BA in Geography-Anthropology
The Bachelor of Arts in geography-anthropology emphasizes the integration of the two disciplines and the common interests in the relationship between human populations and their natural environment, decision-making strategies of human groups, and the health and nutritional status of human societies.
Geography-Anthropology students explore human-environmental processes in western and non-western cultures and engage in field experiences in archaeology, anthropology, and geography. As a result of data collection in the field or analysis in our specialized learning laboratories, students also have the opportunity to engage in scholarship through publications and conference presentations, and often receive assistantships and fellowships funded by such organizations as the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Maine Space Grant consortium.
The major is an interdisciplinary degree program. Students enrolled in the major select either a concentration in geography or anthropology and are expected to take courses from both disciplines. The program of study beyond the basic requirements should be planned carefully, in close consultation with the student's program advisor, and should be approved by the latter. Such an arrangement allows for flexibility according to the student's interests while also providing close guidance and a control of educational quality by the Geography-Anthropology program.
All students with majors or specific discipline minors in the social sciences must achieve at least six credits with grades of B or better in the requirements of those majors or minors. No grades of D will be counted toward fulfillment of the major or minor requirements. Except for Independent Studies, no required course may be repeated more than one time.
All students are reminded that, in addition to meeting departmental requirements for the major, they must also meet the University's minimum readiness requirements and the Core curriculum requirements.
The minimum number of credits (exclusive of the University's Core curriculum) required for the major: 44-50.
All students must take:
ANT 101 Anthropology: The Cultural View
ANT 103 Introduction to Archaeology
GEO 101 Human Geography
GEO 102 Physical Geography
MAT 120 Introduction to Statistics
GYA 210 Perspectives on Environment, Society and Culture since 1750
All students must complete at least three credit hours in a geography or anthropology field course. A supervised three credit minimum internship in geography or anthropology may be substituted for the field course.
All students then elect to concentrate in either anthropology or geography.
Students who elect to concentrate in anthropology must also take:
Three of the following topical, regional or ethnography courses from a minimum of two different professors
ANT 102 Biological Anthropology
ANT 201 Human Origins
ANT 202 Origins of Civilization
ANT 213 Human Ecology
ANT 220 North American Indians
ANT 222 Peoples of the North
ANT 232 The Anthropology of Sex and Gender
ANT 233 Food and Culture
ANT 250 Archaeology of South America
ANT 302 Medical Anthropology
ANT 310 History of Anthropological Thought
ANT 450 Topics in Anthropology
One of the following techniques or applied courses:
ANT 306 Analysis of Archaeological Materials
ANT 308 Environmental Archaeology
ANT 315 Ethnography: Methods, Ethics, and Practice
ANT 355 Public Interpretation in Anthropology
ANT 360 Public Archaeology
GEO 208 Cartography I
GEO 305 Remote Sensing
GEO 308 GIS I
9 additional credit hours, 3 of which must be ANT courses at or above the 300 level, and 3 of which must be GEO courses at or above the 200 level.
Students who elect to concentrate in geography must also take:
Three of the following topical or regional courses from a minimum of two different professors and two of which must be at or above the 200 level:
GEO 103 Human-Environmental Geography
GEO 104 World Regional Geography
GEO 120 Geography of Maine
GEO 203 Urban and Regional Development
GEO 207 Maps: Knowledge, Technology, Society, Culture
GEO 255 Making a Living: Workers in a Global Economy
GEO 302 Gender, Work, and Space
GEO 303 Economic Geography
GEO 320 Conservation of Natural Resources
GEO 350 Geography of International Development
GEO 402 Urban Geography
GEO 450 Topics in Geography
GEO 455 Gender, 'Race' and Class in the City
One of the following techniques or applied courses:
GEO 208 Cartography I
GEO 209 Introduction to Land Use Planning
GEO 210 Planning Maine Communities
GEO 305 Remote Sensing
GEO 308 GIS I
GEO 408 GIS II
ANT 315 Ethnography: Methods, Ethics, and Practice
9 additional credit hours, 3 of which must be GEO courses at or above the 300 level, and 3 of which must be ANT courses at or above the 200 level.
Additionally, all geography-anthropology majors are required to demonstrate writing competence by completing either two research papers or one research paper and one research product (e.g., poster, media project) in the major with grades of C or better, from two different professors, circulated and reviewed by the Department at least one semester prior to graduation.
The maximum number of hours of internships, field experience, and/or independent studies that can be applied toward the major is 9 hours. All students must meet with their advisors before registering for courses each semester.
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