Anthropology is an engaging discipline devoted to the humanistic and scientific study of humankind with a commitment to educational outreach and advocacy. The Department of Anthropology is home to a diverse community of anthropologists united in our dedication to the communities of Hawaiʻi, the broader island groups of Oceania, and the individual communities within which we live and work. Students benefit by learning directly about our current research on such varied topics as heritage management, traditional navigation and voyaging, biocultural aspects of women’s health, cross-cultural analysis of stress, and linguistic analysis of Polynesian and Asian languages.
Our undergraduate experience offers opportunities for professional development, research, and collaborative projects through course work and research assistantships. Anthropology students and their professors ask questions about all components of the human condition, and seek to describe and interpret human behavior and culture, language, biology, and our relationship to the environment. We provide students with meaningful and tangible experiences and facilitate conversations that are dynamic, provocative, and steeped in critical analysis.
In addition to the B.A. in Anthropology, the department offers an M.A. in Heritage Management and co-sponsors several certificates, including the Certificate in Pacific Island Studies and Global Engagement Certificate.
B.A. in Anthropology
View 4-year degree map for the B.A. in Anthropology
View 4-year degree map for the B.A. in Anthropology - Medical Anthropology Track