Course variations

Course summary

This program focuses on cultural anthropology, providing students with an understanding of the diversity of cultural worlds, human social organization and social structure, and social research methods. The courses help students gain an understanding of the complexity of current events within the U.S. and internationally, and the importance of recognizing and weighing equally cultural values and ideas from across the globe. The course offerings examine topics ranging from anthropological theory and the positioning of knowledge and power, to the application of anthropology to urban social issues, health care, and public policy. As anthropology majors, students gain knowledge, skills, and conceptual tools that prepare them for a wide range of careers, professional training programs, and graduate school. Anthropology is a popular major for people intending to pursue professional study in medicine, psychology, education, business, and human services (e.g., social work, nursing, etc). The majors also have entered MA and PhD graduate programs in anthropology across the country, as well as the MA in Applied Sociology program at UMBC. As with most liberal arts majors, undergraduate majors in anthropology who wish to engage in anthropology professionally generally continue to graduate school. For anthropology majors who do not intend to continue to graduate school, many government, non-profit, and private sector job opportunities are available, especially in positions that involve human interaction and where an understanding of multicultural issues is beneficial. This includes employment at social welfare, health-related, and program evaluation agencies and organizations, private marketing firms, and companies involved in international business.

Program modules

Students must complete the following requirements with a grade of ‘C’ or better: 1. Core Requirements (13 credits): ANTH 211 Cultural Anthropology [3], ANTH 303 Anthropological Research Methods [3], SOCY 300 Methodology of Social Research [4], ANTH 400 Anthropological Theory [3]. 2. Other Requirements (18 credits) six three-credit courses from the list shown below. a) A minimum of four courses from the following: ANTH 212 Ethnographers World, ANTH 297 Selected Topics in Anthropology, ANTH 302 Human Evolution: Physical Anthropology and Archaeology, ANTH 304 Family, Kin and Groups: The Anthropology of Social Organizations, ANTH 310 Ethnographic Film, ANTH 311 Urban Anthropology, ANTH 312 Medical Anthropology, ANTH 313 Applied Anthropology, ANTH 314 Psychological Anthropology, ANTH 316 Anthropology of Religion, ANTH 317 Contemporary Problems in Anthropological Perspective, ANTH 326 American Indian Cultures, ANTH 397 Selected Topics in Anthropology, ANTH 402 Ethnography of Communication, ANTH 416 Cyberspace, Culture and Society, ANTH 419 Qualitative Methods in Social Research, ANTH 429 Aging in Cultural Context, ANTH 497 Advance Selected Topics in Anthropology, ANTH 498 Selected Topics in Anthropology, ANTH 499 Advanced Independent Study in Anthropology. (b) Any two additional anthropology or sociology courses, which may include any remaining from (a) above. In addition, it is suggested that at least two courses from the following list be taken to strengthen the student’s understanding of cross-cultural variations: AFAM 211 Introduction of Contemporary Africa, AFAM 241 The Making of the Caribbean, AFAM 314 Islam in Africa, AFAM 323 Economic Development in Africa, AMST 260 American Folklife, AMST 360 Gender and Folk Tradition, AMST 444 Traditional Material Culture in the United States, ARCH 100 Introduction to Archaeology, ARCH 340 Cities of the Past, ARCH 360 Rise of Civilization, ARCH 397 Field Experience in Archaeology, ARCH 410 Archaeological Methods and Theory, EDUC 307 Field Experience in Elementary Education, EDUC 308 Field Experience in Secondary Education, EDUC 318 Myths and Literature, EDUC 343 Folklore, EDUC 347 Contemporary Development in Literature and Culture, EDUC 348 Literature and Culture, EDUC 349 The Bible and Literature, GEOG 327 Cultural Ecology, LING 210 Introduction to Language Structure, MLL 230 World Language Communities, POLI 363 Comparative Middle Eastern and North African Politics.

Entry requirement for international students

Students must have a high school diploma or its equivalent and have strong marks. Freshmen who wish to be considered for merit scholarships must sit for the SAT and present a combined critical reading and math score of 1300 or better along with high school marks that are in the top 10 per cent of their class. Otherwise, students educated overseas do not need to sit for the SAT. They must also demonstrate their English Proficiency by TOEFL or IELTS scores. If students TOEFL score falls below 48 on the internet-based, 140 on the computer-based, or 550 on the paper and pencil version, they should consider full-time enrollment in the English Language Center (ELC).

Qualification

Bachelor degree

Awarding body

University Of Maryland, Baltimore County

Department name

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology and Anthropology