Selecting a Program
The Anthropology Department accepts courses from a number of semester or year abroad programs. Anthropology majors have access to the exchange program between our department and the Department of Anthropology at University College London, a program of intensive anthropological coursework.
Many other study abroad options are available through the Office of Overseas Programs. There are also local and international field schools where majors can participate in anthropological fieldwork during the summer. Majors and minors in both Anthropology and GHE can petition to have study abroad credits transfer to count towards their degree. The number of credits allowed vary for each degree due to curriculum requirements. The transfer limits are as follows:
- Anthropology Major, up to 9 credits
- Anthropology Minor, up to 6 credits
- Anthropology: GHE Major, up to 6 credits
- Anthropology: GHE minor, up to 3 credits
Anthropology approved Study Abroad Programs
Browse Opportunities on the Overseas Programs Website
If you have selected a program from the Anthropology Approved Study Abroad Program List, your application will be supported by the Department of Anthropology. After opening an application through the Study Abroad Portal for the program you have selected you will need to meet with the Department Study Abroad Coordinator to fill out a study plan. Please do this at least 2 weeks before the application deadline. The Study Abroad Coordinator will work with you to identify courses offered through the study abroad program that will transfer to your Anthropology/GHE major/minor.
Programs for the Anthropology Major/Minor
Africa
- CIEE Arts and Sciences Program in Legon, Ghana
- IES Abroad Cape Town - University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa
- Kenya Semester Program with St. Lawrence University (SLU) in Nairobi, Kenya
- Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS): Global Health Issues in South Africa Summer in Cape Town, South Africa
- SIT Study Abroad Kenya: Urbanization, Health, and Human Rights in Nairobi, Kenya
- SIT Study Abroad Morocco: Multiculturalism and Human Rights in Rabat, Morocco
- SIT Study Abroad South Africa: Community Health and Social Policy in Durban, South Africa
- SIT Study Abroad South Africa: Multiculturalism and Human Rights in Cape Town, South Africa
- SIT Study Abroad South Africa: Social and Political Transformation in Durban, South Africa
- SIT Study Abroad Tanzania: Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology in Arusha, Tanzania
- WU Drimolen Cave Field School Summer Program (South Africa) in Krugersdorp, South Africa
- WU French and African Studies Summer Program in Senegal in Dakar, Senegal
Asia
- SIT Study Abroad China: Community Health and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Kunming, China
- SIT Study Abroad China: Health, Environment, and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Kunming, China
- SIT Study Abroad India: Public Health, Gender, and Community Action in New Delhi, India
- SIT Study Abroad India: Sustainable Development and Social Change in Jaipur, India
- SIT Study Abroad Indonesia: Arts, Religion, and Social Change in Bedulu, Indonesia
- SIT Study Abroad Nepal: Development and Social Change in Kathmandu, Nepal
- SIT Study Abroad Nepal: Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples in Dharamsala, India
- SIT Study Abroad Viet Nam: Culture, Social Change, and Development in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Australia/ Pacific Islands
- SIT Study Abroad Australia: Rainforest, Reef, and Cultural Ecology in Cairns, Australia
- SIT Study Abroad Samoa: Pacific Communities and Social Change in Apia, Samoa
- University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia
Central America
- Organization for Tropical Studies in Costa Rica (OTS): Tropical Diseases, Environmental Change, and Human Health in La Selva, Costa Rica
Europe
- College Year in Athens (CYA) in Athens, Greece (including summer courses)
- DIS Copenhagen Public Health in Copenhagen, Denmark
- DIS Copenhagen Medical Practice and Policy in Copenhagen, Denmark
- IES Abroad Amsterdam Semester Program
- King's College London (KCL) with Arcadia University
- SIT Study Abroad Cameroon: Development and Social Change in Paris, France
- SIT Study Abroad Czech Republic: Arts and Social Change in Prague, Czech Republic
- SIT Study Abroad Serbia, Bosnia, and Kosovo: Peace and Conflict Studies in the Balkans in Belgrade, Serbia
- SIT Study Abroad Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy in Nyon, Switzerland
- SIT Study Abroad Switzerland: International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy in Geneva, Switzerland
- University College London, University of London (UCL) (Exchange) in London, United Kingdom
- WU Program in Spain (Exchange) in Madrid, Spain
Middle East
- SIT Study Abroad Jordan: Geopolitics, International Relations, and the Future of the Middle East in Amman, Jordan
North America
- American University Washington Semester Program in Washington DC, United States
South America
- SIT Study Abroad Argentina: Social Movements and Human Rights in Buenos Aires and Patagonia, Argentina
- SIT Study Abroad Argentina: Transnationalism and Comparative Development in South America in Asuncion, Paraguay
- SIT Study Abroad Bolivia: Multiculturalism, Globalization, and Social Change in Cochabamba, Bolivia
- SIT Study Abroad Chile: Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development in Valparaiso, Chile
- SIT Study Abroad Chile: Public Health, Traditional Medicine, and Community Empowerment in Arica, Chile
- SIT Study Abroad Ecuador: Development, Politics, and Languages in Guayaquil, Ecuador
- SIT Study Abroad Peru: Indigenous Peoples and Globalization in Cuzco, Peru
- WU in Chile at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) in Santiago, Chile
- WU Sama-Peru Archaeological Field School
GHE approved Study Abroad Programs
Browse Opportunities on the Overseas Programs Website
If you have selected a program from the Anthropology Approved Study Abroad Program List, your application will be supported by the Department of Anthropology. After opening an application through the Study Abroad Portal for the program you have selected you will need to meet with the Department Study Abroad Coordinator to fill out a study plan. Please do this at least 2 weeks before the application deadline. The Study Abroad Coordinator will work with you to identify courses offered through the study abroad program that will transfer to your Anthropology/GHE major/minor.
Programs for the Global Health and Environment Major/Minor
Africa
- IES Abroad Cape Town - University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa
- Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS): Global Health Issues in South Africa Summer in Cape Town, South Africa
- SIT Study Abroad Kenya: Global Health and Human Rights
- SIT Study Abroad South Africa: Community Health and Social Policy in Durban, South Africa
- SIT Study Abroad Tanzania: Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology in Arusha, Tanzania
- WU Drimolen Cave Field School Summer Program (South Africa) in Krugersdorp, South Africa
Asia
- SIT Study Abroad China: Community Health and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Kunming, China
- SIT Study Abroad China: Health, Environment, and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Kunming, China
- SIT Study Abroad India: Public Health, Gender, and Community Action in New Delhi, India
- SIT Study Abroad India: Sustainable Development and Social Change in Jaipur, India
- WU Archaeology and History of Central Asia Summer Program (Kazakhstan) in Dzhungar Mountains, Kazakhstan
Australia/ Pacific Islands
- SIT Study Abroad Australia: Rainforest, Reef, and Cultural Ecology in Cairns, Australia
- SIT Study Abroad Samoa: Social and Environmental Change in Oceania
- University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia
Central America
- Organization for Tropical Studies in Costa Rica (OTS): Global Health in an Interconnected World
Europe
- College Year in Athens (CYA) in Athens, Greece (including summer courses)
- DIS Copenhagen Public Health in Copenhagen, Denmark
- DIS Copenhagen Medical Practice and Policy in Copenhagen, Denmark
- IES Abroad Amsterdam Semester Program
- King's College London (KCL) with Arcadia University
- SIT Study Abroad Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy in Nyon, Switzerland
- University College London, University of London (UCL) (Exchange) in London, United Kingdom
North America
- American University Washington Semester Program in Washington DC, United States
South America
- SIT Study Abroad Chile: Public Health, Traditional Medicine, and Community Empowerment in Arica, Chile
- WU in Chile at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) in Santiago, Chile
- WU Sama-Peru Archaeological Field School
Summer Programs with WU Faculty
Drimolen Cave Field School Summer Program in Krugersdorp, South Africa
Prof David Strait
The Drimolen Cave Field School will provide students with a hands-on introduction to methods of paleontology, geology and survey in a setting provided by one of the more important paleoanthropological sites in Africa.
Coursework:
- L48 467 Field Methods in Paleoanthropology (NSM), 3 credits, Environment elective
WU Sama-Peru Archaeological Field School
Professor Sarah Baitzel
Members of the Sama-Peru Archaeological Field School will participate in a multidisciplinary archaeological research project in southern Peru. Experience Andean culture and prehistory through excavations, lab work, lectures, and excursions. See Study Abroad Policies for specific information on how to enroll in a study abroad program.
- L48 3096 “SAMA-PERU ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SCHOOL”, 6 credits, Environment elective
Alternative Programs
Study abroad programs that are not on the Anthropology Study Abroad Approved Program list but are approved by WU through another department are still viable options for Anthropology students. If you are applying to these programs through a second major or minor where the program is approved, the Anthropology Study Abroad Coordinator will work with you to identify appropriate courses to take for anthropology credit. If you wish to petition for Anthropology to support your application for these alternative programs, please meet with the Anthropology Study Abroad Coordinator as early in the application window as possible as additional paperwork is required.
Programs that are not approved by WU require an additional petition and support by an academic department. Please meet with the Anthropology Study Abroad Coordinator as early in the application window as possible and be prepared to bring a list of proposed courses, a separate statement from you explaining why the specific alternative program assists in your academic and career goals.
Departmental Policies
Study Abroad Policies for Anthropology Majors & Minors.
Application Requirement
University regulations require all students expecting to enroll in any Study Abroad Program for credit during the spring or fall terms to contact their departmental Study Abroad Coordinator at least two semesters prior to the proposed date of entry into such a program; or one semester for summer programs. Many anthropology majors opt for semester abroad opportunities that are not yet on the WU 'previously-approved' list. You are encouraged to locate the program most appropriate for your own career needs.
When you seek advice and departmental permission for application to these programs, you should bring the following materials with you:
- A copy of the correct form [Approved or Alternate] required by the Washington University International Studies Overseas Programs Office.
- A copy of your student record printout (the long version, with advisor, GPA, etc.) printed from WebSTAC.
- Copies of course descriptions from the program(s) you wish to apply to overseas.
- A written first draft of the academic rationale for your selection, and the career benefits you expect to derive from your proposed program. This is of particular importance if you are want to enroll in an 'alternative' program not already on the general pre-approved list of WU overseas programs.
- An explanation detailing how you expect to comply with the requirement for the portfolio.
Changes in Courses while Overseas
If you find that you want to make changes in course selections once abroad, e-mail the department Study Abroad Coordinator to secure the necessary approvals for these changes. It happens with every student, and we expect to make adjustments.
Transferring Credits
Your transcript will be forwarded to the department Study Abroad Coordinator for evaluation by the Overseas Office, along with the official forms to approve a credit transfer. The Study Abroad Coordinator will send an email requesting your portfolio once they have received your transcript from Overseas Office. This typically occurs between the beginning to middle of the semester you return to Washington University.
Required Portfolio
Anthropology requires a portfolio of work from each and every student. For a summer field work training course, the requirement might entail a daily log or journal, including samples of your field notes. For a fall or spring series of regular academic courses, the requirement might involve providing copies of your course papers, laboratory notes, or internship reports. For SIT programs, the portfolio is a copy of your final ISPR report.
Human Subjects Approval
The university and federal government require that all students carrying out research involving interactions with human communities or individuals must go through the Human Subjects Research Protection review process, which is designed to protect research participants from risk.
Departmental Coordinator: Erin Coleman