Anthropology is the comparative study of human diversity through time and across the world. Its scope spans the humanities, the social sciences, and the biological, physical, and evolutionary sciences. As a history of the human species, anthropology studies all human biological and behavioral variation from the earliest fossil records to the present; it includes the study of nonhuman primates as well. As a social science, anthropology aims at uncovering the patterns of past and present societies. As one of the humanities, anthropology seeks to understand the ways cultural meaning and political power have shaped human experience.
At the University of Wisconsin–Madison, anthropology consists of three subfields: archaeology—the investigation and analysis of the remains from past cultures, uncovered through excavation; biological anthropology—the study of human evolution and the roots of the biological and genetic diversity found among contemporary peoples; and sociocultural anthropology—the comparative study of society, politics, economy, and culture, whether in historical times or in our contemporary moment. UW–Madison also offers some classes in anthropological linguistics—the analysis of language and its place in social life. Comparative and empirical work—and fieldwork in particular—are the hallmarks of anthropology on this campus.
Thus, anthropology at UW–Madison is characterized by a comparative point of view, a focus on humans and societies in all their variation and similarity, and an effort to reveal and understand the complex but organized diversity that has shaped the human condition, past and present.
Students wishing to declare an anthropology major should go to the Department of Anthropology, 5240 William H. Sewell Social Science Building.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Letters & Science Breadth and Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum. View a comparison of the degree requirements here.
Bachelor of Arts degree requirements
| Mathematics | Fulfilled with completion of University General Education requirements Quantitative Reasoning a (QR A) and Quantitative Reasoning b (QR B) coursework. Please note that some majors may require students to complete additional math coursework beyond the B.A. mathematics requirement. |
| Foreign Language |
Note: A unit is one year of high school work or one semester/term of college work. |
| L&S Breadth |
|
| Liberal Arts and Science Coursework | 108 credits |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | 60 intermediate or advanced credits |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one (1) major |
| Total Credits | 120 credits |
| UW-Madison Experience | 30 credits in residence, overall 30 credits in residence after the 86th credit |
| Minimum GPAs | 2.000 in all coursework at UW–Madison 2.000 in intermediate/advanced coursework at UW–Madison |
Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements and do not need to complete the L&S breadth and degree requirements above. Please note that the following special degree programs are not considered majors so are not available to non–L&S degree-seeking candidates:
- Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics (Bachelor of Science–Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics)
- Journalism (Bachelor of Arts–Journalism; Bachelor of Science–Journalism)
- Music (Bachelor of Music)
- Social Work (Bachelor of Social Work)
Requirements for the Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO 105 | Principles of Biological Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTHRO 300 | Cultural Anthropology: Theory and Ethnography | 3 |
| Complete two: | 6 | |
| Principles of Archaeology | ||
| The Emergence of Human Culture | ||
| The Origins of Civilization | ||
| ANTHRO 490 | Undergraduate Seminar | 3 |
| ANTHRO electives | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all ANTHRO and major courses
- 2.000 GPA in 15 upper-level major credits in residence1
- 15 credits in ANTHRO, taken on campus
| 1 | ANTHRO 300 and above are upper-level, with the exception of Quechua and Yucatec Maya language courses (ANTHRO/LACIS 361, ANTHRO/LACIS 362, ANTHRO/LACIS 363, ANTHRO/LACIS 364, ANTHRO/LACIS 376, ANTHRO/LACIS 377). |
Honors in the Major
Students may declare Honors in the Major in consultation with the Anthropology major advisor.
Honors in the Major Requirements
To earn Honors in the Major, students must satisfy both the requirements for the Anthropology major (above) and the following additional requirements:
- Earn a 3.300 University GPA
- Earn a 3.300 GPA for all ANTHRO and major courses
- Complete the following coursework:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Anthropology (complete one): | 3 | |
| Principles of Biological Anthropology | ||
| Hominoid Evolution | ||
| Human Skeletal Anatomy | ||
| Heredity, Environment and Human Populations | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| The Evolution of the Genus, Homo | ||
| Introduction to Primatological Research | ||
| Study Abroad: Topics in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Primate Behavioral Ecology | ||
| Proseminar in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Seminar in Evolutionary Theory | ||
| Seminar: Topics in Physical Anthropology of the Living | ||
| Seminar-Current Problems in Paleoanthropology | ||
| Biology of Mind | ||
| Primate Conservation | ||
| Cultural Anthropology (complete one): | 3 | |
| Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity | ||
| Global Language Issues | ||
| Introduction to Social Medicine | ||
| Cut 'n' Mix: Music, Race, and Culture in the Caribbean | ||
| Latin America: An Introduction | ||
| Introduction to Culture and Health | ||
| Africa: An Introductory Survey | ||
| Cultural Anthropology: Theory and Ethnography | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics: Descriptive and Theoretical | ||
| Urban Anthropology | ||
| Indians of North America | ||
| Peoples of the Andes Today | ||
| Music, Race, And Culture in Brazil | ||
| Anthropology of Religion | ||
| Family, Kin and Community in Anthropological Perspective | ||
| Economic Anthropology | ||
| Indians of the Western Great Lakes | ||
| Introduction to the Anthropology of Japan | ||
| Anthropology of China | ||
| Elementary Quechua | ||
| Elementary Quechua | ||
| Intermediate Quechua | ||
| Advanced Quechua | ||
| Medical Anthropology | ||
| First Semester Yucatec Maya | ||
| Second Semester Yucatec Maya | ||
| Historical Anthropology | ||
| American Indian Folklore | ||
| American Indian Women | ||
| Anthropology by Women | ||
| Anthropology of Law | ||
| Study Abroad: Topics in Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Symbolic Anthropology | ||
| The Anthropology of Dance: Movement and Music in Performance | ||
| Ethnobotany | ||
| Anthropology, Environment, and Development | ||
| Ethnic Representations in Wisconsin | ||
| The Folklore of Festivals and Celebrations | ||
| Psychological Anthropology | ||
| Anthropology and Education | ||
| Field School: Ethnography of Wisconsin Festivals | ||
| The Anthropology of Shamanism and Occult Experience | ||
| Archaeological Anthropology (complete one): | 3 | |
| Archaeology and the Prehistoric World | ||
| Principles of Archaeology | ||
| Dimensions of Material Culture | ||
| Prehistoric Europe | ||
| Topics in Archaeology | ||
| Archaeological Chemistry | ||
| The Emergence of Human Culture | ||
| The Origins of Civilization | ||
| Prehistory of Africa | ||
| Lithics and Archaeology | ||
| Ancient Technology and Invention | ||
| Archaeology of Wisconsin | ||
| Field Course in Archaeology | ||
| Bones for the Archaeologist | ||
| Study Abroad: Topics in Archaeology | ||
| Ethnobotany | ||
| Archaeological Methods of Curation | ||
| ANTHRO 490 | Undergraduate Seminar | 3 |
| or a seminar chosen from: | ||
| Proseminar in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Seminar in Evolutionary Theory | ||
| Seminar: Topics in Physical Anthropology of the Living | ||
| Seminar-Current Problems in Paleoanthropology | ||
| Ethnicity, Nations, and Nationalism | ||
| Problems in Anthropology | ||
| ANTHRO 681 & ANTHRO 682 | Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | 6 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Distinction in the Major
Undergraduate students who are not declared for Honors in the Major are eligible for Distinction in the Major if they have a 3.500 GPA or higher in the Anthropology major and have produced exceptional written work in a thesis, seminar, or directed study course. Contact the Anthropology major advisor for more information.
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
- Acquire specialized training in anthropological research.
- Obtain comparative global knowledge of human diversity, material culture, culture history, and the evolution of people’s relationships with the physical, cultural, and natural world.
- Gain an awareness of ethnographic, archaeological and bio‐anthropological ethics practice and research.
- Distinguish between empirical and speculative narratives and claims about human diversity past and present.
Sample Four-Year Plan
This Sample Four-Year Plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it—along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools—to make their own four-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests. As students become involved in athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, volunteer experiences, and/or work, they might adjust the order of their courses to accommodate these experiences. Students will likely revise their own four-year plan several times during college.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANTHRO 100-200 level course | 3 | ANTHRO 100-200 level course | 3 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | Ethnic Studies course in ANTHRO | 3 |
| Communication A | 3 | Literature Breadth | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning A | 3 | Physical Science Breadth | 3 |
| Foreign Language (if needed) | 4 | Foreign Language (if needed) | 4 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANTHRO 200-300 level course | 3 | Communication B | 3-4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning B | 4 | ANTHRO 200-300 level course | 3 |
| Literature Breadth | 3 | Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | I/A COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if B.S.) | 3 |
| INTER-LS 210 | 1 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Declare the Major | ANTHRO 300-600 level elective | 3 | |
| ANTHRO 300-600 level elective | 3 | ANTHRO 300-600 level elective | 3 |
| Humanities Breadth | 3 | Humanities Breadth | 3 |
| I/A COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if B.S.) | 3 | Electives | 5 |
| Elective | 4 | ||
| 13 | 14 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANTHRO 490 | 3 | ANTHRO 300-600 level elective | 3 |
| Electives | 12 | Electives | 12 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Advising
Students interested in anthropology and declaring the major should contact the department directly by calling the general number (608-262-2866) or stopping by 5240 William H. Sewell Social Science Building for individual advising.
Career Exploration
Anthropology encourages majors to begin working on their career exploration and preparation soon after arriving on campus. We partner with SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science. L&S graduates are in high demand by employers and graduate programs. It is important that students are career ready at the time of graduation, and we are committed to your success.
L&S career resources
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students leverage the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and liberal arts degree; explore and try out different career paths; participate in internships; prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications; and network with professionals in the field (alumni and employers). In short, SuccessWorks helps students in the College of Letters & Science discover themselves, find opportunities, and develop the skills they need for success after graduation.
SuccessWorks can also assist students in career advising, résumé and cover letter writing, networking opportunities, and interview skills, as well as course offerings for undergraduates to begin their career exploration early in their undergraduate career.
Students should set up their profiles in Handshake to take care of everything they need to explore career events, manage their campus interviews, and apply to jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers around the country.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit, targeted to first- and second-year students)—for more information, see Inter-LS 210: Career Development, Taking Initiative
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Com B General Education Requirement)
- Handshake
- Learn how we’re transforming career preparation: L&S Career Initiative
Faculty
-
Katherine Bowie
Cultural anthropology, Southeast Asia, Thailand -
Henry T. Bunn
Archaeology, emergence of culture, behavioral ecology, East Africa -
Jerome Camal
Cultural anthropology, ethnomusicology, Caribbean -
Sarah Clayton
Archaeology, Mesoamerica, Teotihuacan -
Falina Enriquez
Cultural anthropology, ethnomusicology, Brazil -
John Hawks
Biological anthropology, paleoanthropology, anthropological genomics, South Africa -
J. Mark Kenoyer
Archaeology, South Asia, Harappa, craft production -
Nam C. Kim
Archaeology, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, complex societies, warfare -
Maria Lepowsky
Cultural anthropology, medical anthropology, Oceania -
Richard McFarland
Biological anthropology, primatology, behavioral ecology -
Larry Nesper
Cultural anthropology, legal anthropology, North America, Wisconsin -
Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney
Cultural anthropology, East Asia, Japan -
Travis Pickering
Biological anthropology, taphonomy, South Africa -
Sissel Schroeder
Archaeology, historical ecology, Eastern North America, complex societies - Amy Stambach
Cultural anthropology, East Africa
-
Karen Strier
Biological anthropology, primatology, behavioral ecology, Brazil -
Claire Wendland
Cultural anthropology, medical anthropology, Africa, Malawi -
Yongming Zhou
Cultural anthropology, East Asia, China, development
Academic Staff
-
Elizabeth Leith, Senior Academic Curator
Museum anthropology, protohistoric, European trade, historical archaeology
Affiliate faculty
- William Aylward
- Bruce Barrett
- Nicholas Cahill
- Jane Collins
- Linda Hogle
- Elizabeth Mertz
- Ellen Rafferty
Administrative Staff
- Kristine Schultz, Administrator
kristine.schultz@wisc.edu
608-262-2868 - Hannah Shilts, Graduate Coordinator
anthrograd@mailplus.wisc.edu
608-262-2869 - Kyle Speth, Financial Specialist
speth2@wisc.edu
608-262-2867 - Erika Petrie, Undergraduate Coordinator
anthroinfo@mailplus.wisc.edu
608-262-2866
Emeritus faculty
-
Kenneth George
Cultural anthropology, Southeast Asia, Indonesia -
Sharon Hutchinson
sehutchi@wisc.edu
Cultural anthropology, Africa - Anatoly Khazanov
Cultural anthropology
- Herbert Lewis
Cultural anthropology, history of anthropology
-
T. Douglas Price
Archaeology, Archaeological chemistry, Europe -
Frank Salomon
Cultural anthropology, South America