Anthropology is the scientific study of humankind, from its beginnings to the present. Of the many sciences that study aspects of humans and their behavior, only anthropology attempts to understand and integrate the entire panorama of human biology and culture in all times and places. The Anthropology Department offers a wide range of courses for students in pursuit of the Bachelor of Arts degree, from the basic four fields of cultural anthropology, linguistics, physical anthropology, and archaeology, to advanced study of topics such as Maya archaeology, medical anthropology, Caribbean cultures, primatology, and the evolution of language.

Anthropological training concentrates on broadly transferable skill areas such as understanding human diversity, building research skills for collecting and making sense of information, and communicating effectively. The skills developed through completing a degree in anthropology are useful for living and working in today’s world, which increasingly means interacting with people from many different cultural backgrounds and nations. The field is especially suited to a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, and multi-cultural urban center such as Miami, and the research programs of the department faculty reflect the compositions and concerns of the larger community.

Anthropological knowledge has taken an increasing role in the solution of practical problems in public health, cultural resource management, economic development in the Third World, business relations with immigrant and overseas populations, State and Federal programs, and many other areas.