Explore your interests in anthropology at Lawrence.

Academic advising at Lawrence seeks to empower each student to craft and pursue a transformative liberal arts experience that prepares them for impactful and personally fulfilling lives. Faculty advisors support students in planning and achieving their educational goals, facilitate connections to campus resources and communities, and guide students to make informed decisions as they pursue their academic interests and aspirations. 

Course Planning for New and Exploring Students

The anthropology major is organized to help students progress from building an understanding of the field of anthropology to developing the skills and knowledge necessary to undertake independent anthropological research. You'll start with three foundational courses: 

  1. ANTH 110: Cultural Anthropology
  2. ANTH 120: World Prehistory
  3. One biological anthropology course: ANTH 141: Primates, Humans, and Evolution or ANTH 142: Human Evolution. 

Majors should take all three foundational courses as early as possible, and preferably in their first year and at best no later than their sophomore year. 

After completing introductory coursework, students take ANTH 201: Library Research and Career Readiness in Anthropology, which helps them develop essential research skills and explore career pathways in the field. Students are expected to complete this course during their sophomore year and must do so no later than the end of the junior year.

Changes to the Anthropology Major (effective Fall 2025)

Beginning in Fall 2025, new requirements for the Anthropology major took effect with the release of the 2025–26 course catalog. Course offerings have been updated to align with the new major requirements. As a result, some courses previously required for the major will no longer be offered, and new courses have been added.

Current students who declared the major under an earlier catalog year (before 2025–26) should review the Anthropology Major Transition Advising Guide to understand how these changes may affect their academic plan and remaining requirements.

Declare a Major/Minor

All students are expected to declare a major before the end of sophomore year. Ideally, sophomore students will declare a major (and switch to an advisor in the major) before advance registration advising begins in spring term.

DECLARE A MAJOR/MINOR

Major Advising

All students will transition to a major advisor upon declaration. The major advisor will help students plan their coursework to satisfy requirements for the major, select courses in other areas to complement the major or satisfy personal interests, and prepare for their Senior Experience. Prospective anthropology majors can consult with any of the following anthropology faculty about serving as a major advisor:

Add a Major Advisor

Need help identifying an advisor in the major? Students can contact advising@lawrence.edu for assistance with advisor matching.

Add a Major Advisor

Minor Advising

Students do not need an official advisor for the anthropology minor. Instead, anthropology minors are encouraged to consult with the department chair or other anthropology faculty for advice on course selection and satisfying minor requirements.

Additional Student Resources

If you still have questions about advising support related to the anthropology program, we invite you to contact the department chair. 

Contact the Anthropology Department Chair
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