Anthropology brings global, comparative, and holistic views to the study of the human condition, exploring the enormous range of similarities and differences across time and space. It includes the study of how human behavior has evolved as well as how language, culture, and society have shaped and continue to shape the human experience. At Harvard, the Anthropology Department is divided into two programs: Archaeology and Social Anthropology.
The Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree is designed for industry professionals with years of work experience who wish to complete their degrees part time, both on campus and online, without disruption to their employment. Our typical student is over 30, has previously completed one or two years of college, and works full time.
The Department of Anthropology offers coursework and training leading to the Ph.D. in two principal fields of specialization—archaeology and social anthropology—that have their own programs of study and examination procedures. The department also offers an AM in medical anthropology.
Students enrolled in the Master of Liberal Arts program in Anthropology will explore human cultures and societies and gain a deep understanding of our global complexities and their implications on the human experience.
The graduate program in archaeology provides informed, critical examinations of core issues; comprehensive training in principal methods and theories of anthropologically-oriented archaeology; and direction and support for PhD candidates preparing for research and teaching positions in a wide variety of domains of archaeological practice.