Program Overview

Department of Anthropology

The Department of Anthropology offers undergraduate majors in anthropology, with a focus on archaeology.

Undergraduate Majors

The undergraduate program in anthropology provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the field, including its subfields of archaeology, biological anthropology, and cultural anthropology.

Archaeology

Archaeology is one of anthropology's major subfields. Students are encouraged to explore archaeology through individual coursework, summer field work, and internships. Many of these experiences are offered through the Earth Sciences Department.

Earth Sciences/Anthropology Double Major

The University of Memphis offers a unique opportunity for undergraduates to gain critical learning experiences in both earth sciences and anthropology. Students can earn a double major in a 120 credit hour/four year curriculum. The double major begins early, with students satisfying General Education and BA requirements, many of which are options shared between the disciplines.

Advising

Advising is the key to success of a double major, and students following this track are encouraged to seek advising in both departments.

Coursework

The following list is intended as a rough guide or roadmap for double majors; it is not a complete listing of all courses that may be of interest to archaeologists.

ESCI Courses

• All students must take ESCI 1020 (4) and ESCI 4515 (3).
• The Geoarchaeology concentration (36 hours) also requires the following courses:
  • ESCI 1103 (4)
  • ESCI 2301 (4)
  • ESCI 4202 (4)
  • ESCI 4270
  • ESCI 4301
  • ESCI 4325
  • ESCI 4350
  • ESCI 4352
  • ESCI 4521
  • Six upper division hours as approved by advisor.

Core:

• ESCI 1020 (Landforms)
• ESCI 4515 (Geographical Information Systems)

Geoarchaeology-Specific Requirements:

• ESCI 1103 (Humans and Environment)
• ESCI 2301 (Fundamentals of Archaeology)
• ESCI 4202 (Geomorphology)
• ESCI 4521 (Quantitative Methods)

Cross-listed courses:

• ESCI/ANTH 4270 (Ancient Human Society/Environmental Change)
• ESCI/ANTH 4301 (Archaeology of North America)
• ESCI/ANTH 4325 (Archaeological Field and Lab Techniques)
• ESCI/ANTH 4350 (Archaeology of Collapse)
• ESCI/ANTH 4352 (Old World Archaeology)
• ESCI/ANTH 4680 (Applied Archaeology and Museums) (not required for the Geoarchaeology concentration)

Anthropology Courses

• All students must take ANTH 1100, ANTH 1200, ANTH 3200, and ANTH 4065.
• The anthropology major requires a total of at least 30 credits in ANTH courses, at least 6 of which must be at the 4000 level.

Core:

• ANTH 1100 (Biological Anthropology and Prehistory)
• ANTH 1200 (Cultural Anthropology)
• ANTH 3200 (People and Cultures of the World)
• ANTH 4065 (Anthropological Theory)

Other electives:

• ANTH 3282 (American Communities)
• Other electives to reach 30 hours total