Knott and field assistant Rusda observe an orangutan at Cabang Panti Research Station, Gunung Palung National Park, 2014
Anthropology at BU
For decades, the Department of Anthropology of Boston University has been home to distinguished faculty who pursue excellence in teaching and produce cutting-edge anthropological research. We are proud to be one of a handful of academic institutions in the country to provide and promote a four-field approach to the discipline by engaging in sociocultural, biological, archaeological, and linguistic anthropology.
From studies of migrants and youth culture to primate behavior and evolutionary biology to Mesoamerican and religious artifacts, the Department of Anthropology’s faculty possesses a wide range of expertise on the history and development of human society from ancient times to the present. These efforts are supported by close working partnerships with a number of schools and research centers at Boston University. We encourage you to explore the innovative work of our current faculty members, as well as our affiliate members, and our emeriti faculty.
The Department offers a number of exciting degree options for undergraduate students. Undergraduates may pursue a major in Biological, Sociocultural Anthropology, or Anthropology, Health & Medicine, a minor in Anthropology or Medical Anthropology, or a joint major in Anthropology and Religion. With their expertise in sociocultural or biological anthropology, our students have successfully pursued careers in academia, advocacy, business, conservation, development, international relations, law, museology, public health, and medicine.
Our Ph.D. and Master’s students continue to advance the field of anthropology through their study and research. Our students and alumni have received prestigious academic awards and fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Fulbright Program, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, the Leakey Foundation, and many others. Our graduates teach in renowned universities around the world and work in business, consulting, medical and laboratory research, and related fields.
We stand in solidarity with our students against issues of racial injustice, inequality, and white privilege on our campus and in the larger community and nation.