Course Listings

Introduction to Biological Anthropology

ANTH 101 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: A survey of general patterns in the development of human culture, addressing the biological and morphological aspects of humans viewed in their cultural setting. The aim is to apply anthropological knowledge to understanding human origins and how human populations adapt to the environment. Discussion examines human evolution and adaptation, including biocultural patterns in humans and other primates. Students who complete both ANTH 101 and ANTH 102 may not receive credit for ANTH 340, BEHS 340, or BEHS 341.

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

ANTH 102 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: A survey of social and cultural principles inherent in ethnographic descriptions. The objective is to apply anthropological knowledge of human behavior to everyday situations and problems. Students who complete both ANTH 101 and ANTH 102 may not receive credit for ANTH 340, BEHS 340, or BEHS 341.

Special Topics in Anthropology

ANTH 298 | 1 - 3 Credits

Course Desc: A presentation of anthropological perspectives on selected topics of broad general interest. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 credits when topics differ.

World Prehistory and Archaeology

ANTH 345 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: An intermediate-level exploration of world prehistory and archaeology. The goal is to analyze the cultural, technological, and subsistence patterns of prehistoric humans and relate these patterns to contemporary human societies and populations. Discussion covers archaeological theories and methods; subsistence strategies; and the applications of archaeological knowledge to modern community, regional, and global issues.

Anthropology of Language and Communication

ANTH 346 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: An intermediate-level anthropological study of language, communication, and culture. The aim is to understand language in a cultural context; assess how the concepts, approaches, and methods of linguistic anthropology explain communication in changing cultural environments; and recognize how language both shapes and is shaped by culture. Topics include the origin of human language, linguistic diversity, structural elements of verbal and nonverbal language, language as social action, research in anthropological linguistics, language and power hierarchies, gendered communications, and linguistic diversity in the contemporary world.

Health, Illness, and Healing

ANTH 350 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: An overview of health, illness, and healing from a cross-cultural perspective. The objective is to apply the perspectives of medical anthropology to promote individual and public health in local, national, and global contexts. Topics include cultural and social influences on health and healing, the experience and meaning of illness, and current issues in public and global health.

Anthropology in Forensic Investigations

ANTH 351 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: An overview of forensic anthropology, an applied field of anthropology that seeks to recover, identify, and evaluate human skeletal remains within a medico-legal context. The aim is to explore the processes and methods used by forensic anthropologists to identify a cause and manner of death and determine an approximate postmortem interval. Topics include the forensic context, the human skeletal system, methods of identification, cause and manner of death, assessment of trauma, and analysis of evidence to draw conclusions about a case.

Intermediate Special Topics in Anthropology

ANTH 398 | 1 - 3 Credits

Course Desc: A presentation of anthropological perspectives on selected topics of broad general interest. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 credits when topics differ.

Peoples and Cultures of East Asia

ANTH 417 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: An advanced anthropological study of the peoples and cultures of East Asia, focusing on China, Japan, and Korea. Anthropological theories and methods are used to understand the social changes brought about by rapid modernization. Topics include family structure and its importance to individual choice and the larger society, the evolution of belief systems, changing gender roles, problems of aging and demographically declining societies, and the recent global influence of East Asian popular culture.