Please see below for Academic Concentration in Anthropology information.
Anthropology is the broadest and most diverse of the Social Sciences, covering the study of humans and our ancestors at all times and all places around the globe. The Anthropology Department offers a wide variety of courses, covering the four fields of the discipline and has dynamic experts in each of these fields: archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistics.
Archaeologists dig into ancient cultural diversity by recovering and analyzing the material remains of prehistoric and modern societies. By reconstructing past ways of life and constructing culture histories, archaeologists are able to explain the dynamics and evolution of cultural systems. Biological (Physical) anthropologists investigate the biological diversity, behavior, and evolution of humans and other primates (such as lemurs, howler monkeys, baboons, and chimpanzees). Cultural anthropologists discover the unique and universal aspects of contemporary cultures by living with the people under study. They travel to all corners of the globe in order to understand the full range of modern cultural diversity. Linguists examine languages from around the world, as well as other forms of communication of humans and other primates. Major topics researched by linguists include the history and origins of languages, the structure of language, how language relates to social aspects (such as race, class, age, and gender), and language and cognition. All four fields of anthropology are characterized by first-hand observation, or fieldwork. The fieldwork experience is recreated in the college classroom, with hands-on opportunities for students to appreciate what it’s like to be an anthropologist.
If you are interested in exploring what anthropology is all about, enroll in ANTH& 100, Survey of Anthropology, an introduction to the four fields. Or take a class that will provide you with particular knowledge about one of the exciting fields. Most of our classes are offered on campus, on-line, and in a hybrid mode.
| FIELD | CORE COURSE | SPECIALIZED OFFERINGS |
|---|---|---|
| ARCHAEOLOGY | ANTH& 204 Archaeology | ANTH 101 Introduction to North American Archaeology ANTH 102 Introduction to Mexican & Central American Archaeology ANTH 103 Introduction to South American Archaeology ANTH 104 Great Discoveries in Archaeology ANTH 107 Great Discoveries in World Archaeology |
| BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ANTH& 205 Biological Anthropology (Science credit) OR ANTH& 215 Bioanthropology with Lab (Lab Science credit) | ANTH& 235 Cross-Cultural Medicine ANTH& 236 Forensic Anthropology |
| CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ANTH& 206 Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 108 Food, Drink, & Culture ANTH 180 American Life & Culture ANTH 220 Sex, Gender, & Culture ANTH 222 Environment & Culture ANTH 230 Bones, Stones, Fire & Clay ANTH 232 Film & Culture ANTH& 234 Religion & Culture |
| LINGUISTICS | ANTH 208 Language, Culture, & Society (Social Science or Humanities credit) | ANTH 208 Language, Culture, & Society ANTH 219 Sociolinguistics |
The majority of anthropology courses provide credits that fulfill the Social Science distribution requirement for the college’s degree programs, but a few of our offerings fulfill the Humanities requirement (ANTH 180; ANTH 208), or a Science (ANTH& 205) or Lab Science (ANTH& 215) requirement. All courses are transferable to Washington state four-year institutions.
In addition to the AAS degree, students may elect to earn a CONCENTRATION IN ANTHROPOLOGY by successfully completing 20 credits in four required core courses (1. ANTH& 204: 2. ANTH& 206; 3. ANTH 208; 4. ANTH& 205 or ANTH& 215) that reflect the broad range of the discipline. Faculty experts in each of the four fields provide active learning experiences, combining classroom and fieldwork components.
All BC students are welcome to join the “Weird Anthropology Club” to further explore fascinating issues and multiple ways of being human that are not considered in other forums. More information is available by contacting the club advisor, Tony Tessandori (tony.tessandori@bellevuecollege.edu).
To plan your anthropology courses for forthcoming quarters, visit the BC online Class Schedule or the Interactive eLearning website for information about the Interactive eLearning program and our online class offerings. For more information about the Anthropology classes, distribution requirements, and special topics, please see all Anthropology course offerings in the BC Course Catalog. Additional information about the department can be obtained on this website, or by contacting the Department Chair, Tony Tessandori (tony.tessandori@bellevuecollege.edu).