Program Codes:
BAARCHSA
Bachelor of Arts
Introduction
Anthropologists (including specialists in archaeology) are scientists who investigate human diversity in the past and present. Today’s anthropologists are interested in applying insights from the study of human cultural, biological, and linguistic diversity and change to contribute to contemporary local and global issues. Our graduates are trained in critical thinking, pattern recognition, problem solving, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and intercultural skills.
Job diversity is a hallmark of careers in anthropology. Anthropologists work not just in exotic field locations but urban settings, corporate firms, museums, government jobs, law enforcement, non-profits, and a wide range of social- and community-focused arenas.
Mercyhurst University’s program in Anthropology and Archaeology is characterized by hands-on training in current field and laboratory methods and theory with highly individualized mentoring. We prepare students to design and execute original research studies and become leaders in their field.
Students regularly participate in faculty research projects with opportunities for professional development, such as conference presentations and peerreviewed publications. They also acquire real-world experience and training through our professional partnerships.
Anthropology is a broad field that integrates with other disciplines. The Department of Anthropology/Archaeology also has a special relationship with the Biology, Applied Forensic Sciences, Geology, and History Departments. Our students take course in these departments in fulfillment of their concentrations and doublemajor or minor in these subject areas.
The Department of Anthropology/Archaeology offers courses leading to Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in Anthropology/ Archaeology. Bachelor of Science degrees offer a deeper grounding in the scientific subject matter and methods of anthropology and achaeology, supporting course work in related fields (biology, geology, and chemistry), and additional experiential learning in rigorous laboratory excercises. Students may follow a general B.A. course of study, or specialize in one of 3 concentrations in a B.A. or B.S. track.
Mission Statement
Our department is committed to the education and training of the next generation of Anthropologists and Archaeologists. As a four-field discipline concerned with the cultural and biological expressions of humanity past and present, Anthropology is a diverse endeavor characterized by approaches and methodologies drawn from both the sciences and the humanities. Therefore, a wide range of core information, concepts, methodologies, as well as the ability to mobilize these resources critically and independently, form the skill set that we strive to impart to our students.
Anthropology/Archaeology Minor
ANTH 107 Language and Culture - 3 Credits
ANTH 112 World Cultures - 3 Credits
ANTH 120/121 Physical Anthropology and Lab - 4 Credits
ANTH 130/131 Archaeology and Lab - 4 Credits
Four additional Anthropology and Archaeology courses above 200.
All Anthropology/Archaeology students complete 9 required departmental core courses (29 credits), Statistics (3 credits), and successfully complete the intermediate level of a foreign language (3-9 credits).
Students Seeking a B.A. with a Sociocultural Concentration must complete an additional 6 courses (18 credits), 3 additional Anthropology/Archaeology courses numbered above 200, and STAT 130 Social Statistics.
All Anthropology/Archaeology majors must maintain an overall 2.75 GPA, and a 3.0 GPA in Anthropology/ Archaeology major courses. Grades of D or lower will have to be repeated. Students will be evaluated in the summer following their sophomore year. Students failing to achieve the minimum GPA will receive a degree of General Science with an Anthropology/Archaeology Minor.
This course is designed to introduce students to the complex study of language and its role in culture and society. We will begin by examining what constitutes language. Although not a major portion of the class, language structure, including morphology and syntax will be covered. We will examine how language is used by different peoples to construct and maintain social values and relationships, worldviews, and personal identities. Some questions addressed throughout the semester include: How do children acquire linguistic competence in their language? How is language used by people of different genders, ethnicities, socioeconomic classes, and geographical placement? This course is primarily lecture-based format, but students will have an opportunity to engage in their own anthropological linguistic fieldwork.
In this course, the student is exposed to the basic subject matter and methods of modern socio-cultural anthropology. The great diversity of contemporary and recently extinct human culture is examined from a comparative and evolutionary perspective with an emphasis on the differences and similarities between so-called modern state level societies and their less complex antecedents.
This course examines the methods, goals, and substantive results of contemporary anthropological archaeology. An emphasis on the archaeological techniques and concepts archaeologists use for making sense of the past are stressed, and numerous case studies are presented which explore past human practice from the development of human culture through to contemporary society, with a particular focus on humanity's unique relationship with material culture and the environment.
ANTH 131
This laboratory course provides the student basic exposure to contemporary archaeological field methods from both a theoretical and hands-on perspective. Topics include: archaeological survey techniques; mapping; excavation procedures; screening and data retrieval; field and lab processing; and documentation.
ANTH 130
Physical anthropology examines the "human animal" from a biological and cultural perspective. It is the study of human origins and our contemporary and past physical and genetic diversity.
ANTH 121
This lab course will provide an opportunity for students to obtain hands-on experience with human bones, fossil human casts, primate observation and forensic anthropology specimens.
ANTH 120
This course is designed to address, through an examination of the history of anthropology, the theoretical developments, schools of thought, and ideas accounting for the nature of culture and cultural development. The specific contributions of the principal figures representative of each of the major schools of thought will also be identified and examined. While theories of culture are the focus and form the core of this course, the history and theoretical developments of archaeology will be simultaneously considered.
ANTH 130
ANTH-130,ANTH-236,ANTH-237,ANTH-238,ANTH-239
Senior Thesis This capstone seminar/lecture course is designed to assist Senior Anthropology/Archaeology majors during the completion of their Senior Thesis requirement. The course focuses on enabling students to learn and employ processes and methods commonly used in formal written and oral presentations of background research, data acquisition, data analysis, and conclusions. Students’ ongoing projects will serves as the material for collective class review/critique and discussion. The remainder of the course will consist of short lectures on research paper and graphic preparation and production, and oral presentation. The group will explore the following themes in both lecture and seminar format as appropriate: basic elements of composition, scientific writing, IMRAD format, managing scientific data, technical illustrations, tables and figures, thesis document production/format, and other related themes as needed.
ANTH 390
The study of the social and cultural aspects of being human, including economy, customs and religion, political and social organization, & gender roles.
This course provides students with an opportunity to combine qualitative ethnographic field work with an anthropological analysis of ethnicity, socioeconomic position, and gender in contemporary United States society. Students have an opportunity to engage in observation, conduct interviews, and learn to write, transcribe, code, and analyze field notes while engaged in their own mini field work project. Each student designs his or her own project, choosing the setting and topic. Classes alternate between discussion of research, readings, and ethnographic case project development, descriptive writing, and social behavior analysis.
ANTH 112
ANTH-227
ANTH-112
This course addresses the diversity of Eastern North American Indian cultures at the time of and immediately subsequent to Euro-American contact. Particular emphasis is placed on differences in technology and material culture, subsistence strategies, settlement patterns, and environmental variability.
This course addresses the diversity of Western North American Indian cultures at the time of and immediately subsequent to Euro-American contact. Particular emphasis is placed on differences in technology and material culture, subsistence strategies, settlement patterns, and environmental variability.
This course is intended to introduce students to the diverse lives and livelihoods of Native Americans in contemporary society with an emphasis on the range of issues facing Native peoples today. The course is not an historical survey summarizing the rich cultures of the several hundred-plus indigenous nations of North America. Rather, it provides an overview of the salient issues affecting contemporary Native peoples' social, cultural, economic and political activities. Lecture topics include, but are not limited to, colonial legacies, popular culture and stereotypes, indigenous identities, tribal-federal relationships, sovereignty, cultural survival and revitalization, research issues and ethics. Prerequisite: ANTH 112. 3 credits
ANTH 112
This course provides an opportunity to engage with anthropological work on the Navajo of the Southwestern United States. Lectures will be given on Navajo history, language, religion and ritual, gender and kinship, economics, and the place of the Navajo in an increasingly globalized world. Hands-on/experimental activities like weaving, cooking, and traditional storytelling will be undertaken to better understand time-honored Navajo practices.
ANTH 112
People depend on plants for food, clothing, shelter, medicines, and a host of other daily needs. This course examines the varied and complex interrelationships between plants and people. Major topics include domestication processes, the Green Revolution, intentional and unintentional modification of plant communities, and an examination of those plants that provide drugs, food, beverages, and fibers necessary to daily life.
This course examines key anthropological concepts, theories, and approaches to religious practice in traditional and modern societies. Cross cultural examples of myth, ritual, shamanism, symbolism, magic, and witchcraft, as well as the connection between religion and other spheres of sociocultural practice will be addressed. Additionally the relationship between religion and conflict, ecology, gender, politics, and power will be examined.
ANTH 112, ANTH 130
ANTH-112; ANTH-130
ANTH-112
This course is designed to survey cultural and historic variation in families. Kinship systems, as understood in anthropology, will be briefly discussed. Ethnographic case studies that bring attention to key concepts that create and maintain family forms, such as socioeconomic position, gender roles, and ethnic variability, will be read in class. Students will have the opportunity to examine topics such as sexuality, parenting, marriage/divorce, and our own values of what it means to be in a "family" in this class. Throughout the course a series of films on "the family" will be viewed, as well as lectures and group discussions of the readings. The course will end with a discussion of "family values" and family-relevant policies.
3 additional Anthropology/Archaeology courses numbering above 200 (9 credits)
Introduction to the biology of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, including the structure and function of membranes and organelles, especially mitochondria and chloroplasts. Also included are studies of the molecular structure and function of DNA, with emphasis on the organization of the eukaryotic genome, transcription and translation.
BIO 143
Introduction to the biology of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, including the structure and function of membranes and organelles, especially mitochondria and chloroplasts. Also included are studies of the molecular structure and function of DNA, with emphasis on the organization of the eukaryotic genome, transcription and translation.
BIO 143
Introduction to the biology of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, including the structure and function of membranes and organelles, especially mitochondria and chloroplasts. Also included are studies of the molecular structure and function of DNA, with emphasis on the organization of the eukaryotic genome, transcription and translation.
BIO 143
Any student who has completed Calculus I should take Calculus II to obtain a complete study of the calculus of one variable. Topics follow the early transcendentals path, included are the integral, anti-derivatives, the Fundamental Theorem, integration techniques, interesting applications of integration, an introduction to differential equations, series, sequences.
MATH 170
Select 3 Foreign Language Courses