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

CLAS announces 2025 faculty promotion and tenure awards

Monday, May 19, 2025

Graduate student Binit Gurung presents paper at Stanford

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Binit recently presented his paper titled “Ghar Janu”: Ethnographic Studies of Return Migration among Indigenous Sikkimese Youth at the Stanford Humanities Center organized workshop called Writing the Life Process.

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.

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Write your story

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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