Anthropology
Office: Sturm Hall, Room 146
Mail Code: 2000 E. Asbury Ave., Denver, CO 80208
Phone: 303-871-2406
Email: anthropology@du.edu
Web Site: http://www.du.edu/ahss/anthropology
The department of anthropology has a research-active faculty that works closely with students in developing their academic and professional interests on a one-on-one basis, in classes, the field, archaeology and ethnographic labs, and the Museum of Anthropology.
Anthropology is the study of human cultural and biological diversity across time and space. It is an interdisciplinary field concerned with topics that cross-cut the natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. In the words of the American cultural anthropologist Alfred Kroeber: "Anthropology is the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities."
There are three basic options for construction of a master’s degree in anthropology: archaeology, cultural anthropology, and museum and heritage studies. Each concentration has its own formal course work, independent study and requirements for graduation.
Master or Arts in Anthropology with a Concentration in Archaeology
Degree and GPA Requirements
- Bachelor's degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.
- Grade point average: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree. An earned master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution supersedes the minimum standards for the baccalaureate. For applicants with graduate coursework but who have not earned a master’s degree or higher, the GPA from the graduate work may be used to meet the requirement. The minimum GPA is a cumulative 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all graduate coursework undertaken.
- Program GPA requirement: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for this program is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
English Language Proficiency Test Score Requirements
The minimum TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test score requirements for this degree program are:
- Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80
- Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5
- Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176
- Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115
English Conditional Admission: No, this program does not offer English Conditional Admission.
Master of Arts in Anthropology with a Concentration in Archaeology
Degree and GPA Requirements
- Bachelor's degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.
- Grade point average: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree. An earned master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution supersedes the minimum standards for the baccalaureate. For applicants with graduate coursework but who have not earned a master’s degree or higher, the GPA from the graduate work may be used to meet the requirement. The minimum GPA is a cumulative 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all graduate coursework undertaken.
- Program GPA requirement: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for this program is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
English Language Proficiency Test Score Requirements
The minimum TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test score requirements for this degree program are:
- Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80
- Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5
- Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176
- Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115
English Conditional Admission: No, this program does not offer English Conditional Admission.
Master of Arts in Anthropology with a Concentration in Cultural Anthropology
Degree and GPA Requirements
- Bachelor's degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.
- Grade point average: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree. An earned master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution supersedes the minimum standards for the baccalaureate. For applicants with graduate coursework but who have not earned a master’s degree or higher, the GPA from the graduate work may be used to meet the requirement. The minimum GPA is a cumulative 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all graduate coursework undertaken.
- Program GPA requirement: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for this program is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
English Language Proficiency Test Score Requirements
The minimum TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test score requirements for this degree program are:
- Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80
- Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5
- Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176
- Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115
English Conditional Admission: No, this program does not offer English Conditional Admission.
Master of Arts in Anthropology with a Concentration in Museum & Heritage Studies
Degree and GPA Requirements
- Bachelor's degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.
- Grade point average: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree. An earned master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution supersedes the minimum standards for the baccalaureate. For applicants with graduate coursework but who have not earned a master’s degree or higher, the GPA from the graduate work may be used to meet the requirement. The minimum GPA is a cumulative 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all graduate coursework undertaken.
- Program GPA requirement: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for this program is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
English Language Proficiency Test Score Requirements
The minimum TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test score requirements for this degree program are:
- Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80
- Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5
- Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176
- Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115
English Conditional Admission: No, this program does not offer English Conditional Admission.
Master of Arts in Anthropology with a Concentration in Archaeology
TRACK: Thesis
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses: | 16 | |
Archaeological Method and Theory | ||
Anthropological Theory and Context | ||
Advanced Anthropology | ||
Select at least one of the following Archaeology Courses: | 4 | |
Applied Heritage Management | ||
Geoarchaeology | ||
Historical Archaeology: Theory and Method | ||
Select one Cultural Anthropology Course: | 4 | |
Native Religions | ||
Digital Anthropology | ||
Anthropologies of Place | ||
Cultural Narratives | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Memory and Memorialization | ||
Feasting, Fasting and Food: The Anthropology of Food | ||
Human Rights in Latin America | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Indigenous Environment | ||
Medical Anthropology | ||
Human Rights of Indg Peoples | ||
Social Inequalities and Social Justice in Latin America | ||
Applied Anthropology | ||
The Nature of Language | ||
Topics in Anthropology | ||
Ethnographic Methods | ||
Culture, Ecology, Adaptation | ||
Context of Material Culture | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Native North America | ||
Human Rights in Latin America | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Medical Anthropology | ||
Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Women | ||
Sex, Class and Race in Latin America | ||
Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
Select one Museum Course: | 4 | |
Digital Anthropology | ||
Anthropologies of Place | ||
Cultural Narratives | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Applied Heritage Management | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
City and Society | ||
Museums and their Visitors | ||
Topics in Anthropology | ||
Museum Exhibit Development | ||
Managing Collections | ||
Critical Perspectives in Museum Studies | ||
Context of Material Culture | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
Museum Anthropology | ||
Select Electives | 20 | |
Total Credits | 48 |
Minimum number of credits required for the degree: 48
Additional Course Requirements
- Maximum 12 quarter hours outside of ANTH prefix
- Maximum 8 quarter hours of ANTH 4991 Independent Study AND/OR ANTH 4995 Independent Research
- Must have completed Field School, Field Methods Course, or professional experience approved by advisor or graduate director
Additional Degree Requirements
- Maximum of 10 hours of transfer work
- Minimum GPA: 3.0
Non-Course Requirements
- Advancement to candidacy
- Oral defense
- Thesis
- Qualifying examination
- Three quarters residency as a graduate student at DU
TRACK: Master’s Paper
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses: | 16 | |
Archaeological Method and Theory | ||
Anthropological Theory and Context | ||
Advanced Anthropology | ||
Select at least one of the following Archaeology Courses: | 4 | |
Applied Heritage Management | ||
Geoarchaeology | ||
Historical Archaeology: Theory and Method | ||
Select one of the following Cultural Anthropology Courses: | 4 | |
Native Religions | ||
Digital Anthropology | ||
Anthropologies of Place | ||
Cultural Narratives | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Memory and Memorialization | ||
Feasting, Fasting and Food: The Anthropology of Food | ||
Human Rights in Latin America | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Indigenous Environment | ||
Medical Anthropology | ||
Human Rights of Indg Peoples | ||
Social Inequalities and Social Justice in Latin America | ||
Applied Anthropology | ||
City and Society | ||
The Nature of Language | ||
Ethnoarchaeology | ||
Topics in Anthropology | ||
Ethnographic Methods | ||
Culture, Ecology, Adaptation | ||
Context of Material Culture | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Native North America | ||
Human Rights in Latin America | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Medical Anthropology | ||
Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Women | ||
Sex, Class and Race in Latin America | ||
Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
Select one of the following Museum and Heritage Studies Courses: | 4 | |
Digital Anthropology | ||
Anthropologies of Place | ||
Cultural Narratives | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Memory and Memorialization | ||
Applied Heritage Management | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
City and Society | ||
Museums and their Visitors | ||
Topics in Anthropology | ||
Museum Exhibit Development | ||
Managing Collections | ||
Critical Perspectives in Museum Studies | ||
Context of Material Culture | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
Museum Anthropology | ||
Select Electives | 32 | |
Total Credits | 60 |
Minimum number of credits required for the degree: 60
Additional Course Requirements
- Maximum 12 quarter hours outside of ANTH prefix
- Maximum 8 quarter hours of ANTH 4991 Independent Study AND/OR ANTH 4995 Independent Research
- Must have completed a Field School or Field Methods Course approved by advisor or Graduate Director
Additional Degree Requirements
- Maximum of 10 hours of transfer work
- Minimum GPA: 3.0
Non-Course Requirements
- Advancement to candidacy
- Master’s paper
- Qualifying examination
- Three-quarters residency as a graduate student at DU
Master of Arts in Anthropology with a Concentration in Cultural Anthropology
TRACK: Thesis
Degree requirements
Course requirements
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses: | 12 | |
Anthropological Theory and Context | ||
Ethnographic Methods | ||
Advanced Anthropology | ||
Select four of the following Cultural Anthropology Courses: | 20 | |
Native Religions | ||
Digital Anthropology | ||
Anthropologies of Place | ||
Cultural Narratives | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Memory and Memorialization | ||
Feasting, Fasting and Food: The Anthropology of Food | ||
Human Rights in Latin America | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Indigenous Environment | ||
Medical Anthropology | ||
Human Rights of Indg Peoples | ||
Social Inequalities and Social Justice in Latin America | ||
Applied Anthropology | ||
City and Society | ||
The Nature of Language | ||
Ethnoarchaeology | ||
Topics in Anthropology | ||
Culture, Ecology, Adaptation | ||
Context of Material Culture | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Human Rights in Latin America | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Medical Anthropology | ||
Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Women | ||
Sex, Class and Race in Latin America | ||
Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
Select one of the following Archaeologoy Courses: | 4 | |
Digital Anthropology | ||
Anthropologies of Place | ||
Cultural Narratives | ||
Memory and Memorialization | ||
The Archaeology of Gender | ||
Applied Heritage Management | ||
Ancient North America | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Indigenous Environment | ||
Latin American Archaeology | ||
Geoarchaeology | ||
City and Society | ||
The Ancient City | ||
Ethnoarchaeology | ||
Archaeological Method and Theory | ||
Topics in Anthropology | ||
Managing Collections | ||
Field Methods in Archaeology | ||
Culture, Ecology, Adaptation | ||
Context of Material Culture | ||
Summer Field School-Archaeology | ||
Historical Archaeology: Theory and Method | ||
Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
Select one of the following Museum & Heritage Studies Courses: | 4 | |
Digital Anthropology | ||
Anthropologies of Place | ||
Cultural Narratives | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Memory and Memorialization | ||
Applied Heritage Management | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
City and Society | ||
Museums and their Visitors | ||
Topics in Anthropology | ||
Museum Exhibit Development | ||
Managing Collections | ||
Critical Perspectives in Museum Studies | ||
Context of Material Culture | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
Museum Anthropology | ||
Select Electives | 8 | |
Total Credits | 48 |
Minimum number of credits required for the degree: 48
Additional Degree Requirements
- Maximum of 10 hours of transfer work
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
- Minimum grade for individual courses counted toward degree: B
Additional Course Requirements
- Maximum of 12 quarter hours outside of ANTH prefix
- Maximum 8 quarter hours of ANTH 4991 Independent Study AND/OR ANTH 4995 Independent Research
- Students must take at least half of their courses in cultural anthropology
Non-course requirements
- Advancement to candidacy
- Thesis
- Oral examination
- Qualifying examination
- Three quarters of residency as a graduate student at the University of Denver
TRACK: Master’s Paper
Degree requirements
Course requirements
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses: | 12 | |
Anthropological Theory and Context | ||
Ethnographic Methods | ||
Advanced Anthropology | ||
Select four of the following Cultural Anthropology courses: | 26 | |
Native Religions | ||
Digital Anthropology | ||
Anthropologies of Place | ||
Cultural Narratives | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Memory and Memorialization | ||
Feasting, Fasting and Food: The Anthropology of Food | ||
Human Rights in Latin America | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Indigenous Environment | ||
Medical Anthropology | ||
Human Rights of Indg Peoples | ||
Social Inequalities and Social Justice in Latin America | ||
Applied Anthropology | ||
City and Society | ||
The Nature of Language | ||
Ethnoarchaeology | ||
Topics in Anthropology | ||
Culture, Ecology, Adaptation | ||
Context of Material Culture | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Human Rights in Latin America | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Medical Anthropology | ||
Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Women | ||
Sex, Class and Race in Latin America | ||
Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
Select one of the following Archaeology Courses: | 4 | |
Digital Anthropology | ||
Anthropologies of Place | ||
Cultural Narratives | ||
Memory and Memorialization | ||
The Archaeology of Gender | ||
Applied Heritage Management | ||
Ancient North America | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Indigenous Environment | ||
Latin American Archaeology | ||
Geoarchaeology | ||
City and Society | ||
The Ancient City | ||
Ethnoarchaeology | ||
Archaeological Method and Theory | ||
Topics in Anthropology | ||
Managing Collections | ||
Field Methods in Archaeology | ||
Culture, Ecology, Adaptation | ||
Context of Material Culture | ||
Summer Field School-Archaeology | ||
Historical Archaeology: Theory and Method | ||
Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
Select one of the following Museum & Heritage Studies Courses: | 4 | |
Digital Anthropology | ||
Anthropologies of Place | ||
Cultural Narratives | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Memory and Memorialization | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
City and Society | ||
Museums and their Visitors | ||
Topics in Anthropology | ||
Museum Exhibit Development | ||
Managing Collections | ||
Critical Perspectives in Museum Studies | ||
Context of Material Culture | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
Museum Anthropology | ||
Select Electives: | 14 | |
Total Credits | 60 |
Minimum number of credits required for the degree: 60
Additional Degree Requirements
- Maximum of 10 hours of transfer work
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
- Minimum grade for individual courses counted toward degree: B
Additional Course Requirements
- Maximum 12 quarter hours outside of ANTH prefix
- Maximum 8 quarter hours of
- Maximum 8 quarter hours of ANTH 4991 Independent Study AND/OR ANTH 4995 Independent Research
- Students must take at least half of their courses in cultural anthropology course work.
Non-course requirements
- Advancement to candidacy
- Master's paper
- Qualifying examination
- Three quarters of residency as a graduate student at the University of Denver
Master of Arts in Anthropology with a Concentration in Museum and Heritage Studies
TRACK: Thesis
Degree requirements
Course requirements
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses: | 12 | |
Anthropological Theory and Context | ||
Advanced Anthropology | ||
Museum Anthropology | ||
One of the following ANTH Courses: | 4 | |
Ethnographic Methods | ||
Archaeological Method and Theory | ||
Select six of the following Museum and Heritage Studies Courses: | 24 | |
Anthropologies of Place | ||
Cultural Narratives | ||
Memory and Memorialization | ||
Applied Heritage Management 1 | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
City and Society | ||
Ethnoarchaeology | ||
Museums and their Visitors 1 | ||
Topics in Anthropology | ||
Museum Exhibit Development 1 | ||
Managing Collections 1 | ||
Critical Perspectives in Museum Studies | ||
Context of Material Culture | ||
Historical Archaeology: Theory and Method | ||
Museum Anthropology | ||
Independent Study | ||
Independent Research | ||
Museum Practicum 1 | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Electives: 2 | 8 | |
Total Credits | 48 |
- 1
Class is applied/practice oriented course. Students are limited to taking no more than three of these classes (12 credits) to count toward their requirements.
- 2
Electives to be taken inside the department, outside the department, or as internship
Minimum number of credits required for the degree: 48
Additional Degree Requirements
- Maximum of 10 hours of transfer work
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
Additional Course Requirements
- Maximum 12 quarter hours outside of ANTH prefix
- Maximum 8 quarter hours of ANTH 4991 Independent Study AND/OR ANTH 4995 Independent Research
Non-course requirements
- Advancement to candidacy
- Thesis
- Oral examination
- Qualifying examination
- Internship, field school, or fieldwork (internship can be taken for credit as ANTH 4981 Museum Internship)
TRACK: Master’s Paper
Degree requirements
Course requirements
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses: | 12 | |
Anthropological Theory and Context | ||
Advanced Anthropology | ||
Museum Anthropology | ||
One of the following ANTH Courses: | 4 | |
Ethnographic Methods | ||
Archaeological Method and Theory | ||
Select six of the following Museum and Heritage Studies Courses: | 24 | |
Anthropologies of Place | ||
Cultural Narratives | ||
Memory and Memorialization | ||
Applied Heritage Management 1 | ||
Art and Anthropology | ||
City and Society | ||
Ethnoarchaeology | ||
Museums and their Visitors 1 | ||
Topics in Anthropology | ||
Museum Exhibit Development 1 | ||
Managing Collections 1 | ||
Critical Perspectives in Museum Studies | ||
Context of Material Culture | ||
Historical Archaeology: Theory and Method | ||
Museum Anthropology | ||
Independent Study | ||
Independent Research | ||
Museum Practicum 1 | ||
Folklore and Cultural Heritage | ||
Electives: 2 | 20 | |
Total Credits | 60 |
- 1
Class is applied/practice oriented course. Students are limited to taking no more than three of these classes (12 credits) to count toward their requirements.
- 2
Electives can be taken inside the department, outside the department, or as internship
Minimum number of credits required for the degree: 60
Additional Degree Requirements
- Maximum of 10 hours of transfer work
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
Additional Course Requirements
- Maximum 12 quarter hours outside of ANTH prefix
- Maximum 8 quarter hours of ANTH 4991 Independent Study AND/OR ANTH 4995 Independent Research
Non-course requirements
- Advancement to candidacy
- Master's paper
- Qualifying examination
- Internship (can be taken for credit as ANTH 4981 Museum Internship)
ANTH 3001 Race, Sex and Evolution (4 Credits)
The course examines the paleoanthropology of race and sex. Our focus is on the nature and evolution of human racial differences, sexual anatomy, reproductive strategies, and gender roles. We will consider the history of thinking about race and sex in anthropology and related disciplines, and the uses to which particular conceptions have been put in our culture. We will discuss and evaluate alternative models for explaining the evolution of alleged biological and behavioral differences between racial groups and between men and women. Evaluation will proceed in light of evolutionary theory, comparative primate anatomy and behavior, the human fossil record, and general anthropological knowledge. Our aim is to examine myth and reality in popular and scientific understandings of these aspects of the human condition and, in the end, the social and political (i.e., policy) consequences of this knowledge.
Enforced Prerequisites and Restrictions: ANTH 2105.
ANTH 3020 Native Religions (4 Credits)
A cross-cultural survey of concepts used to understand and talk about "religion," "the supernatural," and associated behavior among Native peoples of Turtle Island. Topics include healing and techniques of controlling and channeling supernatural power; sacred places and their significance; myths and symbols in their cultural contexts; initiation rites; conceptualizations of male and female deities; and responses of indigenous people to attempted missionization.
ANTH 3030 Digital Anthropology (4 Credits)
Digital Anthropology introduces students to computer technology used in anthropological research. Students study and then produce a number of digital products useful in the analysis and interpretation of museum collections, for archaeological mapping and research, and for the dissemination of anthropological knowledge online. This process covers the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for spatial analysis, three-dimensional imaging programs ranging in scale from broad landscape mapping to detailed digital artifact analysis. In addition, the use of geophysical methods for imaging what is below the surface allows students to produce images of what lies below the ground in archaeological contexts.
ANTH 3040 Anthropologies of Place (4 Credits)
This class is an exploration of the relationship between people and places from an anthropological viewpoint. We concern ourselves with a variety of ideas about place, emphasizing not just how places are used, but how they infuse themselves into the lives, histories and ethics of those who interact with them. The course readings include book-length anthropological case studies interspersed with interdisciplinary readings about place and landscape. The course includes seminar-style discussions of readings, workshops and observations in the field. On several occasions, we take our class on the road, working together to think about how people and place interact. By the end of the class, each student creates his or her own anthropology of a place. Must be junior standing or above.
ANTH 3060 Cultural Narratives (4 Credits)
Human beings are natural storytellers. Whether reciting oral traditions or recounting personal experience, people everywhere use narratives as a way to express and to understand themselves. This course approaches cultural narratives from two angles. First, it explores the ways that anthropologists, usually trained in the social sciences, make use of and study narratives, whether through ethnographic observation, conducting an interview, gathering folklore or archaeological interpretation. Second, the class investigates narratives that, although produced by non-anthropologists, engage with anthropological issues such as kinship, gender, work, tradition and identity. The narratives range broadly from fiction, to poetry, to film. These two approaches are framed by theoretically informed readings about narrativity, both from the social sciences and the humanities. The class involves intensive reading and writing, as it makes use of both discussion and workshop formats. Each student in the course completes a research and writing project culminating in his or her own cultural narrative. Must be junior standing or above.
ANTH 3070 Folklore and Cultural Heritage (4 Credits)
Folklore and Cultural Heritage is the study of the expressive behaviors and practices that constitute the ordinary, everyday life of communities. Folklore includes the intangible cultural heritages of all peoples, for example, the artistic expression reflected in stories and storytelling, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, dialects and ways of speaking. Everyone has folklore and participates in the "folklore process." Prerequisite: introductory social science course. Cross-listed with ANTH 4070.
ANTH 3080 Memory and Memorialization (4 Credits)
The course focuses on how social groups represent, experience and commemorate the remembered past; it explores issues of construction of memory, particularly how representations of the past- and its materialization through monuments, ruins, and landscapes- are connected with issues of institutionalized perceptions of national, ethnic, racial and religious identity. Furthermore, it discusses concepts such as "authenticity," "tradition," and "modernity" in the interpretation of cultural heritage and how the interpretation of the past and of culture depend on context (political and historical), experience and point of view. The course aims to develop an interdisciplinary approach to memory and to methodologies and empirical research.
ANTH 3090 God and Giving? Religion and Philanthropy in America (4 Credits)
This course is cross-listed with JUST 3090 and RLGS 3090. The United States is notable for its high levels of religious participation and for its well-established and rapidly expanding nonprofit sector. In this course, we will explore these phenomena from a variety of disciplinary perspectives including anthropology, history, and religious studies in order to understand the intersections of religion and philanthropy. By looking at religious ideologies, social theory, and legal and economic contexts, we will consider how religion, government, and philanthropy shape and are shaped by one another. We will examine a number of case studies including faith responses to Hurricane Katrina, the history of philanthropy in Denver, and U.S.-based religious global giving. We will explore key questions regarding community and social responsibility and ask which actors get to define key societal problems and who is ultimately responsible for responding to these problems.
ANTH 3130 The Archaeology of Gender (4 Credits)
This course examines the ways archaeology can contribute to the study of gender through investigations of the deep through recent past. The class will include readings on gender theory, the uses of archaeological data and specific case studies of engendered lives in the past. Cross listed with GWST 3130.
ANTH 3135 Feasting, Fasting and Food: The Anthropology of Food (4 Credits)
Feasting, Fasting and Food focuses on foodways and food culture. Food and its acquisition and preparation are tied to the historical, social and cultural lives of all peoples. By drawing on historical sources, ethnography and a number of anthropological perspectives, we look at foodways as symbols of identify, culinary tourism, food work as trade or profession, the study of food as art and theater, and food and memory. Prerequisite: ANTH 2010.
ANTH 3155 Native American Resistance in the Digital Age (4 Credits)
Since Europeans first made contact with the Americas five centuries ago, depictions of indigenous peoples have largely been created by and for the colonizers. Only recently have native activists begun to take back control of their image. The course begins with the premise that indigenous peoples have been active producers of their own cultural heritage both before and after European expansion into the Americas. A postcolonial approach will be used to evaluate resistance from a historical standpoint, starting with the colonial period and into the twenty-first century. Primary attention will be placed on the late twentieth century and twenty-first century to better understand how indigenous filmmakers, curators, scientists, healers, artists, and scholars use indigenous knowledge systems to contest Western conceptions of authority. Specific topics include indigenous film and media; indigenous feminisms; the use of indigenous perspectives in natural resource management; indigenous voices in the decolonization of museums; and the role indigenous communities play in educating the public of long-lived environmental contamination of water and other natural resources. The course will be designed to explore the voice and agency of indigenous peoples in each of the aforementioned fields, and to teach the validity of indigenous perspectives. While students will be introduced to indigenous case studies from around the world, primary attention will be given to Native American tribal groups in the United States. Prerequisite: Any ANTH 1000-level course.
ANTH 3170 Applied Heritage Management (4 Credits)
Considers the role of archaeology in preservation and the management of cultural resources in terms of legislation, ethics and practical application, with emphasis of the utility, necessity and reality of doing archaeology today in the public sector. Site report writing, governmental regulations and the business side of archaeology are stressed. Archaeological information from site reports and artifact analysis are compiled and presented in a digital format. Prerequisite: ANTH 2310.
ANTH 3200 Human Origins and Evolution (4 Credits)
Examines the fossil record for human evolution from 6 million years ago to the origin of modern Homo sapiens, including current theories, evidence and controversies. Considers the historical and sociological contexts of human evolutionary studies, popular myths and misconceptions, and alternative scenarios for the future evolution of the human species.
ANTH 3225 Human Rights in Latin America (4 Credits)
This course aims to provide students with an overview of human rights issues and how they have evolved in recent Latin American history, from the military dictatorships of the authoritarian period to contemporary challenges faced in the region’s democracies. It also aims to place human rights concerns in a broader sociopolitical context. Many of today’s human rights issues are rooted in the past, but others respond to new and emerging challenges. In this class, we will explore the roots and contemporary realities of human rights movements in Latin America. The examination of these topics should allow us to pose broader questions about the meaning of human rights in a globalized world, the efficacy of international instruments for rights enforcement, and the complex challenges that linger in the aftermath of authoritarianism and state-sponsored terror.
ANTH 3255 Ancient North America (4 Credits)
This course examines the history of American Indian cultures from their earliest archaeological traces on this continent up to and including contact with European explorers and colonists.
ANTH 3290 Art and Anthropology (4 Credits)
Study of the concept of art and its multiple roles in society from a cross-cultural and historical perspective. Commodification of culture through tourism and the global art market; arts of resistance and survival; and cultural expression and community development.
ANTH 3310 Indigenous Environment (4 Credits)
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to particular environmental issues that affect indigenous peoples, including subsistence and economic issues; sacred lands; cultural property dilemmas; and the impact that use of traditional cultural properties by others--including nation-state governments, corporations and tourists--have on indigenous peoples' cultural and social integrity. Particular focus is on one of these issues--travel and particularly "ecotravel" and "ecotourism.
ANTH 3320 Medical Anthropology (4 Credits)
This course is an introduction to medical anthropology. As a professional and academic field, medical anthropology provides conceptual and analytical tools for a comprehensive understanding of health, illness and healing. It is concerned with the ways in which individual experience is inserted in social and historical contexts and it explores ideas and behaviors related to health in different societies and social groups, as well as the ways in which different groups organize their resources to face health-related needs in the context of their social and economic realities.
ANTH 3330 Human Rights of Indg Peoples (4 Credits)
This course introduces students to the concept and definition of "indigenous peoples." It covers the history of resistance, revitalization, and assertion of sovereignty by Indigenous peoples, and why the United Nations felt it necessary to adopt a "Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" in 2007. It covers how indigenous identities and indigenous rights issues do or do not "fit" with internationally accepted definitions of human rights. The course will concentrate on the intersection of indigenous autonomy with globalization, neo-liberal ideologies, and nation-state policies. Case studies focus on Iroquois, Crees, Mayans, Mapuche, Zapatistas, Maoris, and Sami.
ANTH 3350 Latin American Archaeology (4 Credits)
Covers the prehistory of the Western Hemisphere south of the Mexico-U.S. border, from initial colonization of the hemisphere by Paleo-Indian people, to the origins of agriculture and the rise of civilization. Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, Chavin, Moche and Inca cultures are covered in detail.
ANTH 3370 Social Inequalities and Social Justice in Latin America (4 Credits)
This course uses an intersectional approach to the study of gender, class and ethnicity in Latin America. Intersectionality aims at understanding the interlocking relation between these and other variables, how they are rooted in historical and social structures, and are reproduced and resisted through individual and collective experience. The course aims at understanding history, culture and peoples with a special emphasis on examining their heterogeneity, and how such heterogeneity is also related to social inequality. It examines contemporary issues such as women and LGBTQ+ rights, Indigenous movements, human rights, migrations, and economics from the perspective of intersectionality.
ANTH 3390 Geoarchaeology (4 Credits)
Use of geological methods to interpret archaeological sites, ancient landscape reconstruction, study of environmental change and habitation.
ANTH 3470 Applied Anthropology (4 Credits)
The practical application of cross-cultural knowledge and awareness to the solution of social and cultural problems. Ethnographic methodologies, a review of the history of applied anthropology and a consideration of the ideological and ethical components of applied anthropology are covered.
ANTH 3500 City and Society (4 Credits)
Examines the recent past and future of the city as a human built environment that reflects and reproduces social, political, economic, and cultural forces and ideals. Begins with the origin of 'modern' cities in the 19th century and ends with contemporary urban landscapes. Analysis is focused on both the technologies (physical qualities) and aesthetics of urban form. Emphasis is on re-imagining urban design to meet the social equity, cultural diversity, and environmental sustainability challenges of 21st century city life.
ANTH 3510 The Ancient City (4 Credits)
The archaeological study of ancient cities around the world is a booming and controversial area of research. This course investigates what we know about the nature of the earliest cities in the great original cradles of civilization: Mesopotamia, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Our focus is on how the first cities were planned, built, and experienced by citizens.
ANTH 3540 The Nature of Language (4 Credits)
Language as social, psychological, cultural phenomenon; relationship between cultures, semantics; language as medium of cultural unification; relationship between dialects, social structure.
ANTH 3620 Ethnoarchaeology (4 Credits)
Ethnography has often been used as an illustrative device to animate archaeological remains, or to develop models of human behavior, regardless of the geographic and chronological distance between the ethnographic and the archaeological data. This course addresses different perspectives and theories concerning the use of ethnoarchaeology to complement archaeological information. It aims to define the role of ethnoarchaeology in the study of human past; to establish an agenda of issues to which their use is relevant; and to provide a critical overview of major approaches to the use of ethnographic analogies and historical information in archaeology.
ANTH 3630 Archaeological Method and Theory (4 Credits)
This class presents methods for gathering archaeological data in the laboratory and then using a variety of theoretical approaches in its interpretation. Students gather archaeological data using museum collections from a variety of sites. Those artifacts include stone tools and ceramics as well as other environmental data and architectural information in a variety of environmental and landscape contexts. For each site studied students are presented with a body of theoretical literature from which to interpret these data. A variety of interpretative methods can potentially be chosen for each site, and in most cases there is no right answer, only answers that can be supported by the data collected and interpreted using the theoretical constructs read. All students are required to write up complete site reports for each project including all raw data collected in the analysis and theoretical approaches used in interpretation.
ANTH 3640 Race and Human Evolution (4 Credits)
Examines the history of thought about the nature and evolution of human racial differences and sexual characteristics, from the mid-19th century to the present day. Considers scientific and poplar models for explaining the evolution of racial differences, male-female reproductive behavior and gender roles. These models are examined in light of comparative primate data, ethnographic data and the material record of human evolution. Prerequisite: ANTH 2010.
ANTH 3655 Indigenous Feminisms (4 Credits)
This course examines a wide array of Indigenous feminisms. Rather than think of Indigenous feminisms as one static thing, we will inspect the field from multiple viewpoints and perspectives. We will draw from various thematic and transnational contexts across the Americas and Native Pacific in order to analyze the scope and significance of such knowledges, particularly as they relate to broader theories and practices of decolonization. We will begin by examining the foundational inquiries and methods of Indigenous feminist scholarship. Is gender a useful category of analysis? How have Indigenous women thought of gender? How have Indigenous women thought about, and responded to, feminism? With an emphasis on Indigenous scholars and feminists, we will cover a range of topics including (but not limited to) how Indigenous feminism fits into the feminist project, the connection between colonization and violence against Native women, the reclamation of women’s initiations, gender and sovereignty, queer indigeneity, Indigenous feminist allies, and decolonial love. We will draw from readings across feminist movements, and as feminist Kanaka Maoli Professor Lani Teves says, we will attempt to “make links between Indigenous feminisms and Latinx feminisms, Black feminisms, and transnational feminisms. Rather than shy away from the tensions that emerge between multiple feminisms, instead we will attempt to cultivate nodes of alliance and solidarity to diversify our feminist tactics.”.
ANTH 3660 Anthropological Theory and Context (4 Credits)
History and development of particular schools of thought, paradigms, methods and methodologies that characterize contemporary anthropology. Intellectual, artistic developments, world-wide sociopolitical and economic processes that shaped much of anthropological thinking of the times. Research methods in reconstruction of human history and qualitative ethnolographical research.
ANTH 3661 Museums and their Visitors (4 Credits)
This course is designed to be a comprehensive introduction to museums and their approaches to serving visitors, primarily through exhibitions and education. It examines current research and museum practice as it relates to the museum as an environment for meaningful visitor experiences and learning. The course is organized around the following core issues: (1) What do visitor experiences look like in a museum context? (2) How do museums design for different audience types? (3) What do we learn from assessing visitors' experiences? (4) How do objects, ideas and spaces affect visitor learning and experiences? Cross listed with ARTH 3661.
ANTH 3680 Quantitative Methods-Anthropology (4 Credits)
The use of statistics in all branches of anthropology; data screening; parametric and nonparametric statistics. Prerequisite: any course in basic statistics.
ANTH 3701 Topics in Anthropology (4 Credits)
Specialized topics in anthropology. Check with the Department of Anthropology or the Schedule of Classes for further information; open to students who are non-majors; may be repeated for credit.
ANTH 3702 Topics in Anthropology (4 Credits)
Specialized topics in anthropology. Check with the Department of Anthropology or the Schedule of Classes for further information; open to students who are non-majors; may be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: ANTH 1010.
ANTH 3703 Topics in Anthropology (4 Credits)
Specialized topics in anthropology. Check with the Department of Anthropology or the Schedule of Classes for further information; open to students who are non-majors; may be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: ANTH 1010.
ANTH 3742 Museum Exhibit Development (4 Credits)
Introduces general principles of planning, development, production and evaluation of museum exhibits. Explores design elements and methods of evaluation. Students have the opportunity to do exhibit mockups and exhibit evaluation.
ANTH 3743 Managing Collections (4 Credits)
Principles and methods regarding acquisition, documentation, conservation and accessibility of collections. Law, registration methods, computerization, policy, development, ethics and preventive conservation are also discussed.
ANTH 3750 Ethnographic Methods (4 Credits)
In this course, students study the art and science of ethnographic research methods, conduct quarter-long field research projects, and write practice ethnographies. The course requires students to apply the American Anthropological Association's Code of Ethics in their research and to write Institutional Review Board applications for their projects. Course readings include texts on ethnographic methods as well as controversial and exemplary ethnographic publications for student dissection and debate.
ANTH 3790 Field Methods in Archaeology (4 Credits)
The purpose of this class is to introduce students to archaeological field methods through a combination of readings, lecture, discussion, and hands-on experience. Training begins with issues of archaeological ethics, legal mandates, and research designs. Students then transition to learning skills and methods both in the classroom and in the field. Methods you will learn will include the basics of site survey and mapping, testing, excavation, artifact recovery and field processing, and data recording in the field. Cross-listed with ANTH 1790. Prerequisite: ANTH 2310.
ANTH 3791 Critical Perspectives in Museum Studies (4 Credits)
This course critically explores museums and heritage complexes as sites of cultural production and consumption at different historical moments and in diverse cultural and national settings. Special attention is given to contemporary issues, debates, and approaches in the context of museum anthropology and heritage studies. The term museum is used to include a wide range of heritage projects that do not rely only on the traditional institution established to collect, conserve and exhibit material culture, but includes intangible heritage, historic built environment and event natural environment that was used and marked by human action.
ANTH 3850 We are Family: Anthropological Perspectives on Kinship and Relations (4 Credits)
Anthropologists have long been fascinated with defining who is related to whom. In the first half of this course, we will read works by leading historical anthropologists in order to gain an understanding of the various ways kinship has been defined in anthropology and defined in a diversity of cultures. These works will help us understand various kinship systems throughout the world and explore how anthropologists have worked with the concept of relatedness. This course will then turn to contemporary issues and we will devote our time to investigating current kinship studies of relatedness and how this applies to new reproductive technologies (like surrogate mothers, IVF, etc), and adoption.
ANTH 3875 Research Methods in Anthropology (4 Credits)
This course offers an in-depth introduction to anthropological research methods with the aim of providing students with the tools necessary to design a coherent research proposal. Starting with the notion that anthropological research is a scientific endeavor, the course offers knowledge and skills that allow for a systematic application of qualitative and quantitative methods to respond to research questions. Students will learn when and how to use one method, as well as the implications of doing it. Students will also learn how to critically read research reports that use qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. The course is organized in two portions. The qualitative portion will focus on a detailed exploration of the continuum that goes from posing a research question, choosing a methodology, carrying it on, and reporting the results. The quantitative portion is concentrated on collecting numerical data, methods of which are often based on a qualitative understanding of people. Quantitative analysis will present tools used to take readings, acquire data, observations, and other information necessary to test hypotheses about people, cultures and how we can understand them from their material remains. The purpose of the quantitative part of the class is to determine what is statistically significant and what ideas about people are supportable using the scientific method. This course is required for all anthropology graduate students, and suggested for advanced undergraduates who are working on senior theses, and have an interest in anthropological research. The course is also open to non-anthropology students interested in anthropological research.
ANTH 3880 Culture, Ecology, Adaptation (4 Credits)
This course is organized around these concepts: "ecology," "adaptation," "landscape," "technology," "artifact," and "architecture." The course focuses on defining and examining adaptation and the role of culture and technology in achieving adaptations, or in not achieving them. This focus will be especially pursued with respect to the concept of landscape--that is, culturally defined physical space--and the cultural artifacts that interpret and modify it in the course of human adaptation to its ecological components.
ANTH 3890 Context of Material Culture (4 Credits)
Examines how material culture both reflects and actively structures political, economic and cultural life. Considers the relationship between people and their material culture (portable objects, non-portable objects, buildings, socially-created landscapes) in Western, non-Western, ancient, and contemporary cultural contexts. Reading materials draw from the fields of ethnology, archaeology, folklore, geography, history, art and architecture.
ANTH 3981 Museum Internship (1-6 Credits)
ANTH 3990 Summer Field School-Archaeology (4-6 Credits)
Archaeological excavation, survey and recordings; analysis and conservation of artifacts in the field.
ANTH 3991 Independent Study (1-15 Credits)
ANTH 3995 Independent Research (1-10 Credits)
ANTH 4000 Advanced Anthropology (4 Credits)
ANTH 4040 Historical Archaeology: Theory and Method (4 Credits)
Because it is the archaeology of periods for which there is also written history, historical archaeology is a dynamic and interdisciplinary field. It also has a distinct set of concerns and methods that builds upon, but does not replicate, those of prehistoric archaeology. This course is designed to engage students in the practice of historical archaeology through readings, discussions, and the hands-on analysis of archaeological materials. The first class of each week is a discussion of readings in historical archaeology. The readings introduce students to theoretical and methodological issues in the discipline, as well as important case studies. Many of the readings have a North American focus, but address international practice. The second class of each week has a hands-on focus. Backed by readings on historic materials analysis, we discuss and practice the types of research historical archaeologists perform on actual materials, focusing on different material types each week. Students in the course each process and analyze a set of materials excavated from a historic site. Cross-listed with ANTH 2040.
ANTH 4070 Folklore and Cultural Heritage (4 Credits)
Folklore and Cultural Heritage is the study of the expressive behaviors and practices that constitute the ordinary, everyday life of communities. Folklore includes the intangible cultural heritages of all peoples, for example, the artistic expression reflected in stories and storytelling, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, dialects and ways of speaking. Everyone has folklore and participates in the "folklore process." Cross-listed with ANTH 3070.
ANTH 4200 Native North America (4 Credits)
Native American cultures north of Mexico. Cross-listed with ANTH 2200.
ANTH 4220 Human Rights in Latin America (4 Credits)
This course aims to provide students with an overview of human rights issues and how they have evolved in recent Latin American history, from the military dictatorships of the authoritarian period to contemporary challenges faced in the region's democracies. It also aims to place human rights concerns in a broader sociopolitical context. Many of today's human rights issues are rooted in the past, but others respond to new and emerging challenges. In this class, we explore the roots and contemporary realities of human rights movements in Latin America. The examination of these topics should allow us to pose broader questions about the meaning of human rights in a globalized world, the efficacy of international instruments for rights enforcement, and the complex challenges that linger in the aftermath of authoritarianism and state-sponsored terror.
ANTH 4290 Art and Anthropology (4 Credits)
This class introduces students to anthropological approaches to the study of art and visual culture. The first part of the course covers foundational work in the field, introducing key concepts as well as methods for viewing and understanding art from a cross-cultural/comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. We examine the relationships among art, technology and the environment, as well as the importance of form, function, style, meaning, and aesthetics in the study of art. The second part addresses issues of contemporary concern in art and anthropology, such as the influence of market forces and tourism on artistic traditions and cultural expressions; the intersection of art and identity; the politics of cultural representation. The course also explores the ethnographic turn in some forms of contemporary art as well as doing ethnography as art.
ANTH 4320 Medical Anthropology (4 Credits)
This course is an introduction to medical anthropology. As a professional and academic field, medical anthropology provides conceptual and analytical tools for a comprehensive understanding of health, illness and healing. It is concerned with the ways in which individual experience is inserted in social and historical contexts and it explores ideas and behaviors related to health in different societies and social groups, as well as the ways in which different groups organize their resources to face health-related needs in the context of their social and economic realities.
ANTH 4360 Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Women (4 Credits)
Cross-listed with ANTH 3360.
ANTH 4370 Sex, Class and Race in Latin America (4 Credits)
This course uses an intersectional approach to the study of sex, class and race in Latin America. Intersectionality aims at understanding the interlocking relation between sex, class, race and other aspects, and how these are rooted in historical and social structures, and are reproduced and resisted through individual and collective experience. In this course we will aim at understanding such history, culture and peoples with a special emphasis on examining their heterogeneity, and aiming at understanding how such heterogeneity is also related with social inequality. We will also examine some contemporary issues such as women's rights, indigenous movements, human rights, migrations, and economy with an emphasis on their manifestations at the intersections of sex, class, and race.
ANTH 4660 Anthropological Theory and Context (4 Credits)
History and development of particular schools of thought, paradigms, methods and methodologies that characterize contemporary anthropology. Intellectual, artistic developments, world-wide sociopolitical and economic processes that shaped much of anthropological thinking of the times. Research methods in reconstruction of human history and qualitative ethnolographic research.
ANTH 4700 Readings in Anthropology (1-5 Credits)
Directed readings in anthropology under faculty supervision. May be repeated for credit.
ANTH 4701 Special Topics in Anthropology (1-5 Credits)
ANTH 4702 Special Topics in Anthropology (1-5 Credits)
ANTH 4703 Special Topics in Anthropology (1-5 Credits)
ANTH 4704 Special Topics in Anthropology (1-5 Credits)
ANTH 4740 Perspectives-Museum Studies (4 Credits)
ANTH 4744 Museum Anthropology (4 Credits)
This course introduces students to museum anthropology and the ethnography of museums as well as the theoretical and practical sides of museum studies. The course is based on the following premises: Museum anthropology is a form of applied anthropology in which museums are a venue for making anthropological insights and knowledge accessible and relevant to the public; Museums, as institutions of public culture, are a forum for exploring contemporary social issues and concerns; The role of museums in society and civic engagement is at the core of contemporary museum anthropology and Museology.
ANTH 4745 Museum Practicum (2 Credits)
Individually designed practicum in student's area of interest.
ANTH 4981 Museum Internship (1-6 Credits)
ANTH 4991 Independent Study (1-17 Credits)
ANTH 4995 Independent Research (1-17 Credits)