Program Director: George Hambrecht, Ph.D.
Anthropology, the study of culture, seeks to understand humans as a whole - as social beings who are capable of symbolic communication through which they produce a rich cultural record. Anthropologists try to explain differences among cultures - differences in physical characteristics as well as in customary behavior. Anthropologists study how culture has changed through time as the human genus has spread over the earth. Anthropology is the science of the biological evolution of human species, and the disciplined scholarship of the cultural development of human beings' knowledge and customary behavior.
Anthropology at the University of Maryland offers rigorous training for many career options. A strong background in anthropology is a definite asset in preparing for a variety of academic and professional fields, ranging from the law and business, to comparative literature, philosophy and the fine arts. Whether one goes on to a Master's or a Ph.D., the anthropology B.A. prepares one for a wide range of non-academic employment, such as city and public health planning, development consulting, program evaluation, and public archaeology. A Bachelor of Science in Anthropology degree offers more concentrated training including physical science in the areas of archaeology, ecological anthropology and medical anthropology. Courses offered by this department may be found under the acronym ANTH.
Having completed the degree program, students should have acquired the following knowledge and skills:
Students may seek an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree or a Bachelor of Science degree. Every course used to satisfy anthropology major requirements must be completed with a grade of "C-" or higher. Students must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average across all courses used to satisfy major degree requirements.
All courses are three credits unless otherwise indicated.