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Anthropology Courses

The anthropology curriculum at UL Lafayette offers a wide array of courses representing the four subfields of anthropology. In order to obtain a degree in anthropology, students must take 30 credit hours in anthropology and must also earn an 18 credit hour minor concentration in another field relevant to anthropology or the student's career interests.

The five required courses are Cultural Anthropology (ANTH 201), Physical Anthropology (ANTH 202), Archaeology (ANTH 303), Linguistic Anthropology (ANTH 390) OR Introduction to Linguistics (ENGL 351), and Anthropological Theory (ANTH 470). The additional 15 credit hours of anthropology courses can be selected based on the student’s interests.

100. Introduction to Anthropology - (3, 0, 3). General overview of cultural, linguistic, biological and archaeological sub-fields, including human variation, evolution, race, language, civilization, and cultural diversity. Restr: for non-majors.

201. Cultural Anthropology - (3, 0, 3). Introduction to the study of cultural systems: major concepts, methods, typologies, and issues in approaching cultures, both foreign and local. Subjects include the definition of “culture,” language diversity, economic subsistence, political structures, art and religion in human societies.

202. Biological Anthropology - (3, 0, 3). Primate and human variation, adaptation and evolution. Introduces the subfield of anthropology that focuses on the natural history of humankind.

203. World Archaeology - (3, 0, 3). Survey of global human prehistory from the perspective of anthropological archaeology, including the origins and decline of ancient civilizations.

240. Cultural Diversity - (3, 0, 3). Comparative inclusiveness, ethnic and racial diversity, equity, and social justice in contemporary communities and cultures, involving local to global challenges and disparities.

303. Archaeology - (3, 0, 3). Introduction to the history, method, and theory of American archaeology. Basic principles of archaeological science, including field and laboratory techniques.

305. Anthropology of Religion - (3, 0, 3). Understanding religion from a cultural point of view, through the study of worldviews in folk societies, emphasizing belief systems and sacredness. Cross-cultural approach of believing and practices dealing with supernatural elements, including magic and the occult, as well as the integration of these beliefs with other areas of culture. Prereq: SOCI 100 or ANTH 201.

310. Human Ecology - (3, 0, 3). Examination of biological and cultural adaptations to diverse environments. Survey of how humans have adapted to the environment from the past to the present, providing a detailed understanding of the causes of human diversity and variation.

320. Current Issues and Anthropology - (3, 0, 3). Examination of a variety of local and international perspectives in archaeology, biology, culture or language. Addresses social and cultural issues in order to understand the application of anthropology. May be repeated for credit.

330. Introduction to Forensic Anthropology - (3, 0, 3). Overview of forensic anthropology as an applied science, including goals, methods, and case studies, focusing the wider scope of skeletal biology on problems of medicolegal significance, particularly determining identity and cause of death from human remains.

350. Human Evolution - (3, 0, 3). Overview of human biological and cultural evolution, including methods, theories, evidence, and recent discoveries of paleoanthropology. Prereq: ANTH 202 or permission of instructor.

385. North American Prehistory - (3, 0, 3). Prehistory of North America from the time of continental peopling until the arrival of Europeans.

386. North American Indians - (3, 0, 3). Introduction to the history and contemporary existence of indigenous peoples living north of Mexico. Emphasis is placed on the continuity in politics and cultural practices of Native Americans within the larger existential context of the United States.

390. LInguistic Anthropology - (3, 0, 3). Introduction to linguistic anthropology, including an overview of fundamental theories, concepts, methods. Topics include the correlations between world cultures and their languages, historical linguistics, understanding meaning systems, as well as discourse analysis.

420(G). Indigenous Cultures - (3, 0, 3). Comparative overview of globalizing cultures from ethnographic and ethnological perspectives, focusing on one or more regions of the world. Prereq: ANTH 201 or permission of instructor required.

430. Forensic Anthropology - (3, 0, 3). Laboratory and discussion based course examining the methods and theories used to investigate human skeletal remains. Topics include laboratory methods used to determine postmortem interval, age, sex, ancestry, and personal identification. Prereq: ANTH330 or permission of instructor required.

435(G). Bioarchaeology - (3, 0, 3). Methods, techniques, theories, and case studies in the excavation and examination of animal bones, primarily human skeletal remains, from archaeological contexts. Prereq: ANTH202 or ANTH303 or permission of instructor required.

440(G). Louisiana Archaeology - (3, 0, 3). Overview of major cultures, sites, and topics in the state, including the first Native American societies, earliest monuments, historical ecology, technology, subsistence, political economy, culture contact, colonial and underwater archaeology.

450(G). Indians of Louisiana - (3, 0, 3). Ethnohistory and ethnography of Louisiana’s native peoples, from contact period to present Restr: Junior classification or permission of instructor required.

454(G). Gender Across Cultures - (3, 2, 6). Application of social definitions of appropriate and inappropriate thought, feeling, behavior, and appearance on various gender categories. Emphasis on multiple cultures and contexts. (Same as SOCI 454(G). Prereq: ANTH 201, SOCI 100 OR SOCI 354. Restr: If prerequisite not met permission of instructor required.

460. Medical Anthropology - (3, 0, 3). Examination of biological and cultural adaptations to disease stress. Topics covered include biological variation, nutritional anthropology, traditional medical systems (ethnomedicine), and the history of human diseases (paleopathology).

465(G). Heritage and Habitat - (3, 0, 3). Ethnographic research methods addressing theoretical and applied issues in environmental anthropology, including ethnographic content related to human adaptations, especially cultural-ecological interactions in south Louisiana. Prereq: ANTH 201 or permission of instructor required.

470(G). Anthropological Theory - (3, 0, 3). Analysis, application and critique of anthropological theory from the development of the discipline to present-day. Prereq: ANTH 201 or permission of instructor required.

480(G). Cultural Resource Management - (3, 0, 3). Critical introduction to applied anthropological perspectives and practices in contemporary society. Methods, techniques, theoretical perspectives, legislation, and regulations fundamental to the interdisciplinary field of CRM, especially public archaeology and heritage conservation.

490(G). Archaeology Field School - (1, 9, 6). Field experience in archaeology. Training in actual excavation and field laboratory methods at area archaeological sites. Restr: Permission of instructor required.

491(G). Research in Cultural Anthropology - (3-6). Research methods. Emphasis on fieldwork techniques and investigation. Restr: Junior or senior standing and permission of instructor required.

493(G). Seminar in Anthropology - (3, 0, 3). Content varies. May be repeated for credit. Examination of topics in archaeology or in cultural or physical anthropology. Restr: Permission of instructor required.

495(G) Language and Power - (3, 0,3).  Language is enmeshed with ideologies, race, gender, identity, politics, and class. Power relations are evident in linguistic discrimination, nationalist and revitalization movements, and debates over “correct” ways of speaking.

497(G) Special Projects in Anthropology I - (3) Independent research or reading in cultural or physical anthropology or archaeology, directed by selected faculty. Restr: Permission of instructors and department head required.

498(G). Special Projects in Anthropology II - Independent research or reading in cultural or physical anthropology or archaeology, directed by selected faculty. Restr: Permission of instructors and department head required.

499(G). ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDS. (0, 6, 3). Preparation, management, and curation of technical records resulting from archaeological field work. Coreq: ANTH 490(G). Restr: Permission of instructor required.