BA in Anthropology - Biological Anthropology in West Lafayette United States | Purdue University

Anthropology stands apart from other social sciences by examining humanity through a comprehensive lens, exploring the intersections of culture, biology, history, and language. Our undergraduate program offers a robust four-field approach (biological, archaeological, cultural, and linguistic anthropology), with faculty specializing in diverse substantive, methodological, and theoretical areas to give students a thorough anthropological foundation.

At the undergraduate level, our four-field curriculum encompasses biological, archaeological, sociocultural, and linguistic anthropology studies. Students gain practical experience through archaeological and bioanthropological fieldwork opportunities. Additionally, majors can pursue one of six specialized concentrations.

The 12-credit Biological Anthropology concentration provides undergraduates with deep theoretical knowledge in this field, which bridges biological and social sciences by examining human and non-human primate populations across time.

Our faculty combine biological and cultural approaches to research behavior, genetic diversity, adaptation, evolutionary ecology, anatomy, physiology, development, and health in humans and primates. Many concentration courses feature hands-on laboratory work, supported by our extensive collections of early hominid casts, primate specimens, skeletal materials, and specialized facilities including Osteology, Primatology, Data Science, Computational Anthropology, and a Biohazard Level 2 Immuno-Nutrition lab.