- How do I declare an Anthropology major?
Just phone the Anthropology Department (924-7044), tell the secretary
that you want to declare an Anthropology major, and ask her to make an appointment
with one of the major advisors. Any of the advisors can sign you up for the
major, but if you prefer to speak to a particular advisor, tell the secretary
that. For the names of current advisors contact Carrie Douglass, Director
of Undergraduate Studies, cbd7eb@virginia.edu.
On the day of your appointment, bring along a major declaration form (pick
it up in Monroe Hall) and a recent VISTAA form. The VISTAA form allows us
to reconstruct your previous coursework and when you took it. It also helps
to look over the Anthropology section of the Undergraduate Record before your
meeting, so that you have an idea of what the requirements are and what courses
you would like to take to complete your major. Usually the person who helps
you fill out the declaration form becomes your major advisor. Once you have
declared the major, your course registration information will be sent to you
by the Director of the Undergraduate Program in Anthropology. We encourage
you to make an advising appointment with your advisor every term.
- Are there any prerequisites for declaring an Anthropology major?
In order to declare a major, a student must have completed two courses taken
in the anthropology department.
- Do anthropology courses taken before declaring the major count toward
the major?
Yes. (If the courses were taken at another university, see 4 below.)
- Can courses from outside the Anthropology Department count toward the
major?
With the approval of a major advisor, up to 6 credits of coursework in related
departments may count toward the major. Courses that we often allow to count
include selected courses in Music (e.g., MUSI 3090, Performance in Africa,
or other ethnomusicology courses), Religious Studies (e.g., RELG 2140, Archaic
Cult and Myth), Slavic Languages and Literatures (e.g., SLFK 2140, Ritual
and Demonology), and History (e.g., HIAF 2001, Early African History). Other
courses may also count if they make sense with your overall academic plan.
These can include anthropology courses taken at another university, if you
are a transfer student. Courses from outside the Anthropology Department cannot
count toward the "depth" requirement in the major (3000+ level courses),
but anthropology courses taken at other institutions may count toward the
distribution requirements (Principles of Sociocultural Analysis, Archaeology,
etc.) if appropriate.
- Can courses taken on a study abroad program count toward the major?
We encourage our majors to enrich their cross-cultural experience by studying
abroad. The general guidelines for counting study-abroad courses toward the
major are the same as those for courses taken outside the Anthropology Department
(see question 4 above), except that courses focusing only on language skills
may not count toward the major. If you are thinking about studying abroad,
you should visit the International Studies Office on the second floor of Minor
Hall. They have a comprehensive library with information about study abroad
programs all over the world. Once you have settled on a program (or a couple
of alternatives), make an appointment to see the Study Abroad advisor in Anthropology
(Carrie Douglass), to discuss your plans and see how they fit in with your
major.
- Once I have declared the major, am I obliged to take all the courses
that I listed on my major declaration form, or can I make substitutions?
The major declaration is a plan of study worked out with an advisor, not a
contract. At the time of declaring the major, you need to propose a program
of study that fits your interests and satisfies the major requirements, but
you are not obliged to take the specific courses that you list there. You
don't need any special permission to take different courses than the ones
you listed on your declaration form, but make sure you don't forget about
any major requirements as you go along, and check in with your advisor each
semester.
- I plan to double-major in Anthropology and an Interdepartmental Program
in which Anthropology participates (e.g., Archaeology, Linguistics, Studies
in Women and Gender, Afro-American and African Studies, etc.). Can I count
any courses toward both majors?
You can count up to 6 credits toward both Anthropology and a related major,
and if appropriate, these courses can count toward the distribution requirements
of the Anthropology major. For example, if you are counting ANTH 3410, Sociolinguistics,
toward an Anthropology major and a Linguistics major, it can also count for
the Linguistic Anthropology area requirement and for the above-3000-level
requirement in Anthropology.
If you have other questions related to the Anthropology major, contact Carrie
Douglass, Director of Undergraduate Studies, cbd7eb@virgi