Anthropology Degree Plan

Degree Options

Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

Minors

Anthropology

Program Strengths

  • The flexible degree program allows students to concentrate in cultural anthropology, linguistics, archaeology, or biological anthropology, while receiving a broad background in all four.
  • Anthropology students can join WSU faculty working throughout the world for cultural, archaeological, and biological anthropological research.
  • The department hosts a regular lecture series where faculty, advanced graduate students, and visiting experts share their work.
  • Faculty are experts in archaeology and cultural, biological, medical, and evolutionary anthropology.
  • The Anthropology Museum houses the largest repository of archaeological artifacts from the interior Northwest.

Student Club

The Anthropology Club offers a series of activities designed to bring faculty and students together in informal gatherings that facilitate and expand hands-on learning opportunities and foster greater anthropological understanding. The club is open to any currently enrolled, full-time undergraduate students.

Admission to the Major Requirements

Students may be admitted as Anthropology majors upon declaring their intent to the department.

Suggested Classes for Freshmen

  • Anth 101: General Anthropology*
  • Anth 130: Great Discoveries in Archaeology*
  • Anth 201: Art and Society*
  • Anth 203: Global Cultural Diversity*
  • Anth 230: Archaeological Methods & Interpretation
  • Suggested Classes for Transfer Students
  • Anth 203: Global Cultural Diversity*
  • Anth 230: Archaeological Methods & Interpretation
  • Anth 260: Introduction to Biological Anthropology*
  • Anth 268: Sex, Evolution & Human Nature*

Math Requirement

Any QUAN Course, most commonly:

  • Math 105: Exploring Mathematics
  • Math 212: Introduction to Statistical Methods (Preferred)
  • Phil 201: Elementary Logic

Core Courses

  • Anth 203: Global Cultural Diversity*
  • Anth 230: Archaeological Methods & Interpretation
  • Anth 260: Introduction to Biological Anthropology*
  • Anth 390: History of Anthropological Thought*
  • Anth 490: Integrative Themes in Anthropology*

*Anthropology offers courses that fulfill UCORE requirements.

Areas of Faculty Research

  • Life history theory, human behavioral ecology; immune function and pathogens (A. Blackwell)
  • Psychological and medical anthropology, cognition and culture, contemporary social issues in Thailand, Southeast Asia (J. Cassaniti)
  • Archaeology of Childhood and Boarding Schools Archaeology, Peopling of the Americas (M. .Cory)
  • Archaeological and ethnographic communities in the American Southwest; megalithic southern Ethiopia (A. Duff)
  • Southwest Archaeology, Architecture, Use of Space, Depositional Processes, Social Theory, Museum Interpretation, History of Archaeology (S. Fladd)
  • Hunter-gatherers of Northwest Coast of North America, spatial analysis, zooarchaeology (C. Grier)
  • Depression & other mental health issues in evolutionary perspective (E. Hagen)
  • Anthropology of childhood, also infectious and parasitic diseases (B. Hewlett)
  • Life history theory, child development, reproductive strategies; research in Central African Republic and SW Ethiopia (C. Meehan)
  • Medical anthropology, social inequalities in health, food security, nutrition, and bio-cultural perspectives (C. Owens)
  • Behavioral ecology, evolutionary and social psychology, behavioral economics, development anthropology, Latin America (A. Pisor)
  • Medical anthropology concentrating in family health, ethnomedicine, and ethnobotany (M. Quinlan)
  • Behavioral ecology, medical anthropology, cross-cultural analysis, research in East Africa (R. Quinlan)
  • Environmental archaeology in New World societies, zooarchaeology, stable isotope analysis (E. Thornton)
  • Indigenous Archaeology, Rock Art, Archaeological Ethics, Gender, Landscape (E. Van Alst)
  • Social processes of film production, commodities in media industries, film costume, research in Hindi film Wilkinson)

Career Options

  • Education/Outreach
  • Archaeology/Cultural Resource Management (CRM)
  • Historic Preservation
  • Museum/Curation/Project Design
  • Community Development
  • Advocacy (human rights/social justice)
  • Human/Social Services
  • Design (products and/or services)
  • International Development/Affairs
  • Forensics
  • Administration/Management
  • Ethnography/Cultural Anthropology
  • Evaluation/Assessment
  • Health (international/public health)
  • Environment and Natural Resources
  • Tourism/Heritage
  • Healthcare Management/Services/Delivery
  • Management Consulting/Organizational Development/Training
  • Social Impact Assessment
  • Market Research
  • Law/Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement
  • Humanitarian Efforts

For more information

anthro.wsu.edu
anthro@wsu.edu
509-335-3441

Download this degree plan (PDF)

Advisors

Pullman

Dena Spencer-Curtis
dlspencer@wsu.edu
CUE 502
509-335-8731

Vancouver

Nicole Hess
nicolehess@wsu.edu
360-546-9620