Undergraduate Catalog

Anthropology

Phone: 845-257-2990
Location: Wooster Hall 319
Web address: www.newpaltz.edu/anthropology

Who are we? Where did we come from? Where are we going? Anthropology, the study of human diversity across geographic space and evolutionary time, takes on these far-reaching questions. Courses in the Department of Anthropology deal with three areas:

  • Physical anthropology is concerned with the evolution of human beings as biological organisms and with the physical variation within contemporary human populations.
  • Archaeology and prehistory explore the extinct cultures of the past and attempt to elucidate the processes involved in their development.
  • Sociocultural anthropology is involved with the comparative analysis of socially learned behavior patterns and institutions of contemporary populations from all areas of the world.

A background in anthropology is a valuable asset in today’s job market. The skills you learn as a major are applicable to a wide range of careers. Many of our majors have continued on to graduate studies and have also used their anthropological training to enter fields such as business, law, government, education, international relations, public health, and social and environmental activism.

Anthropology Program: