Welcome

Anthropology is the study of human difference and diversity and it connects to the sciences, history, language, the arts, and global issues. At GW, anthropology is a four-fields endeavor, meaning that our department unites faculty across

• archaeology
• biological anthropology
• linguistic anthropology
• sociocultural anthropology.

Anthropology is one of the top five departments at GW in terms of its number of majors, partly because we have three undergraduate major programs: Anthropology, Archaeology, and Biological Anthropology.

In sociocultural and linguistic anthropology, the faculty has recognized excellence in various regions of the world and topics including diasporas, governance, health, development, education, performance, and cultural heritage. The B.A. program in Anthropology provides many options and electives.

Archaeology at GW focuses on both Old and New Worlds and concerns issues of state formation, power, and human origins. The major program in Archaeology provides one of the few B.A. degrees in that discipline offered in the United States.

The department offers extensive coursework in biological anthropology at graduate and undergraduate levels. The undergraduate B.S. degree in Biological Anthropology emphasizes coursework on human evolution, human anatomy, and primatology and provides an excellent basis for future training in medicine and related areas. Our sister program in Hominid Paleobiology is one of the finest biological anthropology research and teaching groups in the world.

Innovative research and pedagogy take advantage of our location in Washington DC, notably our connection (dating to the 1880's) with the Smithsonian Institution. (See Partnerships).