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Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of what it means to be human, whether in the past, the present or the future.

Anthropologists apply research approaches including ethnography, audio-visual and digital methods, excavations, fieldwork and lab-based work. Faculty in the department have undertaken research around the world.

A female student sits with a bone collection

Study anthropology at UVic

Drawing on insights from the social sciences, the sciences and the humanities, anthropologists study how humans have emerged and organized ourselves. Embracing the full diversity of humanity across time and space, anthropologists at UVic work in fields such as:

  • human history and material culture (archaeology)
  • human evolution and primatology (biological anthropology)
  • human culture and society (socio-cultural anthropology)

At UVic, anthropology undergraduate and graduate students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of hands-on and experiential learning opportunities, including field schools and co-operative education.

From small class sizes to hands-on and international learning, learn why you should study anthropology at UVic.

Announcements

Top 10 stories of 2024 - Dr. Nowell

December 19, 2024

Congratulations to Dr. April Nowell on being one of UVic’s top 10 news stories of 2024! Read all top 10 stories here.

Top Stories in Human Evolution in 2024

December 16, 2024

Congratulations to Dr. April Nowell and her team - their puberty paper is the second one listed for "Top stories in Human Evolution in 2024".

MA student's work at Sooke museum

December 13, 2024

Here is some great coverage of our MA student Emma Wilton's work as a curator at the Sooke Museum in an article titled "Sooke museum sheds light on historical injustice faced by hereditary chief".

Critical conversations in economic anthropology

December 10, 2024

Critical conversations in economic anthropology are emerging in our department!   Dr. Alexandrine Boudreault-Fournier, Dr. Melissa Gauthier and Dr. Daromir Rudnyckyj have all...

Money in Islam

December 10, 2024

Check out the recent conversation on Money in Islam between CounterCurrency Lab post-doctoral fellow Dr. Ashraful Mobin and lab director Prof. Daromir Rudnyckyj. The video is now available on YouTube.

News & events

Open Visual anthropology grad inspires hope

Visual anthropology grad inspires hope

Long-time photographer and artist, Graydon Smith, found inspiration in UVic’s visual anthropology graduate program. He graduates this fall with a master’s degree in anthropology. “I was first...

Open UVic's Vanier scholars and Banting Fellowship

UVic's Vanier scholars and Banting Fellowship

The University of Victoria is celebrating four outstanding researchers recently announced as 2024 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholars and one prestigious Banting Postdoctoral Fellow.

Open Anthropology grad's international experience

Anthropology grad's international experience

Graduating this spring, anthropology major/sociology minor undergraduate student, Emma Emile appreciates her time at UVic and especially how anthropology “sparked critical reflection on what it...

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Territory acknowledgement

We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.