Anthropology - B.A. and B.S. Download to print

The Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology focuses on the human cultural and biological diversity and our impact on past and present environments. Anthropology’s relevance to other areas of study, including sociology, social-psychology, biology and pre-medicine, links it to culture area studies, community planning and public health. Majors who focus on the biological aspect of human evolution will benefit from the freshman-level human evolution laboratory. Kent State's anthropology program provides in-depth area studies in the South Pacific (cultural anthropology), Mesoamerica and Ohio (archaeology).

The Bachelor of Science in Anthropology consists of concentrations in either archaeology or biological anthropology.

Archaeology provides students with in-depth training in analysis and field opportunities, as well as coursework in archeological theory and cultural ecology. The program emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of archaeology. Students take courses in geography (GIS mapping and satellite imagery), geology, mathematics and chemistry. The program features hands-on training using the latest technologies, including digital recording and mapping equipment, remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems. Regional areas of specialization include Mesoamerica and eastern North America.

Biological Anthropology trains students in aspects of evolutionary theory, human evolution and human variation. Coursework includes studies of living primates, their anatomy, behavior, ecology and conservation. Genetics and neurobiology labs are available for undergraduate (and graduate student) training. The subject is also linked to pre-medicine and public health. Additionally, the new freshmen human evolution laboratory enhances the learning process in the biological aspect of human nature.

A degree in Anthropology prepares students for working with people, regardless of the specific career. It may be a stepping stone to higher degrees and/or careers in law school, medicine, or education; it may serve as a final degree in human biology or behavior, or, it may be preparation for graduate school in anthropology.  Regardless, a background with a strength in human cultural and biological diversity is a gateway to a variety of careers.  A recent study of students graduating with a BA in Anthropology from a major eastern university found careers in a variety of disciplines (sales, public health, teaching K-12, law, marketing, social work, school administration, small business, medicine, family counseling) (Omohundro, 2001).  Some of these individuals went on to higher degrees in other fields, others found careers after having completed their BA.

About 75% of Anthropologists with Ph.Ds and some with Master of Arts degrees are teaching in colleges and universities (Omohundro, 2001).  Many of those employed in academia also conduct research, often in foreign countries, but also in the U.S. (in cities, zoos, etc.).  Since the 1980's employment in the non-academic sector has improved in volume and diversity with anthropologists employed in government positions (about 14%: such as the FBI, CIA, and EPA, and federally funded museums like the Smithsonian Institution), non-governmental positions (about 11%: for example conservation organizations – World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, Nature Conservancy, international relief organizations, the United Nations) and for-profit organizations (about 25%, for example, in state or county museums, zoos, coroner’s offices, contract archaeology companies, and self-employed consultants). Employment opportunities for MA professionals in archaeology are  particularly good because of opportunities of employment in the public sector.   

(Source: Omohundro, John T.  2001 Careers in Anthropology; Wadsworth's Anthropology Resource Center)

General Admissions for Freshman Students: Students most likely to be admitted and succeed at the Kent Campus are those who have graduated with at least 16 units of the recommended college preparatory curriculum in high school, who have achieved a cumulative high school grade point average of 2.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), and whose composite ACT score is 21 or better (980 combined critical reading and math SAT score). For more information on admissions, visit the admissions website for new freshmen.

General Admissions for Transfer Student: Generally, a transfer applicant who has taken 12 or more semester hours with a college cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale may be admitted. An applicant who has taken fewer than 12 semester hours will be evaluated on both collegiate and high school records. For more information on admissions, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Minimum 121 total credit hours  and  42 upper-division hours for graduation. Minimum 2.000 GPA overall and 2.000 GPA in major required for graduation.

B.A. Anthropology

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Learn how anthropologists investigate the past using the methods of social scientists. Students who earn the general BA degree in anthropology will demonstrate comprehension of anthropology’s special role in making archaeology, particularly the study of prehistoric Ohio, come to life and become relevant for them. In addition, these students will gain a special appreciation of archaeology’s other mandate—the need to conserve the precious heritage of the archaeological record, not only Ohio’s but that of all of the eastern woodlands, and the Americas as well. Students favoring archaeology may be urged to take two upper division electives in Geography or Classics Studies. Greater emphasis in Archaeology, interest in mathematics, and desire for modern methods in geography would suggest that the student elect the archaeology track of the anthropology bachelor of science degree.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of biological anthropology as the most relevant evolution science, the one which gives them an appreciation of their place in nature. They will see the two dimensions of human evolution and adaptation: a global one (modern human variation); and a temporal one (human origins). Both dimensions require an appreciation of the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution, which includes both the process of natural selection and the roles which genetics and developmental biology play. Students favoring biological anthropology may elect courses in the Department of Biological Sciences or the College of Public Health. Even greater emphasis would suggest the biological anthropology track of the anthropology bachelor of science degree.

3. Achieve a holistic view of human cultures and an extensive knowledge base of diverse human behavior. Students will demonstrate an appreciation of anthropology as the social science with the longest history of scholarly theory and practical application. Majors, depending on their goals, may be urged to augment their four-course foreign language general requirement with an additional upper division elective in grammar and conversation.

B.S. Anthropology

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. All anthropology bachelor of science majors will acquire a foundational view of human cultures and an extensive knowledge base of diverse human behavior. There are two concentrations within this degree program.

2. Learn how anthropologists investigate the past combining the methods of social and natural scientists. Students who earn the BS degree in archaeology will demonstrate comprehension of anthropology’s special role in making archaeology, particularly the study of the ancient Americas, come to life and become relevant for them. In addition, these students will gain a special appreciation of archaeology’s other mandate—the need to conserve the precious heritage of the archaeological record, both in the New World and the Old.  Students will demonstrate thorough knowledge of general chemistry and fundamental mathematics, as well as specific areas of geology and geography. Students of this program will demonstrate broad skills in both social and basic sciences, a unique perspective for a bachelor’s graduate. That is, in addition to a fundamental understanding of how social theorists think and apply their findings, these students will demonstrate how a knowledge base is also derived from induction-based inference.

3. Demonstrate an understanding of biological anthropology as the most relevant evolution science, the one which gives them an appreciation of their place in nature. They will see the two dimensions of human evolution and adaptation: a global one (modern human variation); and a deep temporal one (human origins). Both dimensions require an appreciation of the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution, which includes both the process of natural selection and the roles which genetics and developmental biology play.  Students will demonstrate thorough knowledge of general chemistry and fundamental mathematics, as well as specific areas in the biological sciences. Students of this program will demonstrate broad skills in social, physical, and biological sciences, a unique perspective for a bachelor’s graduate. That is, in addition to a fundamental understanding of how social scientists think and apply their findings, these students will demonstrate how a knowledge base is derived from induction-based inference.

There are many Study Abroad/Away Opportunities, for more information contact the Office of Global Education.

Anthropology Student Organization

Anthropology (M.A.), Biomedical Sciences-Biological Anthropology (Ph.D.)