Anthropology (BS, BA, Minor)
Binghamton, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
May 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 7,070 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for new York state residents | for out-of-state residents and international residents - $26,160
Key Summary
Introduction
The anthropology major provides students with an understanding of the cultural and biological variation of past and present human groups. In particular, anthropology examines the cultures and societies people create, how language influences your worldview, evidence of the human past in the archaeological record, human biological evolution, and the interaction of biology and culture in shaping our health and medical practices across the globe. Students learn and apply the research methods and theories used by anthropologists to investigate peoples and their social worlds.
Students may pursue either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree which allows for considerable flexibility in selecting courses, or a Bachelor of Science (BS) track which integrates scientific training into their curriculum. Both the BA and BS combine study in each of the four sub-fields of anthropology: archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and sociocultural anthropology.
Internships, Research Opportunities, and More
The department offers courses on field- and lab-based research methods that give students hands-on experience in how to conduct anthropological research. In particular, the department has just developed a Freshman Research Immersion (FRI) stream in molecular and biomedical anthropology, a research program for high-achieving freshmen that provides hands-on research experience in a laboratory setting.
The department also offers a six-week archaeology field school in upstate New York each summer and additional fieldwork opportunities are available in North and South America and Europe. Students are also encouraged to participate in study-abroad programs, as well as workshops on research skills, and internships can be arranged for anthropology credit. The Undergraduate Anthropology Organization is a student group on campus that sponsors field trips to museums, arranges career seminars, and organizes social events and academic forums to examine issues in anthropology.
Accelerated/4+1 Degrees
You may also be interested in our accelerated/4+1 degree programs which allow students to complete their bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in just 5 years!
Gallery
Curriculum
Some courses to consider in your first year:
ANTH 111 - Introduction To Anthropology
A general introduction to anthropology is the study of humanity using the lenses of the four subfields of sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. Examines the broad evolution of humans and humanity, from general processes of biological change to comparisons with primates and interpretation of the fossil record to historical and sociocultural processes of cultural change and consideration of the variety of ways humans have organized themselves into societies. Offered in Fall semesters. 4 credits. Levels: Undergraduate
ANTH 114 - Lang, Cult&Communication in US
Introduction to the plurality of communication patterns in the U.S., with particular attention to at least three of the following communities: African American, American Indian, Asian American, European American, and Latino American; links between cultural groups and different communication and discourse patterns; language and identity; ways in which communication differences affect intercultural interaction. 4 credits. Linguistic anthro foundations course. Offered every Fall semester. Levels: Undergraduate
ANTH 166 - Intro to Sociocultural Anth
Surveys anthropological approaches to culture and society. Explores the different theories anthropologists use to understand how people's lives are shaped through social relations that vary historically, geographically, and cross-culturally. Key topics covered include political economy, history, colonialism, kinship, gender, expressive culture, material culture, politics, economics, and globalization. Emphasis on ethnographic case studies that clarify anthropology's distinctive methodology of participant observation and long-term fieldwork. Sociocultural anthro foundations course. 4 credits. Offered every semester. Levels: Undergraduate
ANTH 167 - Intro Prehistoric Archaeology
Comprehensively surveys the methods and theories employed to recover archaeological data and interpret the prehistoric past through material culture; case studies from different cultures around the world are studied as illustrations. Throughout the course, emphasis is given to how archaeology is anthropological and to the relevance of archaeology to contemporary societies. The course provides the foundation for evaluating and understanding the goals, data, and results of archaeological research. Archaeology foundations course. 4 credits. Offered every Fall semester. Levels: Undergraduate
ANTH 168 - Intro To Biological Anthro
Basic concepts and principles of organic evolution of humans. Living primate biology, behavior, and history. Human origins and evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record and genetic comparisons. Human population variation and continuing adaptation. Lab sections teach skills for making inferences about evolution, health, demography, and adaptation utilizing measurements and analyses of genetic, skeletal, and anthropometric data. Biological anthro foundations course. 4 credits. Offered every Spring semester Levels: Undergraduate
ANTH 170 - Intro to Linguistic Anthro
This introduction to linguistic anthropology will consider language as social action, the relationship between language and culture, and language use itself in specific sociocultural contexts. The course as a whole will help the student to understand how language both reflects and shapes social action and thought. Other topics of study will include language and power, language and gender, and various perspectives on multilingualism. Offered every spring. 4 credits. Levels: Undergraduate
Program Outcome
After You Graduate
A student who earns a degree in anthropology gains a wide range of practical skills that are applicable in many career areas. While many anthropology students go on to pursue graduate study in anthropology or other fields, others move directly into the workforce. Anthropology students develop an understanding of global social and cultural change, and, in the process, develop important analytical, observational, and critical-thinking skills that provide an excellent foundation for careers in such fields as government and law, education, library science, environmental fields, cultural resource management, computer science, publishing and advertising.
The Anthropology Department has a number of resources to help undergraduates gain a sense of life after graduation, including a Career Resource Library that is maintained in the department office. The department also offers periodic workshops and seminars on career opportunities.