Anthropology Major

Bachelor of Arts

An anthropology degree like no other

Discover the forces that shape societies, cultures, and the course of history. When you join Hamline's anthropology department, you join a multifaceted discipline that draws on historical, environmental, biological and social forces. You'll gain the knowledge and skills necessary to live, work and succeed in our culturally diverse and complex world.

Your classes will delve into all aspects of anthropology, from studying modern cultures and societies and reconstructing past civilizations through archeology to analyzing human behavior through an evolutionary lens and unpacking how people communicate, think, and socialize.

Our faculty value and create opportunities for student-led learning projects and regularly collaborate with students in research initiatives, and Hamline's Twin Cities location offers a springboard into the variety of opportunities for comparative cultural studies in our backyard.

Professor Davies Shoveling Asphalt — Professor Davies tries his hand at shoveling asphalt in Hamline's Anthropology of Infrastructure course

Anthropology major (BA) and concentrations

Anthropology major (BA)

Choose from a wide variety of courses suited to your career interests, and develop skills that will serve you on whichever path you choose.

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Anthropology major (BA) - Anthropocene Studies Concentration

Study humans at the intersection of digital and material worlds. Learn functional theories, and gain knowledge and research methodologies for understanding humans at our present moment.

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Anthropology major (BA) - Applied Methodologies & Heritage Studies Concentration

Designed to prepare you for work in a variety of areas: museums, tourism, archaeology, forensic death investigation, heritage industry, and the nonprofit sector.

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Anthropology courses

Explore the many anthropology course offerings and discover what shapes humans and the societies we live in.

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Anthropology program details

Internships

Career Paths

Paid internships for anthropology majors

We make sure you leave Hamline with work experience in the field of anthropology on your resume. And the opportunities are boundless. Whether you want to explore a career in communications, museum curation, public policy, or more, we have paid internship opportunities for you.

Examples of past anthropology student internships include:

Jacob Wetterling Resource Center, victim assistance specialist intern
Maya Society of Minnesota, student assistant
Mayo Clinic, research intern
MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, investigations intern
Minnesota Historical Society, archeology collections management intern
Minnesota Office of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, constituent outreach intern
Planned Parenthood of Minnesota Action Fund, campus organizer intern
Salter Mitchell Behavior Change and Communication, public relations and research assistant

Explore career paths for anthropology majors

Our innovative courses and one-on-one mentoring by faculty will give you the tools to succeed in a variety of jobs, such as:

Administrative assistant
Archaeological field technician
Archeological technician
Fellowship coordinator

One of the wonderful things about anthropology is that you never feel like you are doing or studying the same thing. You’re always doing and learning something new in the pursuit of studying human beings. It’s so lovely and wonderful.

Ellie Perra ‘24, anthropology; of Andover, MN

H. Sapiens, Hamline's journal of undergraduate anthropology research

In fall 2022, Hamline University students launched the first issue of H. Sapiens, a journal of undergraduate research on anthropology and interdisciplinary subjects. H. Sapiens publishes original Hamline student research spanning the breadth of human experience, from Buddhist ideals of death to a New York City jazz festival seen through an anthropologist's lens.

Student editors review submissions, select papers, and publish the annual issue on H. Sapiens' WordPress site. Interested in submitting your research to H. Sapiens? You can reach the editors through the contact form on H. Sapiens' website.

Announcing the second issue of H. Sapiens

Hamline is excited to announce the upcoming publication of its second issue of H. Sapiens, which is expected sometime this summer.

Eva Larson Hamline Student smilling to the picture

Hamline's classes and methods provide such an intimate learning experience. I personally think that hands-on experience is essential. Gaining skills in a lab or in the field, having those experiences working on projects and learning adaptability, flexibility, problem solving, critical thinking—it's invaluable.

Eva Larson '22, anthropology and criminology & criminal justice; bio-archaeology technician at Hamline Center for Anthropological Services

Read Eva's story