Undergraduate Department of Anthropology

College of Arts and Sciences

Chair: Peres; Professor: Falk, McCoy, Peres; Associate Professors: Horsburgh, Marrinan, Mehta, Peters; Assistant Professors: Chakrabarti, Shattuck; Associate Curator: Schober; Specialized Faculty: Kowal, Thomas; Professor Emerita: Pohl

The department offers undergraduate degrees in Anthropology. Anthropology investigates humankind in all its diversity. It includes the study of human origins, physical characteristics, adaptations, distributions, customs, artifacts, languages, beliefs, and practices. Anthropologists divide their work among four sub-disciplines. Archaeologists study material objects left behind by prehistoric and historic peoples and document stability and change in human behavior over long time periods. Biological anthropologists study the fossil record of human and pre-human evolution, primate ecology and behavior, comparative anatomy, osteology and genetics, forensics, medical anthropology, human variation, and the evolutionary origins of human cognition and culture. Cultural anthropologists live among and study contemporary peoples; their social institutions; their history; their political, religious, and medical practices; and the creative products of their social lives. Anthropological linguists study the evolution and structure of human language and the relationships between language, culture, and society.

The undergraduate offerings in anthropology include survey courses to give CoreFSU Curriculum students an introduction to human diversity and behavior, and upper division courses for advanced students with specialized interests. The department provides a rigorous course of study intended to prepare students for graduate study in any one of the subfields of anthropology. The courses also provide a science-based liberal arts education to students wishing to pursue other professional degrees such as law or medicine (with additional coursework) and to those students who may not wish to pursue graduate studies. Students with a heavy anthropology background often develop careers in areas of public policy, cultural resource management, public health, women's studies, museum studies, and other areas where practical approaches contribute to providing workable solutions to human problems.

The department also participates in the undergraduate programs in Latin American and Caribbean studies, Middle Eastern studies, and in the Honors in the Major program. For further information on the program and its offerings, please visit https://anthro.fsu.edu/.

Digital Literacy Requirement

Students must complete at least one course designated as meeting the Digital Literacy Requirement with a grade of “C–” or higher. Courses fulfilling the Digital Literacy Requirement must accomplish at least three of the following outcomes:

Evaluate and interpret the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of digital information
Evaluate and interpret digital data and their implications
Discuss the ways in which society and/or culture interact with digital technology
Discuss digital technology trends and their professional implications
Demonstrate the ability to use digital technology effectively
Demonstrate the knowledge to use digital technology safely and ethically

Each academic major has determined the courses that fulfill the Digital Literacy requirement for that major. Students should contact their major department(s) to determine which courses will fulfill their Digital Literacy requirement.

Undergraduate majors in Anthropology satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of “C–” or higher in CGS 2060 or CGS 2100.

State of Florida Common Program Prerequisites for Anthropology

The Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) houses the statewide, internet-based catalog of distance learning courses, degree programs, and resources offered by Florida's public colleges and universities, and they have developed operational procedures and technical guidelines for the catalog that all institutions must follow. The statute governing this policy can be reviewed by visiting https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2021/1006.73.

FLVC has identified common program prerequisites for the degree program in Anthropology. To obtain the most up-to-date, state-approved prerequisites for this degree, visit: https://cpm.flvc.org/programs/33/194.

Specific prerequisites are required for admission into the upper-division program and must be completed by the student at either a community college or a state university prior to being admitted to this program. Students may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites but may not be admitted into the program.

Requirements for a Major in Anthropology

To complete a BA or BS degree with a major in anthropology, a student must take, in addition to other college requirements, thirty semester hours of anthropology courses, including the following: ANT 2100, 2410, 2511, 3610, 4034, and fifteen additional semester hours of anthropology coursework at the 3000–4000 level. No more than three semester hours of credit in fieldwork courses and no hours of directed individual study (DIS) or satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) credits may be used to meet the specific requirement of fifteen semester hours of work at the 3000–4000 level, except upon approval of a petition to the department chair. LIN 4030 and LIN 4040 may be counted as equivalents of courses designated as ANT for purposes of completing the undergraduate major requirement of thirty semester hours in the department, but no more than three semester hours of LIN courses will be counted toward completion of the specific requirement of fifteen semester hours of work at the 3000–4000 level. No anthropology course for which the student receives a grade below “C–” may be counted toward satisfaction of the major requirements.

Requirements for a Minor in Anthropology

Twelve semester hours in anthropology, including either ANT 2410 or ANT 2511, are required. Courses in which a student receives a grade below “C–” will not be counted toward the minor.

Definition of Prefixes

ANG—Anthropology: Graduate

ANT—Anthropology

IDS—Interdisciplinary Studies

ISC— Interdisciplinary Sciences

LIN—Linguistics

Undergraduate Courses

ANT 2000. Introduction to Anthropology (3). This introductory course offers a holistic approach to understanding what it means to be human, studying humans and human behavior from the perspectives of evolution and genetics, the archaeological record, and language and culture.

ANT 2100. Introduction to Archaeology (3). This course is an introduction to modern anthropological archaeology. The course introduces students to the interdisciplinary scientific approaches employed in contemporary archaeological research and provides them with an overview of the origins and evolution of human social and economic systems.

ANT 2100L. Introduction to Archaeology Laboratory (1). Corequisite: ANT 2100. This course is conducted as a hands-on laboratory in archaeological methodology. Each week, students have a series of laboratory exercises designed to teach specific analytical techniques, including: paleozoological analysis, paleobotanical analysis, geophysical prospecting techniques, and GIS.

ANT 2138. World's Greatest Shipwrecks (3). This course provides an introduction to the field of nautical archaeology through the excavation and exploration of ships and boats from 5000 years ago in ancient Egypt to the U.S.S. Yorktown of WWII. From Titanic to treasure ships, this global survey explores economy, technology, and society.

ANT 2301. Evolution of Human Sexuality (3). This course is an examination of human sexuality from an evolutionary perspective. Some of the topics covered include sexual selection, mating systems, mate preferences, and sexual orientation.

ANT 2410. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3). This course introduces the origin and development of human lifeways with emphasis on non-Western societies. A comparative perspective is used to examine language, social organization, religion, values, and technology. Attention is also given to contemporary world problems.

ANT 2416. Childhood Around the World (3). This course examines the variety of ways childhood is experienced in other cultures, allowing students without a background in anthropology to develop an appreciation for the nature of childhood and the pivotal role this stage plays in maintaining cultural continuity and influencing cultural evolution.

ANT 2511. Introduction to Physical Anthropology and Prehistory (3). This course introduces theory and principles of genetically based evolution. It reviews fossil evidence for human evolution and competing ideas about the specific pathways to modern humans. It emphasizes the genetic unity of humankind and the universal features that underlie individual and cultural diversity.

ANT 3101. Fundamentals of Archaeology (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2100. This course provides an overview of objectives, field strategies, basics of laboratory analysis, interpretative approaches to the record, and what the threats to archaeological/cultural resources are. This includes a brief overview of the history of archaeology and the changes in strategies used to examine the prehistoric and historic archaeological records. An emphasis is placed upon developing an understanding of the fundamental objectives and methodologies used in modern anthropological archaeology.

ANT 3133. Introduction to Underwater Archaeology (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2100. This course is a survey of the history, theory, methods, and problems of underwater archaeology, with attention given to the types of investigations and environments in which underwater archaeology is conducted and to the field's particular contributions to anthropology.

ANT 3141. World Prehistory (3). This course outlines the major events in human cultural and social evolution and includes a brief presentation of general archaeological methods and objectives. The course focuses on the evolution of civilization in the Middle East, Europe, China, Africa, and the Americas.

ANT 3212. Peoples of the World (3). This course is a survey of the world's cultures by major geographic regions. The purpose is to familiarize the student with the range and variety of the human condition and at the same time instill in the student a respect and admiration for humankind. Lectures, readings, and visual materials are utilized.

ANT 3300. Masculinity in Global Perspective (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2301 is recommended. This course undertakes an integrative account of what it means to be a man. The course draws upon comparisons with other animals, insights into the physiology of social behavior, cross-cultural accounts of masculinity, and U.S. studies of male behavior, all within an overarching evolutionary perspective. Discussion highlights the relevance of male studies to individual and social meaning and informs contemporary societal concerns over men.

ANT 3451. Race: Biology & Culture (3). This course examines the concept of race from the perspectives of biological and cultural anthropology, beginning with the study of modern human biological variation and its clinical distribution. This biological patterning is then contrasted with the social categories of race. The final section of the course covers the history of the concept of race, the ways humans culturally construct divisions in different societies, and the continued effects of racial concepts on science and modern cultures.

ANT 3520. Introduction to Forensic Anthropology (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2511. This course is an introduction to forensic anthropology as a scientific discipline within the field of anthropology, examining what happens to a body immediately after death, the process of decomposition, and taphonomic changes. The course also examines what is required of a forensic investigation of such a body from search to documentation, collection, processing, and lab analysis.

ANT 3610. Language and Culture (3). This course is an introduction to and examination of human language, its relation to perception and cognition, and its role in social interaction. This includes verbal as well as nonverbal communication modes, their variety and complexity, the evolution of language, and language change.

ANT 4034. History of Anthropology (3). Prerequisites: ANT 2100, ANT 2410 and ANT 2511. This course is a survey for majors that reviews the development of the central ideas that have shaped the emergence of anthropology as a science. The approach is critical and objective, the presentation is chronological, and the emphasis is to evaluate the scope and limitations of modern theories.

ANT 4041. Museum Anthropology (3). This course explores how museums are active centers of our communities as sites of social and historical production, existing in diverse cultural and national settings. They use exhibitions, education, and interactive presentations, that include multiple audiences and increase accessibility. This course provides opportunities for active student engagement by strategically integrating anthropological approaches with museum practices.

ANT 4118. Principles of Geoarchaeology (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2100. This applied course covers the contribution of earth science to the interpretation of geoarchaeological contexts. This course consists of field, lab, and lecture components. Emphasis is placed on the methods and geoarchaeology and the applications of selected earth science fields to archaeological problems. Students are required to participate in field trips in order to complete field descriptions and sampling.

ANT 4145. Origins of Complex Society (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2100. This course examines the evolution of ancient complex societies and theories of state origins using a comparative method involving ecological, economic, and social approaches to investigate the origins, collapse, and sustainability of complex societies.

ANT 4153. North American Archaeology (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2100. This course examines the prehistory of North America from the earliest big-game hunters who exploited extinct megafauna to the societies existing at the time of historic contact. Regional variation and continuity in subsistence and settlement patterns and material culture are examined.

ANT 4185. Paleonutrition (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2100. This course covers methods in reconstruction of past economic behavior and diet. It includes lab work in identification and analysis of faunal remains.

ANT 4188. Artifact Analysis (3). Prerequisite: ANT 3101. This course teaches students how to employ systematic and scientific methods of data collection using a variety of basic instruments such as calipers, scales, and microscopes. These methods are used to understand how past populations used different artifact technologies to adapt to their environment and which factors influenced how, when, and where groups used different tools. In doing so, the course teaches students to understand the relationship between data collection, hypothesis testing, and argument building within the broader context of human evolution, culture, and technological development.

ANT 4241. Anthropology of Religion (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2410. This course covers the cultural conceptions of supernatural reality with emphasis on comparative understanding of myth and ritual, the religious experience, and religious evolution and revitalization movements.

ANT 4277. Human Conflict: Theory and Resolution (3). This course provides an introduction to the nature of and theories concerning human conflict from the interdisciplinary perspectives of biological and cultural anthropology, political economy, and the history of warfare. Particular emphasis is placed upon cross-cultural applications.

ANT 4302. Sex Roles in Cross–Cultural Perspective (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2410. This course explores sex roles in anthropological perspective with emphasis on data from archaeology and ethnology. Special emphasis on the interpretation of sex roles by anthropologists in the field.

ANT 4312. Contemporary Native American Cultures (3). This course explores the cultural traditions, contemporary issues, and historical policies that have shaped the social experiences of Native peoples in the United States and Canada with attention to: tribal sovereignty, residential schools, reservations, the legislation of Native identity, gender, urban identity, land and language. The course examines the distinctive cultural practices of Native American communities in different geographic areas as well as explore the ways in which Native people today maintain cultural identity and sovereignty in response to the ever-changing social conditions of life in the 21st century.

ANT 4422. Kinship and Social Organization (3). This course surveys anthropological thought and practice (theory and methods) with respect to kinship and related forms of social organization, including the classification and analysis of kinship systems and associated terminology, patterns of marriage and residence, descent theory and alliance theory, and the role of kinship in different social systems.

ANT 4462. Introduction to Medical Anthropology (3). This course is an investigation of different medical systems and their practitioners, the ecology of health, illness, human adaptation, nutrition, and the life cycle.

ANT 4465. Foodways Archaeology (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2100 or ANT 2410. This course addresses the topic of food from an anthropological archaeological perspective. The course examines the role food played in shaping identity, gender construction, ethnicity and rituals in past societies. The course also works to engage other disciplinary perspectives, such as those from history, literature, economics and environmental studies, as it attempts to make larger connections with the ways in which food and eating are holistically approached from an anthropological perspective.

ANT 4468. Bones, Bodies, and Disease (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2511. This course introduces students to Paleopathology. The course shows how the latest scientific and archaeological techniques can be used to identify the common illnesses and injuries that humans suffered in antiquity. In order to give a vivid picture of ancient disease and trauma, results of the latest scientific research that incorporate information gathered from documents are presented. This comprehensive approach to the subject throws fresh light on the health of our ancestors and on the conditions in which they lived, and it gives students an intriguing insight into the ways in which they coped with the pain and discomfort of their existence.

ANT 4525. Human Osteology (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2511 or instructor permission. This course covers the study of the human skeleton. In the course, students learn how to identify skeletal elements, both whole and fragmentary; how to estimate age, sex, ancestry, and stature of an individual; how to reconstruct populations, particularly in terms of diet and disease; and real-world applications of human osteology.

ANT 4552. Primate Behavior (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2511 or instructor permission. This course introduces the substantial scholarly literature on the behavior and ecology of free-ranging prosimians, monkeys, and apes. Anthropological applications of recent findings are emphasized.

ANT 4553. The Great Apes (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2511 or instructor permission. This course focuses on the behavior and ecology of the large-bodied, non-human hominoids: chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans. It also introduces the complexities involved in using this evidence to draw conclusions about human evolution.

ANT 4586. Human Evolution (3). Prerequisite: ANT 2511 or instructor permission. This course emphasizes a close examination of the fossil record for human evolution. It builds on basic principles and ideas presented in ANT 2511.

ANT 4824r. Anthropological Fieldwork: Archaeology (3–9). Prerequisite: ANT 3101. This course trains students in the principles and methods of archaeological fieldwork, including research strategy development, recovery, recording and controls, sampling strategy, mapping, surveying, laboratory analysis, quantification, and report preparation. This is an intern-type course, sometimes requiring the student to live off-campus. May be repeated to a maximum of nine credit hours.

ANT 4834r. Techniques of Underwater Site Research (3–9). Prerequisite: ANT 3101. This course is an introduction to the techniques of underwater research in marine sciences, with a focus on archaeology. May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) credit hours.

ANT 4907r. Directed Independent Study (1–3). May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours.

ANT 4914r. Honors in the Major Research (1–6). In this course, students accepted into the Honors in the Major program complete an original research or creative project in their major area of study. This course must be repeated at least twice to complete a minimum of six (6) credit hours total, but may be repeated up to a maximum of twelve (12) credit hours in total.

ANT 4930r. Special Topics in Anthropology (1–3). This course deals with specialized subjects and topics in anthropology. Topics may vary. May be repeated to a maximum of twenty-one semester hours. May be repeated within the same semester.

ANT 4940r. Anthropology Internship (3–9). Prerequisites: ANT 2100 or ANT 2410 or ANT 2511. Anthropology GPA of 3.0 or higher; Junior or Senior Standing; Anthropology Major or Minor; Prior approval by FSU faculty member. This course is an internship and must be undertaken with a governmental agency or non-profit organization (cannot be part of FSU). Students are provided with a variety of professional work experiences, under the supervision of the student's academic advisor and a collaborating professional at the sponsoring organization. May be repeated up to a maximum of 9 semester hours.

IDS 3340. Who Owns the Past: Perspectives on Ethics in Anthropology (3). This course surveys ethical issues from a four-field approach, addressing past and current ethical questions in Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology, Physical Anthropology, and Linguistics. Students are expected to think critically and build their own opinions based on lectures, articles, and class discussions for each topic.

ISC 2937r. National Science Honors Seminar (3). May be repeated to a maximum of nine credit hours. May be repeated within the same term.

LIN 4030. Introduction to Historical Linguistics (3). This course is designed to familiarize students with the world language families, notion of relatedness, sound correspondence, comparative method, internal reconstruction, and the reconstruction of the Proto-Indo-European languages. Several theories of sound change are also discussed.

LIN 4040. Introduction to Descriptive Linguistics (3). Prerequisite: LIN 3041. This course attempts to develop an understanding of the organization of language, to provide tools and techniques for describing language data, and to examine various models of linguistic description. May count toward the major in Slavic (Russian) and Spanish.

For listings relating to graduate coursework, consult the Graduate Bulletin.

2024-2025 UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN