Concentration Requirements

The Department offers students four tracks within the Anthropology Concentration: Archaeology, Social Anthropology, Combined Archaeology/Social Anthropology, and Anthropology and Medicine.

Click here to view sample programs of study for each track. (Note: While it is recommended, it is not required for you to follow these exactly - they are meant to serve as a general structure and a preview of what your time in Anthropology could look like.)

Basic Concentration Requirements

Anthropology and Medicine Track

Required Courses

  • ANTHRO 1610: Ethnographic Research Methods (Fall Term)
  • ANTHRO 97z: Sophomore Tutorial in Social Anthropology (Spring Term)
  • ANTHRO 98a: Junior Tutorial in Anthropology (Fall Term)
  • Two Medical Anthropology courses, any level
  • One Social Anthropology Course (including Medical Anthropology), any level
  • One course in Social Anthropology, History or History of Science, any level.
  • One Archaeology Course, any level
  • Four courses in medical sciences. No more than two courses may be introductory. Courses should be relevant courses in chemistry, life sciences, the physical sciences, mathematics, molecular and cellular biology, organismic and evolutionary biology, neurobiology, or human evolutionary biology. Students should consult the DUS for guidance on course selection for this category. 

Additional Information:

  • Pass/Fail: one course may be taken Pass/Fail and counted toward the concentration. This will ordinarily be in the related course category. All required Anthropology tutorials are letter-graded.  
  • Language: Not required but strongly encouraged.
  • Study abroad: Concentrators are strongly encouraged to participate in study abroad or internship programs. If a student has received Harvard degree credit for courses taken in a Harvard-approved overseas studies program, that student may petition the DUS or ADUS for permission to count up to two courses per semester toward the requirements of the concentration.

Archaeology Track

Required Courses

  • Archaeological Method and Theory. Ordinarily met with GENED 1105 (after Fall 2019) or ANTHRO 1010 (prior to Fall 2019)
  • ANTHRO 97x: Sophomore Tutorial in Archaeology (Spring Term)
  • ANTHRO 98a: Junior Tutorial in Anthropology (Fall Term)
  • Five additional Archaeology courses, any level 
  • One Social Anthropology course
  • One course related to Human Evolution. This course must be approved by the DUS or ADUS.

Additional Information:

  • Pass/Fail: Two courses may be taken Pass/Fail and counted toward the concentration. All Anthropology tutorials are letter-graded.
  • Statistics/Archaeological Science: Concentrators in Archaeology are encouraged to take courses in statistics, archaeological science and/or computer science (including GIS). Competence in handling quantitative data is extremely important in anthropological research, and such competence is best obtained through formal training in statistics and scientific methods.
  • Study and Research Abroad: If a student has received Harvard degree credit for courses taken in a Harvard-approved oversees studies program, the student may petition the DUS and ADUS for permission to count these courses towards Archaeology concentration requirements.
  • Field Experience: Archaeology concentrators are required to participate in a field experience. While this is not a course requirement, it may be completed by having an experience, training, or internship, including museum internships, for which there is not credit given. 

Social Anthropology Track

Required Courses

  • ANTHRO 1610: Ethnographic Research Methods (Fall Term)
  • ANTHRO 97z: Sophomore Tutorial in Social Anthropology (Spring Term)
  • ANTHRO 98a: Junior Tutorial in Anthropology (Fall Term)
  • Four Social Anthropology courses, any level
  • Two courses in Anthropology (Social Anthropology or Archaeology), of which at least one must be an Archaeology course (any level).
  • One related course: One additional course in Anthropology or in any social sciences field or advanced foreign language. Students may substitute a relevant course in humanities or science fields with approval from the DUS or ADUS. 

Additional Information:

  • Pass/Fail: one course may be taken Pass/Fail and counted toward the concentration. This will ordinarily be in the related course category. All Anthropology tutorials are letter-graded.  
  • Study and Research Abroad: If a student has received Harvard degree credit for courses taken in a Harvard-approved oversees studies program, the student may petition the DUS and ADUS for permission to count these courses towards Social Anthropology concentration requirements.

Combined Archaeology/Social Anthropology Track

Required Courses

  • Archaeological Method and Theory. Ordinarily met with GENED 1105 (after Fall 2019) or ANTHRO 1010 (prior to Fall 2019)
  • ANTHRO 1610: Ethnographic Research Methods (Fall Term)
  • ANTHRO 97x: Sophomore Tutorial in Archaeology (Spring Term)
  • ANTHRO 97z: Sophomore Tutorial in Social Anthropology (Spring Term) 
  • ANTHRO 98a: Junior Tutorial in Anthropology (Fall Term) 
  • One course in Archaeology
  • One course in Social Anthropology
  • Two courses in Archaeology or Social Anthropology. One Graduate Research Seminar (2000-level) encouraged, but not required.
  • One related course: one additional course in Anthropology or a related discipline, Human Evolutionary Biology, or human evolution. This course must be approved by the DUS or ADUS. 

Additional Information:

  • Pass/Fail: Two courses may be taken Pass/Fail and counted toward the concentration. All Anthropology tutorials are letter-graded
  • Statistics/Archaeological Science: Concentrators in combined Archaeology and Social Anthropology are encouraged to take courses in statistics, archaeological science and/or computer science (including GIS). Competence in handling quantitative data is extremely important in anthropological research, and such competence is best obtained through formal training in statistics and scientific methods.
  • Study and Research Abroad: If a student has received Harvard degree credit for courses taken in a Harvard-approved oversees studies program, the student may petition the DUS and ADUS for permission to count these courses towards Archaeology concentration requirements.