Bachelor in Anthropology (Bachelor's)

Dickinson College’s campus sits close to downtown Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with dining, shopping, local businesses and volunteer opportunities within easy reach. Students can explore nature on the Appalachian Trail and travel to Harrisburg, New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia or Baltimore. Community, friendships, activities and support are part of campus life, with professors who make time for students and a college where students are known, mentored and challenged. Dickinson’s history reaches back to 1783, and it was one of the first carbon-neutral colleges in the country.

Dickinson’s flexible liberal-arts and sciences approach lets students explore different academic paths while developing critical thinking, adaptability and a global perspective. Learning extends beyond classes through internships, fieldwork, research, networking and career development. The Burgess Institute for the Global Economy offers business and finance experiences to students from every major, including affiliated courses, industry events, executives in residence, alumni mentoring, off-campus excursions, workshops and access to Bloomberg terminals. Students can follow guided pathways in business and finance, data and technology, nonprofits and other fields. International experience is a substantial part of the college’s culture: 60% of students study abroad in more than 35 countries. Global and domestic educational experiences connect academic interests with community health, technology innovation and environmental sustainability, while intercultural skills form part of professional preparation.

The programme emphasizes fieldwork and laboratory research as core methods in anthropological study. Students engage in ethnographic observation and interaction within social settings over extended periods. The curriculum integrates cultural, biological, and archaeological subfields through structured coursework and hands-on projects. Students develop research skills through local and international fieldwork opportunities that lead to senior thesis work.

Focus areas include Cultural Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Archaeology.

The programme requires a total of 36 credits, distributed across core courses in the three subfields, fieldwork experiences, and a senior thesis. Students complete coursework in anthropology and related disciplines, with opportunities for research in labs and field schools.

Graduates enter careers in public and nonprofit sectors, business, and professional roles involving social research methods and cultural analysis.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is recommended. Required documents include official transcripts and a personal statement.

The programme totals about 36 credit hours. On-campus, full-time, typically four years. For international students, tuition is well above the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 43% of applicants.