College of Social and Behavioral Science
Mailing Address: 260 Central Campus Drive, Rm. 4625, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-9199 Contact: 801-581-6251
Fax: 801-581-6252
Website: anthro.utah.edu
Department Chair: Jack M. Broughton, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Advisor: Shawn W. Carlyle, Ph.D.
Graduate Advisor: Adrian Bell, Ph.D.
Anthropology is the comparative study of people and their ways of life across the full temporal and spatial range of human experience. Our Department has special expertise in archaeology, genetics, behavioral and evolutionary ecology, primatology, and demography. Our regional expertise is strong in Africa, Australia, Oceania, Latin America, and North America. Active research is carried out on hunter-gatherer ecology, North American, African and Oceanic ethnology and archaeology, as well as human and nonhuman primate molecular and population genetics. Special facilities and laboratories include the Natural History Museum of Utah, the Archaeological Center, ancient and modern DNA laboratories, zooarchaeology, and isotope laboratories. We have a relatively small, but influential faculty, four of whom are members of the National Academy of Sciences. Many faculty members do research that crosses disciplinary and sub-disciplinary lines, and we encourage students to do the same.
Undergraduate Program
The undergraduate program has three principle aims. It provides an interesting and imaginative course of study for those desiring a liberal, but rigorous, education and a better understanding of human biological and cultural experience through space and time. It provides a major for those interested in pursuing a graduate degree in anthropology or an advanced professional degree, such as medicine or law. It also provides a minor for students desiring an anthropological component to their general education in any department or college of the University. A minor in anthropology may supplement a professional degree in allied fields such as psychology, education, sociology, or biology or in certificate programs such as criminology and corrections, or international relations.
Graduation Requirements
All versions of the Anthropology major (including emphases) share the same basic features. Students must receive at least a “C” grade or better for the class to count in the major, including any classes from outside institutions. A minimum of 40 semester credit hours in Anthropology major classes are required, and at least 24 of the Anthropology major credits necessary for the degree must be completed at the University of Utah. In addition to the 40 hours of Anthropology major courses, students will take 12 Allied credits (Allied departments vary by emphasis). Students pursuing an Anthropology minor must complete at least 18 semester credit hours of Anthropology minor classes, and at least 12 semester credit hours in anthropology must be taken at the University of Utah. Students should check the specific classes necessary for the various Anthropology degrees in the course catalog.
Graduate Program
The graduate program encompasses the full breadth of anthropology, and programs leading to the M.A./M.S. or Ph.D. degree allow students to concentrate their study in one area of research specialization. This pattern enables students to become involved in research early in their graduate training and, at the same time provides considerable flexibility in the specific details of individual program development. Current research tracks include evolutionary ecology, biological anthropology, archaeology, and the evolution of culture, cognition, and behavior. Currently the faculty has substantial expertise in sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.
Admission Requirements
There are additional admission requirements for these programs. Please see degree pages for more information.
Fellowships and Assistantships
Contact the department office for information.