About Us
About the Anthropology Department
About the Study of Anthropology
Anthropologists use data and approaches from all academic fields to understand the full range of ways to be human—past, present, and future.
About the Department
The field of anthropology brings together the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to explore the full range of diversity in the human past and present, from our biological origins and earliest cognitive, social, and linguistic development to current social life and practices, including applied work with communities to address real-world issues.
Mission Statement
Through creative and robust interdisciplinary research and collaborative outreach, the Department of Anthropology serves our students and community by promoting and advancing a nuanced understanding of human origins, history, and diversity to give our students a well-rounded look at the human experience, providing students with a broad foundation of applied and critical thinking skills they will use for the rest of their lives.
Vision Statement
We will continue to offer one of the best undergraduate anthropology programs in the country while striving to enhance our core strengths, integrating undergraduates into a broad array of applied anthropological work from hands-on training in curation, preservation, public outreach, and cultural resource management to participate in local and international field schools, internships, and community-based research opportunities.
DEI Statement
We are dedicated to the advancement of a diverse, inclusive, and equitable learning environment for all our students, faculty, staff, and the public. We strive to create a collaborative community where diverse voices and backgrounds are respected and elevated. We acknowledge the ways the discipline of anthropology and academia generally have contributed to the perpetuation of inequality, both historically and at present. We have a responsibility to foster a culture of belonging and understanding in our teaching, research, and applied community endeavors.
Our efforts to maintain and foster meaningful DEI efforts as a department include:
- Creating and maintaining a welcoming, supportive learning environment in our classrooms and communities of research
- Incorporating diverse perspectives in our curricula, mentoring, and teaching
- Maintaining and creating courses on critical topics of diversity from interdisciplinary perspectives
- Engaging in responsible research through meaningful collaborations with our research communities
- Creating opportunities for all students to acquire hands-on research experience inside and outside the classroom
- Developing and expanding partnerships with community organizations working on DEI topics
- Maintaining relationships across UCCS departments to further awareness of and responsiveness to DEI-related issues
- Supporting students in their applications for local and national grant opportunities
Academic Focus
The UCCS Department of Anthropology offers a robust undergraduate education in the study of human development, experience, and creativity. Our teaching offers and prepares students for active learning opportunities that both incorporate and transcend the traditional four-field approach to anthropology:
Research Opportunities
The Department of Anthropology provides multiple opportunities for fieldwork and research experience and prepares our students to attend top graduate schools or to aspire to careers in anthropology, museums, CRM archaeology, the arts, business, and a variety of professions and service agencies.
Anthropology Faculty & Research
Through teaching, research, and field experiences, we broaden our students’ appreciation for diversity, past and present. Using a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches, our faculty offer expansive perspectives on human responses to and production of natural and cultural environments.
