Anthropology is, in essence, the study of humanity. While department requirements vary from school to school, the discipline is often categorized under four-to-five branches: Social, Cultural, Linguistic, Biological, and depending on who you are, Archaeological, too.
Bowdoin
The description on Bowdoin’s Anthropology Department website should speak for itself: “We conduct field research in rural and urban locations from Australia to the Arctic and on topics as varied as ancient warfare, outer-space exploration, climate change, intimate violence, artistic production, and social activism.”
Under the aforementioned objective, the department offers a course about how humanity imagines the future, one on environmental changes in the arctic, and one called The Anthropology of Sport, among others. The school also has study abroad programs as well as field school opportunities around the globe and also houses the Arctic Museum and the Museum of Art, both of which are relevant to the Anthropology major.
Wesleyan
While some schools made the list for their hyper-focus in an anthropological niche, Wesleyan is noteworthy because you can’t really pigeonhole the department. Its course offerings occupy the total spectrum of human behavior and culture, from social movements to television storytelling, and one called Extreme Landscapes of the Anthropocene. To add to the richness of the program, students are also encouraged to take courses in concentrations outside of anthropology, including Difference, Inequality, and Social Justice, Local Distinction/Global Connections, and Producing, Consuming, and Performing Culture. But if the topics covered from globalization to gender aren’t enough for students wishing to examine life through an anthropological lens, one can also design their very own concentration.
Williams
Like others on this post, Williams’ Department of Anthropology and Sociology also places an emphasis on fieldwork. In addition to the traditional slew of classes, this program also incorporates a modern examination of the history of people that includes a course called Spectacular Sex (how sexuality infuses spectacle, from Trump to Beyoncé), Afghanistan: A Post-Mortem, coursework on ISIS, and film. In addition to classes on spirituality and masculinity, Williams’ vast selection includes one on trash and few on magic.
Pomona
Pomona is one of the Claremont Colleges, but that might be obvious from the selection of Anthropology courses. In true, Southern California fashion, classes include Cooperative Filmmaking for Social Change, Settler Colonialism, and Anthropology of Environmental Justice, along with other more traditional courses in the discipline. One of the benefits of attending any Claremont school is that students can take courses at the others. This major is no different.
Ithaca
Anthropology enthusiasts at Ithaca College will take courses under the umbrellas of Biological, Cultural, and Archaeological Anthropology. Courses include Anthropology of Hawaii, Reading of the Body, and Mesoamerican Cosmovision, for those who know what the heck that means. The school also offers funding for summer research.
Amherst
Amherst is part of the Five College Consortium, along with Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Students can select classes among the five, though Amherst’s selections seem pretty interesting, from related topics in science fiction and feminism, among others. But what we love most about this program is that in 2015, the department penned a letter to the university with proposals for structural changes following racist incidents on campus. The letter is proudly linked on the department’s landing page.
Bryn Mawr
Bryn Mawr’s Department of Anthropology made the list for its strong emphasis on fieldwork and its offering for a concentration in geoarchaeology. According to the website, faculty research includes fieldwork in Alaska, South America, Asia, and Africa. This department works in partnership with other disciplines at Bryn Mawr, from Africana Studies to Environmental Studies, Political Science, and more. It also works in partnership with Haverford College, providing a broader range of opportunities of which students can take advantage.
Barnard
Barnard is another school with numerous offerings made, in part, possible by its relationship with another university (in this case, Columbia). Like other schools on the list, classes run the gamut from theory to practicum. But what’s cool about Barnard, is its major in Medical Anthropology, in addition to standard Anthropology and its Archaeology track. Also, New York City is a great place to study people, but Barnard additionally offers a five-week intensive summer field school in Rio Embudo Watershed in Mexico.
Swarthmore
Swarthmore’s Sociology & Anthropology Department also offers a special major in Medical Anthropology, but the fun doesn’t stop there. Swarthmore’s Anthropology courses are classically liberal arts in that they focus on a diverse and progressive set of topics, from a seminar in counterculture, to a class called Dancing Desire in Bollywood Films, and naturally, courses on both gender and capitalism. Further, students at Swarthmore are encouraged to apply for summer research grants with awards of $4,800 in stipends.
Millsaps
When someone thinks of Mississippi, they may not immediately think of Anthropology, but Millsaps is a bit of hidden gem. Its Sociology-Anthropology major emphasizes research, field work, and study abroad opportunities in places like Tanzania, Mexico, and China. Courses cover politics, gender, religion, and the environment, but often take on a unique approach. After all, classes include such titles as Crime and Prisons, Marriage and Family, and Archaeology of Death to name a few.
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