 4A | ||
Anthropology electives (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 9 | ||
Electives3 | 16-17 | ||
Total Credits | 30 | ||
Program Total Credits: | 120 |
- 1
ANTH 274 fulfills AUCC 3A.
- 2
ANTH 493 must be taken concurrently with one of the AUCC 4A anthropology courses listed with ANTH 493 in the senior year. Using Competencies (AUCC 4A) must be taken concurrently with ANTH 493. Courses approved for AUCC category 4A taken in the sophomore, junior, or senior year and not concurrently with ANTH 493 and not included in the approved list in the program will not count toward completion of the 4A requirement for this major. Students taking Senior Honors Thesis (HONR 499, 3 credits) are also required to register for ANTH 493 (1 credit).
- 3
Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).
Freshman | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Semester 1 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
ANTH 100 | Introductory Cultural Anthropology (GT-SS3) | X | 3C | 3 | |
ANTH 101 | Practicing Anthropology | X | 1 | ||
CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | X | 1A | 3 | |
Quantitative Reasoning | X | 1B | 3 | ||
Electives | 5 | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Semester 2 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
ANTH 120 | Human Origins and Variation (GT-SC2) | X | 3A | 3 | |
ANTH 121 | Human Origins and Variation Laboratory (GT-SC1) | X | 3A | 1 | |
ANTH 140 | Introduction to Archaeology (GT-HI1) | X | 3D | 3 | |
Electives | 8 | ||||
AUCC 1B (Quantitative Reasoning) and CO 150 must be completed by the end of Semester 2. | X | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Sophomore | |||||
Semester 3 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
GR 100 | Introduction to Geography (GT-SS2) | 3C | 3 | ||
Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |||
Biological and Physical Sciences | 3A | 3 | |||
Electives | 6 | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Semester 4 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |||
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | X | 1C | 3 | ||
Anthropology elective (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 3 | ||||
Electives | 6 | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Junior | |||||
Semester 5 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
Anthropology electives (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 3 | ||||
Complete a minimum of 3 credits in archaeology not taken in another category (See List on Requirements Tab) | 3 | ||||
Complete a minimum of 3 credits in biological anthropology not taken in another category (See List on Requirements Tab) | 3 | ||||
Advanced Writing | 2 | 3 | |||
Elective | 3 | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Semester 6 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
ANTH 400/GR 400 | History of Theory-Anthropology and Geography | 4B | 3 | ||
Complete a minimum of 3 credits in cultural anthropology not taken in another category (See List on Requirements Tab) | 3 | ||||
Complete a minimum of 3 credits in geography (GR subject code) not taken in another category | 3 | ||||
Anthropology electives (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 6 | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Senior | |||||
Semester 7 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
ANTH 493 | Capstone Seminar | X | 4C | 1 | |
AUCC 4A: Select one course not taken elsewhere from the AUCC 4A List on the Requirements Tab | X | 4A | 3-4 | ||
Anthropology electives (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 9 | ||||
Electives | 1-2 | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Semester 8 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
Electives | X | 15 | |||
The benchmark courses for the 8th semester are the remaining courses in the entire program of study. | X | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Program Total Credits: | 120 |