Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

Anthropology is the holistic study of humankind. The discipline is distinctive among the human sciences and humanities in that cross- cultural (comparative inter-regional or global), ecological, and evolutionary perspectives are commonly employed. The four major divisions of anthropology are archaeology, cultural anthropology, anthropological linguistics and biological (or physical) anthropology. A popular misconception of anthropology is that it is the study of ancient remote or exotic living people. But anthropology, in fact, is concerned with studying the cultural, social and biological configurations of all human societies, past and present.

Given Western Micronesia’s geographic, historical, socio-cultural and human biological realities, Anthropology is a particularly appealing and relevant program of study at the University of Guam. The ever-changing dynamics of Guam’s contemporary multi-cultural society, and the presently under-appreciated heritage (historical, cultural, linguistic, and biological) of the indigenous peoples of the Marianas and Micronesia, situate the University of Guam as an ideal setting for faculty and students to engage in anthropological (and collaborative, transdisciplinary) research.

The Anthropology Teaching Laboratory (HSS110) and both microfiche and online web-based access to the Human Relations Area Files at RFK Memorial Library are some of the resources available. The program is focused on the study the anthropology of the ocean, culture change, and the maritime and cultural history and adaptations of indigenous Pacific populations. Faculty members are doing research in maritime archaeology, linguistic anthropology, cultural anthropology, power, ethnohistory and visual anthropology.

Graduating students must be able to demonstrate their understandings and competence in applying the dimensions and determinants of human cultural, archaeological and linguistic diversity.

Graduating Anthropology students should successfully demonstrate the ability to:

1. Understand the current issues and debates in the subfields of anthropology;
2. Utilize the concept of cultures as a fundamental organizing concept of anthropology;
3. Articulate knowledge of the history and theories of anthropology;
4. Collect anthropological data according to generally accepted professional anthropological practices; and
5. Analyze anthropological data in both oral and written forms.

  Download the Anthropology Program Guidebook  

 Division of Humanities

• Division of Humanities webpage