https://www.wku.edu/fsa/
Curriculum emphasizes holistic, four-field, biocultural examination of evolutionary populations and contemporary and archaeological cultures. Delivered by full-time faculty, curriculum prepares students for competitive graduate programs, prestigious internships, and employment in diverse areas of applied and academic anthropology and related fields. Institutional home of the Kentucky Archaeological Survey (KAS), an award-winning program that works with diverse groups to investigate, interpret, and preserve the state’s rich archaeological heritage. Numerous opportunities for student experiential learning: internships; in the Anthropology Lab and Ethnographic Visual Production Lab; with KAS; conducting fieldwork and lab-based research in ethnography, visual anthropology, archaeology, and biological anthropology; working on faculty grants; and participating in departmental events and student organizations. Students win awards and present at conferences at the regional, state, and national levels. Students are certified in Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). Only Kentucky institution with Ethnographic Visual Production Lab and related coursework, that requires training in ethnographic field methods, that offers a concentration in applied anthropology, and has a certificate in cultural resource management. Campus offices assist students with study abroad planning, national scholarship applications, and career preparation.
80-90% of anthropology majors complete high-impact practices. Students work on faculty grants and research projects, complete lab practica and independent studies, contribute to service-learning projects, participate in study abroad and study away programs, and complete semester-long research projects. Kentucky Archaeological Survey offers students opportunities to get hands-on experience in archaeology field and lab methods, architectural and cultural studies, cemetery relocations, public outreach and education, and report writing. Short- and long-term collaborations with other campus departments and diverse community partners such as federal and state agencies, public schools, and non-profit organizations.
Career-related professional development workshops for students. Faculty academic advisors are ranked among the best at the university.
Anthropology Lab with extensive archaeological and osteological teaching and research collections, fossil and primate casts, faunal comparative collection, South American and Liberian cultural collections, reference library, and computers/printers. Students use Anthropology Lab collections in courses and independent research, complete curatorial and collections management projects, and develop exhibits. Ethnographic Visual Production Laboratory supports audio, video, and multimedia editing and production, digital audio file transcription, and data analysis.
Department offers online sections of introductory courses and selected upper-level courses.
