Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Arts
Nature of the Program
Anthropology is a deeply comparative and participatory discipline that prepares students for meaningful life and work in our diverse and ever more interconnected world. The curriculum fosters an awareness of the structure and diversity of human societies, past and present, and offers a broad range of perspectives on the experiences and meanings of being human. Students are exposed to the methods of inquiry and to the special knowledge and insights of anthropology. Courses in the department also are intended to facilitate the application of anthropological principles to a wide range of contemporary social problems.
Anthropology graduates may pursue careers in nonprofit, public, or private sector fields. Majors are well-equipped for graduate training in the social sciences in pursuit of academic or applied research careers. For more information about this program, please visit the departmental website.
Students who earn a degree in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences must complete the University requirements, the College requirements for their specific degree program, and their major requirements.
Minors
All students have the possibility of earning one or more minors; view a list of all available minors and their requirements here. Please note that students may not earn a minor in their major field.
Faculty
Professor and Chair
- Daniel Renfrew - Ph.D. (Binghamton University) Anthropology
Environmental and political anthropology, Social movements, Latin American cultures
Professors
- Sharon R. Bird - Ph.D. (Washington State University) Sociology
Social Inequality (race/ethnicity/class/gender/LGBTQ+), Workplace equity, Research methods - Henry H. Brownstein - Ph.D. (Temple University) Sociology
Distinguished Research Professor. Drugs and society, Drug policy, Violence, Qualitative research methods - Katie E. Corcoran - Ph.D. (University of Washington) Sociology
Theory, Organizations, Culture, Criminology, Religion, Social networks - Walter S. DeKeseredy - Ph.D. (York University) Sociology
Anna Deane Carlson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences. Violence against women, Critical criminology, Masculinities and crime, Criminology theory - R. Gregory Dunaway - Ph.D. (University of Cincinnati) Sociology
Dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences - S. Melissa Latimer - Ph.D. (University of Kentucky) Sociology
Gender/race/ethnicity, Inequality/labor markets/welfare systems - James Nolan, III - Ph.D. (Temple University) Sociology
Criminal justice, Group and social processes - Rachel Stein - Ph.D. (University of Akron) Sociology
Criminology, Victimization, Media and crime - Karen Weiss - Ph.D. (SUNY-Stony Brook) Sociology
Criminology, Victimization, Gender/sexuality/culture - Rachael A. Woldoff - Ph.D. (Ohio State University) Sociology
Community, Crime, Inequality/race/class - Joshua Woods - Ph.D. (Michigan State University) Sociology
Social psychology, Media, Complex organizations, Sociology of risk
Associate professors
- Corey Colyer - Ph.D. (Syracuse University) Sociology
People processing systems, Agencies of social control - Amy Hirshman - Ph.D. (Michigan State University) Anthropology
Mesoamerican archaeology, Social complexity, Ceramics - Jason Manning - Ph.D. (University of Virginia) Sociology
Conflict and social control, Violence, Sociology of knowledge - Christopher P. Scheitle - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University) Sociology
Religion, Science in society, Crime, Organizations - Jennifer Steele - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University) Rural Sociology
Natural resource sociology, Rural and community development - Jesse Wozniak - Ph.D. (University of Minnesota) Sociology
Policing, Criminology, Deviance, State power
Assistant professors
- Brandie S. Pugh - Ph.D. (University of Delaware) Sociology
Inequality, Corporate crime, Interpersonal violence, Philosophy of science - Kirsten Younghee Song - Ph.D. (Rutgers University) Sociology
Culture, Transnationalism, Young adulthood, Inequality
Teaching instructors
- Daniel Brewster - M.A. (West Virginia University) Communication Studies
- Douglas Sahady - M.A. (California University of Pennsylvania) Social Science
- Genesis Snyder - M.A. (Western Michigan University) Anthropology
Professors emeriti
- Ronald C. Althouse - Ph.D. (University of Minnesota) Sociology
Theory, Work, Occupational safety and health - Ann L. Paterson - Ph.D. (Michigan State University) Sociology
- Patricia C. Rice - M.A. (Ohio State University) Anthropology
- Joseph J. Simoni - Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame) Sociology
- William I. Torry - Ph.D. (Columbia University) Anthropology
Admissions for 2025-2026
- First Time Freshmen are admitted directly into the major.
- Students transferring from another major will be admitted after completion of ANTH 105 with a grade of C- or higher and an overall GPA of 2.0.
- Students transferring from another institution will be admitted after completion of ANTH 105 with a grade of C- or higher and an overall GPA of 2.0.
Major Code: 14C3
Click here to view the Suggested Plan of Study
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Departmental Requirements for the B.A. in Anthropology
Students must complete WVU General Education Foundations requirements, College B.A. requirements, major requirements, and electives to total a minimum of 120 hours. For complete details on these requirements, visit the B.A. Degrees tab on the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences page.
- Capstone Requirement: The General Education Foundation requires the successful completion of a Capstone course. Anthropology majors must complete ANTH 488 for 3 credits.
- Writing Requirement: Anthropology Bachelor of Arts students fulfill the Writing and Communication Skills requirement by completing ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 (or ENGL 103), and two SpeakWrite Certified Courses TM: ANTH 488 , and either ANTH 259 or ANTH 359 .
- Calculation of GPA in the Major: A minimum GPA of a 2.0 is required in all courses applied to major requirements, with a minimum grade of C- required in SOC 101, ANTH 105, ANTH 259, ANTH 359. If a course is repeated, all attempts will be included in the calculation of the GPA, unless the course is eligible for a D/F repeat.
- Experiential Learning: Students interested in archaeological careers or graduate studies are encouraged to take Archaeological Field School (ANTH 357) through WVU or a transfer equivalent. Students interested in applied cultural anthropology careers or graduate studies are encouraged to consult with faculty about transient opportunities for Ethnographic Research Methods (ANTH 356). In addition, students are encouraged to do Independent Study (SOC 495), additional fieldwork, or an internship (SOC 491) in their junior or senior year, combining experiential work with previously acquired skills in a project appropriate to their career goals. SOC 490, SOC 491, and SOC 495 can be taken for variable credit and will count as general elective credits towards graduation, but they cannot be applied to major requirements.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 78 | |
| ECAS B.A. Requirements | 6 | |
| Anthropology Major Requirements | 36 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 | 27 | |
| SOC 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 50 | |
| Total Hours | 78 | |
ECAS B.A. Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECAS B.A. Requirements | 6 | |
Fine Arts Requirement | ||
Global Studies and Diversity Requirement | ||
| Total Hours | 6 | |
Anthropology Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CORE REQUIREMENTS: | 12 | |
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Introduction to Anthropology | ||
| The Craft of Anthropology | ||
| Anthropological Thought | ||
| SUBFIELD REQUIREMENTS: | 6 | |
Select two of the following: | ||
| Biological Anthropology | ||
| Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Archaeology | ||
| SUBFIELD ENRICHMENT REQUIREMENTS: | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
| Understanding Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistical Inference | ||
| The English Language | ||
| UPPER-DIVISION ANTHROPOLOGY REQUIREMENTS | 12 | |
Select four of the following: | ||
| Human Osteology | ||
| Latin American Culture | ||
| Historical Archaeology | ||
| Mesoamerican Archaeology | ||
| Cultural Resource Management | ||
| Ethnographic Field Methods | ||
| Archaeological Field School | ||
| Anthropology of Health and Illness | ||
| Archaeology of Ancient States | ||
| Material Culture | ||
| Social Movements | ||
| Environmental Anthropology | ||
| CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE | 3 | |
| The Capstone Experience | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| SOC 191 | 1 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | GEF 2 | 3 |
| ANTH 105 (ECAS Glob. Stu. & Div. Req.; GEF 7) | 3 | ECAS Fine Arts Requirement (GEF 6) | 3 |
| Subfield Enrichment Requirement | 3 | SOC 101 (GEF 4) | 3 |
| General Elective | 5 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 8* | 3 |
| GEF 2 | 3 | ANTH 259 | 3 |
| GEF 8* | 3 | Subfield Requirement Course 2 | 3 |
| Subfield Requirement Course 1 | 3 | General Elective | 6 |
| General Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEF 8* | 3 | ANTH 359 | 3 |
| Subfield Enrichment Course | 3 | Upper-level Anthropology Course 2 | 3 |
| Upper-level Anthropology Course 1 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Upper-level Anthropology Course 3 | 3 | ANTH 488 | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | Upper-level Anthropology Course 4 | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
- *
Students completing a minor, a double major or a dual degree already fulfill F 8.
Degree Progress
Students are expected to meet the benchmarks set below.
- Complete SOC 101 and ANTH 105 with grades of C- or higher by the end of the second semester in the program;
- Complete ANTH 259 and two additional 200-level anthropology courses by the end of the fourth semester in the program;
- Complete ANTH 359 , one 300 or 400-level anthropology course and either STAT 111, STAT 211, ENGL 221, or LING 311 by the end of the sixth semester in the program.
- Maintain a GPA of 2.0 overall and a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all SOCA courses counting toward major requirements.
- All majors must meet with their adviser every semester.
Students who do not meet these benchmarks may be removed from their major.
Major Learning Outcomes
Anthropology
Students graduating with a BA in Anthropology will be able to:
- Describe anthropology’s core theoretical perspectives, its distinctive history, and its unique breadth and range as a discipline.
- Interpret past and present human life-ways holistically and comparatively.
- Discuss the importance of knowledge and understanding of a culturally and biologically diverse world.
- Differentiate between the multiple methods employed by anthropologists across its subfields.
- Apply ethical principles to the conduct of anthropological research and the applications of its findings.
- Critically analyze anthropological questions and issues by retrieving and synthesizing appropriate information and evidence and identifying implications for research and practice/policy.
- Demonstrate effective, clear and persuasive communication skills according to disciplinary conventions.