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.

Study Here

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

Examining rural life in Portugal during the Modern Period

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

University of Iowa Graduate College

Connecting the daily lives of rural people to large-scale cultural change in 15th and 16th Portugal is the cornerstone of second-year doctoral student Shannon Casey’s research.

Global Health student gains internship experience abroad this summer

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

International Programs

Veronica Ramirez, a global health major stepped far outside her comfort zone to complete an internship in South Africa, gaining professional experience while immersing in a new culture.

Doctoral candidate Andrés Restrepo-Sánchez recently participated in the XVIII Congress of Anthropology in Colombia

Friday, June 6, 2025

Upcoming events

Artist Talk & Performance with Alejandro Russo

Thursday, February 5, 2026 6:00pm to 7:30pm

Space Place Theater

Join us for a lecture and performance with Alejandro Russo, an Argentine-Spanish choreographer and the co-director of La Malagua dance company based in Lille, France. Russo’s work uniquely blends the disciplines of engineering, dance notation, and movement research. His work Entre-autre, created while in residence at an auto factory in the north of France, highlights the body in working atmospheres and explores the erasure and withdrawal of corporeal physicality in factory environments. Russo is...

One Day for Iowa | The University of Iowa's Annual Giving Day

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 (all day)

Virtual

One Day for Iowa returns on Wednesday, March 25, marking 10 years of Hawkeyes coming together to support what matters most at the University of Iowa.

Our 24-hour online giving day is a chance for alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends to make an impact—supporting scholarships, research, health care, the arts, student experiences, and more. With special matching and unlocking opportunities throughout the day, every gift has the power to go further.

Celebrate a decade of generosity. Be part...

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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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