Best Anthropology programs in the Northeast?

[ekk205]

<p>Hi, I live in NJ and I don't really want to travel that far for college -anything over 6 hours is too far (so nothing above MA). I want to study anthropology, particularly physical, to become a forensic anthropologist.
I wouldn't mind studying the archaelogical part either, i have an open mind towards this branch of science. </p>

<p>I am completely lost in my college search, I don't know where the best colleges are for this particular program. So do you guys know some of the best undergrad programs in the Northeast? </p>

[warblersrule]

<p>It’s good that you have a specialty in mind, since very few schools are strong in all areas of anthropology. For example, Chicago excels at archaeological and especially cultural anthropology but has virtually no biological anthropology offerings. Duke offers superb cultural and biological anthropology programs but no archaeological anthropology.</p>

<p>Boston U and NYU are the best in the northeast for archaeology and bioanth outside the super selective universities (namely Harvard and Penn). Financial aid is iffy at both. Case Western and GWU are also great options. As an in-state bargain, Rutgers is mediocre but adequate for archaeology; it’s a good bit stronger in bioanth. Nearby Stony Brook is very strong in archaeology and bioanth. </p>

<p>More info would help us help you. What are your stats? What can you afford? Do you have any preferences in terms of size or location (i.e. rural, suburban, urban)?</p>

<p>I recommend focusing on universities. The number of liberal arts colleges with biological anthropologists on faculty can be counted on your hands with fingers to spare. Unlike cultural anthropology, which often requires little to no specialized technology, good research in biological anthropology frequently necessitates lab equipment befitting a science department - anatomy labs, computer modeling technology, primate and/or osteology collections, etc. Most LACs therefore choose not to devote resources toward the subject. </p>

[ekk205]

<p>i haven’t taken my SATs yet, I am a junior. but I am 8th in my class, top 2%, I am taking three AP courses right now, I play three different musical instruments, three varsity sports, girl scout (and soon to be gold award recipient), NHS member, and constant volunteer in my community. (Wow i feel narcissistic) </p>

<p>I am not really looking at finances right now, but what I do know that NYU is not within my budget. </p>

<p>I would prefer suburban, but I’m keeping an open mind. </p>

<p>Size wise, really what matters to me is a school smaller than 13,000 undergrads, I really don’t want to go to a large school, which I know is a problem with my major. </p>

<p>My first choice for anthropology is biological, archeological would be a lot of fun, but I would like to keep biological first in my mind. </p>

<p>Thank you so much for helping me out! It’s been very difficult to find my way around. </p>

[Mastadon]

<p>There is a unique Forensic DNA Science program at a community college in Wellesley, Mass. that has now generated 20 Goldwater Scholars. I am not that familiar with the field, but I have seen several articles in the Boston newspapers over the years and have been impressed. It sounds like @warblersrule is familiar with the field and would be better qualified to comment on combining this option with advanced study at another institution as a potential way of meeting your goals at a reasonable cost.</p>

<p><a href=“Massachusetts Community College Beats the Big Leagues in Creating 17th Goldwater Scholar Press Release”>http://www.onlineformpressrelease.com/201193658/Massachusetts-Community-College-Beats-the-Big-Leagues-in-Creating-17th-Goldwater-Scholar/news.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“College of Social & Behavioral Sciences : UMass Amherst”>College of Social & Behavioral Sciences : UMass Amherst;

<p><a href=“http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/clinical/cji/innconf02/bio-jacksonb.htm”>http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/clinical/cji/innconf02/bio-jacksonb.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.massbay.edu/Academics/Science,-Technology,-Mathematics-and-Engineering/Biotechnology-Program/Biotech-Programs.aspx”>http://www.massbay.edu/Academics/Science,-Technology,-Mathematics-and-Engineering/Biotechnology-Program/Biotech-Programs.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.massbay.edu/uploadedFiles/Second_Level_Pages/Academics/Curriculum-Sheet-STEM-Biotechnology-Forensic-DNA-Science-AS.pdf”>http://www.massbay.edu/uploadedFiles/Second_Level_Pages/Academics/Curriculum-Sheet-STEM-Biotechnology-Forensic-DNA-Science-AS.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[juillet]

<p>This is one of the few times where I would say that major should play a relatively large role in your selection, because of the issues @warblersrule highlighted - biological anthropology/physical anthropology resources are difficult to find at a lot of schools.</p>

<p>If you’re from NJ then Rutgers actually has a strength in physical/evolutionary anthropology. You can actually major specifically in evolutionary anthro. I know that you want to go to a smaller school, but in this major your classes (especially upper-level) are likely to be quite small. And Rutgers is probably more in the budget given its your local public university.</p>

<p>If you have the stats for it, Columbia’s E3B department has a major in evolutionary biology of the human species (EBHS), and you could minor in/concentrate in anthropology. Dartmouth also has a biological anthropology major.</p>

<p>Consider some CUNYs. The CUNY Grad Center participates in the New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, but CUNY Grad Center professors also teach at the CUNY undergrad schools. Members of the consortium are at Lehman (the director of the physical anthro PhD program is there), Hunter, Brooklyn, and Queens Colleges, and there are multiple professors (at least 3-4) at each one of these campuses.</p>

<p>Case Western is a little farther than you want (about 7-8 hours drive from NJ), but it does have a major in physical anthropology and fits all of your other criteria. Looks like Ithaca College might have a specialization in biological anthro. The University of Rochester has a major in ecology and evolutionary biology and also an anthropology department; they also prize their “build your own major” program and you might be able to build a special major in biological anthro.</p>

<p>Penn State is also way bigger than you want. However, they have a top-ranked anthropology department with a serious concentration in physical anthro. Stony Brook has an anthro major in human evolutionary biology. Also slightly larger than your preference - about 16,000 students. Boston University has a strength in biological anthro and have been committed to building it over time. BU is a bit bigger than your preference (about 18,000 undergrads), and if NYU isn’t in your budget they probably aren’t either.</p>

[ekk205]

<p>thank you @Mastadon‌ ! i’ll read up on that, looks interesting</p>

[ekk205]

<p>@julliet thank you for all of the advice!
ill give those schools a look at!
also, can you explain to me what evolutionary anthropology is? im not sure if thats what im interested in or not. </p>

[ekk205]

<p>Also what do you guys know about the programs for Notre Dame, Fordham, Arcadia, Lehigh, and Villanova? </p>

[juillet]

<p>So just so you know, I’m a psychologist, not an anthropologist - I’m speaking secondhand here.</p>

<p>But evolutionary anthropology is the study of how human physiology/anatomy, behavior, and culture has evolved over time. Evolutionary anthropology is not mutually exclusive with physical, linguistic, or sociocultural anthropology - some evolutionary anthropologists study the biology and genetics of primates and early hominids and how their evolution influences Homo sapiens today (or not); some evolutionary anthropologists study early hominid culture and social behavior; and some study the development of language. It’s really quite an interdisciplinary field - it draws upon biology, neuroscience, psychology, sociology, and more traditional anthropology - which is why a lot of evolutionary anthropology majors are called different things and housed in different departments. Case in point: Columbia’s evolutionary biology of the human species major is in their E3B department, which stands for uhhh…Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology if I remember correctly! But they do a lot of what other evolutionary/biological anthropologists do. There’s overlap.</p>

<p>Question for you: You say you want to be an anthropologist; do you mean a researcher at some kind of university or institute that would require a PhD? Because if you want a PhD, you need research experience in undergrad, and the closer you can get to what you want to do the better. In other words, if you know you want a PhD in biological or evolutionary anthropology, you need to go to an undergrad where you can work with a professor who does research on that (as opposed to sociocultural anthropology) because the methods are quite different.</p>

<p>A quick look at Fordham’s classes shows that they have decent offerings in physical anthropology, including a 2000-level class in forensic anthropology that seems to be offered every semester. However, the department does seem heavily socioculturally focused, so you’d probably have to take a lot of those classes to finish the major.</p>

<p>A perusal of Lehigh’s anthro offerings doesn’t show a lot of bioanth classes - I only see one.</p>

<p>It doesn’t look like Villanova has an anthropology major.</p>

<p>Notre Dame’s department seems heavily focused on sociocultural anth, but does have some bioanth classes.</p>

<p>Arcadia’s major is explicitly a major in cultural anthropology.</p>

[LeftofPisa]

<p>Take a look at Bryn Mawr. It is a small women’s college outside of Philly. It is in a consortium with Haverford, Swarthmore and Penn, which will give you access to a broader array of course offerings. And it is less selective than the others.</p>

[ekk205]

<p>@juillet‌ yeah i think im leaning more towards physical. thank you so much!! this was incredibly helpful! </p>

[informative]

<p>I would look at schools with decent science programs. For example, Northeastern has a good Anthro program. </p>

<p><a href=“Sociology and Anthropology Studies | Northeastern University”>http://www.northeastern.edu/socant/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;