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Program Description
Non-anthropology major students who minor in anthropology may chose to focus on one of the subfields of Anthropology (https://anthropology.arizona.edu/about), or a “synthetic minor” within the discipline (https://anthropology.arizona.edu/phd-minor-requirements.)
Minor-field committees for students who are majoring in fields other than Anthropology may consist of one or two individuals, at least one of whom must be a core member of the faculty of the School of Anthropology: for a list of eligible faculty, see https://anthropology.arizona.edu/current-faculty. The minor-field portions of the written comprehensive exam generally follow the procedures of the School of Anthropology, unless major and minor advisors reach another solution.
Note: students interested in using a minor to obtain a teaching certification at the community college level must take 24 units in Anthropology.
History
The School of Anthropology traces its roots back over 100 years. It was founded in 1915 as the Department of Archaeology, with the appointment of Byron Cummings as Professor of Archaeology and Director of the Arizona State Museum. It became a broadly-based, four-field Department of Anthropology in the 1940s under the direction of Emil Haury, and soon after emerged as one of the leading Anthropology programs in the United States. The department was reconfigured as the School of Anthropology in 2009.
The School of Anthropology currently consists of five divisions: applied anthropology/BARA, archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and sociocultural anthropology, with multiple faculty affiliated with each. A number of recognized program strengths crosscut these division: Anthropology of the Southwest, Anthrozoology; Community Based Research and Cultural Heritage in Arizona and the Southwest; Ecological and Evolutionary Anthropology; Health, Medicine, and Discursive Practice; International Migration, Borders, and Refugees; Mediterranean Studies; Sex, Gender, and Sexuality.
More information about the school can be found here: https://anthropology.arizona.edu/
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
University of Arizona - Main - Tucson
Non-anthropology major students can minor in anthropology in general, for which 12 units of anthropology courses are required; for these students, minoring in specific subfields or concentrations of anthropology is optional.
12
Completion Requirements
Minimum Credit Units
12
Core Coursework Requirements
A minor in anthropology consists of 12 units. At least 9 units should be made up of courses that are listed or cross-listed in Anthropology. There are no specific courses required for a minor in Anthropology, except for individuals focusing on Medical Anthropology (see below). Courses fulfilling the minor should be selected by the student, in consultation with members of the minor committee.
Medical Anthropology Concentration
The Medical Anthropology Concentration is available to students enrolled in graduate studies in the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona, or as a graduate minor for students from other departments.
Medical anthropology examines how cultural, historical, economic, and political forces shape ideas about health, wellness, illness, and disease. It studies how these forces influence health disparities, healthcare seeking, health related practices and perceptions of risk, the structure of medical systems, and more. Attentive to the afflicted, their caregivers, and those who create knowledge and values about health and illness in their many forms, medical anthropology is capacious in its approach, using methods and materials from all anthropological subfields and numerous scholarly disciplines.
Our current faculty have research emphases in reproductive technologies, clinical and laboratory ethnography, surgical practice, evolutionary and embodied approaches to health disparities, transgender studies, medical expertise, nutrition, environmental health, and science and technology studies. Students enrolled in the Medical Anthropology Concentration will develop a strong theoretical foundation that will shape and guide research projects set around the globe.
The concentration requires 12 credit hours of training in medical anthropology composed of a) ANTH 536 and ANTH 605 (3 credits each); b) one approved graduate seminar in medical anthropology (3 credits) relevant to the student’s research interests c) an independent study (3 credits) in which the student produces a research report based on primary or secondary research, a grant proposal deemed competitive for funding, or a publishable paper on which they are a sole author or co-author.
Required Courses:
ANTH 536A Medical Anthropology (Soon to be renamed: Anthropology of the Body, Health, and Illness)
ANTH 605 Ethnographic Research Methods and Proposal Writing
Students may fulfill the additional concentration requirements with elective and independent study courses in the School of Anthropology or other departments on campus. The minor field committee chair should approve all courses taken for credit toward the minor.
The Medical Anthropology Concentration is directed by Dr. Eric Plemons. Additional core faculty members include Linda Green, Megan Carney, Janelle Lamoreaux, and Ivy Pike.
Students may fulfill the additional concentration requirements with elective and independent study courses in the School of Anthropology or other departments on campus. The minor field committee chair should approve all courses taken for credit toward the minor.
None
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.