Mission Statement

The mission of the Anthropology Program at Utah State University is to prepare students for careers requiring skills and knowledge from a synthesis of the liberal arts and natural sciences. Graduates in anthropology are broadly thinking individuals exhibiting intellectual depth, effective reading and writing skills and the ability to solve problems spanning the humanities, natural sciences and the cultural diversity characteristic of the modern world.

Anthropology is the integrated study of humans in all their aspects. It offers a broad framework for understanding humans as individuals and as members of widely varying societies through courses dealing with the biological evolution of humans, prehistoric culture change and present diversity of culture and humans types. Two parallel goals of the discipline are to explore and develop an appreciation for human diversity and the shared legacy of our common humanity.

Anthropology includes the following subspecialties: cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, archaeology and linguistics. Major requirements are designed to encourage broad exploration across anthropology, and students who major in anthropology at Utah State examine a wide range of peoples and cultures, both past and present. They examine lifeways as different as the foragers of Ice Age Europe, tribal horticulturists of lush interior Amazonia and the diverse ethnic neighborhoods of modern U.S. cities. They explore both the biological and cultural basis of human behavior and examine how it is manifested in individuals and groups. Anthropology courses use both scientific and humanistic approaches to the study of humankind, in all its complexity. Courses emphasize critical reasoning, oral and written communication skills and the expansion of thinking beyond the familiar.

The contemporary social science student lives in a world of diminishing cultural and national barriers. In this setting, a major of anthropology can lead to a wide variety of careers. Anthropologists are on the staff of leading medical, business, law, public affairs and other professional schools. They have also played critical roles in international ventures, public health programs, community development activities and migrant social actions. Additionally, anthropology serves applied interests in international development, archaeology and cultural resource management, cross-cultural health care and osteology/forensics. With first-hand experience in every region of the country and around the world, anthropologists bring a unique understanding of specific social and ethnic groups and of the biological, ecological and cultural factors that influence human behavior.

Special features of the USU Anthropology Program include smaller courses, individualized attention, opportunities for laboratory, museum and fieldwork, and the opportunity of working in teaching assistant positions. All these features give anthropology majors choice and experiences unavailable to undergraduates in most programs. The Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology and Cultural Field Schools provide additional hands-on learning opportunities. Anthropology participates in the Department of Geology's option in Geoarchaeology, the American Studies Program and the Folklore Program in the Department of English.