Anthropology major
Faculty Adviser
Janet Campbell: 503-491-7430 | Room AC2667 | Janet.Campbell@mhcc.edu
Anthropology is the study of human beings and their ancestors. It does this in a few ways. It studies this biologically by examining the fossil record, socially by studying cultures and their evolution, and historically by using the archaeological record. It seeks to answer such burning questions as:
- Why did we develop religion?
- How did we change economically?
- How is language used and why did we develop it?
- What did ancient societies look like?
- What values might they have had?
Students interested in pursuing the Anthropology major can complete the following courses toward the Social Science requirement and/or electives in the AAOT (recommended), AS, AGS or ASLA degrees. Admitted students may also log on to Navigate to start the process of building an academic plan based on this major and can notify an adviser for review.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH101 | Introduction to Biological Anthropology (Course offered online) | 4 |
| ANTH102 | Introduction to Archaeology and World Prehistory (Course offered online) (Cultural Literacy course) | 4 |
| ANTH103 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Cultural Literacy course) | 4 |
| ANTH180 | Language and Culture (Course offered online) (Cultural Literacy course) | 4 |
Transfer Schools
The following shows just one example of how students can complete an Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree while also taking lower-division anthropology courses. Be sure to work with an MHCC adviser and the transfer institution you'd like to attend to ensure correct courses are being taken. Not all courses are offered every term. Click on a course number to see what term(s) the course is typically offered.
| First Quarter | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH101 | Introduction to Biological Anthropology (Course offered online) | 4 |
| WR121 | English Composition (Course offered online) | 4 |
| Oral Communication | 3-4 | |
| Arts & Letters | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Quarter | ||
| ANTH102 | Introduction to Archaeology and World Prehistory (Course offered online) (Cultural Literacy course) | 4 |
| WR122 | English Composition: Critical Thinking (Course offered online) | 4 |
| MTH105 | Mathematics in Society (or higher) | 5 |
| Elective / university requirement | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Third Quarter | ||
| ANTH103 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Cultural Literacy course) | 4 |
| Lab Science | 4-5 | |
| Elective / university requirement | 4 | |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Fourth Quarter | ||
| Health & Physical Education | 3 | |
| Social Science (other than ANTH) | 3-4 | |
| Lab Science | 4-5 | |
| Elective / university requirement | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 14-15 | |
| Fifth Quarter | ||
| ANTH180 | Language and Culture (Course offered online) (Cultural Literacy course) | 4 |
| Arts & Letters | 3-4 | |
| Lab Science | 3-5 | |
| Elective / university requirement | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Sixth Quarter | ||
| Arts & Letters | 3-4 | |
| Science / Math / Computer Science | 4-5 | |
| Elective(s) if needed to reach 90 credits | 6-8 | |
| Credits | 15-17 | |
| Total Credits | 90-93 | |
ANTH101 Introduction to Biological Anthropology (Course offered online)
Credits 4Fall/Winter/Spring
Registration Requirement: RD090 and WR090, or IECC201R and IECC201W, each with a grade of "C" or better; or placement above stated course levels.
Biological anthropology covers four areas: genetic variation, primate paleontology, human evolution and modern human variation. Emphasis is placed on the fossil record and the interactions between biology, environment and culture in the evolution of the hominoid and human species as well as current genetic, environmental and cultural factors in contemporary human populations.
This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science
View Course Outcomes:
- Apply knowledge of human behavior and social phenomena to social and community issues
- Discuss narrative of human evolution
- Identify paleoanthropoligical methods, primatology and biological variation
- Relate basic genetics, evolutionary theory and fossil hominid
ANTH102 Introduction to Archaeology and World Prehistory (Course offered online) (Cultural Literacy course)
Credits 4Fall/Winter/Spring
Registration Requirement: RD090 and WR090, or IECC201R and IECC201W, each with a grade of "C" or better; or placement above stated course levels.
This class is an introduction to the study of archaeology. Class topics include a brief introduction to archaeological methods and an overview of world prehistory from the mammoth hunters to the earliest civilization.
This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science
View Course Outcomes:
- Describe the cultures of the Mesolithic
- Describe the methods, goals, and concepts of archaeology
- Examine the cultures of the Neolithic, the advent of agriculture, early civilization
- Examine the cultures of the Upper Paleolithic
- the peopling of the America
ANTH103 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Cultural Literacy course)
Credits 4Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring
Registration Requirement: RD090 and WR090, or IECC201R and IECC201W, each with a grade of "C" or better; or placement above stated course levels.
This class focuses on the anthropological concept of culture. Students learn how culture is studied while performing cross-cultural analyses of various aspects of culture such as religion, language, economy and technology. Emphasis is placed on understanding cultural differences.
This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science
View Course Outcomes:
- Apply knowledge of human behavior and social phenomena to social and community issues
- Describe and explain cross cultural similarities and differences concerning subsistence strategies, gender, family, technology and religion
- Describe and explain the culture concept, culture change and anthropological linguistics
ANTH180 Language and Culture (Course offered online) (Cultural Literacy course)
Credits 4Fall/Winter/Spring
Registration Requirement: RD090 and WR090, or IECC201R and IECC201W, each with a grade of "C" or better; or placement above stated course levels.
This course provides answers to these provocative questions by exploring the anthropological disciplines of descriptive, historical and ethno linguistics: How does language work? Where is it in the brain? How do children acquire it? How does language affect thought and our perception of the world? How is our language different from that of other animals? How did human language evolve and develop throughout history?.
This course fulfills: Human Relations; Social Science
View Course Outcomes:
- Apply knowledge of human behavior and social phenomena to social and community issues
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories concerning the manner in which language affects thought and our perception of the world
- Describe and define phone, phenome, morpheme, syntax and grammar
- Describe knowledge of theories concerning the origins, evolution and historical developments of language throughout history
- Describe the anatomy of human speech
- Describe, define and identify idiolect, dialect, pidgin and Creole
- Distinguish human vocal communication from that of other animals, especially primates
Course offered online
Cultural Literacy course