Anthropology
About Our Program
What does it mean to be human? That’s a complicated question because the human species is… well, complicated. That’s why we offer a holistic approach to anthropology that includes all four fields–biological, archeological, cultural, and linguistic—so you can develop a multi-dimensional perspective on people and the world.
Become a global citizen on a personalized level as you dig into your interests using our research and teaching labs that are equipped with a 5,000-year-old real human skeletal collection, ancient fossil and tool casts, ethnographic materials, and scientific equipment. Then conduct your own research, join a professor on their field research in places around the world, or complete an internship. No matter what experiences you embark on, you will graduate with a view and appreciation of the world and its diversity in a different way from anyone else.
Learning Experiences to Prepare for Your Career
Through a multitude of intriguing courses, hands-on learning experiences, and off-campus study opportunities, you will be armed with a toolkit that includes important skills such as critical thinking, research methodology, data analysis, and professional communication.Experiential Learning Component (ELC)
Hands-on experience is critical in anthropology so you can connect what you learn in class and labs to real-world problems. Fulfill this requirement by studying off campus, embarking on independent research, taking a Community-based Learning class, or completing an internship. Recent student research topics include a material interpretation of the social relationships embodied in the architecture of the Roman atrium house, studying human skeletal material to understand diet and cuisine in ancient Mesopotamia, and an analysis of social activism in a global online fan community.
Field Research
Anthropology faculty are passionate about their research and have very active agendas which have taken them to places all over the world including India, Indonesia, Egypt, Southeast Asia, and Sudan. The best part is if that intrigues you, it’s likely they’ll bring you to help with the next discovery.
Community-based Learning (CBL)
Gain a deeper appreciation of your coursework and the people and places that make up the fabric of the St. Lawrence and North Country communities. CBL courses like “Medicines and Meanings” combine your desire to engage in service with your classes, critical thinking skills, and reflection in a relationship that benefits you, the University’s community partners, and professors
Study Abroad
Developing a better understanding of people, communities, and cultures found around the world is a critical part of the St. Lawrence experience. Choose from more than 30 semester-long programs offered in over 20 international locations, including Jordan and Australia.
Kenya Semester Program
Put your knowledge into practice by spending a semester studying in one of the longest-running programs on the African continent. Based at our St. Lawrence owned and operated campus in Karen, Nairobi, you will find a home away from home with host families, learn the culture of each community directly from Africa’s diverse society while gaining a new perspective on the lives, experiences, and traditions of the Kenyan people.
Learn by doing in a real-world environment. Our majors intern with a wide range of organizations, including:
- Community Service Society of New York
- Frederic Remington Art Museum
- Naval History and Heritage Command
- New York State Museum
- Planned Parenthood
- Onkwehon:we Midwives Collective
- St. Lawrence University Counseling Center
- Victims Assistance Center of Jefferson County
Among the 150+ clubs and organizations at St. Lawrence, you’ll find many of our students find ways to get involved with exploring, protecting, and celebrating the human experience. Our Anthropology Club organizes speakers, field trips, film showings, and other activities of interest to anthropology students and the campus as a whole.
You’ll also have opportunities to connect what you learn and discuss in the classroom to the issues and organizations you care about. Other popular clubs and organizations among our majors include:
- Advocates
- Black Student Union
- Carefree Black Girls
- Planned Parenthood Generation Action
- Student Alumni Association
- Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
- Thelomathesian Society
- UBUNTU Magazine
- Weave News
Why St. Lawrence for Anthropology
Specimens
in our modern human tooth collection
Recent Graduate School Program Placements
- The Johns Hopkins University
- Boston University
- New York University
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Virginia
- Columbia University
Species
Of non-human primate skeletal material in our Anthropology Teaching Laboratory
Our research lab includes:
- Thin sectioning equipment (Buehler Isomet and Ecomet)
- Fume hood
- Stereo and trinocular stereo boom (fitted with a 5MP camera) microscopes
- The Tell Leilan skeletal collection from ancient Syria
- Non-primate skeletal material
- Ethnographic materials
Placement Rate
Anthropology majors are in high demand and nearly all recent graduates were employed or enrolled in graduate schools within 7-9 months of graduating
Anthropology Salon
Each spring semester, anthropology majors and minors come together to share their research at this departmental celebration that often coincides with World Anthropology Day.
Recent Employment Opportunities
- New York State Museum
- Preservation Studios
- Carter Burden Center for the Aging
- Children’s Hospital Colorado
- U.S. Department of State
- Apex Solar Power
More Program Information
Program Requirements & Courses
Explore anthropology major requirements, as well as electives and combined study options.
Complementary and Related Programs
We offer an anthropology-African studies combined major, which you can complete by spending a semester studying in the University’s Kenya Semester Program.
Anthropology Faculty
Our anthropology professors want to get to know you and are known on campus for their personalized attention to students. They will jump at the chance to help you find opportunities and funding to attend archaeological field schools or to do internships related to anthropology, and they will stay in touch long after you graduate.
“Our students aren’t afraid to think about and debate topics like culture, identity, race, gender, and class. We instill that consciousness in them and prepare them to be global citizens.”
Shinu Anna Abraham
Mindy Pitre
Wendi Haugh
One Class in 60 Seconds
Through our anthropology classes, you might discover patterns in your genealogy, examine an endangered language, mummify a chicken, study remains from an ancient archeological site, or explore how people around the world and across time deal with the dead.
Preserving Local History
When a North Country town needed help excavating and analyzing skeletal remains recovered at a site that was once the area’s first cemetery, our anthropology students got to help. Their work recently won a New York State Historic Preservation Award.
Atlatl Battles
Every fall, our anthropology students join together with a neighboring college for a friendly dart-throwing competition that includes atlatls, some of the world’s earliest tools.
Get More Information
We’re excited to learn more about you, tell you more about our interdisciplinary academic programs, show you around our beautiful campus, and help you navigate your college search.
Apply to St. Lawrence
We’re looking for curious students who are eager to make a difference. We take a holistic approach to reviewing applications and consider all aspects of your application and what we learn about you.