Objectives
ANTHROPOLOGY — THE STUDY OF THE RICH CULTURAL, SOCIAL, LINGUISTIC AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY OF HUMANITY — is a hands-on learning experience at Hamilton. Small liberal arts colleges rarely offer all four areas of study (cultural and social, linguistic, and biological anthropology and archaeology), but Hamilton does. Students take introductory and theory courses and choose between two tracks: cultural anthropology and archaeology. This curriculum familiarizes you with all sub-areas, teaches you to write and think critically, and prepares you for a field that contributes to a wide range of areas: international business, epidemiology, social impact studies, organizational analysis and market research, just to name a few.
Course description
Cultural Anthropology
A track in cultural anthropology consists of a minimum of 10 courses: 106; 113, 114 or 115; 126, 127, or 201; 358; 440; and five other courses, one of which must focus on a culture area. Prospective concentrators are encouraged to take 358 as early as possible because it must be completed by the end of the junior year. All concentrators, especially those planning graduate studies, are advised to take a course in statistics. Concentrators must fulfill their Senior Project requirement through satisfactory completion of the Senior Seminar (440), which emphasizes the critical evaluation of scholarship as well as primary data culminating in a research paper. Concentrators with a departmental average of 3.3 (88) or higher at the close of their senior fall semester and a B+ or better in the Senior Seminar may pursue honors through 560, an individual project under the direct supervision of a member of the department. To receive honors, a grade of A- or higher must be earned on the thesis.
