Frequently Asked Questions about the Anthropology Major

1. 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. The current advisors are:
   
   
   • Ellen Contini-Morava
   • Richard Handler
   • Prensi Ho
   • Adria LaViolette
   • Peter Metcalf
   • Rachel Most
   • Nicolas Sihlé
   • Roy Wagner
   
   

   On the day of your appointment, bring along a major declaration form (pick it up in Garrett 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.
   
   

2. 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.
   
   
3. Do anthropology courses taken before declaring the major count toward the major?
   
   Yes. (If the courses were taken at another university, see 4 below.)
   
   
4. 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 422, Music and the Black Atlantic and MUSI 309, Performance in Africa or other ethnomusicology courses), Religious Studies (e.g., RELG 214, Archaic Cult and Myth), Slavic Languages and Literatures (e.g., SLFK 214, Ritual and Demonology), and History (e.g., HIAF 201, 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 (300+ level courses), but anthropology courses taken at other institutions may count toward the distribution requirements (Principles of Sociocultural Analysis, Archaeology, etc.) if appropriate.
   
   

5. 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 wit h 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 (Adria LaViolette), to discuss your plans and see how they fit in with your major.
   
   

6. 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.
   
   
7. 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 341, Sociolinguistics, toward an Anthropology major and a Linguistics major, it can also count for the Linguistic Anthropology area requirement and for the above-300-level requirement in Anthropology.

   If you have other questions related to the Anthropology major, contact Adria LaViolette, Director of Undergraduate Studies, laviolette@virginia.edu.
   
   

8. I declared my major (or minor) while ANTH 300, Perspectives for Majors, was a requirement. Now that it has been removed from the requirements, do I still need to take it?
   
   

   No. If you have already taken it, it will count toward your major. If you have not taken it, you are not required to do so.

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