Program Information

The Anthropology Program at ISU is apart of the Department of Geography, Geology, and Anthropology, but you will obtain your degree in Anthropology by completing 39 hours of course work.  A core of 21 hours is required, with the remaining elective credits taken from topical or area courses.  Your course work will be in archaeology, biological anthropology, and cultural anthropology--this will give you a solid background in all of the subfields of anthropology.  Archaeology has been a particular emphasis of the program and all of our faculty have an interest in this area. The Anthropology Laboratory also routinely conducts archaeological field work in various parts of Indiana. Behavioral anthropology, North American Indians, human ecology, Indiana archaeology, geoarchaeology, forensic anthropology, human osteology, and human evolution are just a sampling of other topics you'll encounter in your courses.

Since only 39 hours are required you still have the freedom to design a course of study in other fields of interest.  Geography, geology, psychology, life sciences or history are just some of the disciplines that can broaden your understanding of anthropology.  In fact, students can learn useful tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing that are available right in the Department. All of these can enhance your anthropological problem solving skills.

Plenty of hands on experience is also available. You can participate in the activities of the Anthropology Club, including field trips, and work in the Anthropology Laboratory on various on-going projects of the Anthropology faculty and staff. Paid positions are sometimes available on archaeology field projects conducted during the summer months. Students can work with artifacts in the lab's extensive prehistoric collections from sites in Indiana.

The program emphasis is on undergraduates. Classes are small and taught by faculty, not graduate students. Although our program is modest in size, we provide all of the essential training that students need to go onto graduate school. And because we concentrate on undergraduate studies, you get more personal attention. With the hands-on nature of our program, you graduate with more experience than is typical at larger schools.

You can request an information packet that will explain the Anthropology Program in greater detail by stopping by our offices in Holmstedt Hall basement, Room 03 or by calling 812-237-3990 and we'll mail you a packet.