About the program Augustana College offers both a major and minor in anthropology, a program that resides within the overall department of sociology, anthropology and social welfare. With a focus on ethnographic methods, current theoretical models, and the application of anthropological perspectives, the anthropology program offers a diverse number of courses on cultures around the world, with topics ranging from medical anthropology to popular culture, and from globalization and to tourism. Augustana’s liberal arts foundation is the ideal environment for study in anthropology, and the department faculty contribute significantly to the college’s interdisciplinary general education series. The two full-time faculty both hold the Ph.D. and have a wide range of complementary specializations. Their combined fieldwork and research experience ranges from Africa to Europe, Native North America and the American Midwest. Mollieinasia Anthropology student Mollie Gossage in China. "Anthropology is most attractive to me for its wide range of application. It's no easy task to make sense of humanity, but the task is worthwhile. Being able to understand one another is arguably the noblest intellectual pursuit, and also increasingly important in today's internationalized world. My own experiences studying abroad have presented me with substantially complex and important anthropological situations. Studying anthropology at Augustana has gifted me with sensitivity and greater understanding not only while studying, but also while experiencing new worldviews. There's no end to anthropology; people and cultures are so dynamic that there's always something new to delve into." -- Mollie Gossage '10 Special opportunities Augustana students undertake a Senior Inquiry capstone project within their major program, working with a faculty mentor. In anthropology, this experience builds on the strong ties promoted between students and faculty in their small class groups, and further develops and demonstrates each student’s specific ethnographic research interests. Senior Inquiry projects for anthropology majors span two terms: designing the project during the first term, then carrying out the qualitative fieldwork and writing an ethnographic account during the second term. Anthropology students are encouraged to combine their ethnographic field study with one of Augustana’s many options in international programs. Along with fall terms in Latin America, Europe or East Asia, the college offers many intensive, long- and short-term opportunities in places ranging from India to Ireland—including a wide variety of cultures and environments on our own continent. Future goals Graduates with a degree in anthropology often make their careers in non-governmental organizations and non-profit sectors, in public health, in museums, education, publishing or business. Studying anthropology at Augustana prepares students both for careers and for graduate study in anthropology or a related discipline. Many students choose to double-major in anthropology to develop their cultural expertise for professional leadership positions, especially in the increasingly global environment of the modern world. The field of anthropology is an ideal complement to a major or minor in business, medicine, the natural sciences and many other disciplines.

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