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Department of
Anthropology

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Major & Minor

Explore and Discover. Anthropology is the study of human diversity and unity in all times and places. It brings together perspectives from the sciences and humanities to illuminate different aspects of the human past, the human body, and contemporary social life. Global perspectives, fieldwork, and experiential learning, as well as concerns with ethics, justice, and social well-being, are hallmarks of anthropology. Vanderbilt’s program has a strong research focus on Latin America and historically marginalized groups, especially indigenous people and descendants of the African diaspora.

Major | Minor | Major/Minor Declaration

The Major in Anthropology

An undergraduate degree in anthropology from Vanderbilt University offers students an intellectually rich and multidisciplinary educational experience, combining rigorous academic training and diverse research opportunities.

Understanding the full diversity of human histories and lifeways is vital to imagining pathways to a better world. The anthropology major develops such understanding through experiential learning that challenges students to go beyond the familiar; to see, understand, create, and interact in new ways. This preparation is useful in all professional careers that involve understanding human behavior, working with people from different backgrounds, analyzing complex information, and thinking holistically about the conditions that shape people’s lives. The major spans scientific, social scientific, and humanistic approaches to the study of people in all times and places.

Requirements

The major in anthropology requires completion of at least 30 credit hours of course work, as follows:

  • 6 credit hours—Introductory Courses (ANTH 1101, ANTH 1201, ANTH 1301, ANTH 1601)
    • Students take two 1000-level courses that provide broad overviews of the four subfields of anthropology: Socio-cultural Anthropology (1101), Anthropological Archaeology (1201), Biological Anthropology (1301), and Linguistic Anthropology (1601). A course in a third subfield is strongly recommended, in consultation with the adviser.
  • 3 credit hours—Anthropological Theory (ANTH 2101 OR ANTH 2102)
    • Anthropological theory courses offer overviews of the historical development of Anthropology, the state of the discipline today, and seek to develop frameworks of “why” human populations do what they do that are applicable across cultures. Students must take either ANTH 2101 or ANTH 2102.
  • 3 credit hours—Anthropological Methods
    • Methods courses give students hands-on approaches to how Anthropologists do what they do, from ethnographic interviews to archaeological investigations, as well as geographical information systems analysis, AI applications, drone technologies, and others. Courses that satisfy the methods requirement include ANTH 2211, 3120, 3150, 3260W, 3261, 3372, 3860W, 3866, and 4373. Other anthropology courses can count in consultation with the adviser, who will help determine which course best meets a student’s major and professional goals. The methods course may not count toward the theme requirement.
  • 12 credit hours—Anthropological Theme
  • In consultation with their adviser to determine the ideal course of study, students take four courses (12 credit hours) from the predesigned themes below, or a self-designed theme approved by the DUS.
  • See a list of courses by theme here.
    • Environment, landscape, and place: How have people shaped and been shaped by their surroundings? These courses are designed to offer students explorations of human-environment interactions in both time and space, and offer interdisciplinary approaches to ecology, geography, risk management, social-ecological systems, water management, traditional ecological knowledge, and other topics.
    • Healing, medicine, and culture: How does culture affect the body, and how does the body affect culture? Students exploring this theme investigate the interplay between human populations, medicine, modern nation-states, economic systems, and other factors that influence human health in time and space.
    • Social politics and power: How are decisions made in groups with intersecting interests and finite resources? These courses dig deep into the social interactions that have influenced political systems, economic practices, power relationships, and how these have formed nation states past and present. Students investigate the micro and macro-scale approaches to understanding the networks that tie us together and influence day-to-day actions and interactions.
    • Identity, ethnicity, and gender: How do people see themselves and their communities, and why? From the clothes we wear to the food we eat, students discover the countless ways human populations form conceptions of self and others, how these concepts are expressed, change, and evolve through time, and the ramifications for culture and society past and present.
    • Biocultural foundations in health, genetics, forensics, and ethics: How is the body treated in both time and space? Tied closely to health, medicine, and culture, students in this theme go deeper into the social-scientific examinations on human populations, including genetic analyses, statistical approaches, demographic analyses, and the ethical issues underlying using the body as a subject of examination.
    • Language, cognition, and culture: How does language shape culture? Humans are unique in the variety of methods of communication we have, which has influenced both our physical/cognitive, and cultural development. These courses offer students the skills to examine how language shapes/is shaped by culture, the role of language on cognitive development, and the signs and symbols populations have used in the past and present.
  • 3 credit hours. One capstone experience in engaged anthropology. In consultation with their adviser, students may fulfill this requirement by:
    • Completing an independent study (3850 or 3851), an internship (3881), or an honors thesis (4998 or 4999); or
    • Doing a special capstone project in any 2000-level or higher anthropology course with approval of their adviser and the course instructor. Students should consult their adviser or the DUS about which path would be best for their goals.
  • Minimum 3 credit hours of electives chosen from ANTH courses not already used to satisfy the requirements listed above, to total 30 credit hours toward the major.

With the approval of the student’s major adviser, a maximum of 3 credit hours for a course taken in another department or program may be counted toward the major requirement. A variety of courses is possible. In each case, the course must be relevant to the student’s program and the student must receive the approval of the director of undergraduate studies.

The Minor in Anthropology

The minor in anthropology requires 18 credit hours of course work, as follows:

  • 3 credit hours. One introductory course from one of the four subfields in Anthropology: 1101 (cultural anthropology), 1301 (biological anthropology), 1201 (archaeology), 1601 (linguistics).
  • 3 credit hours. One method or one theory course listed in the major; see above.
  • 12 credit hours. Four courses from one of the six themes listed above, designed in consultation with the adviser. See major requirements above.

Declaring a Major or Minor

Students who wish to declare a major or minor in anthropology need to complete the Major/Minor Declaration/Change form. See the Major/Minor Declaration User Guide for more information.

Once the form is submitted, the Director of Undergraduate Studies will approve the declaration and assign an adviser to the student. If a specific adviser is desired, please contact the DUS directly, explaining why this adviser is requested. Requests will be considered but are not guaranteed.

The student will receive email notification of the approval or denial with the adviser’s contact information. It is the student’s responsibility to contact their adviser in order to set up an orientation meeting, which allows the student to gain information on a variety of topics, including major/minor requirements. Please be aware that there is generally a moratorium on approval of new declarations during spring and fall registration periods.

Please contact Dr. Jacob Sauer, director of undergraduate studies, with any questions.

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