Course Information

ANTH 10000 - Being Human: Introduction To Anthropology: Credit Hours: 3.00. A general introduction to anthropology's holistic approach to human nature and behavior. A basic survey of biocultural developmental and evolutionary processes, and human uniformity and diversity through time and across space. 

ANTH 20100 - Introduction To Archaeology And World Prehistory: Credit Hours: 3.00. Introduction to the ideas and practices of archaeology that are used in the study of human prehistory, from the earliest stone tools to the development of agriculture and states. Emphasis is placed on the objectives and methods of contemporary archaeology. 

ANTH 20300 - Biological Bases Of Human Social Behavior: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course is an introduction to human social behavior from the perspective of biological anthropology, with special emphasis on human evolution and non-human primates. Topics include aggression, communication, learning, maturation, sexuality, and the evolution of social systems. 

ANTH 20400 – Human Origins: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course surveys biological anthropology through a review of evolutionary theory and genetics, the fossil evidence for current theories in human evolution with insight from modern non-human primates, and the influence of environmental stressors on modern human biological variation. 

ANTH 20500 - Human Cultural Diversity: Credit Hours: 3.00. Using concepts and models of cultural anthropology, this course will survey the principal cultural types of the world and their distribution and will undertake a detailed analysis of society’s representative of each type. 

ANTH 21000 - Technology And Culture: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course explores the social dimensions of technology from the perspective of ancient, modern, and post-modern society. Topics include the origins of particular technologies; processes of technical development and dissemination; the politics of everyday artifacts; virtual identities; and technologies of the body. Suggested courses (not pre-requisite): ANTH 10000, 20100 and/or 20500 . 

ANTH 21200 - Culture, Food And Health: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course is designed to provide an introduction to the field of Nutritional Anthropology in which we will examine issues related to diet, health and illness from holistic anthropological perspectives.

ANTH 21500- Introduction to Forensic Anthropology: Credit Hours 3.00. Introduction to forensic anthropology, the science that utilizes methods from skeletal biology and archaeology as tools in human identification in a medico-legal context. This course introduces students to methods used to recover and positively identify human remains, and to evaluate trauma and taphonomy in medico-legal situations. Topics include an overview of historical and current developments in the field. Students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the sequential order of applied work from the search for forensic scenes through the recovery of remains, and skeletal analysis in the laboratory. Typically offered Fall Spring Summer.

ANTH 23000 - Gender Across Cultures: Credit Hours: 3.00. Explores gender and sexuality from a cross-cultural perspective. Draws on case studies to explore the complexities of women's and men's lives. Examines gender hierarchies, gender in a globalized world, and the cultural construction of sexuality and gender. 

ANTH 23500 – The Great Apes: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course serves as an introduction to the Great Apes and primate fieldwork.  Students will learn about the study and behavior of our closest relatives using classic and contemporary readings.  We will explore the role of subjectivity and gender in science as we examine the writings and work of primatologists.  We will discuss the ethics of habituating wild animals for research and tourism. In the last part of the class we will focus on the current conservation problems apes face and the ways in which their future is linked to our own. No prerequisites. 

ANTH 24000 - Medicine, Science, And Culture
Credit Hours: 3.00. This course explores the intersections of medicine, science, and culture as powerful shapers of our lives and the world today. Anthropology broadly studies the human experience to help explain how our bodies, biology, and beliefs inform what “medicine,” “health,” “illness,” and “healing” come to mean in diverse and cross-cultural contexts. The course will cover foundations in medical anthropology by exploring a range of topics and applications.

ANTH 25400 -  Arch Hoaxes, Myths, and Frauds: Credit Hours 3.00.  Why does archaeology inspire so many theories about aliens, dark conspiracies, apocalyptic predictions, and mysterious technologies?  While the study of the ancient past indeed involves the pursuit of ancient “mysteries,” archaeology attempts to solve these mysteries with rigorous methodologies, thoughtful analysis of data, and the scientific method. Through readings, discussion, and films, students will develop critical thinking and analytical tools to evaluate evidence and diagnose “fake news” archaeology and pseudoscience when they see it.

ANTH 25600 – Archeology of Beer:  This course examines the origins, evolution, cultural context, and social role of beer and other alcoholic beverages through the lens of archaeology and anthropology. Topics covered will include but are not limited to: beer in the ancient world, the material culture of brewing and fermenting, origins of agriculture, the emergence of social  complexity, sexual division of labor, social identity (gender, class, ethnicity), and historic and recent trends in production and consumption

ANTH 28200 – Introduction to LGBTQ Studies: Credit Hours: 3.00 This course offers students an introduction to the interdisciplinary study of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer lives. It provides a basic grounding in theories of sexuality and LGBT histories, identities, and movements in the U.S. and globally. No prerequisites. 

ANTH 30500 - Ethnographic Methods: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course introduces students to the basic methods of ethnographic research: the collection, analysis, and presentation of data derived from the systematic, direct observation of human behavior and interviewing of key informants. Students are required to complete a field project.

ANTH 30600 - Quantitative Methods For Anthropological Research: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course provides an introduction to the broad statistical methods used throughout the 4-fields of Anthropology. It covers elementary probability theory, basic concepts of statistical inference and study design. The course will motivate statistical methods through data analysis and visualization. It is designed for students who intend to focus in an anthropological discipline. It would also benefit a variety of students interested in 1) quantitative science literacy and planning for graduate work, 2) joining the workforce and becoming part of the educated citizenry. There are no pre-requisites from the Statistics or Mathematics Departments. 

ANTH 30700-The Development of Contemporary Anthropological Theory: Credit Hours: 3.00. Explores the history of anthropological theories pertaining to the understanding of commonality and variation in human biology, behavior, society, and cultures as they have developed over the approximately two centuries since anthropology was founded as a separate discipline. Considers those social, cultural, and historical factors that have influenced the history of anthropological ideas. 

ANTH 31000 - Mortuary Practices Across Cultures: Credit Hours: 3.00. Explores how death is treated or has been treated in diverse world cultures and time periods. Death is viewed as an expression of social behavior and as an expression of symbolic meaning. 

ANTH 31200 - The Archaeology of Ancient Egypt and the Near East: Credit Hours: 3.00. Selected topics on the archaeology of ancient Near Eastern cultures in Mesopotamia, the circum-Mediterranean area, Egypt, and the Nile Valley, emphasizing an anthropological interpretation of the political, social, religious, and economic systems that contributed to their development. 

ANTH 31300 - Archaeology Of North America: Credit Hours: 3.00. Archaeological overview of North America emphasizing Indigenous cultures prior to the arrival of Europeans, but including Contact and Post-Contact communities of the Historic Period. Topics will include the peopling of the Americas, culture and environment, social complexity, and Cultural Resource Management. 

ANTH 32700 - Environment And Culture: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course provides a general overview to the field of environmental anthropology, and surveys key methods, and theories that anthropologists use to interpret human-environment interactions. Topics include culture ecology, agro ecology, ethno biology, political ecology, and environmental justice. 

ANTH 33500 - Primate Behavior: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course is an introduction to the primate order and primate studies. The emphasis is on field studies. Ecological influences on social organization and behavior, learning, play, and communication will be considered as adaptations within an evolutionary framework.

ANTH 33600 - Human Variation: Credit Hours: 3.00. Biological differences between human individuals and groups, causes of variations, the role of genetics, concepts of race, and the interrelationship between the social and biological meanings of race will be considered. 

ANTH 33700 – Human diet: Origins and evolution: Credit Hours 3.00. This course will survey humans evolving relationship with food over the last few million years: from our Plio-pleistocene origins (foraging) through the origins of agriculture to modern industrial for production. No prerequisites. 

ANTH 34000 - Global Perspectives On Health: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course examines health issues and risks faced by individuals around the world, but especially in resource poor geographical areas. We will explore in-depth the gendered, ethnic, cultural, and class dimensions that underlie the patterning of disease and illness worldwide. 

ANTH 34100 - Culture And Personality: Credit Hours: 3.00. An inspection of the dynamic relations between culture and personality, with a view to understanding both culture-specific integration of these phenomena as well as psychobiological universal patterns of human behavior. 

ANTH 34600 - Pregnancy, Birth, And Babies
Credit Hours: 3.00.  This course examines human universal patterns and cross-cultural variation in pregnancy, birth, and infant care practices, using evolutionary and biocultural perspectives. Students will connect course themes to current events and controversies, such as medical models of birth, public breastfeeding, and parent-infant co-sleeping.

ANTH 35200 - Drugs, Culture, And Society: Credit Hours: 3.00. (SOC 35200) The course provides an overview of the social and cultural underpinnings of drug use across societies. Students engage with various topics, including addiction, global markets, drug epidemics, public policy, and cross-cultural differences in drug use. 

ANTH 36800 - Sociolinguistic Study Of African American English: Credit Hours: 3.00. A study of the history, structure, uses, and educational concerns of African American speech communities and the culture at large. 

ANTH 37300 - Anthropology Of Religion: Credit Hours: 3.00. Anthropological theories of the origin, development, and functions of religion, ritual, and myth. Data drawn from western and non-western societies, with special emphasis on the relationship of religion to social structure, cultural patterns, and social change. 

ANTH 37700 - Anthropology Of Hunter-Gatherer Societies: Credit Hours: 3.00. Selective global survey of societies whose mode of subsistence is/was based on the collection of wild food resources. Topics to be covered include: the development and current state of theory, ecology, social organization, land use, demography, subsistence rights, and worldview. 

ANTH 37900 – Native American Cultures: Credit Hours: 3.00. General survey of North American Indian cultures. Topics to be covered include prehistory; languages; economic, social, and political organization; religion, aesthetics; culture contact and change; and contemporary Native American issues. 

ANTH 38000 - Using Anthropology In The World: Credit Hours: 3.00. The use of anthropology in practical contexts. What anthropological practice is, how it originated, how it can be applied in non- academic and interdisciplinary contexts and careers. The main contemporary issues surrounding anthropological practice, including training, ethics, relevance, and rigor. For majors and non-majors.

ANTH 38400 - Designing For People: Anthropological Approaches: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course is about designing for people. You will use anthropological knowledge and skills to better understand human and technology interactions. With students from other fields, you will learn how to apply an anthropological perspective to human centered design and design with the needs of a specific user group in mind.

ANTH 38500- Community Engagement: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course introduces students to community engaged and participatory research in sociocultural anthropology. In this course, students will work with a community partner to develop a research question, conduct ethnographic research, analyze data, and present research findings. In addition to methods training and a hands-on research experience, students will dive into the ethical, historical, and theoretical considerations necessary for conducting participatory ethnographic research.

ANTH 39000 - Individual Research In Anthropology: Credit Hours: 1.00 to 3.00. Individual research or reading in an area of anthropology under the guidance of an anthropology faculty member. Permission of instructor required 

ANTH 39200 - Selected Topics In Anthropology: Credit Hours: 1.00 to 3.00. Various topics in anthropology that may change from semester to semester are presented by anthropology faculty members. 

ANTH 39300 - Interdisciplinary Approaches To Environmental And Sustainability Studies: Credit Hours: 3.00. (ENGL 39300) This course is the lynchpin of the undergraduate Certificate in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. It will present a series of case studies, core concepts, and problem questions that integrate the following three academic approaches: 1) Human Dimensions and Environment/Sustainability, 2) Engineering and Environment/Sustainability, and 3) Environmental/Sustainability Sciences 

ANTH 40700 - The Development Of Contemporary Anthropological Theory: Credit Hours: 3.00. Explores the history of anthropological theories pertaining to the understanding of commonality and variation in human biology, behavior, society, and cultures as they have developed over the approximately two centuries since anthropology was founded as a separate discipline. Considers those social, cultural, and historical factors that have influenced the history of anthropological ideas. Permission of instructor required. 

ANTH 41001- Senior Capstone: Credit Hours: 3.00. Culminating experience required for all anthropology majors. Course synthesizes four-field anthropology coursework and training, and discusses academic/career options that benefit from anthropological training. Major elements of the course will include the synthesis paper and presentation, senior portfolio, and professional development. 

ANTH 41400 - Introduction To Language And Culture: Credit Hours: 3.00. An exploration into the nature of human communication, particularly the structures, functions, and substance of human language. Focus is on the interpenetration of language, culture and cognition, on the evolution of language and speech, and on their uses in everyday life. 

ANTH 41800 – Field Methods in Cultural Anthropology: Credit Hours. 1.00 to 9.00. Introduces basic field methods in Cultural Anthropology. Topics may include ethnographic or other interviewing techniques and methods of inquiry into any of the broad topics covered by Cultural Anthropology. Permission of department required. Typically offered Fall Spring Summer. 

ANTH 42500 - Anthropological Archaeology: Credit Hours. 3.00. Introduction to the theory and methods of contemporary American archaeology. Basic field and laboratory methods are placed in the context of theoretical viewpoints and problems. Major theoretical issues in the field are explored, showing the integration of American archaeology with anthropology. 

ANTH 42800 - Field Methods In Archaeology: Credit Hours. 6.00 or 9.00: Introduces basic field and laboratory methods in contemporary archaeology: methods of site survey, mapping, and excavation through the excavation of archaeological sites; the basics of archaeological data analysis and classification, and the computer-based analysis of archaeological data. Permission of instructor required.

ANTH 43600 - Human Evolution: Credit Hours: 3.00. This class examines the fossil evidence for human evolution and theories proposed to explain the development that led from the origin of primates to modern humans. This course will include lectures, exercises with fossil casts, presentation, and discussions. 

ANTH 43800 – Field Methods in Biological Anthropology: Credit Hours: 1.00 to 9.00. Introduces basic laboratory methods in Biological Anthropology. Topics may include analysis of human or primate nutritional and biological markers or laboratory methods in the analysis of human skeletal populations. Permission of department required. Typically offered Fall Spring Summer. 

ANTH 47800 - Native Cultures Of The Great Lakes Woodlands: Credit Hours: 3.00. Native cultures that developed in the Great Lakes region from prehistoric times through the present will be examined through archaeology, ecology, technology, social organization, and world views of specific tribes (Chippewa, Illinois, Iroquois, Potawatomi, Miami, Ottawa, etc.). 

ANTH 48200 - Sexual Diversity In Global Perspectives: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course focuses on anthropological and interdisciplinary research in the study of sexuality with particular attention to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender identities. It explores historical, theoretical and ethnographic work on sexualities and genders in the US and globally. 

ANTH 49700 - Senior Honors Seminar: Credit Hours: 3.00. A critical examination of some major works in anthropology and sociology, both classical and modern, and of some current theoretical and substantive issues in these disciplines. Open only to students in the departmental honors program. 

ANTH 49800 - Senior Honors Paper: Credit Hours: 3.00. Requires a substantial paper on a topic approved by the instructor. The student is expected to work closely with the instructor on the paper's content and style. A presentation of the results of the work is made at the end of the semester. Open only to students in the departmental honors program. 

ANTH 50400 - Problems In World Prehistory: Credit Hours: 3.00. Key problems in the evolution of human culture examined using the most recent theories and data. Major topics include understanding early human behavior, the processes of domestication of plants and animals, and the emergence of complex societies. 

ANTH 50500 - Culture And Society: Credit Hours: 3.00. An introduction to cultural anthropology for the advanced student. A review will be made of the history of anthropology and its place in the social sciences. Emphasis will be placed on problem formulation and methodology in the study of culture change. 

ANTH 50700 – History Of Theory In Anthropology: Credit Hours: 3.00. Connects the theoretical foundations of anthropology throughout the development of the discipline and related disciplines. Unpacks the when, how, and why of various theoretical positions, their shaping of research, and their concomitant logics of evidence.

ANTH 51400 - Anthropological Linguistics: Credit Hours: 3.00. Investigates the varieties of communication in human behavior and explores linguistics as a tool in social science research.  Areas covered include structural linguistics, historical, and comparative linguistics.  Sociolinguistic literature, nonverbal communication, origins of human language and speech, and other semiotic and extra-communication functions of language will be discussed.

ANTH 51900 - Introduction To Semiotics: Credit Hours: 3.00. (AUSL 58900, COM 50700, ENGL 57000, FLL 57000) An inquiry into various hypotheses concerning sign generation, perception, and interpretation applicable to a broad range of phenomena (including artistic texts, verbal and non-verbal communication, rhetorical discourse, myth, and other linguistic, cultural, ethological, and evolutionary contexts.

ANTH 52300 - GIS For Humanities And Social Science Research:  Credit Hours: 3.00. This course will introduce students the skills of spatial thinking, basic functions of Geography Information Systems (GIS), and spatial research methods that are most relevant to humanities and social science. The course will start with an introduction to basic GIS concepts and technology, then move onto GIS applications during the research process, including spatial research design, data acquisition, management, visualization, and spatial analytical techniques. Practical work will be introduced and completed using ESRI ArcGIS Pro software.

ANTH 53400 - Human Osteology: Credit Hours: 3.00. Anatomy of the human skeleton and dentition. Detailed study of skeletal elements and teeth, morphology, function, disease, and pathology. Identification of human remains with regard to age at death, gender, growth, and development in biocultural context. 

ANTH 53500 - Foundations Of Biological Anthropology: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course covers such topics important in Biological anthropology as applied to both living and extinct humans and primates. Possible topics include: evolutionary thought; genetics, race, and human variation; the intersection of biology and culture; fossils and paleoanthropology; ecology and speciation; primate behavior; and theories on the social behavior of early humans. 

ANTH 53600 - Primate Ecology & Conservation: Credit Hours: 3.00. An examination of the complex interrelationships between populations of nonhuman primates and their habitats. Course topics focus on behavioral ecology and conservation including, predator-prey relationships, diet, and interspecific relations. 

ANTH 53700 - Paleoanthropology: Credit Hours: 3.00. Detailed survey of evolution of humankind, beginning with the earliest known hominids through modern Homo sapiens. Theoretical perspectives on human origins, relationship between biology and behavior, and the ongoing nature of evolution in the recent past. 

ANTH 54100 - Psychological Anthropology: Credit Hours: 3.00. Traces theoretical and methodological development of psychological anthropology from nineteenth-century beginnings to current research. Topics include: the relationship of childrearing practices to cultural forms; psychological aspects of myth and folklore; the structure of cognition; the interaction of culture and identity. 

ANTH 56300 - Historical Linguistics: Credit Hours: 3.00. (AUSL 56300, ENGL 56300, FLL 56300) A survey of mechanisms and motivations of linguistic change. Topics include: phonological, morphological, semantic and syntactic change, comparative and internal reconstruction, linguistic variation, language contact, and linguistic typology. 

ANTH 56500 - Sociolinguistics: Credit Hours: 3.00. (AUSL 56500, COM 56500, ENGL 56500, FLL 56500) An introduction to language in its social context, focusing on uses and users of language. Topics include social class, ethnic group, gender, language attitudes, and bilingualism. 

ANTH 58900 - Archaeology And Materials Science: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course provides instruction in the methods and theories used by archaeologists and materials scientists to study ancient and historic technology. The course focuses on the analysis and interpretation of archaeological artifacts and provides opportunities for hands-on learning. 

ANTH 59000 - Individual Research Problems: Credit Hours: 1.00 to 3.00. Individual research or reading in an area of anthropology under an anthropology staff member. Does not include thesis work. Permission of instructor required. 

ANTH 59200 - Selected Topics In Anthropology: Credit Hours: 1.00 to 3.00. Topics vary.

ANTH 60500 - Seminar In Ethnographic Analysis: Credit Hours: 3.00. A selection of ethnographic monographs will be read, reported on, and discussed by seminar participants under the direction of the anthropology staff. The monographs will be discussed in terms of field methods employed, particular theoretical strengths and weaknesses, and their value to current anthropological method and theory.

ANTH 60600 - Quantitative Research Design:  Credit Hours: 3.00. The course provides a broad overview of research strategies and techniques commonly employed in the various subfields of anthropology. Topics would include field techniques, the use of data banks (e.g., the HRAF files), sampling, hypothesis testing, and computer application. Typically offered Fall.

ANTH 60900 - Seminar In Anthropology: Credit Hours: 2.00 or 3.00. Topics vary. 

ANTH 61000 - Seminar In Visual Anthropology: Credit Hours: 3.00. Selected topics in the anthropological approach to visual media and the use of visual media as a research tool in anthropology and by extension, the other social and behavioral sciences. Offered in alternate years. 

ANTH 61100 - Special Topics In Archaeology: Credit Hours: 3.00. Critical examination of a selected aspect of contemporary archaeological research and theory. Topics will vary from year to year. 

ANTH 62000 - Special Topics In Cultural Anthropology: Credit Hours: 3.00. Critical examination of a selected aspect of contemporary cultural anthropology research and theory. Topics will vary from year to year. 

ANTH 63000 - Academic Professional Development Credit Hours: 3.00. This seminar focuses on research design, grant writing, publishing, giving presentations, and the academic job market. As there are other seminars offered in the department that focus on the applied aspects of anthropology, this seminar focuses primarily on academic topics. The substance of the course will come from your own work in the form of proposals, teaching, and job market materials as well as your review of fellow classmates’ work. Typically offered Fall or Spring.

ANTH 64000 - Foundations and Framework: Applying Anthropology: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course focuses on using anthropology to address social issues. The course examines topics including: the history of anthropologists working in applied settings, the relationship between theory and practice, professional ethics, job opportunities, and skills needed as anthropological practitioners. 

ANTH 64100 - Discovery and Design: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course focuses on using anthropology to address social issues. The course examines topics including: the history of anthropologists working in applied settings, the relationship between theory and practice, professional ethics, job opportunities, and skills needed as anthropological practitioners. 

ANTH 64200 - Public Engagement: Using Anthropological Knowledge: Credit Hours: 3.00. This course is about using and communicating anthropological knowledge. We will discuss what it means to work as an anthropologist and “public intellectual”. Effectively working with stakeholders, presenting information, offering solutions for addressing problems and implementing change are addressed. 

ANTH 65000-Applied Anthropology Practicum: Credit 3.00. In this anthropology practicum course, students will gain practical work experience via a community-based internship. Students will learn to apply and analyze their anthropological knowledge and skills, work on agency projects, build their professional network, and enhance career readiness. 

ANTH 67500 - Methods Of Sociolinguistic Analysis: Credit Hours: 3.00. (AUSL 665, ENGL 675, FLL 665) An advanced course in the application of theory to sociolinguistic analysis, with discussion of relevant theoretical concerns and experience with the current dominant paradigms. Prerequisite: ANTH 56500 or AUSL 56500 or ENGL 56500 or FLL 56500. 

ANTH 69300 - Interdisciplinary Seminar: Credit Hours: 3.00. A seminar on a topic of interdisciplinary interest taught in cooperation with a member of another department. Permission of instructor required.

ANTH 69800 - Research MS Thesis: Credit Hours: 1.00 to 18.00. Research MS Thesis. ANTH 69900 - Research Ph.D. Thesis: Credit Hours: 1.00 to 18.00. Research Ph.D. Thesis.