Anthropology is a holistic science dedicated to the study of human cultural and biological diversity and evolution. Anthropology integrates fields of study that traditionally span multiple disciplines in the natural and social sciences, arts, and professional studies, blurring the lines between these divisions. Anthropologists are in a unique position to make critical scientific interventions in part because the discipline has been engaged in ongoing dialogue on the philosophy of science itself and the conditions that shape knowledge production. Anthropology at Cal Poly Humboldt is centered on critically rethinking and reshaping scientific paradigms, epistemologies, and ethics.
At Cal Poly Humboldt, students receive a holistic education in all four of anthropology’s subdisciplines while focusing on a concentration area. The subdiscipline of archaeology focuses on the study of the past via material remains of human behavior - it includes key areas such as cultural resource management and historic preservation. Biological anthropology encompasses the study of human biocultural evolution and diversity - our program focuses on applied areas such as evolutionary health, forensics, bioarchaeology, and primate ecology and conservation. Sociocultural anthropology focuses on the study of culture across place and time and is vital to real-world cultural and environmental issues. The subdiscipline of linguistic anthropology focuses on the study of language practices in cultural context and also includes language revitalization and preservation.
Hands-on educational and research opportunities in anthropology are enhanced by Humboldt’s excellent facilities and resources, including the ethnographic research lab, geospatial archeology research center, bioarchaeology lab, isotope lab, 3D virtual lab, the Cultural Resources Facility, local archaeological sites, and our simulated archaeological site. Our students also engage in internships and independent research in partnership with local museums, cultural heritage offices, nonprofits, clinics, shelters, community action groups, advocacy organizations, and the list goes on…
In addition to participating in local and international anthropological field experiences, many of our students take advantage of Humboldt’s exchange programs, which enable students to travel the world and make hands-on, international experience an integral part of their education.
Anthropology students strive to understand the perspectives of people in various places, settings, and times, and in doing so they develop useful and marketable life skills that are broadly applicable to multiple career trajectories. Humboldt’s program provides a strong foundation for graduate study.
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