Anthropology and Geography

a road with small houses on each side in a rural area in Haiti

CSU Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology Landon Yarrington will present his research on changing household livelihood strategies and land tenure practices in northern Haiti during the meeting. Photo courtesy of Landon Yarrington


Cultural Anthropology

Cultural anthropology students prepare for careers in government leadership, foreign service, community development, health systems and services, marketing and user experience, and academic research.

As a student with a Cultural Anthropology concentration, you study contemporary human cultures, their shared traits and differences. You ask what it means to experience life as a member of a particular society. You examine human belonging and adaptation amid the stresses of rapid change.

In the Cultural Anthropology concentration, you focus on contemporary human experiences of culturally distinct communities encountering a rapidly globalizing political economy. Our students acquire robust training in mixed methods, community-based approaches, and applied anthropology in the classroom and via experiential learning.

When you study cultural anthropology, you are gaining many transferable skills including strong analytical, critical thinking, and communication skills, the ability to work with complex datasets, unique perspectives on understanding behavior and cultural influences, quantitative and qualitative research literacy, and problem-solving abilities.

What You’ll Study

When you pursue an Anthropology major with a Cultural Anthropology concentration, you complete your degree with an emphasis on cultural research methods and applications that prepare you for diverse career pathways. Our program in Cultural Anthropology provides a broad range of courses that represent the many applications and fields of study within the discipline.

CSU Cultural Anthropology faculty research and teach courses that explore human-environmental interactions, community and economic development, health and well-being, cultural psychiatry and psychological anthropology, disasters and resilience, gender and sexuality, international development, human ecology, anthropology of art and religion, and language and culture.

CSU Course Catalog

  • ANTH 200: Cultures and the Global System

    Learn about cultures through an exploration and analysis of the diversity of smaller-scale societies and examine cultural responses and adaptations to emerging global trends.

  • ANTH 335: Language and Culture

    Explore human language and primate communication, nonverbal channels, sociolinguistics, and language change. Examine the roles and connections of languages, from nonverbal and verbal origins to modern technologies.

  • ANTH 445: Psychological Anthropology

    Students take part in a cross-cultural exploration of the human mind by studying the ideas, desires, and practices of individuals in various sociocultural settings. Examine psychological states of being across different cultures.

Career & Professional Pathways

Graduates in cultural anthropology have the knowledge and skills to approach and value cultural differences that are desirable and useful in a wide range of careers and fields. Cultural anthropology students are prepared to succeed at jobs in international development, public health and healthcare, government relations, conservation, non-profit leadership, and global business.

Careers in cultural anthropology include:

  • Foreign service officer
  • Medical anthropologist
  • Community program manager
  • Cultural and public affairs specialist
  • Human resources officer
  • Social services advocacy specialist
careers page

Student Experience

Student Experience Page
Two students packing sand and plaster mix into mini muffin molds making dig kits

Anthropology Club

The undergraduate Anthropology Club and Geography Club are open to all interested students and community members. Clubs meet several times a month throughout the school year and host social and academic events.

Anthropology & Geography Club Page 
Temple in Vietnam

Study Abroad

Cultural Anthropology students can travel and learn about cultures firsthand through education abroad opportunities — including a new (Winter/Spring 2027) class that brings students to learn about brewing cultural and history in Belgium — which combine international travel with additional online instruction.

Fermentation, Culture, and History in Belgium
Edge of Empire: Hadrian’s Wall in England
Pompeii: Life and Death of a Roman City in Italy

Student Work and Research

Faculty Labs and Student Research

The Ethnographic Research and Teaching Lab leads studies in virtual, online worlds and provides opportunities for student research

Labs & Centers Page

Internships

Cultural Anthropology students can work with faculty on research, community engagement, and fieldwork through independent study projects. Students also complete internships with marketing firms, government agencies, nonprofit advocacy and development groups, and educational centers and museums.

Internships page

Student or Alumni Stories

Our Faculty

Next Steps

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