Major Description

The discipline of anthropology is as much one of the humanities as one of the social sciences, and it also has affinities with the natural sciences through its bio-archaeological component. Anthropology majors are expected to become acquainted with the major subfields of the discipline and to pursue an individually tailored concentration of courses designed in consultation with their advisors. These individual programs should draw on courses available in this department and others. No more than three courses taken outside Wesleyan may be counted toward the major.

Major requirements. If you plan to major in anthropology, you should take Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (ANTH101), the department's required gateway course, during your first or sophomore year.

In addition to 101, majors are required to earn a minimum of nine anthropology credits numbered 200 or higher. These must include two core courses in anthropological theory, Theory 1 (ANTH295) and Theory 2 (ANTH296), offered in fall and spring, respectively. As the precise topics of these courses will sometimes vary in consecutive years, it may be possible to repeat one or the other for credit and fulfill the requirement in that way.  Archaeology-track majors should take either Theory 1 or Theory 2 plus another advisor-approved course in archaeological theory. The major must also include one course on anthropological methods (ANTH230, ANTH232, ANTH307, ANTH349, ANTH362, or another advisor approved course).

Majors must also develop and complete a concentration consisting of four electives. Concentrations are not predefined groupings of courses but are rather flexible specializations reflective of a student’s particular interests. You should work together with your faculty advisor to define your concentration and select a coherent set of four courses, which may include one course from outside the department. A few examples of concentrations are

• Gender and political economy

• The archaeology of the capitalist world

• State/nation/transnation

• Urban anthropology

• Anthropology of gender and sexuality

• Globalization and/of culture

• Race and culture

• Ethnographic representation

• Culture, media, and communication

• Anthropology of the body

Senior writing requirement. Majors are required to complete a senior writing project based either on field or library research. Your project may take the form of an honors thesis, a senior essay, or an extended paper.

If you are contemplating an honors thesis, we strongly recommend that in the spring semester of your junior year, you either enroll in an individual tutorial (ANTH402), in which you would begin library research on your area of interest, or else take a course that is relevant to your research concerns. Departmental approval is required for the pursuit of honors. For thesis projects involving field research, proposals are due on the last day of spring semester classes; these projects are also eligible for partial funding through the department. If you wish to compete for these funds, you should include a budget in your proposal.  Proposals for library-based theses may also be submitted in the spring, or up to the second week of classes in the following fall semester.

In the fall semester of your senior year, all students pursuing honors take ANTH400 Cultural Analysis, a research seminar in which students pursue individual research project in a group context. In the spring semester, honors candidates enroll in an individual thesis tutorial (ANTH410).

 A senior essay involves fewer requirements but also represents a serious research commitment. If you choose to do an essay, you have two options. You may (and are strongly encouraged to) enroll in ANTH400, Cultural Analysis, the research seminar described above. In this case, you would complete a draft of your essay in the fall semester for final submission in February. Alternately, if your project is one that a particular faculty member is especially qualified (and willing) to supervise, you may take an individual tutorial (ANTH401/402) with that person in either the fall or the spring semester respectively of your senior year. Please note that if you intend to do a spring semester tutorial, you must make the arrangements with your advisor before the end of fall semester.

An extended paper is a revised and extended version of a term research paper. No additional course credit is earned. Ordinarily, the first version is written in an anthropology seminar taken in your junior year or in the fall semester of your senior year. The revised version is completed during your senior year, in consultation with an appropriate faculty member. Extended papers are due on the last day of spring semester classes and should be submitted to the department chair.

Cross-listed courses. Various departments and programs offer cross-listed or other courses that can be counted toward the anthropology major. These include African American studies, American studies, archaeology, biology, classical studies, earth and environmental sciences, history, religion, sociology, and feminist, gender, and sexuality studies. If outside courses are to be counted toward the anthropology major requirements, they must be approved in advance by your advisor.

Double majors. Students may pursue double majors for example, anthropology/history, anthropology/biology, anthropology/sociology, anthropology/music, anthropology/film, anthropology/English, or anthropology/E&ES. All the requirements for the two majors must be met, except when faculty representatives of the two departments approve alterations in your program. Please consult with the department chair and/or a department advisor.

Study abroad. Majors are welcome to take advantage of semester-abroad programs and, with the approval of your advisor, you may be able to substitute one or more of your study-abroad courses for specific concentration or elective courses. The Office of International Studies has information about specific programs, etc.

BA/MA program. The Anthropology Department also offers a concurrent BA/MA for qualified candidates. A description of the BA/MA program is available via a link on the Anthropology Department home page.