Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of human diversity in all times and places. It brings together perspectives from the sciences and humanities to illuminate different aspects of the human past, the human body, and contemporary social life. Global perspectives, fieldwork and experiential learning, and concerns with ethics, justice, and social well-being are hallmarks of anthropology. Vanderbilt's program has a strong research focus on Latin America and historically marginalized groups, especially indigenous people and descendants of the African diaspora.

Students majoring in anthropology take courses in several subfields, each of which looks at humanity from a different perspective. Cultural anthropology examines the relationships, beliefs, values, and political-economic practices that shape individual behavior, community life, and power in society. Archaeology studies past cultures through their material remains. Linguistics explores relations between language and culture. Biological anthropology examines topics such as community health in the past and present, forensic science, genetics, evolution, human biology, and bioethics. Courses cluster around themes of cross-cultural health, biology, food, and medical systems; inequality, power, and social-political relations; material culture, human-environment relations, and spatial analysis; religion and politics; and worldviews, language, and cognition. Unless indicated otherwise in the course description, anthropology courses have no prerequisites and are open to all majors and non-majors.

Knowledge of the diversity of human histories and lifeways is vital to imagining alternative paths to a better society. Anthropology develops this knowledge through experiential learning that challenges students to go beyond the familiar, to see, understand, create, and interact in new ways. This preparation is useful in all professional careers that involve understanding human behavior, working with people from different backgrounds, analyzing complex information, and thinking holistically about the conditions that shape people's lives.

• All required parts of the Common Application or Coalition, powered by Scoir, including the personal essay and short answer
• $50 nonrefundable application fee, or fee waiver for qualified students
• Official high school transcript
• Counselor letter of recommendation
• Two academic teacher letters of recommendation
• Optional for students applying for fall 2024 entry: SAT or ACT scores (SAT code: 1871 / ACT code: 4036)

Three Ways to Apply:

• Coalition, powered by Scoir
• Common Application
• QuestBridge

Choose the application system that is right for you - we do not prefer one over the others. Do not submit an application through more than one system. Choose one application, and submit all required materials through that method.