Active Course List

An intensive exploration of how to identify, catalogue, and curate archeological materials in a laboratory setting. Topics will include lithics, pottery, faunal, floral, metal, and other materials as well as data structure and recordation.

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

An interdisciplinary investigation into Quaternary environmental/climatic change and the impact of change on the behavior and evolution of humans. This course has three segments: 1) an examination of natural systems responsible for climatic change, the impact climatic fluctuations have on Earth systems, timing of Quaternary changes, evidence of climatic/environmental change from spatially distant, climatically distinct environments; 2) investigation into worldwide evidence of human evolution, global dispersion, and adaptation to environmental systems; introduction to various methodological approaches in Quaternary archeologic, geomorphic, and climatic studies. Focus is on proxy records used for climate/environmental reconstruction, archeolgic/geomorphologic field methods, geochronologic dating methods.

Prerequisites:

GEOG 101, ANTH 210; Students are strongly encouraged to take Geog 315 or 4/515 before enrolling. Geol 121 can be substituted for Geog 101 with instructor permission.

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Programs:

Earth Science (BS)

This course examines the history of agricultural systems in world wide perspective, with an emphasis on understanding their social and environmental contexts and the effects on them of climate change. Case examples will highlight the conditions under which agricultural systems emerge, thrive, and fail, and the impacts of these processes on human populations.

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Programs:

Agribusiness and Food Innovation (BS) | Earth Science (BS)

An advanced examination of the human skeletal system and the application of this information in the fields of bioarchaeology, paleoanthropology and forensic anthropology. This course features hands-on identification and analysis of human skeletal material, with an emphasis on laboratory techniques.

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Cross-cultural examination of healing traditions, health beliefs and the impact of social, economic and political factors on the health of peoples in different cultures around the world and among diverse ethnic groups within culturally plural societies, including the United States.

Graduation Requirements:

Diverse Cultures - Purple | Writing Intensive

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Programs:

International Relations (BA) | International Relations Minor

This course will acquaint students with the application of human osteological techniques in civil and criminal investigations, including assessment of the recovery scene, determination of identity and analysis of evidence relating to cause and manner of death.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 420

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Bioarchaeology focuses on the diet, health, and occupations of past populations through the analysis of their skeletal remains. Readings and lab work will promote a practical understanding of the methods used in the discipline.

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

The biological and cultural aspects of death, as seen anthropologically, are the focus of this course. Mortuary behavior, ritual, and treatment of the human body will be addressed both temporally and cross-culturally.

Graduation Requirements:

Writing Intensive

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

The contemporary peoples and cultures of Mexico and Central and South America. Emphasis is on cultural patterns and contemporary issues of the region.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 101, ANTH 230, or consent

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Programs:

International Relations (BA) | International Relations Minor

This course introduces concepts and methods of applying socio-cultural understanding to contemporary problems to bring about the empowerment of affected people. Case/field studies and other research methods in social sciences will change with special attention to its affect on disadvantaged groups of people. Students will also design their own applied projects.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 101, ANTH 230, or consent; ETHN 100, ETHN 101, or ETHN 150 or consent.

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Kinship is the most basic principle of organization for all human societies. The course analyzes the main theories and methods of studying social organization, and explores cross-cultural variations in kinship, marriage and family systems.

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Programs:

Gender and Women's Studies (BA) | Gender and Women's Studies (BS) | Gender and Women's Studies Minor

Major anthropological theories of gender relations are read, discussed, and applied to a variety of contemporary ethnographic case studies.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 101, ANTH 230, or consent

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Programs:

Gender and Women's Studies (BA) | Gender and Women's Studies (BS) | Gender and Women's Studies Minor

A cross-cultural examination of the aging process, status, and treatment of elders around the world.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 101, ANTH 230, or ANTH 220, or consent

Graduation Requirements:

Diverse Cultures - Purple | Writing Intensive

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Programs:

Aging Studies for Nursing Students Minor | Scandinavian Studies (BA) | Scandinavian Studies Minor

Examines the practical applications of anthropological knowledge to problem-oriented research and the problems of directed sociocultural change among contemporary populations. Selected projects and case studies are used to illustrate the complexity of applied sociocultural change.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 101, ANTH 230 or consent

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Examination of the intellectual history of anthropology from its nineteenth century roots to today's current theoretical trends. Students will learn about the major schools of thought in anthropological theory and practice critical examination of their applications.

Graduation Requirements:

Writing Intensive

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Programs:

Anthropology (BA) | Anthropology (BS) | Anthropology Minor

The aim of this course is to make students methodologically literate. Students will learn how to develop research designs that rely on qualitative research methods such as participant observation. They will learn how to apply these methods by participating in small scale studies of human behavior. Some quantitative methods will also be discussed. Students will learn critical examination of published date and conclusions.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 101, ANTH 220 or consent

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

American Indians adapted to environmental systems in North America with cultures ranging from small groups of foragers to cities supported by intensive agriculture. This course presents a variety of perspectives of this cultural diversity from the Ice Age to the 20th century.

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Programs:

American Indigenous Studies (BA) | American Indigenous Studies (BS) | American Indigenous Studies (CERT)

Survey of East Asian cultural region. Cultural diversity, change and continuity examined in China, Japan and Korea through institutions and cultural settings. Focus includes how modern East Asian societies face internal social changes and their changing international status.

Graduation Requirements:

Diverse Cultures - Purple | Writing Intensive

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

A faculty-supervised, student-designed capstone project for the major. Students will take ANTH 475 after completing ANTH 300. The nature of the student's thesis will be determined jointly by the student and their advisor. The capstone project is a written thesis involving writing, laboratory work, fieldwork or various combinations. Students must present completed thesis in a public forum.

Prerequisites:

ANTH 300

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Programs:

Anthropology (BA) | Anthropology (BS)

Field experience in which method and theory are learned through participation in an ongoing field project.

Prerequisites:

Consent, or one of: ANTH 101, ANTH 102, or ANTH 220

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

This course allows faculty the flexibility to consider the challenges of new developments in anthropology. Content will vary from one course to the next. Students may take the course, with the permission of the instructor, more than one time.

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

A brief intensive hands-on introduction to an anthropological topic usually as it applies to a particular issue or skill. Topics vary but might include: Understanding that race is not a scientific concept; combating racism and ethnocentrism; participant observation methods; culture shock; cultural diversity and communication; forensics; cultural resource conservation. Pre-req: Depends on topic and instructor.

Prerequisites:

Depends on topic and instructor

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

An introduction to archaeological laboratory techniques and museological practice, through participation in the various processes involved.

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Guided advanced laboratory work in biological/physical anthropology.

Prerequisites:

Consent

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures

Individual projects are done in close coordination with faculty member.

Prerequisites:

Consent

Areas of Interest:

People and Cultures