Anthropology - B.S.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology is for students who wish to acquire in-depth training in archaeology and biological anthropology. The program is more structured in terms of course requirements than the B.A. degree in Anthropology and provides students with methods and theory that will prepare them for graduate school and future careers in the discipline.

The Anthropology major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Archaeology concentration provides students with in-depth training in analysis and field opportunities, as well as coursework in archeological theory and cultural ecology. The program emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of archaeology. Students take courses in geography (GIS mapping and satellite imagery), geology and mathematics; and have the option of  chemistry or physics courses, depending on interests and aspirations. The program features hands-on training using the latest technologies, including morphometric analysis, material properties testing, artifact replication, digital recording and mapping equipment. Areas of specialization include experimental archaeology, Old World Paleolithic archaeology and North American archaeology.
• The Biological Anthropology concentration trains students in aspects of evolutionary theory, human evolution and human variation. Coursework includes studies of living primates, their anatomy, behavior, ecology and conservation. Laboratory work for genetics, endocrinology, bone biology and neurobiology are available for undergraduate training. Additionally, the freshmen human evolution laboratory enhances the learning process in the biological aspects of human nature.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet specific exceptions. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the Coursework tab.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Acquire a foundational view of human cultures and an extensive knowledge base of diverse human behavior.
2. Demonstrate broad skills in social, physical and biological sciences.
3. Understand how social scientists think and apply their findings.

Graduates of the Archaeology concentration will be able to:

1. Learn how anthropologists investigate the past combining the methods of social and natural scientists.
2. Demonstrate comprehension of anthropology’s special role in making archaeology (particularly the study of the ancient Americas) come to life and become relevant for them.
3. Gain a special appreciation of archaeology’s other mandate—the need to conserve the precious heritage of the archaeological record, both in the New World and the Old World.
4. Demonstrate thorough knowledge of general chemistry and/or physics,  fundamental mathematics, as well as specific areas of geology and geography.

Graduates of the Biological Anthropology concentration will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of biological anthropology as the most relevant evolution science, the one which gives them an appreciation of their place in nature.
2. See the two dimensions of human evolution and adaptation: a global one (modern human variation) and a deep temporal one (human origins). Both dimensions require an appreciation of the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution, which includes both the process of natural selection and the roles which genetics and developmental biology play.
3. Demonstrate thorough knowledge of general chemistry and fundamental mathematics, as well as specific areas in the biological sciences.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

Archaeology Concentration Requirements

¹

Students take the lectures and associated labs in either chemistry or physics.

Biological Anthropology Concentration Requirements

¹

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

Graduation Requirements

• To fulfill the diversity requirement, students must take a domestic diversity course that is not an ANTH course.

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.S.

• Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 8 credit hours of foreign language.¹ 
• The Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science is exempt from this requirement.²
• Minimum Elementary I and II of the same language

¹

All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and fewer courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the alternative credit programs offered by Kent State University; or (3) demonstrating language proficiency comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 8 credit hours and two courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.

²

The Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science exemption exists under another college policy (Three-Plus-One Programs).

Roadmaps

Archaeology Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Biological Anthropology Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus