Anthropology Degree

B.A. Degree in Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of human culture in its widest sense, extending back to our primate origins. Because of its broad scope, anthropology provides an appreciation of the relationships among the environment, biology, and culture through time. It is a forum for a unique bridging and bonding of the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities.

The range of cultural expression studied in the anthropology degree program includes prehistoric, traditional, developing, and industrialized societies. There are three approaches to the study of the field. Cultural anthropology seeks to understand the way people live in varied societal systems or cultures around the world. Archaeology is concerned with understanding societies that existed in the past. Archaeologists locate, excavate, and interpret the artifacts of societies from prehistoric to recent times. Physical anthropology investigates the biocultural evolution and biosocial variation of humans. Physical anthropologists, in addition to the study of the behavioral and biological adaptations of living human populations, research the demographic and epidemiological profiles of forensic and archaeological skeletal collections.

In addition to performing research in conventional laboratories, anthropologists also conduct research in field sites. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in ethnographic, archaeological and physical anthropological endeavors, many of which are sponsored on Long Island, the greater metropolitan region, Central America, and selected overseas locations including Thailand, India, Israel, Cyprus, and Greece.

Students in the anthropology degree program are expected to become versed in the theories and practices central to the anthropological perspective. With this in mind, the curriculum of the department focuses on developing those skills essential to the discipline. Further, the anthropology degree curriculum focuses on developing those student skills essential for the understanding of the interdisciplinary relationships between anthropology, social and natural sciences, the humanities, and the arts. The skills acquired through the study of anthropology are transferable to other social sciences and to the larger world.

• B.A. degree in Anthropology. Please see the individual course descriptions for details on coursework available to students with a major in anthropology. B.A. degree in Anthropology with Environmental Anthropology Concentration is available.
• Students can also choose to fulfill a Minor in Anthropology or Forensic Anthropology.

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