The Anthropology Department at the University of Kansas
Anthropologists are concerned with the origin, history, and future of the human species. Our mission is to further our understanding of past and present human societies in their cultural, biological, and environmental contexts. As flows of people, ideas, money, and goods are crossing borders at unprecedented speeds, we are encountering human diversity now, more than ever before. The discipline provides students the knowledge and skills they will need to navigate these complex, multicultural, and rapidly changing worlds. Because we study what it is to be human, the field is one of the most wide-ranging of the academic disciplines.
The Anthropology Department currently offers courses in three main subdisciplines of anthropology: archaeology which is concerned with studying the human past based on the material culture left behind; biological anthropology which investigates human evolution and human variation; and socio-cultural anthropology analyzes the many ways humans organize themselves to live together, and communicate. Anthropologists explore past and present patterns of cultural meaning and power relationships on local and global scales, studying a variety of topics including technology, economy, social and political organization, language, ritual, and religion. Anthropologists across all of the subdisciplines apply holistic, comparative, and evolutionary perspectives and a range of methodologies in their research. We are committed to fieldwork and the application of this knowledge to helping people better understand one another.
Why Study Anthropology at KU?
Students have many reasons for wanting to major in anthropology. Some are curious about the origins of the human species. Others are fascinated by the diversity of human experiences in ancient and modern periods. Some students intend to pursue international careers, where they will use languages and work in cultural contexts very different from those in which they were raised. Others plan to work in museums collecting and curating human cultural resources. Some wish to pursue graduate training in one of the field’s subdisciplines, while others seek to use their anthropological training as preparation for professional schools, including law, medicine, public health, journalism, business, and engineering. There are many professions where the broad scientific, humanistic, and multicultural knowledge available through the study of anthropology can be useful—in education, healthcare, law, social work, business, human resources, public affairs, cultural resource management, or laboratory research.
Anthropological Research Opportunities at KU
- Visit the KU Anthropological Genetics Research Laboratories for more information regarding our research laboratories. Beginning with the construction of a state-of-the-art ancient DNA lab in 2016, our facilities now include a contemporary DNA laboratory, as well as multiple teaching laboratories for molecular methods and traditional osteological and paleoanthropological classes. Our research foci are on human and non-human population histories and paleoecological reconstruction from sedimentary DNA. We prioritize ethical principles and cultural sensitivity in working in close collaboration with all partners.
- Visit the Archaeological Research Center for more information regarding KU's archaelogical curation facility, which is located in historic Spooner Hall on the main campus and offers research space and support to Anthropology faculty and graduate students, Archaeology staff, Museum Studies interns, affiliate curators and research associates and visiting scholars.
- Field Experiences: Anthropology faculty often offer field schools and other field experiences in archaeology, biological anthropology, and cultural anthropology. Undergraduates and graduate students have recently conducted independent research or participated in collaborative research in the United States, (including Alaska), Mexico, Central, and South America, Africa, and Asia.
For specific questions about our program, please contact us:
The University of Kansas
Department of Anthropology
Undergraduate Program
1415 Jayhawk Blvd.,
622 Fraser Hall
Lawrence, KS 66045
E-mail: kuanthro@ku.edu
Phone: (785) 864-2630
Fax: (785) 864-5224
Undergraduate Admission
Admission to KU
All students applying for admission must send high school and college transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Prospective first-year students should be aware that KU has qualified admission requirements that all new first-year students must meet to be admitted. Consult the Office of Admissions for application deadlines and specific admission requirements.
Visit the International Support Services for information about international admissions.
Students considering transferring to KU may see how their college-level course work will transfer on the Office of the University Registrar website.
Requirements for the B.A. or B.G.S. Major in Anthropology
To declare a major or minor in Anthropology, students work with the Anthropology academic advisor in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Students will be assigned a faculty mentor at the time of declaration for guidance on concentrations, course selection, and careers in anthropology. Anthropology majors may select a concentration in Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, and Sociocultural Anthropology, which provide in-depth knowledge in the discipline’s subfields. Students considering graduate studies in anthropology should choose a concentration in Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, or Sociocultural Anthropology. To complete a B.A. or B.G.S. Major in Anthropology, students must complete a minimum of 30 hours in the discipline, with a 2.0 grade-point average required in anthropology courses numbered 300 and above. Up to 6 hours may be taken outside the Anthropology department with approval of a faculty mentor.
Students who choose Anthropology seek a broad, integrative major. They may select a fundamentals course and a methods course from Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, or Sociocultural Anthropology, and may choose electives from any anthropological subfield. The Anthropology major also allows students to design a cross-disciplinary major that does not neatly fit under a single subfield (e.g., biocultural anthropology or bioarchaeology). Students will select courses for their degree in consultation with their faculty mentor.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| ANTH 150 | Becoming Human | 3 |
| or ANTH 151 | Becoming Human, Honors |
| or ANTH 309 | Becoming Human |
| ANTH 160 | The Varieties of Human Experience | 3 |
| or ANTH 162 | The Varieties of Human Experience, Honors |
| or ANTH 360 | The Varieties of Human Experience |
| |
| Fundamentals of Biological Anthropology | |
| Fundamentals of Cultural Anthropology | |
| Fundamentals of Archaeology | |
| |
| Archaeological Research Methods | |
| Archaeology Roadshow |
| Laboratory/Field Work in Human Biology | |
| Field Methods in Cultural Anthropology | |
| 15 |
| ANTH 401 | Integrating Anthropology | 3 |
| Total Hours | 30 |
Concentration in Archaeology
The Archaeology Concentration allows students to focus their degree on the ways past and present societies are reconstructed through investigations of human, biological, and material remains. Students select a fundamentals and methods course in archaeology and choose electives that provide them an in-depth focus on local or global contexts, concepts, theories, and methods, as well as applications of archaeological approaches and methodological tools. In consultation with their faculty mentor, they may also choose electives from other anthropological subfields that complement their interests.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| ANTH 150 | Becoming Human | 3 |
| or ANTH 151 | Becoming Human, Honors |
| or ANTH 309 | Becoming Human |
| ANTH 160 | The Varieties of Human Experience | 3 |
| or ANTH 162 | The Varieties of Human Experience, Honors |
| or ANTH 360 | The Varieties of Human Experience |
| ANTH 310 | Fundamentals of Archaeology | 3 |
| ANTH 406 | Archaeological Research Methods | 3 |
| or ANTH 311 | Archaeology Roadshow |
| 15 |
| ANTH 401 | Integrating Anthropology | 3 |
| Total Hours | 30 |
Concentration in Biological Anthropology
The Biological Anthropology Concentration allows students to focus their degree on the origin, maintenance, patterning, and significance of human biological variation, the nature of heredity, and human evolution. Students select a fundamentals and methods course in biological anthropology and choose electives that provide them an in-depth focus on local or global contexts, concepts, theories, and methods, as well as applications of biological anthropology’s approaches and methodological tools. In consultation with their faculty mentor, they may also choose electives from other anthropological subfields that complement their interests.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| ANTH 150 | Becoming Human | 3 |
| or ANTH 151 | Becoming Human, Honors |
| or ANTH 309 | Becoming Human |
| ANTH 160 | The Varieties of Human Experience | 3 |
| or ANTH 162 | The Varieties of Human Experience, Honors |
| or ANTH 360 | The Varieties of Human Experience |
| ANTH 304 | Fundamentals of Biological Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 449 | Laboratory/Field Work in Human Biology | 3 |
| 15 |
| ANTH 401 | Integrating Anthropology | 3 |
| Total Hours | 30 |
Concentration in Sociocultural Anthropology
The Sociocultural Anthropology Concentration allows students to gain an ethnographic perspective on structures of power and inequality, globalization, and cultural difference in diverse locales. Students select a fundamentals and methods course in sociocultural anthropology and choose electives that provide them an in-depth focus on local or global contexts, concepts, theories, and methods, as well as applications of ethnographic approaches and methodological tools. In consultation with their faculty mentor, they may also choose electives from other anthropological subfields that complement their interests.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| ANTH 150 | Becoming Human | 3 |
| or ANTH 151 | Becoming Human, Honors |
| or ANTH 309 | Becoming Human |
| ANTH 160 | The Varieties of Human Experience | 3 |
| or ANTH 162 | The Varieties of Human Experience, Honors |
| or ANTH 360 | The Varieties of Human Experience |
| ANTH 308 | Fundamentals of Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 462 | Field Methods in Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| 15 |
| ANTH 401 | Integrating Anthropology | 3 |
| Total Hours | 30 |
To review sample 4-year plans for the BA degree in Anthropology, please refer to one of the following pages: Anthropology (no concentration), concentration in Archaeology, concentration in Biological Anthropology, concentration in Sociocultural Anthropology or by using the left-side navigation.
To review sample 4-year plans for the BGS degree in Anthropology, please refer to one of the following pages: Anthropology (no concentration), concentration in Archaeology, concentration in Biological Anthropology, concentration in Sociocultural Anthropology or by using the left-side navigation.
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Understand our debts and obligations to Indigenous peoples, their knowledge, and their ancestral lands, and recognize how these debts and obligations structure our contemporary interactions.
- Conduct research with ethical considerations in partnership with communities, Indigenous peoples, and other stakeholders.
- Evaluate, analyze, and interpret qualitative and quantitative data regarding human biology, society, culture, and language.
- Recognize that human biology, society, culture, and language are interrelated throughout human history.
- Develop one’s open-mindedness, sensitivity, and empathy for diverse languages, cultures, and worldviews.
- Experience biological, cultural, social, and linguistic diversity through fieldwork, study abroad, internships, volunteering, or commensurately diverse lived experience.
Departmental Honors
To qualify for honors, an undergraduate must achieve an in-residence and combined minimum grade-point average of 3.25 overall and 3.5 in anthropology. Students must file a declaration of intent form with the instructor with whom they choose to work. In addition to the required hours, the student must enroll in 3 to 6 hours of ANTH 499 Senior Honors Research and complete a senior thesis based on this work. It is recommended that all candidates make an oral presentation of their research results. One copy of the thesis must be bound and placed in the departmental thesis library.
