Minor in Anthropology

Beloit College students try spear throwing with atlatls in an Anthropology class.

Explore what it means to be human

What is Anthropology?

Anthropology is the study of people: how they live, what they believe, how they adapt, and how their societies change. It brings together cultural anthropology, archaeology, and biological anthropology to help us understand human diversity across the globe and throughout history.

You sample this broad field through courses that introduce you to cultural systems, material remains, human evolution, and the methods anthropologists use to study past and present societies.

Why study Anthropology?

Anthropology teaches you to observe closely, think critically, analyze data, and understand perspectives different from your own. You learn to make sense of patterns in human behavior, explain cultural and biological diversity, and apply evidence-based reasoning to complex social questions.

These skills strengthen majors in fields like sociology, history, psychology, health sciences, international relations, environmental studies, and education, giving you a deeper understanding of how people and cultures shape the world.

Why study Anthropology at Beloit College?

Beloit College offers one of the most hands-on anthropology experiences available at a liberal arts college. You have access to the Logan Museum of Anthropology, where students regularly handle artifacts, contribute to exhibits, and learn museum-based research methods reserved at other institutions for graduate study.

Fieldwork, community partnerships, and opportunities like Bioarchaeology Abroad are chances to apply classroom learning in real contexts. You learn alongside engaged faculty and peers who value collaboration, curiosity, and global understanding. The anthropology minor strengthens your academic path while preparing you to work effectively with people in any career.

Details

Specialization

Minor

Credits Required

6 units (24 semester hours)

Format

In-person

Related Departments & Schools

Related Offerings

Anthropology curriculum

The anthropology minor introduces you to human diversity through coursework in cultural anthropology, archaeology, and biological anthropology, with opportunities for hands-on work in labs, museums, and community settings.

Anthropology Minor (6 Units)

Six departmental units (at least 4 of which must be Beloit College units):
1. Two foundational courses chosen from Anthropology 100, 110, or 120.
2. One course from the essentials category (200-250).
3. Three elective anthropology courses, chosen in consultation with the advisor, 1 of which must be at the 300-level (only one special project may count here).

Courses explore human behavior, cultural systems, material remains, and biological diversity through analysis, interpretation, and real-world research.

[ANTH 100] Society & Culture: In this course, students analyze the workings of social life: the understandings, desires, expectations and ways of living people share as well as the institutions, histories and relationships that make them possible.
[ANTH 110] Archaeology: Lessons from the Past: In this course, students learn how past societies responded to specific challenges relating to power, identity, conflict, health, sustainability, and climate change, and how a more inclusive archaeology provides lessons for addressing such issues in the present and future.
[ANTH 247] Anthropological Research in Museums: Museums are valuable research resources in all subfields of anthropology. In this course, students learn how anthropologists conduct research in (and on) museums.
[ANTH 308] Bodies: This advanced seminar looks at bodies as sites of pleasure, objects of anxiety, sources of pain, and corporeal environments where new and ongoing knowledge about ourselves are registered.

Anthropology outcomes

A minor in anthropology from Beloit College strengthens your cultural awareness, analytical skills, and ability to understand people in context, enhancing any major and supporting careers that center on communication, research, or community engagement.

Students completing the anthropology minor will be able to:

Analyze human behavior and cultural patterns.
Understand cultural and biological diversity across societies and time.
Communicate ideas clearly through writing, discussion, and public engagement.
Apply anthropological methods such as observation, interviewing, or artifact analysis.
Connect anthropological insights to broader academic or professional interests.

Archaeology & Field Research: Excavate and analyze artifacts to uncover insights into ancient and historical human life and culture. ($45,000 → $80,000+)
Archival & Records Management: Organize, preserve, and describe records so organizations and communities retain reliable histories. ($35,000 → $80,000+)
Communications & Media: Share information through writing, outreach, and storytelling in print, online, or broadcast media. ($45,000 → $100,000+)
Education & Academia: Teach, advise, and research within schools, colleges, or universities in specialized disciplines. ($35,000 → $90,000+)
Government & Public Service: Contribute research, analysis, and cultural expertise to civic or international initiatives. ($45,000 → $90,000+)
Museum & Heritage Curation: Curate, interpret, and preserve artifacts, art, and documents for public learning. ($45,000 → $80,000+)
Nonprofit & Community Development: Support outreach, research, and program coordination for community, advocacy, or service organizations. ($35,000 → $80,000+)
Public Health & Community Research: Study health trends, gather data, and support programs that improve community well-being. ($45,000 → $90,000+)

Reviewed on November 2025. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salary figures shown here are estimates. Actual pay will vary by position, industry, location, education, and experience. Some pathways and positions may require additional education or certifications. For more detailed information, please explore reputable career and salary resources.

Kiernyn Orne-Adams ’16 poses with a Protoceratops skull (and its toy likeness) in the Gobi Desert.

Following in the Footsteps of Roy Chapman Andrews

Kiernyn Orne-Adams ’16 channeled her inner Indiana Jones to embark on a new adventure with an unexpected Beloit connection.

Heritage West excavation in progress.

Beloit alumna co-founds community archaeology project

A community and university archaeology project is elevating histories that were buried when a neighborhood met its tragic, bulldozed end. Heritage West was highlighted in The Pennsylvania Gazette where Megan Kassabaum ’05 expressed her excitement at uncovering pieces of daily life, and the impact on everyone involved in the project.

Curator Nikita Werner and students host a pop-up exhibit at the Logan Museum.

Beloit Heritage Days at the Logan Museum

Beloit College Curator Nikita Werner and museum studies students took community members back in time through the Paleolithic (Stone Age) collections.

George Carlson, a Beloit alumnus, stands on the Old Bridge of Regensburg with a view of the Danube in the background, and dark, foreboding skies in the distance.

International internship in anthropology

George Carlson spent the summer examining human health in the past during an international research trip with Prof. Leslie Williams

Native Truths

A permanent exhibit at Chicago’s Field Museum breaks new ground in how Native American stories are told and who tells them. Three Beloiters played key roles in creating it: Tom Skwerski ’87, Jamie Kelly ’96, and Emily Starck ’14.

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