
Anthropology Major (BA)
A Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology will require a minimum of twelve courses of at least 3 credits each (min 36 credits).
Major code: ANT
13 courses / 37 hours to complete
Students must take:
ANT 202 Concepts and Methods in Cultural Anthropology
Students must choose one of the following courses:
ANT 101 Introduction to Anthropology
ANT 201 Concepts and Methods in Biological Anthropology
ANT 204 Introduction to Archaeology
These courses are designed to give majors a thorough grounding in anthropology and can be taken in any order. It is STRONGLY recommended that they be taken in the sophomore year, if possible, so they may serve as building blocks for additional courses.
1. One foundational course that focuses on a theme or field of research:
The concentration requirement consists of four courses at or above the 200 level within the concentration. Courses taken to fulfill the foundational course requirement (B.1) or capstone (E) may not count toward the concentration.
Each student must choose a concentration at the time of declaration. The concentration may be changed at a later time. Students may choose from among the following concentrations:
Areas of study include:
Environmental Anthropology
Sustainability
Food (In)security
Areas of study include:
Power and Socioeconomic Inequalities
Race and Racism
Law, Power, and Representation
Areas of study include:
Nutritional Anthropology
Medical Anthropology
Global Mental Health
Areas of study include:
Visual Anthropology
Religion and Ritual
Identity and Representations
Archaeology
History and Anthropology
Selected themes made in consultation with advisor
Anthropology courses and courses cross-listed with Anthropology will be designated for credit within the appropriate concentrations. Resources will be posted soon.
Any Anthropology course or course cross-listed with Anthropology may count as an elective toward the Anthropology BA degree, within the guidelines listed under "additional details" below. Course offerings for each term may be found in the Course Atlas.
One course of at least 3 credits and a 1-credit capstone course.
Seniors enrolled in the BA degree program in Anthropology are required to complete a capstone project, which is intended to be an integrative experience. Students are expected to apply what they have learned in Anthropology to a research problem/project of interest to them. Based on their research, students will produce a paper of at least 20 pages or an alternative project that is the intellectual equivalent to such a paper. The paper topic or alternative project must be approved by the supervising instructor.
The capstone project can be completed in one of the following course options:
- 300-level topical course in anthropology.
- 400-level independent study course that involves archival research or fieldwork. Where allowed by the program, a student can enroll in an Independent Studies Course in anthropology during a Semester Abroad to complete this requirement.
- 400-level anthropology Advanced Seminar Course.
- 500-level anthropology Graduate Seminar.
All capstone students will be enrolled in a 1-credit ANT 499 course to receive credit for completion of their project for graduation.
Students successfully completing the Honor's Program may substitute their thesis for the Capstone project requirement.
With the approval of the student's advisor, the student can complete this requirement during the Spring semester of their Junior (third) year.
- Only one course at the 100-level may be used to satisfy requirements.
- A maximum combined total of 8 hours of ANT 397R (Directed Readings) ANT 495 (Honors) and ANT 497R (Directed Research) may be applied toward the major.
- No courses taken using the S/U option may be applied toward the major.
- Students are encouraged to study abroad. Those who elect this option may petition to have a maximum of four courses taken off the Emory campus to count toward their major requirements. Courses must be at least 3 credits each and approved by the DUS.
- A maximum of 2 courses may double-count for both the Anthropology BA and another major or minor.
Note: Petitions for course substitutions and exceptions will be considered by the Director of Undergraduate Studies, who may seek the advice of the Undergraduate Concerns Committee as needed.
At the time of graduation, students receiving the B.A. degree in Anthropology should be able to:
- Recognize the theoretical bases and methodological approaches that characterize cultural anthropology, as well as one other sub-discipline of anthropology (i.e. biological, linguistic, or archaeological)
- Understand how and why culture, societies, and economies change over time and/or general trends in human evolution and evolutionary theory
- Understand and be able to apply a critical, comparative, cross-cultural framework in explaining human variation and the diversity of human societies and groups
- Demonstrate an understanding of cultural theory and ethnographic research, with a more sophisticated understanding of the research in at least one sub-field of cultural anthropology, including medical anthropology and global health, linguistics, political economy and development, sustainability, gender and sexuality, globalization, or psychological anthropology
- Demonstrate an awareness of the ethical and social implications of anthropological research.