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Anthropology Major

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS 

Students must complete a 13-course program comprised of: 

Students must choose a concentration of focus for the major. Concentrations are determined when the major is declared and can be amended prior to the petition to graduate being completed. Concentrations constitutes your intended focus within anthropology broadly. Options include: cultural, linguistics, archaeology, biological and human biology.  

Courses 

Formal Studies/Foundational Discipline: Empirical & Deductive Reasoning (FD-EDR) Course (1 unit) 

The human biology concentration draws on both the biological and social sciences to combine a foundation in basic science with an integrative perspective on the human organism. Students will study human biology and health from a comparative and evolutionary perspective. It is a good option for students pursuing careers in the health sciences or graduate work in the biological sciences. 

For the joint Anthropology/MMSS major, MATH 385-0 counts as the formal studies/FD-EDR requirement for anthropology and MMSS 300-0 counts as a 300-level anthropology course. 

Human Biology Concentration  

The Human Biology concentration provides a unique opportunity for those interested in pursuing a pre-health concentration or hard science companion major in addition to a major in Anthropology. Many of the pre-health and hard science major pre-requisites are included as components of this concentration.  

Note: Courses are subject to the approval of the department adviser. 

How to declare your Major/Minor 

How do I declare a major or minor in anthropology? Which courses count toward the major or minor? What are the different subfields or concentration areas in anthropology? How do I get involved in research? The Director of Undergraduate Studies, Prof. Erin Waxenbaum, will be able to answer these and other questions about the anthropology undergraduate program. The DUS is responsible for approving and signing all Declaration of Major and Minor forms, all transfer credits, study abroad approvals and credit evaluation/transfer and, most importantly, all petitions to graduate. All Northwestern undergraduates who are interested in the major, the minor, or who want to talk about anthropology at the undergraduate level at Northwestern are encouraged to email Erin Waxenbaum (e-waxenbaum@northwestern.edu) to set up an appointment.