Courses and Syllabi
The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.
Anthropology Fall 2026
Undergraduate
ANTH 114: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3 Credits)
Overview of major ideas and approaches to the study of cultures around the world. Surveys kinship, social organization, political economy, religious beliefs, language and other aspects of non-Western cultures. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Mason Core, Social/Behavioral Sciences
Specialized Designation: Non-Western Culture
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
ANTH 120: Unearthing the Past: Prehistory, Culture and Evolution (3 Credits)
Introduction to archaeology. Explores the ways in which the archaeological record contributes to issues and debates about the human past and present, as well as the lab and field methods used for understanding archaeological remains. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Mason Core, Social/Behavioral Sciences
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 120 - 001: Intro to Archaeology — Elic Weitzel — 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM MW - Enterprise Hall 276
ANTH 135: Introduction to Biological Anthropology (3 Credits)
Uses an evolutionary perspective to introduce students to the study of humans and non-human primates as biological organisms. The course will analyze the genetic and environmental bases for modern human biological variation, understand primate behavior and biological relationships, and reconstruct the fossil record. Discussions about prehistoric skeletal remains will emphasize biological responses to changes in subsistence and social structure. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
2 Sections Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 135 - 001: Intro Biological Anthropology — Kimberly Foecke — 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM TR - Enterprise Hall 178
- ANTH 135 - DL1: Intro Biological Anthropology — Rick W. A. Smith - Online
ANTH 136: Introduction to Biological Anthropology Lab (1 Credit)
This anthropology laboratory uses a biocultural and evolutionary perspective to introduce students to the study of humans and non-human primates as biological and social organisms. Covers primate evolution and biological relationships past and present, the fossil record of humans and our ancient relatives, and genetic, social, and environmental bases for the biological variation of living humans. Students will learn basic skeletal anatomy and use this information to reconstruct evolutionary shifts. Students will also identify evidence for disease and demographic shifts during major adaptive transitions and historical events such as agriculture, urbanization, and colonialism. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Mason Core, Natural Science with Lab
Registration Restrictions:
Required Prerequisite: ANTH 135*C.
* May be taken concurrently.
C Requires minimum grade of C.
Schedule Type: Laboratory
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
ANTH 309: Peoples and Cultures of India (3 Credits)
Examination of South Asia, with emphasis on India. Includes general overview of prehistory and history; impact of colonialism; contemporary Indian culture, including the changing relations of caste and class, family organization, and the roles of women, religion, and ideology; and current trends in economic development and socioeconomic differences in different parts of the country. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Specialized Designation: Non-Western Culture
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 309 - 001: Peoples and Cultures of India — Rashmi Sadana — 01:30 PM to 02:45 PM T - Horizon Hall 2008 - Hybrid
ANTH 313: Myth, Magic, and Mind (3 Credits)
Examines religion as a cultural system. Topics include mythology, ritual, symbolism, and dogma. Emphasizes cross-cultural and predominantly non-Western material. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Specialized Designation: Non-Western Culture
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 313 - DL1: Myth, Magic and Mind — Ahmet Tekelioglu - Online
ANTH 314: Zombies (3 Credits)
Explores how human beings across cultures have historically expressed social anxieties through references to the one particular manifestation of the undead: zombies, figures representing a state in which human beings are animate and affective in the world around them, but lack consciousness or free will. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Specialized Designation: Non-Western Culture
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 314 - DL1: Zombies — Terilee Edwards-Hewitt - Online
ANTH 322: Pirates, Conquest, and Death: Archaeology and Globalism since 1500 (3 Credits)
Examines materials, theories, and methods of archaeology derived from and applied to historical sites, as they complement archival records. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Recommended Prerequisite: ANTH 120, 60 hrs, or permission of instructor.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 322 - 001: Archaeolo/Globalism since 1500 — Haagen Klaus — 12:00 PM to 01:15 PM MW - East Building 201
ANTH 331: Refugees (3 Credits)
Introduction to causes and consequences of forced dislocation as a global issue. Covers formally recognized refugees, as well as people such as internally displaced persons and asylum seekers who are in refugee-like circumstances. Focuses on understanding the personal experiences of refugees and examining efforts on their behalf at national and international levels. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Recommended Prerequisite: ANTH 114, 60 credits, or permission of instructor.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 331 - 001: Refugees — Yasemin Ipek — 12:00 PM to 01:15 PM MW - Innovation Hall 136
ANTH 332: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Globalization (3 Credits)
Examines the varieties of cultural experience. Several cultures are studied in depth; with attention to local histories, global contexts, and shifting perspectives on the practice of ethnography. Notes: May be used for credit toward the BA in sociology. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Mason Core, Global Understanding
Specialized Designation: Non-Western Culture
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 332 - DL1: Cross Cult Persp Globalization — Melissa Kerr Chiovenda - Online
ANTH 353: Anthropological Genomics (3 Credits)
Deepens knowledge of genome technologies, the history of genome research, and how genomics has contributed to our understanding of humanity past and present. Considers how different paradigms of evolutionary thought have influenced the field and how forces of evolution act to shape genome variation in humans. Considers the central role of genomics in the both the rise of and resistance to race science, and how an anthropological perspective is essential to gain a fuller understanding of the social and political dimensions of genome science. Provides hands-on training of laboratory techniques for generating, analyzing, and interpreting human genome data and contextualizes these methods within historical and ethical frameworks. Traces how genome scientists have used these techniques to better understand human evolution, population history, health, and biodiversity. Evaluates the power of genome science to impact questions of human agency, kinship, identity, ancestry, and belonging. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Recommended Prerequisite: ANTH 135 or similar introductory level coursework in biology.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 353 - 001: Anthropological Genomics — Rick W. A. Smith — 12:00 PM to 01:15 PM TR - David J. King Hall 2084
ANTH 370: Environment and Culture (3 Credits)
Examines relationships among environment, culture, and human behavior with an emphasis on cultural ecological explanations in mainly non-Western contexts. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Specialized Designation: Green Leaf Focused Course
Recommended Prerequisite: ANTH 114, or 60 hours, or permission of instructor.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 370 - 001: Environment and Culture — Elic Weitzel — 01:30 PM to 02:45 PM MW - Horizon Hall 4016
ANTH 386: Quantitative Methods in Anthropology (3 Credits)
Introduces students to statistical methods used in anthropology. Emphasizes appropriate and creative application of statistical tests to anthropological problems and careful interpretation of results. Explores methods used to compare means, variances, and correlations within and between samples. Provides instruction on methods used in anthropological demography. Builds fluency in the use of statistical software. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Recommended Prerequisite: ANTH 114, 120, 135
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 386 - 001: Quant. Methods in Anth. — Daniel H Temple — 03:00 PM to 04:15 PM MW - Innovation Hall 319
ANTH 387: Zooarchaeology (4 Credits)
Explores the methods and theories applied in zooarchaeology through integrating hands-on assignments working with a comparative collection. Examines how archaeologists can understand human-animal relationships in the past including their role in reconstructing paleoenvironments, their contribution to ancient foodways, domestication of animals, and ritual uses of fauna. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Schedule Type: Laboratory, Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
2 Sections Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 387 - 001: Zooarchaeology — Jamie L Clark — 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM TR - David J. King Hall 2084
- ANTH 387 - 201: Lab for Lecture 001 — Jamie L Clark — 04:30 PM to 07:10 PM R - David J. King Hall 2084
ANTH 395: Work, Technology, and Society: An IT Perspective (3 Credits)
Introduction to the anthropology of work, technology, and society, with emphasis on information technology. Covers general conceptual issues of information technology and also involves specific practical exercises with computers, their operating systems, the logic of automated production, databases, and web-based communication. Attention also directed to social and ethical issues raised by contemporary information technology. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Mason Core, Info Tech & Computing
Recommended Prerequisite: ANTH 114, 60 hours, or permission of instructor.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 395 - 001: Work, Tech and Society — Aziza Bayou — 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM TR - Innovation Hall 326
ANTH 495: Internship (1-6 Credits)
Supervised project in applying anthropology in relevant settings including public and historical archaeology, developmental anthropology, museums, non-profit organizations, advocacy, communications, or consulting organizations. Notes: Students must complete 45 hours of work at the internship site for each credit. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. May be repeated within the degree for a maximum 6 credits.
Recommended Prerequisite: 60 credits or permission of instructor.
Schedule Type: Internship
Grading:
This course is graded on the Satisfactory/No Credit scale.
This course is graded on the Satisfactory/No Credit scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 495 - 001: Internship — Christopher Morris - 9900 Main Street
Graduate
ANTH 535: Sociocultural Theory in Anthropology (3 Credits)
Surveys sociocultural theory in anthropology from the discipline’s origins to contemporary debates. Students will explore influential schools of thought, examining how theoretical approaches have shaped anthropology’s development as an empirically grounded yet theoretically informed practice. The course combines key theoretical texts with ethnographic studies, covering topics from early anthropological concerns to recent developments in feminist anthropology, political economy, and postcolonialism. Students will critically analyze the sociopolitical contexts of scholarly work and the craft of ethnographic writing. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. May not be repeated for credit.
Registration Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.
Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.
Schedule Type: Seminar
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 535 - 002: Sociocultural Theory — Christopher Morris — 04:30 PM to 07:10 PM R - Horizon Hall 4010
ANTH 560: Ethnographic Writing (3 Credits)
Examines a variety of ethnographic texts with attention to issues of form, style, and content in order to understand how authors blend theory, data, and narrative. Offers students the tools, practice, and insight on how to write ethnographically through discussion and writing exercises in a course that is part seminar, part workshop. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. May not be repeated for credit.
Registration Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.
Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.
Schedule Type: Seminar
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 560 - 001: Ethnographic Writing — Rashmi Sadana — 04:30 PM to 07:10 PM T - Innovation Hall 330
ANTH 585: Bioarchaeology (3 Credits)
Explores the cutting-edge methods of bioarchaeological science and reconstructs ancient living worlds from the remarkable information encoded in bones via patterns of demography, disease, diet, trauma, violence, lifestyle, social structures, sex and gender, ethnicity, and identities on a global scale and over the last 10,000 years of history. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. May not be repeated for credit.
Registration Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.
Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 585 - 001: Bioarchaeology — Haagen Klaus — 04:30 PM to 07:10 PM M - David J. King Hall 2084
ANTH 586: Quantitative Methods in Anthropology (3 Credits)
Introduces students to statistical methods used in anthropology. Emphasizes appropriate and creative application of statistical tests to anthropological problems and careful interpretation of results. Explores methods used to compare means, variances, and correlations within and between samples. Provides instruction on methods used in anthropological demography. Builds fluency in the use of statistical software. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. May not be repeated for credit. Equivalent to ANTH 650.
Registration Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.
Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 586 - 001: Quant. Meth. Anth. — Kimberly Foecke — 01:30 PM to 02:45 PM TR - David J. King Hall 2084
ANTH 587: Zooarchaeology (4 Credits)
Explores the methods and theories applied in zooarchaeology through integrating hands-on assignments working with a comparative collection. Examines how archaeologists can understand human-animal relationships in the past including their role in reconstructing paleoenvironments, their contribution to ancient foodways, domestication of animals, and ritual uses of fauna. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. May not be repeated for credit.
Registration Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.
Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.
Schedule Type: Laboratory, Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.
2 Sections Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 587 - 001: Zooarchaeology — Jamie L Clark — 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM TR - David J. King Hall 2084
- ANTH 587 - 202: Lab for Lecture 001 — Jamie L Clark — 04:30 PM to 07:10 PM R - David J. King Hall 2084
ANTH 599: Contemporary Issues in Anthropology (3 Credits)
Explores current issues and debates in anthropology. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. May be repeated within the degree for a maximum 18 credits.
Registration Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.
Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.
Schedule Type: Seminar
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 599 - 001: Environment and Culture — Elic Weitzel — 01:30 PM to 02:45 PM MW - Horizon Hall 4016
ANTH 690: Internship (3-6 Credits)
All internships must be approved by faculty advisor to ensure suitability to the student's course of study. Introduction to applied anthropology through approved work and study at a museum, institute, agency, or other approved site. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. May be repeated within the term for a maximum 6 credits.
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies
Recommended Prerequisite: Graduate standing, with 3 hours of methods and 12 hours in program, or by permission of instructor.
Registration Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.
Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.
Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.
Schedule Type: Internship
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Special scale.
This course is graded on the Graduate Special scale.
1 Section Currently Scheduled
- ANTH 690 - 001: Internship — Rick W. A. Smith