Undergraduate Program and Advising

UW Anthropology major is committed to describing, interpreting, and explaining the historical, biological, and cultural diversity of the human species. Anthropology's unique contribution to the human sciences and humanities is its expansive scope - temporally and spatially - in the study of human beings. It includes the study of human evolution, the archaeological record, language and culture, the relationship between humans and their environment, and cultural modes of being as these differ in time and space. In studying anthropology, students can better understand how to find ways to live together in today's world, respecting cultural diversity while building upon common human values.

Whether you're an anthropology major or just thinking about becoming one, the Anthropology Advising Office is the place to go for information about degree and program requirements, current course offerings, and advice about completing your studies. The advising office is located in Denny Hall rooms 245/247. For more information about the major, please contact Diane Guerra, the Director of Student Services, at djguerra@u.washington.edu /(206) 543-7772 (hours 9-4 Monday through Friday).

There are three informal tracks within the undergraduate major that suggest areas in which students may wish to concentrate their studies. These are:

• Archaeology: The exploration of human prehistory through evidence of past human activities.
• Biocultural Anthropology: The study of the evolution and adaptation of the human species, non-human primates, and modern human populations.
• Sociocultural Anthropology: The study of culture broadly conceived, including language and symbolic systems, practices, and identities.

In addition to these tracks, there are two formal options to which students may apply. Click here for the application :

• Medical Anthropology and Global Health: The study of topics relating to health, illness, and healing from sociocultural, biocultural, clinically applied, public health, and other related perspectives.
• Anthropology of Globalization: The study of today's increasingly interconnected and multicultural world, focusing on both contemporary and historical patterns of global exchange.

All of these fields are represented in the department's curriculum and in the research of faculty members.