Anthropology

• The Anthropology Museum houses the largest repository of archaeological artifacts from the interior Northwest.
• The flexible degree program allows students to concentrate in cultural anthropology, linguistics, archaeology, or physical anthropology—or receive a broad background in all four.
• Anthropology students can join WSU faculty working throughout the world for cultural, linguistic, archaeological, and physical anthropological research.
• The department hosts a regular lecture series where faculty, advanced graduate students, and visiting experts share their work.
• Faculty are experts in biological anthropology, evolution, and archaeology.

A variety of state, federal, and university-sponsored programs are available to help students with educational costs.

For all students at WSU

Washington State University awards millions of dollars in financial aid and scholarships to students every year based on financial need, academic merit, or a combination of the two.

To get all the financial help WSU can provide, you'll need to do these two things:

• Complete the University's general scholarship application so you can be eligible for scholarship consideration, including departmental awards.
• Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) so WSU can consider you for aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) based on financial need. Get started here.

Click here for more info about about WSU scholarships and financial aid

For anthropology majors

The College of Arts and Sciences awards more than $50,000 in scholarships each year. For more information, see the CAS scholarships page.

The Anthropology Club offers a series of activities designed to bring faculty and students together. The club's informal gatherings facilitate and expand hands-on learning opportunities and foster greater anthropological understanding. The club is open to any currently enrolled, full-time undergraduate students.

Here at WSU, you will learn from professors who are active archaeological and anthropological researchers -- and you can even join their research teams, where you can dig in and learn by doing.

Prehistoric hunter-gatherer organization, lithic technology (B. Andrefsky)
Ethnographic research in Northern Thai community (J. Cassaniti)
Humans adapting lifestyles to challenging environments in foothills of Himalayas (J. D’Alpoim Guedes)
Archaeological identification of Puebloan communities in American Southwest (A. Duff)
Human landscape modification, earthen architecture, geoarchaeology (M. Goodman-Elgar)

Hunter-gatherers of Northwest Coast of North America, spatial analysis, zooarchaeology (C. Grier)
Focus on evolutionary medicine (E. Hagen)
Anthropology of childhood, also infectious and parasitic diseases (B. Hewlett)
Analysis of mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosomal DNA in prehistoric Native American populations (B. Kemp)
Quantitative analysis of archaeological data of prehistoric behavior (T. Kohler)

Psychological anthropology, cultural memory, and historical ethnography (J. Mageo)
Language use, inequality and poverty, gender, pedagogy, Mexico/U.S border region (N. McKee)
Life history theory, child development, reproductive strategies; research in Central African Republic and SW Ethiopia (C. Meehan)
Hominin behavior and paleodemography through computer simulation and population genetics (L. Premo)
Medical anthropology concentrating in family health, ethnomedicine, and ethnobotany (M. Quinlan)

Behavioral ecology, medical anthropology, cross-cultural analysis, research in East Africa (R. Quinlan)
Environmental archaeology in New World societies, zooarchaeology, stable isotope analysis (E. Thornton)
Subsistence strategies, subsistence systems, settlement systems, research in India, Pakistan, Thailand (S. Weber)
Social processes of film production, commodities in media industries, film costume, research in Hindi film (C. Wilkinson-Weber)

The two most important things you'll need if you're going to do well and enjoy studying anthropology are a strong interest in people and culture and good research skills.

Training in anthropology provides an excellent liberal arts background for many professions. WSU anthropology graduates are employed in museums, the National Park Service, archaeological crews, the Peace Corps, and other international development organizations.

Anthropology gives you an understanding of human diversity that is also useful in jobs that don’t require an anthropology degree. A major in anthropology is an excellent basis for teaching, legal professions, international business, foreign service, and graduate work in other social sciences or the humanities.

What you can do with a degree in anthropology:

• Archaeologist, museum curator
• Local and international environmental impact consultant
• Forensic anthropologist
• Government service
• University professor, teacher
• Writer, journalist
• International business consultant
• Cultural impact consultant

Skills you can market with a degree in anthropology:

• Critical analysis of human behavior, organization, and development
• Research skills in quantitative and qualitative data gathering and analysis
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity
• Intellectual curiosity
• Ability to work solo or as a team member
• Effective written and oral communication skills
• Reading and listening comprehension
• Time management and organization