Anthropology
Anthropology offers the opportunity to study human existence in the present and the past and to explore how and why humans vary in their behaviors, cultures and biology. Students choose to study anthropology because they want to understand some of the most intriguing issues faced by modern society: the origin and meaning of ethnic and gender differences; the role of institutions in social, political and economic life; learned vs. innate behavior; how culture and behavior shape humans bodies and experiences, and the similarities and differences among human societies past and present. Students may also be drawn to anthropology because of an interest in the human past as recorded in the archaeological and paleoanthropological record, or because of an interest in the function and evolution of the human body, or because of an interest in looking at non-human primates or the close relationships between humans, domesticated animals and plants.
Total Credits Required: 33
- Students should register under the ANTHRO code for any courses that will count toward the major/minor.
- Courses taken Pass/No Pass do not fulfill the major/minor requirements unless otherwise stated.
- Courses in which a student earned less than a C- do not fulfill the major requirements.
- Anthropology courses taken in CAPS (Continuing and Professional Studies) can be counted toward the major but may not count for Arts & Sciences attributes.
- Maximum number of non-traditional course credits to count toward Anthropology/GHE major/minor electives: 12 credits
- Continued and Professional Studies (CAPS): 6 credits (in-person courses only) towards Anthropology/GHE major. This includes required Introductory Courses (ANTHRO 1510, 1520, 1530) taken as in-person CAPS courses.
- Study Abroad: 9 credits
- Directed Research under specific faculty (ANTHRO 2900, 3900, 4988/4989): 3 credits. Exceptions are made for students conducting separate research under multiple faculty.
- Senior Honors Thesis (ANTHRO 4960/4961): 3 credits
- Field School experiences with WashU Faculty: 6 credits
- Field School experiences at other institutions: 3 credits
- Non-Anthropology Courses at WashU: 6 credits (with approval by the Department)
- Transfer Credits: 9 credits with approval by the Department.
- International Baccalaureate credits to not count toward the Anthropology major elective credits.
Required Courses (9 credits)
- ANTHRO 1510: Introduction to Human Evolution 3 credits
- ANTHRO 1520: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology 3 credits
ANTHRO 1530: Introduction to Archaeology 3 credits
Elective Courses (24 credits)
Students select upper-level (3000/4000) electives according to their interests in consultation with their major advisor. At least 9 credits must be taken at the 4000 level.
Total Credits Required: 18
- Students should register under the ANTHRO code for any courses that will count toward the major/minor.
- Courses taken Pass/No Pass do not fulfill the major/minor requirements unless otherwise stated.
- Courses in which a student earned less than a C- do not fulfill the major/minor requirements.
- Anthropology courses taken in CAPS (Continuing and Professional Studies) can be counted toward the major/minor but may not count for Arts & Sciences attributes.
Maximum number of non-traditional Anthropology course credits to count toward Anthropology/GHE major/minor electives: 6 credits
- Continued and Professional Studies (CAPS): 3 credits (in-person courses only). This includes required Introductory Courses (ANTHRO 1510, 1520, 1530) taken as in-person CAPS courses
- Study Abroad: 6 credits
- Directed Research under specific faculty (ANTHRO 2900, 3900, 4988/4989): 3 credits.
- Field School experiences with WashU Faculty: 6 credits
- Field School experiences at other institutions: 3 credits
- Transfer Credits: Subject to approval by the Department.
- Non-Anthropology Courses at WashU: 6 credits (with approval by the Department)
Required Courses (6 credits)
Two of the following 1000-level courses:
- ANTHRO 1510: Introduction to Human Evolution 3 credits
- ANTHRO 1520: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology 3 credits
ANTHRO 1530: Introduction to Archaeology 3 credits
Elective Courses (12 credits)
Four additional Anthropology courses can fulfill the elective requirements. Three credits may be at any level (1000/2000/3000/4000) to accommodate a student who pursues all three department introductory courses. The remaining 9 credits of electives must be upper-level (3000/4000) courses.
Anthropology-Global Health and Environment (GHE)
Global health, which is a major focus of medical anthropology, concerns itself with the broad ways that humans address and cope with issues of health, illness, and well-being in cross-cultural and cross-temporal perspectives. Because issues of health, healing, and wellness are situated in an environmental context (especially the natural physical environment but also the human built and created environment), it is essential that the study of human health be understood within a broad environmental framework. Within Global Health and Environment, students will also have the opportunity to look at the human body within an evolutionary framework, understanding how evolution has shaped the human body and contributed to contemporary patterns of health and disease through course work in human anatomy, paleoanthropology, osteology, genetics, biological development and studies of non-human primates.
Total Credits Required: 33
- Students should register under the ANTHRO code for any courses that will count toward the major.
- Courses taken Pass/No Pass do not fulfill the major requirements unless otherwise stated.
- Courses in which a student earned less than a C- do not fulfill the major requirements.
- Anthropology courses taken in CAPS (Continuing and Professional Studies) can be counted toward the major but may not count for Arts & Sciences attributes.
Maximum number of non-traditional course credits to count toward GHE major electives: 12 credits
- Continued and Professional Studies (CAPS): 6 credits (in-person courses only) towards GHE major. Required Introductory Courses (ANTHRO 1510, 1520, 1530) taken as in-person CAPS courses can be counted toward the GHE major.
- Study Abroad: 6 credits
- Directed Research under specific faculty (ANTHRO 2900, 3900, 4988/4989): 3 credits. Exceptions are made for students conducting separate research under multiple faculty.
- Senior Honors Thesis (ANTHRO 4960/4961): 3 credits
- Field School experiences with WashU Faculty: 6 credits
- Field School experiences at other institutions: 3 credits
- Non-Anthropology Courses at WashU: 6 credits (with approval by the Department)
- Transfer Credits: Subject to approval by the Department.
- International Baccalaureate credits to not count toward the Anthropology/GHE major/minor elective credits.
Required Courses (15 credits)
- ANTHRO 1510: Introduction to Human Evolution 3 credits
- ANTHRO 1520: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology 3 credits
- ANTHRO 1530: Introduction to Archaeology 3 credits
- ANTHRO 3610: Culture and Environment 3 credits
PUBHLTHSOC 2000: Introduction to Global Health 3 credits
*(formerly ANTHRO 3283)
Elective Courses (18 credits)
All electives for Global Health and Environment must be approved by the Anthropology department. For a list of current courses that count as electives toward GHE click here. Select at least 6 credits (2 courses) from the list of Global Health electives, and 6 credits (2 courses) from the list of Environment electives. The remaining 6 credits (2 courses) can be from either the Global Health or the Environment electives list. 9 credits (3 courses) must be at the 4000 level.
Total Credits Required: 18
- Students should register under the ANTHRO code for any courses that will count toward the minor.
- Courses taken Pass/No Pass do not fulfill the minor requirements unless otherwise stated.
- Courses in which a student earned less than a C- do not fulfill the minor requirements.
- Anthropology courses taken in CAPS (Continuing and Professional Studies) can be counted toward the minor but may not count for Arts & Sciences attributes.
Maximum number of non-traditional course credits to count toward GHE major electives: 6 credits
-Continued and Professional Studies (CAPS): 3 credits (in-person courses only) towards GHE minor. Required Introductory Courses (ANTHRO 1510, 1520, 1530) taken as in-person CAPS courses can be counted toward the GHE minor.
- Study Abroad: 6 credits
- Directed Research under specific faculty (ANTHRO 2900, 3900, 4988/4989): 3 credits. Exceptions are made for students conducting separate research under multiple faculty.
- Senior Honors Thesis (ANTHRO 4960/4961): 3 credits
- Field School experiences with WashU Faculty: 6 credits
- Field School experiences at other institutions: 3 credits
- Transfer Credits: Subject to approval by the Department.
Required Courses (9 credits)
Any 1000-level introductory Anthropology course (3 credits) from the following list:
- ANTHRO 1510: Introduction to Human Evolution 3 credits
- ANTHRO 1520: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology 3 credits
- ANTHRO 1530: Introduction to Archaeology 3 credits
AND
- ANTHRO 3610: Culture and Environment 3 credits
PUBHLTHSOC 2000: Introduction to Global Health 3 credits
*(formerly ANTHRO 3283)
Elective Courses (9 credits)
All electives for Global Health and Environment must be approved by the Anthropology department. For list of current courses that count as electives toward GHE click here. Select at least 3 credits (1 course) from the list of Global Health electives, and 3 credits (1 course) from the list of Environment electives. The remaining 3 credits (1 course) can be from either the Global Health or the Environment electives list.