Best Anthropology Programs in Ohio for 2027

Ohio State’s Anthropology BA requires work in biological, archaeological, and cultural anthropology rather than a single-subfield track. Its current department plan starts with biological anthropology, then includes human origins or biological diversity, two archaeology courses, cultural anthropology, and history of theory. Electives must still include a course in each subfield, with options such as bioarchaeology, archaeological laboratory methods, and medical anthropology. That distribution matters for students hoping to focus early: even an archaeology-leaning plan keeps substantial study of people and societies through other forms of evidence.

Core Subfields

Biological, archaeological, and cultural anthropology

Elective Rule

At least one elective in each subfield

Program Sources: Ohio State Anthropology: Major in Anthropology BA

Cincinnati’s Anthropology BA trains you in all four subfields, sociocultural, biological, archaeology and linguistics, and then lets you point your major electives at one of four concentration areas. Human Genetics, Health, and Adaptation leads toward genetics, global health, nutrition or forensic sciences. People-Environment Connections points to environmental policy and land management, Local Past, Global Futures to migration studies and development, and Culture, Difference, and Identity to design, legal studies and media. A separate Archaeology BA exists for students who want a required field school or internship. UC awarded 16 anthropology bachelor’s degrees in 2023–24.

Concentration Areas

Four areas for major electives, from Human Genetics, Health, and Adaptation to Culture, Difference, and Identity

Training Scope

Methods and theory in sociocultural anthropology, biological anthropology, archaeology and linguistics

Related Degree

Archaeology BA with a required field school or internship

Program Sources: Academic Programs | University of CincinnatiBA in Archaeology | University of Cincinnati

Case Western’s Anthropology BA needs at least 30 credits in the major, and you choose General Anthropology, Medical Anthropology or Archaeology as your concentration. All three begin with Being Human, Introduction to Human Evolution and a statistics course for the social sciences. General Anthropology adds Ethnographic and Qualitative Research Methods and 18 credits of electives. The medical track adds Health, Culture, and Disease and options on topics like migration and health or the anthropology of nutrition. Archaeology requires Archaeology: An Introduction plus three courses such as The Most Ancient Near East. Honors in the major requires a Capstone in Anthropology completed with an A. Case Western awarded 28 degrees in 2023–24.

Concentrations

General Anthropology, Medical Anthropology and Archaeology

Shared Core

Being Human, Introduction to Human Evolution and Introduction to Statistical Analysis in the Social Sciences

Honors Capstone

Capstone in Anthropology with a grade of A and a 3.95 GPA

Program Sources: Anthropology, BA | Case Western Reserve UniversityAnthropology, BA | Concentrations

Kent State folds cultural anthropology, archaeology and biological anthropology into a single major. The required core has introductions to each of those three, a one-credit lab called Issues in Human Evolution, and a methods choice between Quantitative Anthropology and Qualitative Research Methods. You then add 12 credits of upper-division anthropology and one elective in each subfield. The archaeology list includes Archaeology of Ancient Ohio and Archaeological Field Methods, while the biological list has options such as Primate Societies and Human Variation. Program outcomes stress conserving the archaeological record of Ohio and the eastern woodlands. Kent State awarded 19 bachelor’s degrees in 2023–24.

Methods Requirement

Quantitative Anthropology or Qualitative Research Methods in Anthropology

Subfield Electives

One each in archaeology, biological anthropology and cultural anthropology

Upper-Division Electives

12 credits at the 30000 or 40000 level

Program Sources: Anthropology Degree - B.A. Degree | Kent State University

At Ohio University the Anthropology BA is at least 11 anthropology courses, or 33 semester credit hours, and it includes introductory courses in cultural, biological and archaeological anthropology. Past that core, you work with an anthropology advisor to shape the rest from a flexible range of courses, and the department encourages you to add biology, geography, history, sociology or psychology. Faculty have done extended research in Africa, Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, and the United States. Students have also spent weekends in a former coal mining town in southeastern Ohio, collecting artifacts and preserving documents. The Honors Tutorial College offers a separate version built on one-on-one tutorials. Ohio University awarded 11 degrees in 2023–24.

Course Requirement

At least 11 anthropology courses totaling 33 semester credit hours

Introductory Core

Cultural, biological and archaeological anthropology

Honors Option

B.A. in Anthropology through the Honors Tutorial College

Program Sources: Anthropology Major | Bachelor of Arts Degree

Miami’s Anthropology BA is 36 semester hours and it is organized around careers. The introductions cover archaeological theory and methods, theories and methods in cultural anthropology, and biological anthropology, plus a choice of medical anthropology or language and culture. The applications block is a one-credit Career Paths with Anthropology course and a Public Anthropology Seminar. For the rest, you follow a 3-1-1 rule: three courses in one investigations cluster, one in each of the others, and one of those must be a designated practicum. Cluster 1 is Evolution, Behavior, and Bio-Behavioral Change. Miami awarded 16 anthropology bachelor’s degrees in 2023–24.

Career Courses

Career Paths with Anthropology and the Public Anthropology Seminar

Investigations Clusters

Three courses in one cluster and one in each remaining cluster

Practicum

One investigations course must be a designated practicum

Program Sources: Anthropology- Bachelor of Arts | Miami University Bulletin

Kenyon asks anthropology majors for at least 10 courses, starting with introductions to biological anthropology, archaeology and cultural anthropology. At least six upper-level courses follow, with one in each subdiscipline at the 300 level or higher. In the fall of senior year everyone takes History of Anthropological Thought, which doubles as a capstone built from common readings, three seminar meetings with all the anthropology faculty and a take-home essay due just before Thanksgiving break. Honors students spend senior year on an independent thesis, defended orally before three readers, one of them an expert from outside Kenyon. Kenyon awarded 14 anthropology bachelor’s degrees in 2023–24.

Foundation Courses

Introductions to biological anthropology, archaeology and cultural anthropology

Senior Capstone

ANTH 465 plus a take-home essay on common readings

Honors Thesis

ANTH 497 and 498, with an oral defense before three readers

Program Sources: Requirements: Anthropology | Kenyon College

Youngstown State’s Anthropology BA covers four fields: after Introduction to Anthropology you take Archaeology, Biological Anthropology and Cultural Anthropology, then Anthropological Thought. The electives are where the major gets specific. You choose two from each of the archaeology, biological and cultural subfields, with options like Bahamian Archaeology, Archaeological Techniques, Human Osteology and Forensic Anthropology. Internships and fieldwork are open to every major, from the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office to fieldwork in Guatemala and the Bahamas. If graduate school is the plan, advisors suggest adding a foreign language and a senior thesis. YSU awarded 15 anthropology bachelor’s degrees in 2023–24.

Required Courses

Introduction to Anthropology, Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology and Anthropological Thought

Subfield Electives

Two each from archaeology, biological and cultural anthropology

Internships and Fieldwork

Available to all majors, including the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office

Program Sources: Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology - Course CatalogBachelor of Arts in Anthropology - Major Requirements

Ohio State admits every graduate student to the PhD, since the department has no dedicated master’s program, though you can earn a master’s on the way. The program centers on integrative work in biocultural approaches to health, human evolutionary history, and ecology and society. Training includes courses in research design, grant writing and communicating anthropology, plus a workshop on data collection and analysis methods. The plan is roughly two years of courses, seminars and workshops, then three or four years of dissertation research. Students generally have one or two years of fellowship funding and five years of graduate teaching positions. Ohio State awarded 4 anthropology doctorates in 2023–24.

Research Training

Courses in research design, grant writing and communicating anthropology, plus a data collection and analysis workshop

Timeline

Two years of coursework, then three or four years of dissertation research

Focus Areas

Biocultural approaches to health, human evolutionary history, and ecology and society

Program Sources: Prospective Graduate Students | Department of AnthropologyGraduate Program in Anthropology

Case Western’s anthropology PhD is a medical anthropology and global health program, so the training is about sickness, health and how health services are organized, in local and global settings. With your advisor you plan at least 36 credit hours, take Anthropological Research Design, complete two 500-level seminars and add a 3-credit statistics course if you haven’t already. Candidacy is a written exam with two topical exams and a dissertation prospectus, followed by 18 credit hours of dissertation. A foreign language is required only if your committee decides your research needs one. You can pair the PhD with an MD or an MPH, and add a Certificate in Global Health.

Required Methods

ANTH 504 Anthropological Research Design and an approved statistics course

Candidacy Exam

Two topical exams and a dissertation prospectus

Dual Degrees

Anthropology PhD with Medicine MD or Public Health MPH

Program Sources: Anthropology, PhD | Case Western Reserve UniversityAnthropology, PhD | Program Requirements