BA in Anthropology

Requirements for Major

When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.

Requirements for Degrees

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology offers a major in sociology, a major in anthropology, a minor in sociology, and a minor in anthropology. It also offers, in collaboration with the Department of Education, a course of study that leads to social studies teacher certification.

Students in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology may, with the approval of the adviser and/or department head, complete more than one major and/or minor in the department.

Requirements for a Major in Anthropology

An anthropology major must successfully complete 44 semester hours of coursework primarily in anthropology. Courses in related disciplines (e.g., sociology and history) may be credited toward the major, as noted below. Students must receive grades of C- or better in classes applied to the major and achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.00 in the major. Required courses include ANTH-162 Introduction to Anthropology, ANTH-235/SOCI-235 Qualitative Research Methods, ANTH-400 History of Anthropological Theory, and, as a capstone experience, ANTH-500/SOCI-500 Seminar or, with the permission of the department chair, by taking ANTH-501/SOCI-501 Independent Research. Of the remaining 28 semester hours, students must take at least five anthropology courses designated as theory courses, one course designated as an area studies course, and one elective course. At least 12 of the theory course semester hours must be taken at the 300 level or above. Topics courses or Honors courses taught by anthropology faculty may be credited toward the theory requirement pending departmental approval. GO programs reviewed by the department may satisfy the area studies requirement for the major. Depending on the project, ANTH-501 Independent Research may be credited toward either the theory or area studies requirement.

Required Courses

• 4 ANTH-162 Introduction to Anthropology
• 4 ANTH-235 Qualitative Research Methods
• 4 ANTH-400 History of Anthropological Theory
• 4 ANTH-500 Seminar

Theory Courses

• 4 ANTH-110 Introduction to Archeology
• 4 ANTH-152 Public Culture
• 4 ANTH-220 Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion
• 4 ANTH-222 Life During Wartime
• 4 ANTH-237 Museums and Anthropology
• 4 ANTH-310 National, Transnational and Diasporic Communities
• 4 ANTH-311 Regulating Bodies: Food, Sex, Drugs, and the Economy
• 4 ANTH-312 History and Culture of Jewish Cuisines
• 4 ANTH-322 Visual Anthropology: Imagining the Other
• 4 ANTH-341 Family and Kinship
• 4 ANTH-360 Religious Fundamentalisms in the Modern World
• 4 SOCI-413/ANTH-413 Critical Race Theory

Area Studies Courses

• Latin America and the Caribbean
  • 4 SOCI-210 Caribbean Culture and Society
  • 4 SPAN-447 Seminar in Hispanic-American Studies
  • 4 HIST-180 Latin America, 1492-1825
  • 4 HIST-181 Latin America 1825-Present
• Asia
  • 4 HIST-151 Traditional East Asia
  • 4 HIST-152 Modern East Asia
• Africa
  • 4 HIST-171 African Civilization
  • 4 HIST-172 Early Modern Africa
• North America
  • 4 ANTH-227 Native America North of Mexico
  • 4 HIST-111 United States History Before 1877
  • 4 HIST-112 United States History Since 1877
  • 4 HIST-115 African American United States History
  • 4 HIST-215 The Civil War in the American Experience
  • 4 HIST-218 Work and Play in the U.S.A.
  • 4 HIST-313 Social History of the United States
  • 4 HIST-314 The Long Civil Rights Movement
  • 4 HIST-316 Making a Multicultural United States
  • 4 HIST-323 History of American Medicine
  • 4 HIST-370 American Women
  • 4 FILM-230 American Film and Culture
  • 4 ENGL-345 Themes in Modern American Literature
• Europe
  • 4 HIST-132 Europe, 1648-Present
  • 4 POLI-226 Soviet and Russian Politics
  • 4 HIST-321 European Union
  • 4 FRNC-310 French/Francophone Literary and Cultural or Film Studies
  • 4 FRNC-460 Seminar on French and Francophone Literature and Culture or Film
  • 4 GERM-460 Seminar in German Studies
  • 4 SPAN-445 Seminar in Peninsular Spanish Studies
  • 4 ENGL-325 Themes in Modern British Literature
• Diasporas and Translations
  • 4 JWST-113 Introduction to Judaism
  • 4 JWST-115 Jewish Philosophy and Ethics
  • 4 JWST-255 Jewish Literature
  • 4 JWST-312 History and Culture of Jewish Cuisines
  • 4 JWST-338 The Holocaust

Teaching Certification

Coursework required by the state of Pennsylvania for admission to the teacher certification program includes successful completion of ENGL-100 Writing and Thinking or equivalent course, at least 3 semester hours in British or American literature, at least 6 semester hours of mathematics coursework (or other courses which satisfy the Central Curriculum Analytic Thought requirement), and at least one 40-hour externship.

Education course requirements for secondary education are EDUC-101 Introduction to Education and Society, EDUC-250 Educational Psychology, EDUC-260 Introduction to Special Education, EDUC-270 Instruction of Exceptional Students, EDUC-330 Technology in Education, EDUC-350 English Language Learners: Theory and Instruction, EDUC-380 Instructional Design, EDUC- 479 Principles of Learning and Teaching in Secondary Education, EDUC-483 Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management in Secondary Education, and the EDUC-500 Student Teaching package (EDUC-501, EDUC-502, EDUC-503, and EDUC-600).

Sociology students who seek secondary education certification in social studies must take the following additional courses outside the Department of Sociology and Anthropology: EDUC-425 Methods of Curriculum Instruction and Assessment in Teaching Social Studies, ECON-105 Elements of Economics, POLI-111 American Government and Politics, POLI-121 Comparative Government and Politics, PSYC-101 Principles of Psychology, HIST-322 Pennsylvania History or HIST-324 Pennsylvania’s Pasts and Their Publics, and 1 course in U. S. history (HIST-111, HIST-112 or HIST-115).

Secondary education sociology students must also take the following courses within the Department of Sociology and Anthropology: ANTH-162 Introduction to Anthropology, SOCI-101 Principles of Sociology, SOCI-235 Qualitative Research Methods, SOCI-245 Quantitative Research Methods, SOCI-311 Sociological Theory, SOCI-333 Development, Globalization, and Society or ANTH-310 National, Transnational and Diasporic Communities, SOCI-341 Family and Kinship, SOCI-413 Race, Ethnicity, and Minorities, SOCI-500 Seminar or SOCI-501 Independent Research, and 8 semester hours in sociology electives (student teaching may be substituted for the electives requirement).

Honors

The departmental honors program recognizes outstanding academic performance in the major with departmental honors. To graduate with departmental honors in sociology or anthropology, candidates must:

• Have a GPA of 3.50 or above in the major and 3.25 or above overall,
• Secure the recommendation of the department faculty to pursue honors,
• Write a senior thesis or equivalent paper based on departmental seminars, and
• Sit for an oral honors examination.

Requirements for Minor

When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.

Requirements for a Minor in Anthropology

Students must complete 24 semester hours in anthropology and receive grades of C- or better. All minors must achieve at minimum a cumulative GPA of 2.00 in courses credited toward the minor. Required courses include ANTH-162 Introduction to Anthropology, ANTH-235/SOCI-235 Qualitative Research Methods, and ANTH-400 History of Anthropological Theory. Students must also complete eight semester hours of anthropology theory courses and four semester hours of an area studies course.

Course Options

• ANTH 110 Introduction to Archaeology, Credits: 4
• ANTH 152 Public Culture, Credits: 4
• ANTH 162 Introduction to Anthropology, Credits: 4
• ANTH 200 Trending Topics in Anthropology, Credits: 4
• ANTH 220 Magic, Witchcraft & Religion, Credits: 4
• ANTH 222 Life During Wartime, Credits: 4
• ANTH 227 Native America North of Mexico, Credits: 4
• ANTH 235 Qualitative Research Methods, Credits: 4
• ANTH 237 Museums and Anthropology, Credits: 4
• ANTH 245 Quantitative Research Methods, Credits: 4
• ANTH 301 Topics in Anthropology, Credits: 2–4
• ANTH 310 National, Transnational Communities, Credits: 4
• ANTH 311 Regulating Bodies, Credits: 4
• ANTH 312 History & Culture of Jewish Cuisines, Credits: 4
• ANTH 322 Visual Anthropology, Credits: 4
• ANTH 323 Wish You Were Here: Anthro. of Tourism, Credits: 4
• ANTH 341 Family and Kinship, Credits: 4
• ANTH 360 Religious Fundamentalisms Modern World, Credits: 4
• ANTH 400 History Anthropological Theory, Credits: 4
• ANTH 413 Critical Race Theory, Credits: 4
• ANTH 500 Seminar, Credits: 4
• ANTH 501 Independent Research, Credits: 4
• ANTH 502 Independent Study, Credits: 1–4
• ANTH 510 Internship in Anthropology, Credits: 1–8

Learning goals

• Develops a critical understanding of the relationships between individuals, culture, and social structures.
• Improves abilities to speak, write and present information clearly to a variety of audiences.
• Develops an understanding of the links between theory and methods in the production of knowledge.
• Analyzes and critiques the dynamic nature of contemporary social and cultural worlds.

Recent graduates have enrolled in programs at:

• Columbia University
• Georgetown University
• New School
• Northwestern University
• NYU (New York University)
• Stanford University
• The Johns Hopkins University
• University of Delaware
• University of Oregon
• The Pennsylvania State Dickinson School of Law
• Stanford University
• University of Colorado
• The University of Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania State University

Recent graduates have been employed at:

• American Anthropological Association
• The University of Pennsylvania
• Johns Hopkins University
• New Jersey Department of Corrections
• SEDA-COG Forum for the Future
• Smith College
• Department of Planning and Development, City of Eugene, Oregon
• Homeless Planning Council of Delaware
• The Museum of Natural History
• National Archives
• Peace Corps
• Smithsonian Institution
• US Department of State