Requirements
The anthropology minor consists of six courses: two required Foundation courses, three Topical courses, and one Methods-Intensive seminar. The department strongly encourages anthropology minors to take ANT 297 (2 credits) during the semester prior to studying away, and ANT 298 (2 credits) during the semester immediately following their semester abroad. Combined, the two seminars can satisfy one Topical course requirement for the minor.
A maximum of two anthropology courses taken abroad can be applied to the minor upon approval by the chair of the department.
Foundation Courses
Foundation courses in Anthropology offer students the conceptual and methodological building blocks required for delving deeper into the discipline. In the liberal arts tradition, these courses also outline the scope, goals, and relevance of anthropology to students seeking to meld the basic optics of an anthropological lens with the concepts and analytical tools offered by other disciplines. Participants in these courses will develop a common vocabulary, develop a base knowledge of methods unique to anthropology, cultivate an appreciation for cultural diversity, and learn key concepts that inform anthropological inquiry, such as cultural relativism. A minimum of two Foundation Courses is required:
Topical Courses
Topical courses in Anthropology offer students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of anthropological concepts with scholarship addressing contemporary behavioral and ecological phenomena in specific world areas. In these courses, students critically read and discuss original scholarship, familiarize themselves with the methods and theories of particular topical areas of anthropological investigation, and are introduced to ethical social science research practices. Written, oral, and other assignments allow students to demonstrate comprehension of the relevance of key anthropological concepts to understandings of contemporary issues, mastery of basic library research skills, and ability to critically read and analyze peer-reviewed scholarship and primary sources. Three Topical Courses are required:
Methods-Intensive Seminars
Methods-Intensive seminars allow students to engage scholarship at an even deeper level. These courses are often also designed around original faculty research projects, affording students an applied and more intensive exposure to particular anthropological methods, including ethnographic interviewing, video ethnography, mapping, and archaeological survey, among others. In addition to data collection and analysis, students are trained to engage in ethical research practices. Seminars culminate in a presentation and dissemination of research products through various formats, including papers, films, exhibitions, posters, and presentations. One Methods-Intensive Seminar is required: