Best Anthropology Programs in Rhode Island for 2027

Brown asks you to declare one of six tracks: General Anthropology, Socio-Cultural, Medical, Linguistic, Anthropological Archaeology or Biological Anthropology. Every track needs at least nine anthropology courses, five of them at the 1000 level or higher, and you can design your own track with the director of undergraduate studies’ approval. All seniors take the Senior Seminar, (Re)Making Anthropology, as the ninth course, where the class reflects on the past, present and future of the discipline and where their own work fits. An honors or senior thesis project can be added if you want one. Brown ranks first on the Rhode Island page, with 15 degrees awarded in 2023–24.

Tracks

Six, including General, Socio-Cultural, Medical, Linguistic, Anthropological Archaeology and Biological Anthropology

Course Load

At least nine anthropology courses, five at the 1000 level or higher

Capstone

Senior Seminar plus an optional Honors or Senior Thesis project

Program Sources: Concentration Requirements | Anthropology | Brown UniversityConcentration Requirements | Anthropology | Brown University

At URI you start with four courses that mirror the subfields, Language and Culture, Human Origins and Evolution, Introduction to Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology, and you finish with a four-credit senior seminar called Unity of Anthropology. In between come 15 credits of your own choosing, which you can concentrate in a track: archaeology, biocultural evolution and global health, coastal anthropology, indigenous studies, or language, culture and social analysis. The archaeology track includes a field school and a course in underwater historical archaeology. Fourteen students graduated in 2023–24, putting URI second on the Rhode Island page.

Required Core

Language and Culture, Human Origins and Evolution, Introduction to Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology

Tracks

Archaeology, Biocultural Evolution and Global Health, Coastal Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Language and Social Analysis

Capstone

Senior Seminar: Unity of Anthropology (4 credits)

Program Sources: B.A. in Anthropology Curriculum – Department of Sociology and AnthropologyB.A. in Anthropology Curriculum – Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Rhode Island College’s anthropology BA gives each subfield its own four-credit introduction: cultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology and linguistic anthropology. Methods in Anthropology runs in the spring and the Capstone Seminar in Anthropology in the fall. You then choose five more anthropology courses worth 20 credits, at least four of them at the 300 level or above, and up to eight credit hours of independent study, internship or directed readings can count toward the major. The whole major comes to 44 credit hours. Seven students graduated in 2023–24, and RIC ranks third on the Rhode Island page.

Subfield Introductions

Cultural, archaeology, biological and linguistic anthropology, four credits each

Methods and Capstone

Methods in Anthropology and Capstone Seminar in Anthropology

Electives

Five anthropology courses, at least four at the 300 level or above

Program Sources: Rhode Island College - Anthropology B.A.Rhode Island College - Anthropology B.A.

Brown admits anthropology students to the PhD, not to a stand-alone master’s, and the master’s comes along the way after four core courses (cultural anthropology, research methods, archaeology and linguistic theory), four electives and a thesis. The doctorate then adds 12 more electives, preliminary examinations in three topics, a year of teaching experience, an approved research proposal and a dissertation based on independent field research. Anthropology and Population is a special track, and medical anthropology training is available too. Four doctorates were awarded in 2023–24, and Brown ranks first on the Rhode Island page.

Core Courses

Cultural anthropology, research methods, archaeology and linguistic theory

Examinations

Preliminary examinations in three topics

Special Track

Anthropology and Population, with demography coursework

Program Sources: Ph.D. Program | Anthropology | Brown UniversityPh.D. Program | Anthropology | Brown University