Anthropology, B.A. / B.S.

Anthropology is the bridge between the social sciences, humanities, and the natural sciences. Anthropological training encourages students to be adaptable and equipped with skills to successfully navigate the quickly evolving workforce. Anthropology teaches students to consider and understand the rationale for multiple perspectives and critically evaluate data.

Anthropology provides the training necessary that leads to the future:

Leverage diverse perspectives through effective communication.
Ethical and empathetic decision-maker.
Adaptable and curious learner.
Dedicated to serving communities.
Self-awareness of one's strengths, limitations, and biases.

What You'll Study

Anthropology provides a wealth of interdisciplinary knowledge that has direct application in a variety of career fields. Students develop research, analysis, and writing skills throughout the degree program. Course activities such as ethnographic writing, statistical analysis, and GIS mapping serve to provide students with many opportunities to hone and apply their analytical skills in real-world settings. In addition, anthropology students are encouraged to be intellectual leaders on campus by writing and presenting the results of their original research and attending professional anthropology conferences. As a result of completing the program, students position themselves to address the most challenging issues facing our world today.

The Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice offers both a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology.  All majors take an introductory course in anthropology, as well as coursework related to the major subfields of cultural and biological anthropology and archaeology, and an anthropological theory course.  A practicing anthropology requirement allows students to apply their classroom knowledge in the context of a study abroad trip, field school, faculty-guided research project, or similar hands-on experience.  Students also have the opportunity to select from a wide variety of elective courses offered by faculty from Clemson’s programs in anthropology, biology, and modern languages.  The curriculum for BS students includes additional courses in math and science, while BA students complete a four-semester sequence in a modern language and additional courses from the humanities and social sciences.  Regardless of the specific degree path chosen, the anthropology major will challenge students and enhance their understanding of human behavior in a variety of contexts.

As the discipline that bridges the gap between the sciences and the humanities, anthropology supports cross-cultural perspectives in a multitude of programs like marketing, management, industrial engineering, agriculture, nursing, health sciences, and PRTM. For information about the anthropology major or minor, please contact Dr. Mike Coggeshall or your academic advisor.

• ANTH 2010 Introduction to Anthropology
• Two of the following:
  • ANTH 3010 Cultural Anthropology
  • ANTH 3310 Archaeology
  • ANTH/BIOL 3510 Biological Anthropology
  • ANTH/LANG 3710 Language and Culture
• Nine additional hours of anthropology coursework, including at least three hours at the 4000-level