The 2023-2024 AnthroGuide is the last print version. Edits for graduate programs are due July 31, 2023.

  • Home
  • Programs
  • Texas Tech University, Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work
General Description / Special Programs

Our program at Texas Tech has strengths in three fields: Archaeology, Ethnology, and Physical/Biological Anthropology. Our geographic strength is in the Indigenous Americas, and many of our faculty have research interests in the arena of cultural heritage. Strengths in Texas archaeology, Maya prehistory, bioarchaeology, forensic anthropology, material culture, globalization, and language documentation.

Read More Read Less
Degrees
Degrees Offered Anthropology BA; MA, with CRM track and non-thesis option
Highest Degree Offered MA/MS
BA/BS Field Areas
Anthropology
Archaeology
Biological Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Linguistic Anthropology
BA/BS Requirements
The anthropology program reflects the broad scope of the discipline, including the three subfields of archaeology, ethnology, and physical anthropology. International and/or regional field schools in all three areas are highlights of the curriculum, and well-equipped laboratory facilities support faculty and student research in all three subfields. A student majoring in anthropology must complete 34 semester hours in anthropology, including 10 hours of introductory-level coursework, 3 hours of theory, 9 hours of foundational courses, and 12 hours of electives. The introductory courses include ANTH 2100, ANTH 2300, ANTH 2301, and ANTH 2302. All majors are required to take ANTH 3316 as the theory course. Students are also required to take a foundational course in each subfield: ANTH 3311 (physical anthropology); ANTH 3339 (ethnology); and ANTH 3380 (archaeology). The remaining 12 hours are upper-division elective courses within the program. A maximum of 9 hours of transfer credit may be accepted for the major. With prior departmental approval, 3 advanced hours in a related discipline may be counted toward the major. Anthropology majors must make a grade of C or better in each ANTH course. Up to 6 hours of individual studies and 6 hours of field courses may be credited to the major. Communication literacy in anthropology focuses on three forms of communication: written, visual, and oral. The required theory course and two of the foundational courses each deliver instruction and training pertaining to one of these forms of communication. These pairings are based, in part, on differences between the subfields. For example, visual communication in the form of poster presentations is more common in physical anthropology than ethnology. Therefore, ANTH 3311 provides students with training in effective visual communication. The theory course, ANTH 3316, focuses on written communication. Oral communication is emphasized in ANTH 3380. There is not a set order in which students must complete these courses. However, they must complete the necessary introductory-level coursework before enrolling in the foundational courses.
MA/MS Field Areas
Anthropology
Archaeology
Biological Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Linguistic Anthropology
MA/MS
MA/ MS Requirements The anthropology curriculum requires 9 hours of core courses in the following three subfields: archaeology, physical anthropology, and ethnology. Students are required to take ANTH 5305 (ethnology core), ANTH 5341 (archaeology core), and either ANTH 5311 and ANTH 5312 (physical core). Thirty-six total hours of graduate credit are required, including 21 hours of elective courses. The elective courses may include a 6-hour minor or courses outside of anthropology. Students, in consultation with the graduate advisor, will also elect the thesis or non-thesis option for 6 hours of graduate credit. A grade of B or better is required to receive graduate credit for a course. Coursework is planned in consultation with the graduate advisor or thesis director soon after admission to the graduate program.
Other Degree Field Areas
Ethnology
Internship / Grants / Funding
Internships Available 0
Internship Required 0
Support Opportunities

Graduate: Scholarships, Teaching Assistantships, University Summer Grants, Graduate Fellowships, Recruitment Fellowships
Program Details
Research Facilities

Osteology laboratory with large collection of fossil hominid casts, human and non-human primate skeletal material; and archaeology laboratory with photography darkroom, comparative collections, and facilities for analyzing and cataloging artifacts. Anthropological Linguistics Laboratory with digital recording equipment and computer stations for linguistic analysis.
Collections The Vietnam Center includes a large collection of materials related to the Vietnam War.
Library Resources Main library with 2.1 million volumes, medical school library, and Southwest Collections-Special collections library that serves as regional depository for materials on Texas and the Southwest, plus the Vietnam Archive and Archive of Turkish Oral History.
Certs Offered 0
Contacts
Online Courses
Online Courses: 1
Online Course Info:

Anthropology at the Movies, Introduction to Language and Culture, Introduction to Archaeology
Application Deadlines
Fall: February 25th (February 1st for fellowship consideration); Spring: October 15th
Club / Honor Society
Anthropology Club: 1
Anthropology Club Info: Anthropology Club and Lambda Alpha Delta Chapter Honors Society
Anthropology Club Advisor: Tamra Walter
Lambda Alpha Chapter: 1