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About the Department

Breadcrumb

We are proud to be a nexus for world-changing interdisciplinary collaboration.

We offer undergraduate and graduate anthropology degree programs. Our strength is our four-field approach: we focus on archaeological, biological, linguistic and sociocultural anthropology through innovative education and research. 

  • Archaeology investigates past societies through their material and written remains
  • Biological anthropology focuses on the evolution of humans as a species and the interaction of human biological variability with culture
  • Linguistic anthropology explores the interconnections among language, culture, thought and social structure
  • Sociocultural anthropology is the comparative study of communities in their local and global contexts

We aim to create a vibrant and welcoming intellectual community for individuals whose research agendas, political commitments, national origins, racial identities, gender expressions, religious practices, and sexual orientations put them at odds with dominant institutions. 

Aligning closely with the American Anthropological Association Declaration on Anthropology and Human Rights, and the wider mission of the University of California, we engage in rigorous academic teaching, training, research and public service to promote cultural understanding and social and environmental justice, while empowering our students to change the world.

Our faculty members are engaged in a shared vision of innovative education and theory-building, and committed to applying theory in a way that serves our local communities and the world. 

We boldly tackle significant research problems through targeted inquiry, while welcoming insights from unanticipated new discoveries. 

 

Our Staff Make an Academic Advisor Appointment Our Faculty


 

Department Statements