Anthropology

Students in Brady G'sell's class sitting in a circle for a class discussion

The comparative study of peoples and cultures, past and present.

Why Iowa?

If you like history, people, and hands-on learning, studying anthropology at the University of Iowa is the place for you.

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Students in a cultural anthropology class discussing an item one of the students is holding

Build a foundation

The Department of Anthropology offers both BA and BS degrees in anthropology, as well as an anthropology minor. The department offers two specialized tracks within the major—archaeology and medical anthropology—for students wishing a greater focus within the major.

Build a foundation

Student in gold sweatshirt examining a skull she is holding

Expand your horizons

The Department of Anthropology grants both MA and PhD degrees in anthropology, and also offers a specialized MA in Cultural Resource Management, working closely with faculty and staff from the Office of the State Archaeologist.

Expand your horizons

Cynthia Chou and a student reviewing a file of booklets in her cultural anthropology class

Learn from experts

Faculty in our department pursue research in all four subfields of anthropology, and conduct research at locations around the globe, including East, South, and Southeast Asia; Europe; southern Africa; North America; South America; and the Pacific.

Learn from experts

See yourself here

As a discipline centered on human life, anthropology offers unique tools to analyze, understand, and address pressing issues facing people and the planet.

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News and announcements

Castellano named 2025 Goldwater Scholar

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Iowa Now

Third-year student Seren Castellano was named a 2025 Goldwater Scholar, the nation’s most prestigious scholarship for undergraduate students pursuing careers in research.

One Day For Iowa: March 26, 2025

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Anthropology faculty member recognized with UI’s highest teaching honor

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Iowa Now

Meena Khandelwal, associate professor of anthropology, received the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad award from the U.S. Department of Education and the International Engagement Teaching Award from CLAS and UI International Programs.

Upcoming events

Anthropology Colloquium: Reworking Citizenship in South Africa

Friday, May 2, 2025 2:30pm

Macbride Hall

In scenes reminiscent of the apartheid era, 2021 saw South Africa's streets filled with mass protests. While the country is lauded for its peaceful transition to democracy with citizenship for all, those previously disenfranchised, particularly women, remain outraged by their continued poverty and marginalization. As one black woman protester told a reporter, reflecting on the end of apartheid: "We didn't get freedom. We only got democracy." What obligations do states have to support their...

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Our teaching, research and public engagement are animated by anthropology’s appreciation for and study of all aspects of human difference.

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