Anthropology Concentration

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AnthropologyConcentration

• Pre-Advising PowerPoint

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About Anthropology

• Welcome to the anthropology concentration at
  Towson University.
• Anthropology is a broad, holistic field that
  seeks to understand human biological and cultural
  variation through time and space.
• The discipline combines humanistic and scientific
  approaches to studying humans from their origins
  to the present.
• The sub-disciplines of the field include
  archaeological, biological, linguistic and
  socio-cultural anthropology. Reflecting our
  programs greatest strengths, we offer a major
  concentration with four focus areas, but in
  particular focused on the sub-disciplines of
  archaeological and socio-cultural anthropology.
• Once you have completed the core requirements,
  you can focus your studies on archaeology or
  globalization or take classes covering a range of
  theoretical and geographic topics.

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Anthropology Curriculum Involves Completing
Courses in Two areas

• Students studying in the anthropology
  concentration must complete four courses in the
  sociology-anthropology common core. This
  includes introductory courses in anthropology and
  sociology, a diversity course, and a statistics
  course.
• Then students select one of four focus areas in
  anthropology to complete the concentration,
  either Option A, B, C, or D. In each of the four
  focus areas students receive a broad foundation
  in the field of anthropology by taking courses in
  human evolution and prehistory, cultural
  anthropology, ethnographic and/or archaeological
  methods, and anthropological theory. Each option
  is also designed so that students can select
  different mixes of courses.

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Four Focus Area Options

• Option A is the combined anthropology and
  sociology focus area. This option allows
  students to select more courses in sociology
  along with their study of anthropology.
• Option B is the general anthropology focus area.
  This is the most common option among anthropology
  students. Here students pursue a broad approach
  to anthropology including opportunities for study
  in all areas of the anthropology curriculum.
• Option C is the archaeology focus area and Option
  D is globalization and development. Students in
  Options C and D have the opportunity to pursue
  more specialized coursework in archaeology or
  globalization and thus have more structured and
  preset course offerings.

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How do you decide which focus area to pursue?

• There is some overlap in the courses required for
  the different focus areas. This means that
  whichever option you select, you will receive
  solid foundational training in anthropology and a
  valuable set of skills for a variety of jobs
  dealing with cultural variation in health,
  business, education, and government or for
  further study at the graduate level in
  anthropology or other fields including law,
  business, social work, and human resources.
• The focus area you choose depends more on whether
  you are interested in archaeology, that is,
  studying the past through the excavation of
  material remains or socio-cultural anthropology,
  that is, studying the present. Some students
  enter the major knowing that they want to pursue
  archaeology. Others select globalization because
  they are interested particularly in change in the
  contemporary globalizing world and plan to go to
  work (either before or after further graduate
  study) for organizations focusing on global
  issues such as human rights or the environment.

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What to do if you are unsure about a focus area?

• However, if you are unsure about your focus in
  anthropology, all students begin by completing
  the lower level courses in the common core. Then
  you should select an upper level geographical
  area course such as North American Indians,
  Latinas in the Americas, Anthropology of African
  Media, or Korea and Globalization, because at
  least one area course is required in all four
  anthropology options.

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Planning Your Courses Carefully

• Regardless of which focus area you choose, there
  is other important information we would like you
  to be aware of as you complete your studies in
  anthropology.
• First, most of our upper level (300 level or
  higher) anthropology courses are NOT offered
  every semester. Required upper-level courses
  including ANTH 401 Anthropological Theory, ANTH
  380 Ethnographic Field Methods, and ANTH 381
  Archaeological Methods and Theory are usually
  offered only every third semester. Other
  upper-level courses are offered once a year or
  every two years.
• In addition, most anthropology courses are
  currently offered during the day, and course
  availability in the evening is limited. You
  should meet with your department advisor to learn
  when particular courses will be offered and plan
  accordingly.

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Field School and Study Abroad

• Second, although not required, we recommend that
  students participate in a field school, usually
  during the summer, and/or a study abroad program.
  Currently we offer an archaeological excavation
  field school class in western Maryland every
  summer. The American Anthropological Association
  lists other possibilities for archeological and
  ethnographic field schools on their website
  (aaanet.org), under Student Resources.
• The Study Abroad office in the Administration
  Building has a wealth of information as well
  about many study abroad programs. Since many
  study abroad programs involve a semester of study
  away, and may offer only a very limited selection
  of anthropology courses, you should talk to your
  major advisor well in advance of any travel about
  when you should study abroad and what courses you
  should take so that you can complete your studies
  in the most timely manner possible.

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Other Study Opportunities

• Finally, our undergraduate students who study in
  anthropology have two elective advanced learning
  opportunities available. One such opportunity is
  the completion of an Honors Thesis. An Honors
  Thesis allows students to do independent research
  of a high quality on a topic of their choice.
  The Honors Thesis in anthropology may be based on
  either fieldwork or library research.
• However, students interested in this option
  should begin early, as the thesis process
  requires a full year of study, with a directed
  readings course the first semester, followed by
  the thesis writing itself a second semester.
• Or, students in anthropology can complete an
  internship in an organization or business in the
  Baltimore region. Up to 6 units of internship
  study are possible towards completion of the
  anthropology major. An Internship Coordinator
  will assist you with the internship process if
  you are interested.

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And finally

• In concluding your visit to this website today,
  we would like you to complete a short survey
  about your interests related to anthropology.
• This survey should be answered, printed, and
  brought along with a copy of your unofficial
  transcript to your first meeting with your major
  advisor.
• If you are transferring credits to Towson, please
  bring your transfer evaluation form.
• If there are courses that you believe will
  satisfy our requirements to complete the
  concentration, it would be helpful if you have a
  syllabus and/or course description for the
  course.