Anthropology takes a broad approach to understanding the varied aspects of what makes us human. To help students understand the complexity of culture across human history, our department offers courses in four fields—archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistics, and sociocultural anthropology.  

Our faculty encourage students to pursue  thematic areas that bridge the traditional fields of anthropology in order to address the complex challenges facing contemporary societies. 

These thematic areas include: 

We aim to educate students to address real-world problems through a combination of classroom learning, seminars, and hands-on field and laboratory research opportunities. Examples of these opportunities include studying primates at the zoo or in a tropical forest, interning at the Middle American Research Institute (MARI), developing language preservation tools, examining fossils and other articles, and conducting ethnographic research at home and around the world.  

Given the diversity of topics of interest to anthropologists, we encourage students to integrate anthropology coursework within pre-professional programs of study. Upon consultation with anthropology faculty advisors, students may count up to two courses as electives towards the anthropology major from approved courses in other departments. 

The subject matter of anthropology is such that most of the curriculum is not an explicitly ordered sequence. Few anthropology courses at Tulane have specific prerequisites (exceptions, mostly linguistic courses, are noted in the catalog), and anthropology majors are encouraged to choose their courses from among all those with numbers less than 7000. The 6000-level courses are designed for undergraduate as well as graduate students, and junior and senior majors may choose from these offerings. 

Anthropology majors are eligible to apply for the 4+1 program in anthropology, based on consultation with advisors and other mentors. Students in the 4+1 program can earn B.A. or B.S. degrees in anthropology within four years, and M.A. degrees in anthropology based on an additional year of graduate coursework in anthropology taken during their fourth and fifth years. Requirements for this program are outlined on the departmental web site and in the anthropology majors handbook. 

The anthropology department administers the Kenneth J. Opat Fund in Anthropology, reserved for the support of undergraduate research in anthropology. Students majoring in anthropology are encouraged to seek further information from their anthropology advisors about the use of this research fund.