Undergraduate Programs
Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humans as biological and cultural beings. Its subfields include archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistics. Students majoring in anthropology may undertake course work in all four subfields, with concentrations offered in archaeology and cultural and biological anthropology.
Anthropology is a particularly broad major, designed for students who are preparing for employment with research organizations, or museums, for administrative and research positions with state or federal governments (such as state highway departments and the National Park Service), and with human service agencies or organizations that involve work in foreign countries. The undergraduate major in anthropology also prepares students for graduate training in professional fields such as planning, law, and public administration, as well as for further graduate training in anthropology leading to college and university teaching and research positions.
Students wishing to pursue a program leading to a Bachelor of Arts with a major in anthropology are required to elect a minimum of thirty-six (36) credit hours of anthropology including
- AN 1143
- AN 1344
- AN 1543
- AN 4123/6123
They must also complete a minimum of seven upper-division elective courses in Anthropology (totaling at least 21 credits). Of these seven courses at least one must be completed in each of the three subfields from the following list
- archaeology
- AN 3503
- AN 3523
- AN 4503/6503
- AN 4533/6533
- biological anthropology
- AN 3303
- AN 3313
- AN 3333
- cultural anthropology
- AN 3113
- AN 3123
- AN 3133
- AN 3153
- AN 3323
- AN 4133/6133
- AN 4163/6163
Majors are also required to complete either AN 3513 Artifact Analysis or AN 4143/6143 Ethnographic Methods to fulfill the computer literacy requirement. No more than six credit hours from cross-listed courses taught in other programs and no more than twelve hours of fieldwork courses will count towards the required 36 hours. Statistics (ST 2113) is also required. Students are encouraged to take elective courses in related fields that will strengthen their academic training and job skills. These may include courses in human anatomy, soils, geology, land surveying, and history.
Students are eligible for membership in the Alpha chapter of Lambda Alpha, the national anthropology honorary. In order to be considered, a student must have at least a 2.50 overall GPA, with a 3.00 GPA in anthropology courses, and have earned a minimum of 12 semester hours credit in anthropology or sociology, with at least 6 of these in anthropology. Part-time jobs are available for anthropology majors through the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work and through the Cobb Institute of Archaeology.
The Anthropology faculty and staff are housed in the Cobb Institute of Archaeology. There are other archaeologists in the Institute, including specialists in the Middle East and Southeastern U.S. Facilities include archaeology laboratories, darkroom, drafting room, and museum. The museum houses artifacts from Mississippi and the Middle East, including replicas of large-scale relief sculptures and statues from Assyria and Egypt.
Anthropology may be used as a minor field of study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Twelve (12) hours (9 hours must be 3000 level or above), in addition to AN 1103, constitute an undergraduate minor. Requirements for an nthropology minor at the graduate level will be established in consultation with the anthropology major advisors. Courses taken for an undergraduate or graduate minor must be taught by anthropology faculty.
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Curriculum
| Suggested Course of Study for a general major in Anthropology | ||
| Freshman year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | ||
| AN 1543 | Introduction to Archaeology | 3 |
| English Composition I | 3 | |
| Elementary Foreign Language | 4 | |
| AN 1143 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| Life Science with Lab Elective | 3 | |
| Semester credit hours | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Social Science Elective | 3 | |
| English Composition II | 3 | |
| Elementary Foreign Language | 4 | |
| College Algebra | 3 | |
| AN 1344 | Introduction to Biological Anthropology | 3 |
| Semester credit hours | 16 | |
| Sophomore year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| Literature | 3 | |
| Intermediate Foreign Language | 3 | |
| PHI 1103 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Anthropology Elective | 3 | |
| Semester credit hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Humanities Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| History Elective | 3 | |
| Physical Science with Lab Elective | 3 | |
| Anthropology Elective | 3 | |
| Semester credit hours | 15 | |
| Junior year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| Anthropology Electives | 6 | |
| Science Elective | 3 | |
| Social Science Elective | 4 | |
| ST 2113 | Statistics | 3 |
| Free Electives | 3 | |
| Semester credit hours | 18 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| AN 4123 | Anthropological Theory | 3 |
| Social Science Elective | 3 | |
| Hunamities Elective | 4 | |
| Anthropology Elective | 3 | |
| Anthropology Computer Literacy Course | 3 | |
| Semester credit hours | 15 | |
| Senior year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| Humanities Elective | 3 | |
| Anthropology Electives | 6 | |
| Semester credit hours | * | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Fine Arts Elective | 3 | |
| Anthropology Elective | 3 | |
| Semester credit hours | * | |
| Free Electives | ||
| Electives | * | |
| TOTAL | 123 | |
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Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures
ANTHROPOLOGY MAJOR
General Requirements. The Anthropology B.A. degree requirements are 36 hours in AN courses. In addition to the core requirements (12 hours), twenty-one hours must be upper division (3000- or 4000-level) courses (see lists below). One upper division course must be taken in each of the three subfields, as described below.
Departmental Core Requirements. Courses in this group are required for a B.A. in anthropology.
- AN 1143 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
- AN 1344 Introduction to Biological Anthropology
- AN 1543 Introduction to Archaeology
- AN 4123/6123 Anthropological Theory - Fulfills junior-senior level writing and oral communication requirements.
Archaeology. Majors must take one course in archaeology from the following list.
- AN 3513 Artifact Analysis - * Fulfills computer literacy requirement.
- AN 3523 North American Archaeology
- AN 3533 Rise of Civilization
- AN/REL 3553 Near Eastern Archaeology
- AN 4523/6523 Public Archaeology
Biological Anthropology. Majors must take one course in biological anthropology from the following list.
- AN 3333 Primate Behavior
- AN 4303/6403 Human Variation and Origins
- AN 4313/6313 Forensic Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology. Majors must take one course in cultural anthropology from the following list.
- AN 3113 Societies of the World
- AN 3133 Anthropology of Latin America
- AN 4133/6133 Medical Anthropology
- AN 4143/6143 Ethnographic Methods - * Fulfills computer literacy requirement.
- AN 3123 North American Indians
- AN 4163/6163 Anthropology of International Development
Other Upper Division Anthropology Courses. The remaining 12 hours of upper division courses required for an anthropology degree may be chosen from the above lists or from the courses listed below
- AN 3510 Archaeological Field Methods: Excavation
- AN/REL 3540 Archaeological Travel and Participation
- AN 4990/6990 Special Topics in Anthropology
General Anthropology Electives. The remaining 6 hours of anthropology required for the degree may be chosen from the above lists or from the courses listed below
- AN 2510 Archaeological Field Methods: Survey
- AN 2990 Special Topics in Anthropology
- AN 1103 introduction to Anthropology
No more than 6 hours of credit from the following cross-listed courses will apply towards
the required 36 hours in anthropology.
Only 12 hours of fieldwork will be accepted towards fulfilling the anthropology course requirements.
OR, preferably, the courses below can be used to fulfill humanities or social science electives.
These courses do not count towards the 21 hours of upper-division anthropology required for a B.A.
Recommended Humanities Electives
- REL/HI 4403/6403 The Ancient Near East (cannot count towards 36 hours in anthropology)
- AN/EN 4403/6403 Introduction to Linguistics
Recommended Social Science Electives
- AN/SO 2203 Cultural and Racial Minorities
- AN/SO 4173/6173 Environment and Society
- AN/EN/SO 4623/6623 Language and Culture (or can serve as humanities elective)
- AN/EN/S0 4633/6633 Sociolinguistics (or can serve as humanities elective)
Skills The following course is required for all majors
— MA/ST 2113 Introduction to Statistics
Computer Literacy Requirement — one of the courses listed above (*) or course approved by advisor and College of Arts and Sciences
Several anthropology courses are on the university core and will count toward meeting
core requirements in the social sciences. They are: AN 1103/AN1193, AN 1143, An 1344, and AN 1543.
123 credit hours are required in the Anthropology B.A. program, 31 of which must be
upper-division courses in Arts and Sciences (3000 level or above).
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Major Advisor :
Dr. Janet Rafferty
Office : 106 Cobb Institute of Archaeology
Address : Post Office Box AR,
Mississippi State University, MS 39762
Phone : (662) 325-7521
Email :
rafferty@anthro.msstate.edu
The Registrar's Office
at Mississippi State University.