Mission and Goals
Members of the Anthropology Department believe that an academic department is a scholarly community formed by faculty, staff and students that creates an environment of learning for all. Key elements to this environment are excellence in both teaching and research, each invigorating the other
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Anthropology
For our undergraduate majors the educational goals of the Anthropology Department are to (1) provide the highest quality undergraduate education possible in the subdisciplines of Anthropology (archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology) (2) instill an awareness in students that human existence is the result of a long and diverse history of interacting biology and behavior, and (3) provide students with an understanding of cultural diversity and the importance of cultural and linguistic relativism in achieving a fulfilled life within a diverse cultural society. These goals are achieved through required core courses, a variety of advanced electives, a senior level capstone course, project-based laboratory and field-trip experiences, workshops, in- and out-of-country field schools, career development through advising, internships, and team-building and leadership opportunities available by joining Anthropology Department student organizations.
Master of Arts in Anthropology
For all M.A. students the educational goals of the department are to (1) give them the highest quality graduate-level education possible, (2) provide those interested in continuing their graduate education in Anthropology at the Ph.D. level the appropriate basis to successfully compete for entrance into top-tier programs, (3) provide those interested in nonacademic careers that require, or are facilitated by, an advanced degree in Anthropology the education, tools and training necessary to secure employment, and (4) produce professional, ethical, and productive graduates. The master’s curriculum, fieldwork opportunities, laboratories, and research centers provide an excellent foundation for student research, grant writing experience, and numerous training and educational activities.
Doctorate of Philosophy in Applied Anthropology
The Department of Anthropology’s doctoral program in Applied Anthropology incorporates intercultural communication, interdisciplinary understanding, research design, grant writing, project management, ethics and professional conduct, methods of data collection, and the use of theory in the interpretation of data. The curriculum emphasizes skills that will make Texas State trained applied anthropologists qualified for a broad range of non-academic and academic jobs. Our educational goal is to produce the next generation of applied Ph.D. anthropologists—leaders in inter- and intra-disciplinary research who will help solve critical societal problems in the global 21st century.