About the Program
Professors: Maria Masucci, Philip Peek, Linda Van Blerkom (chair)
Assistant Professors: Marc Boglioli, Joslyn Cassady
Anthropology is the study of humankind in cross-cultural and evolutionary perspectives. With one foot in the sciences (both social and biological) and the other in the humanities, anthropology takes a holistic approach and consists of four sub-disciplines: cultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistics. Anthropologists emphasize fieldwork as a means to investigate cultural diversity and human biology in our species, past, present, and future.
Our major fulfills its mission by equipping the student with an integrated view of the discipline and providing biological, archaeological, linguistic, and cultural emphases with attention to laboratory and on-site field methods. The goal of the anthropology student is thus to construct a broader, more inclusive, and insightful view of humans/humanity in context.
Students majoring in anthropology are encouraged to consider summer field programs as well as semester-long academic programs during their junior year. Students planning such programs should consult with a department member as early as possible.
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Requirements for the Major (44 credits)
I. Core Courses (12 credits)
ANTH 3/Human Evolution: Biological Anthropology and Archaeology (4)
ANTH 4/Cultural Diversity: Cultural Anthropology and Linguistics (4)
ANTH 12/Ancient Societies (4)
II. ANTH 28/History of Anthropological Theory (4)
III. Methods (4 credits)
ANTH 101/Archaeological Method and Theory (4)
ANTH 102/Ethnographic Research Methods (4)
IV. Five courses selected from the following list of electives with one from at least three of the four anthropological fields and at least one regional course (e.g. Native American, Eritrea, etc) (20 credits):
A. Biological Anthropology
ANTH 25/Primatology
ANTH 124/Human Osteology
ANTH 126/Evolution & Human Behavior
ANTH 127/Human Evolutionary Genetics
ANTH 137/Selected Topics in Biological Anthropology
ANTH 150/Independent Study in Anthropology
B. Archaeology
ANTH 30/Native Arts and Archaeology of Latin America
ANTH 32/Southeast Asian Arts and Archaeology
ANTH 39/Regional Archaeology
ANTH 136/Selected Topics in Archaeological Method and Theory
ANTH 140/Archaeological Field Study
ANTH 150/Independent Study in Anthropology
C. Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 10/Culture, Gender and Family
ANTH 11/Cultural Ecology
ANTH 16/Folklore
ANTH 51/Arts of Africa and the Diaspora
ANTH 52/Native North American Cultures
ANTH 55/Peoples of Africa
ANTH 58/Museums and Society
ANTH 59/Regional Ethnography
ANTH 113/Psychological Anthropology
ANTH 125/Medical Anthropology
ANTH 129/Contemporary Issues in Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 130/Folk Religion
ANTH 131/Gender and Culture
ANTH 133/Cross-Cultural Management and Education
ANTH 135/Selected Topics in Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 150/Independent Study in Anthropology
D. Linguistics
LING 10/Language, Communication and Culture
LING 120/Linguistic Theory and Method
LING 150/Independent Study in Linguistics
V. ANTH 199/Senior Seminar in Anthropology (4)
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Requirements for the Minor (24 credits)
I. Required Courses (12)
ANTH 3/Human Evolution: Biological Anthropology and Archaeology
ANTH 4/Cultural Diversity: Cultural Anthropology and Linguistics
ANTH 12/Ancient Societies
II. 12 intermediate- and upper-level credits chosen in consultation with the chair of the department.
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Off-Campus Programs
Courses given in the Eritrean Semester (PANAF 160/Life, Culture and Languages of Eritrea, PANAF 161/Gender and Development, PANAF 162/Selected Topics in Nation-Building, and PANAF 163/Independent Research Internship) may be taken for credit in anthropology with approval of the Anthropology Department.
The Semester in Eritrea
The Semester in Eritrea, offered every fall annually, provides students with a rare opportunity to observe and experience firsthand the process of nation-building and study the key role that gender plays in the development process. The program addresses issues related to human development in a holistic manner, highlighting the centrality of gender issues and women's experiences. The heart of the program is the independent research project for which students conduct interviews, engage in literature research, travel, or perhaps participate in internships/field research related to the theme of the program. Participants enroll in 4 four-credit courses designed for American students and taught by Eritrean and American faculty. Site visits to development project centers and facilities in Asmara and other cities, along with guest speakers from government, private and nongovernmental, international and diplomatic communities are regular features of the academic program.
Drew in West Africa: Mali
Unique among Drew's off-campus programs is this summer program in Mali, the West African nation named after one of the great kingdoms of the 13th century. Students participating in this four-week program have the opportunity to visit ancient mosques and libraries in Timbuctu, market towns such as Mopti along the Niger River, the striking cliffside towns of the Dogon people, and the busy modern capital of Bamako . With its emphasis on the arts of Malian people, this program provides an extraordinary opportunity to learn about changing Africa Hearing lectures by American and Malian faculty, as well as observing demonstrations of weaving, pottery, masquerades, and so on, students can receive credit for two four-credit courses.
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