T h e Un i v e r s i t y o f M i s s i s s i p p i
D E P A R T M E N T
Sociology
O F
A N D
Anthropology
BACHELOR’S
For additional information visit www.socanth.olemiss.edu or contact
Dr. Kirsten Dellinger Chair Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Evelyn Braxton Senior Administrative Assistant
University of Mississippi
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
University, MS 38677
University of Mississippi
662.915.7421
University, MS 38677
kdelling@olemiss.edu
662.915.7421 evefre@olemiss.edu
libarts.olemiss.edu
DEGREE
IN
ANTHROPOLOGY
Why is UM a good place to study anthropology?
Anthropology is the study of human life in different times and places.
The department offers a broad range of courses dealing with human evolution, the culture of peoples from around the world and through time, human adaptation— both biological and cultural, as well as archaeology. On-campus resources include laboratories for human osteology and archaeology where students learn to identify and analyze human remains and various kinds of artifacts. In addition to classroom and laboratory courses, we offer summer field schools in the Mississippi Delta and in La Paz, Bolivia, that allow undergraduates to learn firsthand about doing anthropology.
Anthropologists examine almost everything that has to do with being human, and we do this from a comparative perspective. • For example, what can the study of the role of kinship among the Chickasaw Indians tell us about how we rely on our own kin system? • How can the reconstruction of the subsistence strategies of our earliest ancestors help us understand economic and environmental issues that face us today? • If we understand the way in which power was achieved and maintained among the ancient Maya of Central America, will it provide insight into campus politics?
Studying other cultures leads to a clearer perspective of how our own culture works. One of the keys to interpreting the present is through an understanding of the past, and courses that deal with prehistory and human origins are well represented in our undergraduate curriculum. Because University of Mississippi faculty members have active research programs, they bring their topics alive in the classroom.
Why major in anthropology? Students who major in anthropology are curious about other cultures and other times. They are inquisitive and enjoy solving puzzles. Anthropologists have traditionally dealt with other cultures, either in the past or in other countries; however, anthropology today offers meaningful perspectives on our society as well. Anthropology majors gain a broad knowledge of other cultures as well as skills in observation, analysis, research, critical thinking, writing, and appreciating cultural diversity.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES On our website, socanth.olemiss.edu, we feature select alumni and highlight their accomplishments to illustrate the career potential of an anthropology major. The American Anthropological Association has additional student resources at www.aaanet.org/resources/students/
Our undergraduate program offers a full range of courses aimed at understanding how other people organize their lives, providing critical insight into a modern world in which the relationships between peoples of different cultures have become increasingly important.
What can I do with an anthropology degree? An undergraduate anthropology degree prepares students for employment in any occupation that values understanding people and cultural differences. UM graduates pursue a wide range of careers in advocacy, business, community and economic development, conservation, cultural resource management, education, foreign service, government and public policy, international relations, law, medicine, public health, and urban planning. Anthropology majors who have completed an archaeological field school may gain employment as archaeological field technicians with private companies or state and federal agencies, such as the National Park Service and National Forest Service. Undergraduate alumni have also received advanced degrees in various subfields of anthropology and in related disciplines.
• The University of Mississippi Center for Archaeological Research offers an annual summer archaeological field school for undergraduate and graduate students interested in the mound cultures of the Delta. Fieldwork is conducted on ceremonial mound complexes near Clarksdale and students learn remote sensing applications as well as more traditional excavation methodology. The course lasts four weeks and provides six credit hours. • The Social Sciences Field School in Bolivia introduces undergraduate and graduate students to ethnographic research design and execution via guided independent research using the rich cultural resources available in La Paz, Bolivia. The course lasts six weeks and provides six credit hours.
Ecology and Environment
Identity and Social Solidarity
Biological Anthropology
Applied Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management
Indigenous Peoples
Archaeology
Food and Subsistence Medical Anthropology
Material Culture Studies
ANTHROPOLOGY INTEREST AREAS
Education, Science, and Technology
Global Anthropology
Death and Dying
Cultural Anthropology
Social Complexity, Inequality, and Change
Political and Legal Anthropology Religion and Ritual
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS The Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology degree includes a general education component, courses for the anthropology major, and courses for either a minor field of study or a second major in a different discipline, for a total of 124 credit hours. The major in anthropology requires 30 credit hours (10 courses) of anthropology, including: • Four required core courses: ANTH 303, 304, 305, 409 • Two methodology courses selected from the following:
ANTH 335. ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SESSION ANTH 390. BIOARCHAEOLOGY ABROAD ANTH 391. ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SESSION ABROAD ANTH 392. FIELD STUDY: CULTURE OF THE ANDES ANTH 393. ETHNOGRAPHIC FIELD METHODS ABROAD ANTH 405. HUMAN OSTEOLOGY ANTH 406. METHODS IN ETHNOHISTORY ANTH 407. METHODS IN ETHNOGRAPHY ANTH 408. LABORATORY METHODS IN ARCHAEOLOGY
• Electives from the anthropology curriculum
REQUIRED CORE COURSES ANTH 303. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY Students examine the fundamental principles, concepts, and methods used in cultural anthropology and ethnographic work.
ANTH 304. BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY Students draw upon data from studies of primate behavior, human paleontology, and population genetics in order to explore the course of human evolution and the nature of biological variation in modern humans.
ANTH 305. ARCHAEOLOGY
Landscape and Spatial Studies
Students learn the history of archaeology—the subfield of anthropology that studies people through the recovery and analysis of their material and physical remains—its methods, and contributions to understanding humankind.
ANTH 409. ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY Remote Sensing
Students explore the major theoretical trends in anthropology.
Minor in Anthropology Migration and Immigration
A minor may be taken in anthropology (18 hours).
Historical Approaches
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