Anthropology Minor

The Sociology and Anthropology Department offers an undergraduate Minor in Anthropology to all students matriculated in a baccalaureate degree program at Farmingdale State College. Students who opt to complete a minor in Anthropology must apply through the Sociology and Anthropology Department.

The discipline of Anthropology provides students with the tools and perspectives necessary for understanding how humans and their cultures have developed and most critically, how we continue to develop and change our cultures and societies. The fundamental concepts, theories, and research methodologies of Anthropology provide students with useful tools for understanding human cultures and the various social institutions in which we all participate, enabling them to meet the many challenges of living and working in what has been termed “the glocal community.”

The Anthropology Minor consists of 15 credits in Anthropology, adjustable to suit the interests of the individual student, with the approval of their Anthropology Advisor and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.. At least nine of the credits must be in advanced courses in Anthropology at the 200 level or higher. Students enrolled in the Anthropology Minor must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 in their Anthropology courses.

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of how evolution works and genetic processes.  In particular, students will be able to explain broad outlines of human evolution, including comparison with other primates. 
• Students will have an understanding of processes and debates about what has been called civilization, including domestication of plants and animals; agricultural origins and possible consequences; settled village and urban life; and state formation.
• Students will be familiar with four field anthropology, and from that, they will be able to explain the basic methods of each field, e.g. how archaeologists analyze and interpret artifacts and how material culture interacts with attitudes and beliefs.
• Students will understand what cultural relativity means within anthropology and develop appreciation for cultural explanations of human difference.
• Students will understand the development of important social constructs/categories such as “race” and gender categories.
• Students will demonstrate understanding of how anthropologists conduct fieldwork, including ethnographic techniques, analysis, and writing.
• Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills by analyzing anthropological interventions on contemporary issues like immigration or racism.

Admission to Farmingdale State College - State University of New York is based on the qualifications of the applicant without regard to age, sex, marital or military status, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.