Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology
The Anthropology Department offers an undergraduate program that provides a framework for understanding human cultures and societies through culture, archaeology, adaptation and evolution. The Department prepares students for understanding the past and the present of a rapidly globalizing world by developing knowledge of the national, ethnic and cultural complexities that operate within the contemporary world. Graduates with a major in Anthropology have a knowledge and understanding of the cultures of Western and non-Western peoples, and are qualified to work in local, national, and international agencies, and the corporate world. An undergraduate degree in Anthropology provides the basis for a graduate degree in Anthropology and any of the other social sciences. Students who have graduated with a degree in Anthropology from FAU have also gone on to graduate work in law, medicine, journalism, education and other graduate programs.
Anthropology Courses for Majors:
Outline of the Anthropology Major:
In addition to the College and University requirements, an Anthropology major must satisfy the following departmental requirements. A minimum of 120 credits are required overall:
3 credits in an Introductory 1000- 2000-level course
6 credits in Biological Anthropology courses 3000-level or above
6 credits in Archaeology courses 3000-level or above
6 credits in Sociocultural courses 3000-level or above
6 credits in Research Methods courses
9 credits in Electives
Anthropology courses at the 3000-level or above, from any of the subfields36 credits total in Anthropology. A grade of "C" or better is required for a course in Anthropology to count toward the major.
Introductory Courses (3 credits)
Cultural Difference in a Globalized Society ANT 1471
WAC Course
Freshman Seminar ANT 1930
Introduction to Anthropology ANT 2000
Lost Tribes & Sunken Continents:
Frauds, Myths & Mysteries in Archaeology ANT 2149
Culture and Society ANT 2410
Introduction to Biological Anthropology w/ Lab ANT 2512
Anthropology Study Abroad ANT 2952 1-3 cr.
Upper Division Courses (33 credits as follows)
Biological Anthropology Courses ( 6 credits minimum)
Human Variation ANT 3516
Human Evolution ANT 3586
Environment and Disease ANT 4463
Biological Anthropology ANT 4514
Forensic Anthropology ANT 4520
Primate Behavior ANT 4552
Primate Evolution ANT 4554
Advanced Topics in Human Evolution ANT 4592
Human Epidemiology ANT 4731
Directed Independent Study ANT 4905
Special Topics ANT 4930
Special Topics categorized by subfield
Anthropology Study Abroad ANT 4957 1-3 cr.Archaeology Courses (6 credits minimum)
Stones and Bones: Unearthing The Past ANT 3101
The Maya and Their Neighbors ANT 3163
South America Before Columbus ANT 3165
Real Archaeology ANT 3190
Native American Culture and Society ANT 3312
Development of Ancient Civilizations ANT 4141
Florida Archaeology ANT 4158
Directed Independent Study ANT 4905 (1-3 cr.)
Special Topics ANT 4930 (1-3 cr.)
Special Topics categorized by subfield
Anthropology Study Abroad ANT 4957 1-3 cr.Sociocultural Anthropology Courses (6 credits minimum)
Peoples Around the World ANT 3212
Anthropology of Religion ANT 3241
Cultures of South Asia ANT 3361
WAC Course
Anthropology of Film/Visual Anthropology ANT 3391
Culture and Ecology ANT 3403
Anthropological Linguistics ANT 3610
Gender and Culture ANT 4302
African-American Anthropology ANT 4315
Human Impulses ANT 4407
Social Anthropology ANT 4412
Cultural Anthropology ANT 4414
Anthropology of Nature ANT 4419
Psychological Anthropology ANT 4433
Medical Anthropology ANT 4462
Culture, Gender and Health ANT 4468
Applied Anthropology ANT 4701
Directed Independent Study ANT 4905 (1-3 cr.)
Special Topics ANT 4930 (1-3 cr.)
Special Topics categorized by subfield
Anthropology Study Abroad ANT 4957 (1-3 cr.)Research Methods Courses ( 6 credit hours minimum)
Archaeological Research Methods ANT 4116
Research Methods in Bioarchaeology ANT 4192
Research Methods in
Cultural/Social Anthropology ANT 4495
Ethnographic Fieldwork in Ecuador ANT 4802 (3-6 cr.)
Fieldwork in Archaeology- Ecuador ANT 4824 (3-6 cr.)
Directed Independent Study ANT 4905 (1-3 cr.)
Zooarchaeology ANG 5126
Laboratory Methods ANG 5183Electives ( 9 credit hours minimum)
Any three courses from the above sections
Foreign Language Requirement:
Anthropology majors are required to take eight credit hours of appropriate college-level courses in one modern foreign language. College-level transfer credit hours or credit hours earned through CLEP or Advanced Placement Examination may satisfy or be applied toward the foreign language requirement for graduation.
Free Electives:
The remaining credit hours of upper-division work are defined as free electives. Students are advised to select courses relevant to their interests in Anthropology. STA 2023 (Introduction to Statistics) is recommended for students interested in a quantitative approach to Anthropology, and LIN 3010 is recommended as an introduction to linguistics. Three elective credits from departments outside Anthropology, but taught by anthropologists at FAU (e.g., in Comparative Studies, History, Art History, Women's Studies), may be substituted for electives part of the major with the permission of the Anthropology Department Chair.
Many Anthropology courses fulfill some requirements for interdisciplinary certificate programs such as the Ethnic Studies, Women's Studies, Environmental Studies, and Caribbean and Latin American Studies certificates.
Minor in Anthropology:
- For students majoring in another field, a minor in Anthropology shall consist of a minimum of 15 credit hours in upper division Anthropology courses, earned in any five (5) courses at the 3000-level or above.
- In the case of transfer students, a minimum of nine hours of upper division courses must be taken in residence at Florida Atlantic University.
- A grade of "C" or better is required for a course in Anthropology to count toward the minor.
Anthropology Study Abroad Programs
The Department of Anthropology operates a Field School in Ecuador, with programs in Archaeology and Ethnographic Methods, in which students may participate during the summer terms, enrolling in ANT 4802 or ANT 4824.
The Department of Anthropology participates in Florida Atlantic University's Study Abroad Program and offers ANT 2952 and ANT 4957.
Academic Learning Compact (ALC): The Anthropology ALC is a document required by the Florida Board of Governors that lists the skills and capabilities a student is required to achieve upon completing the major.
Student Learning Outcomes: Anthropology Department Assessment Website
