Bachelor of Arts [B.A] [Anthropology] From Florida State University

Anthropologists divide their work among four sub-disciplines. Archaeologists study material objects left behind by prehistoric and historic peoples and document stability and change in human behavior over long time periods. Physical (biological) anthropologists study the fossil record of human and pre-human evolution, primate ecology and behavior, comparative anatomy, osteology and genetics, forensics, medical anthropology, human variation and the evolutionary origins of human cognition and culture. Cultural anthropologists live among and study contemporary peoples; their social institutions; their history; their political, religious, and medical practices; and the creative products of their social lives. Anthropological linguists study the evolution and structure of human language and the relationships between language, culture, and society.

The undergraduate offerings in at Florida State University include survey courses to give liberal studies students an introduction to human diversity and behavior, and upper division courses for advanced students with specialized interests. The department provides a rigorous course of study intended to prepare students for graduate study in any one of the subfields of anthropology. The courses also provide a science-based liberal arts education to students wishing to pursue other professional degrees such as law or medicine (with additional coursework) and to those students who may not wish to pursue graduate studies. Students with a heavy anthropology background often develop careers in areas of public policy, cultural resource management, public health, women's studies, museum studies, and other areas where practical approaches contribute to providing workable solutions to human problems.