Anthropology Major

Minimum number of credits required to graduate:  120

Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate:  2.0

Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward major: A grade of C- or better is required for ANT101, ANT102, ANT317, and ANT400. A grade of C or better is required for ANT493 or any other approved capstone experience.

Other GPA requirements to graduate: A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in the major.

Required Course(s) for fulfilling Capstone Experience: ANT493. Alternatively, with approval, students may fulfill the capstone requirement with ANT460, ANT497, or the Honors thesis (HON499). Double majors: If ANT is your secondary major, the capstone from your primary major may fulfill your ANT capstone requirement as long as there is an anthropological component to it (chair approval required). However, the earned credits of your primary capstone experience/course will not count toward the minimum number of credits required for the ANT major.

Restrictions:

  • A double major in Anthropology and International Affairs (Culture, Conflict, and Globalization concentration) is not permitted.
  • A double major in Anthropology and Human Dimensions of Climate Change is permitted, but no courses beyond ANT101, ANT102, and ANT493 may be double counted, and students must take an additional 3 credits of coursework in their chosen HDCC track.
  • Anthropology majors may not minor in Archaeology
  • Anthropology majors can minor in Human Dimensions of Climate Change or Geography, but no more than one course may be double counted.

Contact Information: Samuel Hanes, Chair of Anthropology, 5773 South Stevens Hall, Room 228C, (207) 581-1885, samuel.hanes@maine.edu

Overview
Anthropology is the study of human cultures, societies, and behavior in all parts of the world throughout all periods of history. There are four sub-disciplines: archaeology, the study of historic and prehistoric cultures and civilizations; socio-cultural anthropology, which is concerned with current cultures of all degrees of complexity; physical anthropology, the biological aspects of the human species; and anthropological linguistics, which is concerned with the scientific study of language and its relationship to thought and society. In the past, anthropologists tended to study people in small, tribal societies. In recent decades, more attention has been given to peasantry and industrialized, urban societies and to the application of anthropology to understanding problems of these societies.

The Department of Anthropology focuses on archaeology and socio-cultural anthropology. Courses in biological/physical anthropology also are offered. In addition, the Department offers courses in folklore, oral history, and geography, which are closely related to anthropology.

Special Resources and Programs
The cultural anthropologists have extensive field experience in the Middle East, Oceania, Latin America, and North America. The archaeology faculty focus on ancient cultures and landscapes of the Americas and Mediterranean. A number of faculty are jointly appointed or hold affiliations with other units on campus, including the Canadian-American Center, the Climate Change Institute, Marine Sciences, and Native American Studies, among others. Periodically, the anthropology faculty offer field schools in archaeology and ethnography. In recent years, students have been hired to work on archaeology field and laboratory projects, in the Maine Folklife Center, and the Hudson Museum of Anthropology.

Career Opportunities
Anthropology provides very broad training in the social sciences. Therefore, a background in Anthropology is useful in any career in which an understanding of people or the societies in which they live is important. Due to the broad nature of the field, students trained in anthropology have followed a wide range of careers. In recent years, our majors have pursued advanced training and professional paths in anthropology, archaeology, law, social work, business, public health, museum work, nursing, computer programming, clinical psychology, education, economic development, and the U.S. Armed Forces. Students with course work and practical experience in archaeology, as well as those with graduate degrees in archaeology, have found employment with public agencies and private organizations concerned with cultural resource management.

The Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology
Students may declare an anthropology major in their first year, and must declare their major once they have accumulated 53 credits. It is desirable to begin taking anthropology courses in the first semester at the university.

First year students are advised to take ANT 101 (fall semester) and ANT 102 (spring semester), as these are both required for the major and are prerequisites for many upper division courses. Other 100 and 200 level courses in anthropology are relevant and may be taken in the first and second years. First and second year students also work toward completing General Education requirements.

ANT317 and ANT 400 are both major requirements and are in general to be taken in the junior or senior years. ANT 400 is a writing intensive course within the major and is limited to 15 majors of junior or senior standing. There is a waiting list for this course. Students should sign up for the waiting list in the Anthropology Office, as soon as possible.

The Capstone course, ANT493, is preferably taken in the senior year. Alternatively, with approval, students may fulfill the capstone requirement with ANT460, ANT497, or the Honors thesis (HON499).

The Anthropology curriculum aligns well with issues of global importance. Although not required, we recommend foreign language training through at least the intermediate level. We also strongly encourage study abroad opportunities, whether it be a semester length program, a summer session, or travel study course. Students should work with their faculty advisor and the Study Abroad office to determine the most appropriate options.

The requirements listed on this page are specific to this particular major. Students are also responsible for meeting any graduation requirements set out by their college. Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) should make sure to review those requirements as stated on the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences page of the catalog.

Programmatic Learning Outcomes

  1. Demonstrate understanding of the intricacies and implications of cultural diversity in the past and present
  2. Identify and explain major theoretical and methodological approaches in the discipline
  3. Provide, integrate, analyze, and assess data (statistical, historical, ethnographic, archaeological, etc.) in a larger theoretical framework
  4. Think critically (comprehensively explore) and communicate ideas effectively (oral, written) using concepts and theoretical approaches of the discipline.

Program Requirements
A minimum of 36 credits of anthropology or geography is required. In some cases, double majors may be able to apply six credits of related coursework from the other major (with approval). Advanced study in anthropology normally requires use of quantitative methods, some theoretical sophistication, and foreign language competency at the intermediate level. A basic knowledge of statistics and one or more foreign languages is required in most Ph.D. programs in Anthropology. In consultation with his or her advisor, the student should select courses appropriate to interests and projected career path.

Course Requirements
*fulfills writing intensive General Education requirement

Capstone requirement (3cr)
ANT493*-Capstone Seminar (3cr) (C or better). Alternatively, with approval, students may fulfill the capstone requirement with ANT460*, ANT497, or the Honors thesis (HON499).

Required core courses (12cr)
ANT101-Introduction to Anthropology: Human Origins and Prehistory (3cr) (C- or better)
ANT102-Introduction to Anthropology: Diversity of Cultures (3cr) (C- or better)
ANT317-Fundamentals of Archaeology (3cr) (C- or better)
ANT400*-Basic Theory in Cultural Anthropology (3cr) (C- or better)

Elective coursework (21cr)
Any ANT or GEO designated coursework

ANT120-Religions of the World (3cr)
ANT140-Cities of the Ancient World (3cr)
ANT170-Popular Archaeology (3cr)
ANT207-Introduction to World Archaeology (3cr)
ANT210-Biological Anthropology (3cr)
ANT212-The Anthropology of Food (3cr)
ANT221-Introduction to Folklore (3cr)
ANT225-Climate Change, Societies and Cultures (3cr)
ANT235-Cultural Perceptions of Nature (3cr)
ANT240-Hollywood Archaeology (3cr)
ANT245-Sex and Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective (3cr)
ANT249-Religion and Violence (3cr)
ANT250-Conservation Anthropology (3cr)
ANT252-Civilization in South Asia (3cr)
ANT256-Ethnic Conflict (3cr)
ANT260-Forensic Anthropology (3cr)
ANT261-Islamic Fundamentalism (3cr)
ANT270-Environmental Justice Movements in the United States (3cr)
ANT285-Introduction to Historic Preservation (3cr)
ANT290-Special Topics in Anthropology (variable credit)
ANT295-American Indians and Climate Change (3cr) (same as NAS295)
ANT311-Geography of Climate Change (3cr) (same as GEO311)
ANT330-The U.S. Folk Experience (3cr)
ANT350-Mediterranean: Ancient Landscapes, Modern World (3cr)
ANT372-North American Prehistory (3cr)
ANT410-Human Dimensions of Climate Change (3cr)
ANT422-Folklore of Maine and the Maritime Provinces (3cr)
ANT425-Recorded Interviewing Techniques and Methods (3cr)
ANT426-Native American Folklore (3cr)
ANT430-Who Owns Native Cultures? (3cr)
ANT431-Folklore, the Environment, and Public Policy (3cr)
ANT448*-Ethnography Through Film (3cr)
ANT451-Native American Cultures and Identities (3cr) (same as NAS451)
ANT459-Peoples and Cultures of South America (3cr)
ANT460*-Research Design and Methods (3cr)
ANT464*-Ecological Anthropology (3cr)
ANT466*-Economic Anthropology (3cr)
ANT476*-Ancient Maya (3cr)
ANT477-Field Research in Archaeology (variable credit)
ANT478-Zooarchaeology (3cr)
ANT479-Laboratory Techniques in Prehistoric Archaeology (3cr)
ANT480-Andean Prehistory (3cr)
ANT490-Topics in Anthropology (variable credit)
ANT494-Method and Theory in Archaeology (3cr)
ANT497-Department Projects (variable credit)
GEO100-World Geography (3cr)
GEO212-Geography of Maine (3cr) (same as HTY212)
GEO265-The Power of Maps (3cr)
GEO275-Geography of Globalization (3cr) (same as HTY275)
GEO349-Early Modern North America in Atlantic Perspective (3cr) (same as HTY349)

Notes

  • ANT317, ANT400, ANT493 (or another approved capstone experience), and nine other credits toward the major must be taken at UMaine.
  • A wide range of minors in the social or environmental sciences are appropriate for this major, as are those in the arts and humanities. These are included in the Undergraduate Catalog’s Majors and Minors