https://www.uvm.edu/cas/anthropology
The mission of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Vermont is to produce influential research in anthropology integrated with an outstanding undergraduate liberal arts education. Drawing on the interdisciplinary four-field tradition, which includes archaeological, biological, cultural and linguistic anthropologies, we emphasize strong training in contemporary anthropological theory, research methods, and ethical practices, with the goal of preparing students to think critically and act as engaged citizens for the common good. Together as students and faculty, our scholarly community mobilizes anthropological knowledge to address questions of culture and its role in a diverse and changing world. The department offers both B.A. and B.S. majors in Anthropology, with optional concentrations in Global Health and in Archaeology and Heritage Management.
Courses
ANTH 1010. Topics In: First-Year Seminar. 3 Credits.
Intensive first-year seminar focused on specific themes and/or disciplinary perspectives. Emphasis on developing critical reading and writing skills, substantive revision, information literacy, and analytical thinking. First-year seminars are frequently organized to meet one of the disciplinary Catamount Core requirements. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Catamount Core: S1, WIL1.
ANTH 1020. Topics In: LASP Writing. 3 Credits.
Intensive course in a broad disciplinary area (humanities, social sciences, arts, or natural sciences). Part of an integrated first-year experience in which students take 2-4 classes exploring aesthetic, humanistic, social, linguistic, environmental, or scientific issues. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Co-requisite: Enrollment in the appropriate Liberal Arts Scholars Program.
ANTH 1023. Topics In: LASP: Div & Sustain. 3 Credits.
Intensive course in a broad disciplinary area (humanities, social sciences, arts, or natural sciences). Part of an integrated first-year experience in which students take 2-4 classes exploring aesthetic, humanistic, social, linguistic, environmental, or scientific issues. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Co-requisite: Enrollment in the appropriate Liberal Arts Scholars Program. Catamount Core: D2, S1, SU.
ANTH 1025. Topics In: LASP Seminar. 3 Credits.
Intensive course in a broad disciplinary area (humanities, social sciences, arts, or natural sciences). Part of an integrated first-year experience in which students take 2-4 classes exploring aesthetic, humanistic, social, linguistic, environmental, or scientific issues. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Co-requisite: Enrollment in the appropriate Liberal Arts Scholars Program.
ANTH 1030. Topics in ANTH Div Human Exp. 3 Credits.
Explores introductory level topics in one or several of Anthropology's four subfields. Representative topics: Ruins; Archaeology and Media; Environment and Culture. May be repeated for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Catamount Core: D2, S1.
ANTH 1100. Cultural Anthropology. 3 Credits.
Introduction to cultural anthropology, using fieldwork-based concepts and methods to study diverse cultural views and practices, varied forms of social organization, and contemporary global issues. Catamount Core: D2, S1, SU.
ANTH 1140. Food and Culture. 3 Credits.
Examination of the cultivation, preparation, and consumption of food as rich symbolic processes through which humans interact with our natural and social environments. Catamount Core: AH3, D2.
ANTH 1190. Global Health Devel & Diversit. 3 Credits.
An anthropological exploration of connections between global health, economic development, and cultural diversity in contemporary times. Considers ways in which informed global citizens can make a positive difference in human health, taking socioeconomic and cultural diversity into account. Cross-listed with: HSOC 1700. Catamount Core: D2, GC1, SU.
ANTH 1400. Biological Anthropology. 3 Credits.
Introduction to the study of the evolution and physical variation of humanity from a biocultural perspective. Catamount Core: D2, N1.
ANTH 1470. Parenting and Childhood. 3 Credits.
Introduction to the anthropology of parenting and childhood from birth to adolescence. Both biological anthropological and cultural anthropological approaches are explored through a cross-cultural perspective.
ANTH 1600. Linguistic Anthropology. 3 Credits.
Introduction to linguistic anthropology, focusing on language and communication as they pertain to human culture and human social interaction. Catamount Core: D2, S1.
ANTH 1800. Archaeological Anthropology. 3 Credits.
Examination of the origins and development of culture from the earliest human fossils through the appearance of civilization; the nature of archaeological data and interpretations. Catamount Core: D2, S1, SU.
ANTH 1990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
ANTH 1991. Internship. 1-3 Credits.
On-site supervised work experience combined with a structured academic learning plan directed by a faculty member or a faculty-staff team in which a faculty member is the instructor of record, for which academic credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
ANTH 1993. Independent Study. 1-18 Credits.
A course which is tailored to fit the interests of a specific student, which occurs outside the traditional classroom/laboratory setting under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
ANTH 1995. Undergraduate Research. 1-18 Credits.
Undergraduate student work on individual or small team research projects under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
ANTH 2000. Introduction to the Major. 1 Credit.
Seminar-style introduction to the Anthropology major focusing on skill-building, course selection, internships, service learning, research or teaching assistantships, study abroad, fieldwork, senior projects/theses, and grant opportunities. Prerequisites: Anthropology major and one of the following: ANTH 1100, ANTH 1800, ANTH 1400, or ANTH 1600.
ANTH 2110. Topics in Cultural Anthro. 3 Credits.
Explores intermediate level topics in cultural anthropology. May be repeated for credit with different content. Sample topics include: Cultural Anthropology in the Media, Indigenous Cultures and Social Change, Economic Anthropology. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisite: ANTH 1100.
ANTH 2152. Environmental Anthropology. 3 Credits.
Introduction to how culture mediates human-environmental interactions. Topics include cultural, spiritual, and political ecology; forms of resource management; environmentalism; sustainable development; and environmental justice. Prerequisite: ANTH 1100, ANTH 1800, or Instructor permission. Cross-listed with: ENVS 2410. Catamount Core: D2, GC1, SU.
ANTH 2170. Culture, Health and Healing. 3 Credits.
Introduction to medical anthropology. Social and cultural perspectives on health and illness experiences, doctor-patient interactions, healing practices, and access to health and health care. Prerequisite: ANTH 1100 or ANTH 1190 or three hours of Sociology. Catamount Core: D2.
ANTH 2181. Aging in Cross-Cultural Persp. 3 Credits.
Aging from an anthropological perspective. Topics include exploration of biological and sociocultural aspects of human aging across the adult lifecycle in a variety of cultural groups. Prerequisite: ANTH 1100, ANTH 1400, or ANTH 1190. Catamount Core: D2, S1, WIL2.
ANTH 2191. Foundations of Global Health. 3 Credits.
Explores global health and global health challenges affecting people primarily in developing or resource-constrained countries. Prerequisite: Minimum Sophomore standing. Cross-listed with: HSCI 2100. Catamount Core: D2.
ANTH 2205. Gender Sex Race & the Body. 3 Credits.
Cross-cultural study of gender, sex, sexuality, and race including exploring the cultural construction of categories and cultural practices related to the body and gender, sex, sexuality, and race. Prerequisite: ANTH 1100, GSWS 1010, or GSWS 1500. Cross-listed with: GSWS 2715. Catamount Core: D2.
ANTH 2220. Political Anthropology. 3 Credits.
Exploration of the cultural aspects of political institutions, structures, and processes in societies from around the world. Prerequisite: ANTH 1100.
ANTH 2250. Race and Ethnicity. 3 Credits.
Description and analysis of ethnic, racial, and religious groups in the United States. Examination of social/cultural patterns in the larger society and in these groups themselves. Prerequisite: ANTH 1100. Cross-listed with: CRES 2851.
ANTH 2340. The Roma Holocaust. 3 Credits.
The Roma genocide is underrepresented in scholarly materials on the Holocaust and underrepresented or unknown in popular narratives of the Holocaust. Examines the experience of Europe's Roma people in the Holocaust, considering how it connects to earlier genocides and more recent forms of nationalist or racist hate directed at Roma. Prerequisites: ANTH 1100 or HST 1715.
ANTH 2410. Topics in Biological Anthro. 3 Credits.
Explores intermediate level topics in biological anthropology. May be repeated for credit with different content. Sample topics include: Bioarchaeology of Identities, Biological Anthropology of Race and Gender, Human Variation. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisite: ANTH 1400.
ANTH 2440. Primates and Anthropology. 3 Credits.
A survey of behavior and anatomy of nonhuman primates (monkeys, apes and prosimians) from an anthropological perspective. Prerequisite: ANTH 1100 or ANTH 1400. Catamount Core: WIL2.
ANTH 2610. Topics in Linguistic Anthro. 3 Credits.
Explores intermediate-level topics in linguistic anthropology. Sample topics include: Language, Peace, and Conflict; Languages of Asia. May be repeated for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisite: ANTH 1600 or LING 1500.
ANTH 2619. Humor and Language Play. 3 Credits.
Theory and methods for analysis of humor and language play within and across cultural contexts, with an emphasis on Linguistic Anthropological approaches to joking, language play, and humorous narratives in face to face and online interactions. Prerequisites: ANTH 1100, ANTH 1600, LING 1300, or LING 1500. Catamount Core: GC2, S1.
ANTH 2810. Topics in Archaeology. 3 Credits.
Explores intermediate level topics in archaeology. May be repeated for credit with different content. Sample topics include: Archaeology of Disaster, Ruins, Archaeology in the Media. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisite: ANTH 1800.
ANTH 2825. Anthro Applications of GIS. 3 Credits.
Explores the uses of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for understanding spatial relationships, with a specific focus on its uses within archaeological anthropology. Course includes theoretical overview and hands-on practicum opportunities. Credit not awarded for both ANTH 2825 and GEOG 2510 or NR 2430. Prerequisites: ANTH 1800, three credits in Anthropology at the 2000-level.
ANTH 2860. Preserving the Past. 3 Credits.
Explores approaches to cultural heritage worldwide and the political, economic, and legal contexts that influence the preservation and destruction of cultural resources such as archaeological sites and architecture. Prerequisite: ANTH 1100 or ANTH 1800. Catamount Core: GC1.
ANTH 2894. Indians of the NE: Vermont. 3 Credits.
Native peoples of Vermont from their earliest appearance in the region until today. Archaeological and ethnographic data reviewed in the broader perspective of aboriginal Northeastern cultural history. Prerequisite: ANTH 1100 or ANTH 1800. Cross-listed with: CRES 2853. Catamount Core: D1.
ANTH 2895. Prehistory of the US Southwest. 3 Credits.
Archaeological overview of the American Southwest, from the peopling of the New World to European contact in the sixteenth century. Prerequisite: ANTH 1800.
ANTH 2910. Europe:Neanderthals-Stonehenge. 3 Credits.
Traces the prehistory of Europe from the first hominids to set foot on the continent up through the earliest literate societies. Explores prehistoric developments such as the emergence of domestication, agriculture, and metallurgy; the florescence of regional artistic and ritual/religious traditions; and the development of socially-stratified, state-level societies. Prerequisites: ANTH 1800 or ANTH 1400.
ANTH 2930. Hunters and Gatherers. 3 Credits.
Explores how the category hunter-gatherer has been studied over the years by anthropologists and archaeologists as a form of human social organization. The range of behavioral variation that exists among living and sub-recent hunter-gatherer groups will be discussed, along with the utility of this information, and the various stakeholder issues facing modern hunter-gatherers today. Prerequisite: ANTH 1100 or ANTH 1800. Cross-listed with: ENVS 2412.
ANTH 2990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
ANTH 2991. Internship. 1-18 Credits.
On-site supervised work experience combined with a structured academic learning plan directed by a faculty member or a faculty-staff team in which a faculty member is the instructor of record, for which academic credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
ANTH 2993. Independent Study. 1-18 Credits.
A course which is tailored to fit the interests of a specific student, which occurs outside the traditional classroom/laboratory setting under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
ANTH 2994. Teaching Assistantship. 1-3 Credits.
Undergraduate student service as a teaching assistant, usually in an introductory level course in the discipline, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
ANTH 2995. Undergraduate Research. 1-18 Credits.
Undergraduate student work on individual or small team research projects under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
ANTH 3000. Advanced Proseminar in Anthro. 1 Credit.
Designed to be taken in conjunction with any 3000-level class, this capstone pro-seminar in Anthropology will provide a forum for majors to build and package anthropological skill sets and to identify, explore, and plan for future educational and career opportunities. Prerequisites: Anthropology major; minimum Junior standing. Pre/co-requisite: Any three-credit 3000-level Anthropology course.
ANTH 3070. Anthropology of Islands. 3 Credits.
Examines role of islands in anthropological understandings of human history and culture. Focuses on how historical and contemporary studies of island populations have led to insights on topics ranging from human evolution, environmental adaptation, migration, and socio-economic interactions to colonialism, tourism, and identity. Prerequisites: ANTH 1100 or ANTH 1800; one 2000-level Anthropology course. Catamount Core: GC1.
ANTH 3115. Museum Anthropology. 3 Credits.
The cultural context of selected archaeological and ethnographic collections at Fleming Museum; cataloguing, conservation, research, and interpretation of objects. Includes ethics of museum collections and exhibitions. Applied work includes curation, exhibit design and creating museum texts. Prerequisites: Three credits in Anthropology at the 2000-level; Anthropology major or minor; minimum Sophomore standing. Catamount Core: S1, WIL2.
ANTH 3130. Ethnographic Field Methods. 3 Credits.
Examination of theoretical and ethical premises of field work methodology with practical experience in research design, proposal writing, participant observation, interviewing, and qualitative data analysis. Prerequisite: ANTH 1100, one course at the 2000-level in cultural anthropology.
ANTH 3145. Anthropology of Food and Labor. 3 Credits.
Unpacks the political, cultural, and economic dimensions of both local and global food systems through an investigation of the ways in which people work through, around, and with food in the public sphere. Prerequisites: ANTH 1100; one course at the 2000-level in cultural anthropology. Catamount Core: WIL2.
ANTH 3192. Anthro Research Global Health. 3 Credits.
Examines core concepts, approaches, and findings of discipline of medical anthropology in examining problems of global health in resource-poor settings and considers the contributions of anthropology to interdisciplinary global health research. Trains students in critical review of related scholarly literature, research design, and proposal writing. Prerequisites: ANTH 1100 or ANTH 1400 or ANTH 1190; ANTH 2191 or ANTH 2170.
ANTH 3560. Human Osteology. 0 or 4 Credits.
An exploration of the human skeleton as a means of reconstructing past lives both at the level of individuals (forensics) and populations (archaeology and bioarchaeology). Prerequisites: ANTH 1800, ANTH 1400, one 2000-level Anthropology course in archaeology or biological anthropology, or Instructor permission.
ANTH 3820. Archaeological Theory. 3 Credits.
Development of archaeology from the nineteenth century to the present including concepts of form, space and time, intellectual attitudes, current systems theory, and research strategies. Prerequisites: ANTH 1800 and one 2000-level Anthropology course; or HP 5201; or Historic Preservation Graduate student. Catamount Core: WIL2.
ANTH 3832. Topics in Lab Archaeology. 3 Credits.
Exploration of laboratory methods for analyzing excavated materials, such as ceramics, chipped stone, or fauna. May be repeated for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisites: ANTH 1800, one 2000-level course in Anthropology.
ANTH 3965. Field Work in Archaeology. 1-6 Credits.
Methods and techniques of archaeological investigation in field situations and the laboratory analysis of data. Periodic UVM offering that may occur at intervals longer than four years. Also utilized to transfer prior coursework from other institutions. Prerequisites: ANTH 1800, and one 2000-level course in Anthropology or History, or Instructor permission.
ANTH 3990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles. Prerequisites: ANTH 1100, one 2000-level course.
ANTH 4990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles. Prerequisites: ANTH 1100, one 2000-level course.
ANTH 4991. Internship. 1-18 Credits.
On-site supervised work experience combined with a structured academic learning plan directed by a faculty member or a faculty-staff team in which a faculty member is the instructor of record, for which academic credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
ANTH 4993. Independent Study. 1-18 Credits.
A course which is tailored to fit the interests of a specific student, which occurs outside the traditional classroom/laboratory setting under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
ANTH 4994. Teaching Assistantship. 1-3 Credits.
Undergraduate student service as a teaching assistant, usually in an introductory level course in the discipline, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
ANTH 4995. Undergraduate Research. 1-18 Credits.
Undergraduate student work on individual or small team research projects under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisite: Minimum Junior standing; Instructor permission.
ANTH 4996. Honors. 1-6 Credits.
College honors thesis or other department/program honors, under the supervision of a faculty member. Offered at department discretion.