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Djenne Market and Mosque, Mali

Majors / Minors

Major in Anthropology

Students are expected to complete a 15-course program (11 courses in anthropology and 4 in related fields) for a major in anthropology. The department's 4 required 200-level courses provide the background in the four major sub-fields of anthropology. 370 examines the philosophical and historical roots of the discipline. Five additional 300-level courses, including an examination of appropriate methods and research design issues, develop the student's intellectual maturity in the discipline. All seniors are required to take 398 and to prepare a senior thesis. This requirement provides students with an opportunity to conduct original research and, in the process, gain valuable analytical, critical thinking, and writing skills.

Departmental Courses

• 211, 213, 214, and 215. Students with previous background in anthropology may petition to substitute a 300-level course for a 200-level requirement.
• 370
• 5 additional 300-level courses selected in consultation with an adviser. Normally, these courses are chosen from one of the three sub-fields listed below, but students may, with the consent of their advisor, develop a focus that bridges the sub-fields of anthropology (e.g., culture and technology, health and human development, the institutionalization of power).
  • Archaeology: 322 and 4 courses chosen from 301,302, 303, 311, 321 (offered in summer), 325, 328, 339, 362, 381, 382, 384, 390, 391, 396 (offered in summer).
  • Biological anthropology: 5 courses chosen from 306, 310, 312, 313, 314, 315, 317, 362, 383, 390.
  • Cultural/linguistic anthropology: 389 and 4 courses chosen from 310, 311, 320, 330, 332, 339, 341, 347, 350, 354, 355, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364, 368, 372, 373, 374, 376, 377, 383, 390, 391, 395.
  • Human biology: See Human Biology Concentration for requirements.
• 398 (senior year)

Related Courses

Subject to the approval of the department adviser, 4 courses from other departments and programs. One of these courses must be in formal or statistical methods, and at least 2 of these courses must be 300-level courses. All 4 courses should relate to the student's independent research work and strengthen the focus that guided the selection of 300-level courses in anthropology.

Concentration in Human Biology

The human biology concentration is a good option for students interested in pursuing careers in the health sciences or graduate work in the biological sciences. The concentration combines a core foundation in basic science with an integrative perspective on the human organism, drawing on both the biological and social sciences. Course work emphasizes the study of human biology and health from a comparative and evolutionary perspective.

In their freshman and sophomore years students complete the introductory (200-level) anthropology requirements as well as the core premedical requirements (see related courses below). Junior- and senior-year course work includes 300-level courses in biological anthropology/human biology and related courses from other departments. Additionally, all seniors are required to take 398 and prepare a senior thesis.

      Departmental Courses

• 211, 213, 214, 215
• 370, 386
• 4 courses chosen from 306, 310, 312, 313, 314, 315, 317, 362, 383, 390
• 398 (senior year)
• 399 (senior year)

• BIOL SCI 110-1,2,3 or 210-1,2,3
• CHEM 101, 102, and 103; or 171 and 172
• CHEM 210-1,2 or 212-1,2
• MATH 214-1,2, STAT 202, or equivalent
• PHYSICS 130-1,2,3 or 135-1,2,3

• Subject to the approval of the departmental adviser, 3 additional related courses at the 300-level from other departments. See the departmental adviser for a list of recommended courses.

Honors in Anthropology

Students wishing to be considered for departmental honors should make inquiries no later than spring quarter of the junior year. In order to be eligible for honors, students must have a grade point average of 3.5 or above in anthropology courses. Enrollment is required in one quarter of 399 Independent Study or an appropriate graduate-level course in addition to 398 (required for all majors). 399 should be taken before enrolling in 398. Students who meet these requirements and prepare an outstanding senior thesis will be nominated for honors in anthropology to the College Committee on Superior Students and Honors, which has final authority to grant the honors degree. For more information, consult the director of undergraduate studies.

Minor in Anthropology

The Minor in Anthropology provides students in other fields with a framework to pursue a particular focus within the discipline. Such a focus might be within one of the sub-fields of anthropology (i.e., biological anthropology, archaeology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology), in area studies (e.g., Africa, the Middle East, the United States), or in a specific topic (e.g., ethnicity, gender, the origins of the state, urban studies). To fulfill this goal, the minor in anthropology combines two of the four 200-level courses required of majors in anthropology, one in the area of ethnography (2ll or 215) and one in the area of origins (213 or 214), with five 300-level courses that constitute a coherent focus. The 200-level courses provide a foundation for pursuit of specialized topics.

Students pursuing the minor in anthropology must consult with the department's director of undergraduate studies to establish a program and be assigned a departmental adviser.

Minor Course Requirements

• 211 or 215
• 213 or 214
• A coherent combination of 5 300-level courses in anthropology with a specific focus.

Sample Programs

Students majoring in biological sciences but with an interest in ecology and behavior would build a coherent minor in biological anthropology by taking 211 or 215; 213; and a focused course selection such as 306, 310, 312, 313, and 383. Students majoring in history with an interest in pre- and early history would build a coherent minor in archaeology by taking 211 or 215; 214; and a focused course selection such as 301, 302, 303, 322, and 381. Students majoring in political science with an interest in noninstitutional or nongovernmental political process would build a coherent minor in cultural anthropology by taking 211; 213 or 214; and a focused course selection such as 311, 320, 332, 341, and 347. Other programs for the minor in anthropology can be designed to meet a student's particular needs or interests.

Note: Students who are following the department's previous curriculum should consult with the director of undergraduate studies.

Minor in Global Health

The Global Health Minor is an interdisciplinary program designed to bring an international and comparative perspective to the study of human health. To learn more about the Global Health Minor, please see:

http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/globalhealth

or contact one of the directors of the program:

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