Best Anthropology Programs in Kansas for 2027

At KU, Becoming Human and The Varieties of Human Experience come first, then one fundamentals course in biological anthropology, cultural anthropology or archaeology and one methods course, chosen from Archaeological Research Methods, Laboratory Methods in Human Biology or Field Methods in Cultural Anthropology. You add 15 hours of electives, nine at the 300 level or above, and finish with the Integrating Anthropology capstone. Research settings include an ancient DNA lab, a contemporary DNA lab, osteology teaching labs and the Archaeological Research Center in Spooner Hall. Faculty field schools and independent research have taken students to places including Alaska, Mexico and Asia.

Methods Choice

Archaeological research, laboratory methods in human biology or cultural anthropology field methods

Capstone

ANTH 401 Integrating Anthropology

Research Facilities

Ancient DNA lab and the Archaeological Research Center

Program Sources: Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of General Studies in Anthropology | The University of Kansas Academic CatalogBachelor of Arts and Bachelor of General Studies in Anthropology | The University of Kansas Academic Catalog

Introductions to cultural anthropology, archaeology and world prehistory, and biological anthropology open the Kansas State major, followed by Initiation to Anthropology, offered every spring and commonly taken as a sophomore. The rest is seven advanced electives in at least two of the three subfields, with nine of those hours at the 500 level or above. The department encourages at least one methods course, such as Digital Ethnography, Archaeological Field Methods, Osteology or Field Methods in Linguistics. You can pursue a BA or a BS, and you need a 2.5 GPA across your anthropology courses.

Core Sequence

Three subfield introductions plus Initiation to Anthropology

Methods Options

Digital ethnography, archaeological field or lab methods, osteology, ethnographic methods

Certificates

Global Health, Medicine and Society; Museum Studies; Religious Studies

Program Sources: Undergraduate programs | K-State | Kansas State UniversityAnthropology | K-State | Kansas State University

Wichita State asks anthropology majors to take Biological Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology and Introduction to Archaeology, plus Theories of Culture, which serves as the required method and theory course. You then choose one upper-level course in each subfield, with options such as Human Osteology, Magic, Witchcraft and Religion, and Archaeology of North America. Nine more credit hours of electives can follow your interest in a particular subdiscipline, and a statistics course is added beyond the 30 hours of the major. The applied learning or research requirement is met through the fieldwork component of the introductory courses.

Theory Course

ANTH 647 Theories of Culture

Subfield Choices

One upper-level course each in biological, cultural and archaeological anthropology

Applied Learning

Fieldwork component in the introductory courses

Program Sources: BA in Anthropology < Wichita State University CatalogBA in Anthropology < Wichita State University Catalog

Washburn runs anthropology inside a joint Sociology and Anthropology department in Topeka, and the major covers all four subfields: archaeology, biological, cultural and linguistic anthropology. Once the preliminary coursework is done, you can add an archaeological field school, directed research or an internship, and the program lists a partnership with the Kansas State Historical Society. A Forensic Anthropology concentration applies biology and archaeology to medical and legal questions. The page puts the student/faculty ratio at 20:1, and with 11 degrees awarded in 2023–24 the major is small enough that you’ll know your classmates.

Hands-On Options

Field school, directed research and internship after preliminary coursework

Concentration

Forensic Anthropology

Partnership

Kansas State Historical Society

Program Sources: Anthropology degree at Washburn UniversityAnthropology degree at Washburn University

You pick a track when you apply to KU’s doctoral program: archaeology, biological anthropology or sociocultural anthropology. Coursework comes first, 30 credit hours by the time of the qualifying exam, ideally in the second semester of your second year. Then an oral comprehensive exam, built on a dissertation proposal written as a grant proposal, moves you to candidacy. Your dissertation can be at least two publishable papers or a traditional monograph. Archaeology students also need the equivalent of a four-week field season. Only 3 doctorates were awarded in 2023–24 at this Research 1 university, so the cohort is small.

Tracks

Archaeology, biological anthropology or sociocultural anthropology

Milestones

Qualifying Exam, then an Oral Comprehensive Exam based on a dissertation proposal

Dissertation Format

At least two publishable papers, or a traditional monograph

Program Sources: Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology | The University of Kansas Academic CatalogDoctor of Philosophy in Anthropology | The University of Kansas Academic Catalog

Barton’s anthropology emphasis sits inside the Associate in Arts, so your schedule is mostly general education plus the foundational courses a four-year school expects. You start with an introductory Cultural Anthropology course, then fill electives such as World and Regional Geography, Physical Geography, Ceramics or Death & Dying, as long as they match what your transfer college requires. Because the curriculum is built for transfer, an early conversation with your advisor about the bachelor’s program you want matters more than any single course. The program also steers students toward the American Anthropological Association. Two associate degrees in anthropology were conferred here in 2023–24.

Transfer Focus

General education plus core anthropology courses for a bachelor’s at a four-year school

Intro Course

Cultural Anthropology

Sample Electives

World and Regional Geography, Physical Geography, Ceramics, Death & Dying

Program Sources: Anthropology Cultural Studies | Barton Community CollegeAnthropology Cultural Studies | Barton Community College