Undergraduate courses

These summaries provide an overall sense of the courses and are not official course outlines. You will receive detailed course outlines for all courses you're registered in on the first day of class.

If you require an old syllabi please contact the Anthropology office.

See the University Calendar for a list of all anthropology courses.

All anthropology courses

Search for classes in Online Tools to confirm dates, days, times and locations. Courses are dependent upon enrollment numbers. 

Contact the Anthropology office if you have any questions.

Summer 2026

Summer 2026
Instructor: Dr. Amy Levine
Delivery: Online

Course description

This course aims to answer the question what makes us human? It is an introductory survey of the sub-fields of anthropology: archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural and social anthropology and linguistic anthropology. Two broad principles underlie our understanding of human complexity: First, all individuals and groups possess certain commonalities - in particular, genetic and other biological traits, sociality, language and a powerful symbolising capability; and second, human culture is incredibly diverse and ever-changing. We will explore the sub-fields of anthropology through a range of themes including, but not limited to: evolution; early humans; development of agriculture; emergence of cities and states; culture, supernaturalism, ethnicity and race; and families, kinship and gender. 

Course outcomes/objectives

By the end of the course students should be able to:

explain the sub-fields and specializations of anthropology with examples;
critically discuss a range of key themes and methods relevant to the study of anthropology;
identify and evaluate factors that influence our interpretation and understanding of anthropology;
differentiate between pseudoscience and legitimate scientific practices; and
exhibit research and public writing skills required in anthropology, other disciplines, and employment situations.

Topics may include

Culture
Primate diversity and conservation
Human evolution, adaptation, and diversity
Gender, kinship, and sexuality
Sustainability and climate change
Colonialism and social inequality
Health, people, and the environment

Summer 2026
Instructor: Dr. CindyAnn Rose-Redwood
Delivery: Online

Course description

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the discipline of anthropology’s role in framing notions of race and how this concept is often intertwined with ideologies of culture and power. We will explore how the discipline has shifted from ideologies around scientific racism to understandings that race is a socially constructed notion produced by people to frame hierarchies of power over other people. We will also examine the scholarly works of anthropologists who are currently encountering, critically examining, and challenging notions of race with respect to their own positionality and ethnographic fieldwork. Through a series of readings, films, and lectures, this course will provide a better understand of how the concepts of race, culture, and power impact the everyday lives of people who are often placed under the “gaze” of anthropologists. The course ends by considering directions for future research on race, culture, and power in anthropology. Students will examine anti-racist praxis in relation to moving anthropology forward as a discipline.

Course outcomes/objectives

critically examine anthropological scholarship and scholars writing about discourses on race, culture, and power
develop critical thinking skills on various themes around race and culture, and how hierarchies of power impact the lives of peoples around the world
explain how the discipline of anthropology contributed to framing discourses on race.
analyze and critique the positionality of anthropologists in terms of fieldwork
reflect on the impact of race as a social construct in relation to acts of racism

Topics may include

history of anthropological thought
Indigenous peoples, cultures, and power
Black feminist anthropology
Asians and racialization
policing
music as storytelling
migration
health inequities
anti-racism

Summer 2026
Instructor: Dr. Iain McKechnie
Delivery: Off campus - face-to-face

This local field course is structured in two parts: The first week (five days) involves participation in the UVic Ocean Past Conference on campus, which features global research on coastal archaeology. Students will learn from and contribute to this remarkable international community of scholars. The following two weeks are dedicated to hands-on training in archaeological field techniques for identifying, mapping, and recording archaeological sites. The course will get out of the classroom, visiting select archaeological settings around Greater Victoria in intertidal and forested settings to practice and refine our field skills. Students will gain proficiency in the non-invasive field techniques used daily by professional archaeologists

Please note: this course will not be a research excavation but instead be a series of hands-on workshops on key field techniques for archaeological site survey and documentation. We will spend time discussing key heritage management regulations and protocols from provincial and Indigenous authorities.

This course is designed for students looking to build a toolkit of employable skills and techniques frequently used in the B.C. archaeology consulting sector.

Approximate dates: June 15-July 2, 2026. Mandatory (remote) pre-class meeting on June 12, 2026, is required to review the syllabus and course schedule.
Location: UVic Campus & Greater Victoria, British Columbia
Additional course fees: $400
Prerequisites: Completion of ANTH 240 or 250 & any of the following ANTH 241, 319 or 340, 360, 442

Application Instructions

Deadline extended to March 20, 2026: email the instructor, Dr. Iain McKechnie indicating your interests, training &/or experience and an Administrative Transcript (aka. unofficial).

After March 20, 2026: Watch for a swift decision in your inbox and secure your place with a 50% non-refundable deposit (due before March 31). The remaining 50% of the course fees will be due in the ANTH office (COR B228) before the pre-class remote meeting on June 12, 2026.

Funding Support
Eligible ANTH students can apply for funding and scholarship support to help offset course fees. Reimbursement is after successful completion of the course.

Summer 2026
Instructor: Dr. Melissa Gauthier
Delivery: Off campus

Applications now closed.

More about this field school here.

Summer 2026
Instructor: Dr. Stephanie Calce
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is an introduction to the field of forensic anthropological field techniques and crime scene interpretation. This outdoor field course combines methodological approaches to excavation and recovery from both forensic science and archaeology with a focus on documentation and collection of relevant data and is offered over a four-week period in the summer semester. This course will combine in-class instruction and outdoor processing of clandestine burials and will cover topics on: crime-scene protocols and record-keeping; establishing secure scene perimeters; mapping methods (high and low technologies); establishing an excavation grid; excavation techniques (horizontal vs. bisect approaches); stratification; collecting soils, tool marks, and other evidence from the grave; casting soil imprints; taphonomy and taphonomic inference; photography; collecting evidence; maintaining chain of custody; and crime scene interpretation to reconstruct activities relating to a death event and body deposition.

Limited enrolment: 24 students. This class meets from 8:30am-2:30pm Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: This accelerated, intensive outdoor field course requires students to be prepared to work every day toward course completion. Even on non‑instructional days, students should expect a substantial amount of homework as well as required group work.

Course outcomes/objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to evaluate forensic field scenarios and justify their decisions during group-based field exercises by applying principles of critical thinking. They will perform core forensic field techniques such as surveying, documentation, and recovery methods, with accuracy consistent with professional standards. Students will generate maps by collecting, processing, and analyzing spatial data; and they will apply 3D mapping and photogrammetry software to produce accurate digital models of forensic scenes. They will collect and analyze quantitative data from field and laboratory activities, interpret those results using deductive reasoning, and communicate their findings clearly through written, visual, and oral formats intended for professional audiences. Students will use correct medical and legal terminology to explain procedures, interpretations, and findings in medicolegal contexts, and they will collaborate effectively in teams by planning, delegating, and documenting tasks during field and analytical projects. Throughout the course, they will solve structured forensic problems by identifying relevant evidence, evaluating alternative explanations, and defending their conclusions with appropriate supporting data.

MATERIALS FEE:

$75.00 (Summer 2026). Exact cash amount required.
Due by the 1^st day of class (Wednesday May 20, 2026).
Pay in the Anthropology office Cornett B228.

Summer 2026
Instructor: Dr. Andrea Walsh
Delivery: in person

Course description

Graphic anthropology is a subfield of visual anthropology that uses drawing, sketching, illustration, comics and graphic novels as core methods for conducting, analyzing, and presenting ethnographic research. It goes beyond text to capture, express, and communicate cultural experiences through visual narratives, often making complex or intimate human stories more accessible.

In this course students will initiate the development of their own style of drawing as a research method and way to communicate research results. Guided workshops focus on building skills and techniques to provide students with approaches to produce their own graphic research portfolio. Any level of drawing experience is welcome (this includes no drawing experience, too!). Students are encouraged to bring their experience and knowledge from other areas of anthropology and/or other areas of study i.e. art studies, languages, sciences, technology studies, music, healthcare, gender studies, etc. to this course.

For Summer Session 2026 we will begin with a series of workshops and visual labs designed to develop students’ drawing and observation skills that support visual thinking and multimodal literacy, which is the foundation of graphic anthropology. Students will integrate traditional/non-analog image making with basic digital design tools to carry out research projects intended to promote and demonstrate innovative visual communication. Projects include the creation of graphic illustrations, zines, and handmade books. Coloured graphite pencils, gouache and watercolour paints, and project paper will be supplied free of charge to students through the Visual Stories Lab. Students are required to purchase a set of paint brushes and a sketchbook for use on the first day of class (June 8^th); both are available with a student discount through Opus Art Supplies on Herald Street in Victoria. Students may use their own art supplies as appropriate to assigned projects. Digital tools will be accessed through University of Victoria computing labs that provide Adobe Creative Cloud software.

Creative projects will be based on 2 class fieldtrips to historic and present-day important places for Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples: 1) the self-guided walking tour, The Signs of Lək̓ʷəŋən (seven unique site markers by Coast Salish artist and master carver, Butch Dick that designate culturally significant sites to the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations along the Inner Harbour and surrounding areas); 2) Visit the mountain named PKOLS and the historic village ȾEL¸IȽĆ in W̱SÁNEĆ territory. The places for the class fieldtrips are accessible via BC Transit, or car-pool. In preparation for our land-based learning through drawing, one of our workshop foci will be the creation of inks and paints from Indigenous plants that grow in these territories.

Assessment for this course will be based on student class participation in both on and off campus classes and engagement with the class Brightspace site, demonstrated sketchbook practice of visual techniques and project development inclusive of written reflections, and the completion of assignments required to build a digital graphic research portfolio.

Course outcomes/objectives

acquire visual and creative research skills that may be applied in social science-based research and other professional contexts
design an original visual research project that uses methodologies of traditional-analog image making and/or digital design
design a digital visual research publication about an original topic for print or web distribution
understand the role creativity can play in problem solving and innovation
develop skillsets for listening, observing, and productively creating a project/product that visually communicates information to diverse audiences
understand the relationship between creativity, personal expression/experience and ethics in research
understand the principles for creating accessible visual media about anthropological research

Summer 2026
Instructor: Dr. Erin McGuire
Delivery: in person

Course description

This course explores the deep history of textiles through experimental and experiential archaeology. Students will engage directly with textile technologies ranging from cordage and spinning to dyeing, weaving, and sprang, while critically examining the archaeological evidence for these technologies. We will learn about evidence from the Palaeolithic to the present day, discussing relevant issues such as the impact of preservation bias, androcentrism, and colonialism in this field of study.

Through hands-on learning, land-based activities, and collaboration with Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and contemporary craft experts, students will develop an embodied understanding of the materials, tools, and techniques.

Assessment for this course will focus on class discussions, writing/journal reflections on published materials, and a reflective portfolio that integrates textile practice with archaeological interpretations.

Note: Weekend Retreat (June 6-9): This course will involve a weekend retreat on Gabriola Island to learn with community experts from the Gabriola Island Fibreshed. The plan is to travel to Gabriola on June 6 and return to Victoria late on June 9. Coach bus transportation to the ferry will be provided at no cost to the students. On the other side, we will walk to the Descanso Bay Campground, where we will be camping out. Camping fees will be covered for students. Students will need to supply their own tents, sleeping bags, etc.

Meals will not be provided, so you will need to budget for either bringing food with you or buying food while we are there.

Sunday workshops will be focussed on working with wool. Monday workshops will be focussed on plant-based fibres. All workshop fees will be covered.

Course outcomes/objectives

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

Demonstrate foundational proficiency in a range of key textile technologies (e.g. cordage, spinning, natural dyeing, etc.).
Explain how embodied practice contributes to understanding ancient and contemporary textile production.
Critically evaluate archaeological evidence for textile production, including tools, fibres, and preservation biases.
Analyze relationships between textile production and local ecologies, including animal husbandry, plant cultivation, and land stewardship.
Explain how personal experience, sensory engagement, and craft practice influence archaeological interpretation.

Topics may include

Cordage and ropemaking
Preparing raw fibres (plant and animal) for spinning
Hand-spinning
Weaving, sprang, and knitting to produce fabric
Experimental and experiential archaeology
Archaeological evidence textiles (Palaeolithic to medieval to recent historical)

Fall 2026 - 100 level

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Erin McGuire
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is an introductory survey of the sub-fields of anthropology: archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural and social anthropology and linguistic anthropology. Two broad principles underlie our understanding of human complexity: First, all individuals and groups possess certain commonalities - in particular, genetic and other biological traits, sociality, language and a powerful symbolising capability; and second, human culture is incredibly diverse and ever-changing. We will explore the sub-fields of anthropology through a range of themes including but not limited to culture, evolution, food, health, kinship, ethnicity, race, gender, and sustainability.

Course outcomes/objectives

Intended learning outcomes are what instructors hope students will be able to do after completing course activities. Assessment activities are meant to measure how successfully students have achieved course outcomes.

By the end of ANTH 100, students should be able to:

Explain what it means to be human from cultural, biological, and archaeological viewpoints, and reflect on how these perspectives intersect;
Use culture, biology, and language as analytical tools to interpret human variation and commonality across societies and time periods;
Discuss contemporary global and local issues and explain how anthropologists contribute to understanding and addressing them;
Identify and assess some of the methods anthropologists use, explain how they have evolved, and apply ethical reasoning to research scenarios;
Distinguish between legitimate anthropological/archaeological practices and pseudoscientific or pseudoarchaeological claims, and explain why the distinction matters; and
Exhibit public writing and research skills that reflect anthropological practice and are transferable to other disciplines and employment contexts.

We will approach content and the learning outcomes via a series of overarching questions about anthropology and the study of being human. The course is facilitated by Dr. Erin McGuire and includes a series of guest speakers throughout the semester.

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. CindyAnn Rose-Redwood
Delivery: Online - asynchronous

Course description

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the discipline of anthropology’s role in framing notions of race and how this concept is often intertwined with ideologies of culture and power. We will explore how the discipline has shifted from ideologies around scientific racism to understandings that race is a socially constructed notion produced by people to frame hierarchies of power over other people. We will also examine the scholarly works of anthropologists who are currently encountering, critically examining, and challenging notions of race with respect to their own positionality and fieldwork. Through a series of readings, films, and lectures, this course will provide a better understand of how the concepts of race, culture, and power impact the everyday lives of people who are often placed under the “gaze” of anthropologists. The course ends by considering directions for future research on race, culture, and power in anthropology. Students will examine anti-racist practice in relation to moving anthropology forward as a discipline.

Course outcomes/objectives

critically examine anthropological scholarship and scholars writing about discourses on race, culture, and power
develop critical thinking skills on various themes around race and culture, and how hierarchies of power impact the lives of peoples around the world
explain how the discipline of anthropology contributed to framing discourses on race.
analyze and critique the positionality of anthropologists in terms of fieldwork
reflect on the impact of race as a social construct in relation to acts of racism

Topics may include

history of anthropological thought
Indigenous peoples, cultures, and power
Black feminist anthropology
Asians and racialization
policing
music as storytelling
migration
health inequities
anti-racism

Fall 2026 - 200 level

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Melissa Gauthier
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course provides students with an overview of social and cultural anthropology – its origins, its distinctive methods and concepts, and its place in the contemporary world. In this course, you will learn how to think about contemporary events from an anthropological perspective and how to better understand yourself in relation to others. You will also learn to appreciate the diversity of topics that contemporary socio-cultural anthropology explores and the extent to which it can help you better understand a world where peoples and societies are increasingly interconnected.

Because this is an introductory course, it will offer the opportunity to exercise a wide variety of skills that are crucial in students’ academic and professional careers. These include critical reading, analytical thinking, intercultural communication and the ability to undertake effective secondary research using online and traditional research sources. In addition, the course will provide students with a supportive environment to develop effective communication skills.

Course outcomes/objectives

By the end of the course students should:

learn to think about contemporary events from an anthropological perspective;
apply anthropological theories and concepts to real-world problems;
have a greater degree of familiarity with the field of socio-cultural anthropology, its key concepts, theoretical orientations and methods;
understand the historical developments that have shaped the subfield of sociocultural anthropology;
learn to challenge their cultural biases and ethnocentric assumptions;
demonstrate greater awareness of the cultural and social bases of human prejudice and discrimination;
gain a better understanding of Indigenous peoples, histories and cultures, and the impact of colonization on individuals, families and communities;
understand the ethical standards that anthropologists uphold.

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Tommy Happynook
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course will provide students with a foundational understanding of the relationships between Indigenous Peoples, colonization, and Anthropology. The first half of the course will explore the history of colonization in Canada from an Indigenous and anthropological perspective. The second half of the course will explore the relationships between Indigenous Peoples and the anthropological subfields: cultural/social, archaeology, biological/physical, linguistic, visual. The course will also consider the role of historical anthropological and ethnographic literature and research today.

Course outcomes/objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will:

develop a foundational understanding of anthropology’s role in colonization within Canada.
develop a foundational understanding of the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and anthropology’s subfields.
develop a foundational understanding of the critiques of historic anthropological and ethnographic literature.
develop a foundational understanding of how to engage with the historic anthropological and ethnographic literature beyond the critiques.
develop and/or apply critical thinking skills.

Topics may include

Colonial laws/legislation
Policies of assimilation
Anthropological/ethnographic literature
Indigenous-Anthropology relationships in subfields (cult/soc, bio/phys, arch, sound /visual)

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Rachel Brown
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is an investigation into the intersections of religion, culture, and food. We will address food prohibitions, rituals involving food and food symbols that are present (or absent) in the various traditions and will pay particular attention to how religious groups use food to construct relationships (real or imagined) between individuals, the community, and nonhuman beings (animals, deities, ancestors), and to construct and maintain cultural norms and values.

Course outcomes/objectives

Identify the major theoretical issues in the anthropology of food and religion;
Develop a basic knowledge of a variety of religious, spiritual, and cultural traditions;
Critically engage with discourses around race, gender, migration, class, colonialism, and the impact of intersectional identity on religious practice;
Develop skills in experiential learning and writing through course assignments;
Develop an appreciation for the diversity of religiosity in various cultures and contexts

Topics may include

Food prohibitions and regulations
Food and identity
Indigenous foodways and relationality
Food, religion and (post)colonialism
Religious food activism
Religion, food, and climate

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Yin Lam
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course introduces the subdiscipline of archaeology, highlighting a few of the many places, theories, methods, techniques, and people(s) who have illuminated our shared human history. We consider the kind of questions archaeologists ask, how the archaeological record is formed, how archeologists collect data, conduct analyses, and interpret their findings. The course is not a comprehensive review but aims to examine the processes through which human history is encountered, narrated, and mobilized in the present. The laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with techniques discussed in lectures and in the textbook. Please ensure that you have registered for both the lecture and a lab section.

Course outcomes/objectives

Become familiar with common terms and concepts in archaeology
Identify types of archaeological evidence and interpretations
Consider the utility of different archaeological methods and techniques
Describe and categorize commonly recovered archaeological material

Mandatory lab sessions are part of this course and must be enrolled in separately.

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Alison Murray
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is an introduction to the subfields of biological anthropology, stressing the past and present evolution and diversity of humans and nonhuman primates. Course topics include evolutionary theory, population genetics, primatology, paleoanthropology, and contemporary human diversity and adaptation. Lab exercises will cover human osteology, fossil identification, comparative primate skeletal anatomy, human genetic principles and physiological differences in human populations. The major objective of this course is to introduce students to theoretical and methodological techniques within biological anthropology, and to the significance of evolutionary perspectives on humans and our primate relatives.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will learn how to think critically about the application of an evolutionary perspective to understanding and explaining human and primate biology, behaviour, and variation. Lab sessions will develop essential skills in the collection and analysis of morphological and quantitative data.

Mandatory lab sessions are part of this course and must be enrolled in separately.

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Ammie Kalan
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Examines the special relationship that humans share with their closest living relatives, the nonhuman primates, by surveying the myriad of interactions between people and primates throughout history and in contemporary times. The course will provide foundational knowledge regarding primate evolution, behaviour and diversity, upon which historical and cultural interactions with humans will be explored using a global perspective. Emphasis will be on investigating the significance of primates for the following aspects of human societies: religion; mythology; art; medicine; media and trade.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students who complete this course will be able to

Clearly explain the defining features of primates including those found in humans
Confidently describe the major primate taxonomic groups and their associated physical and behavioural characteristics
Comprehensively identify and analyze myths featuring primates from around the world, as well as their influence on cryptoprimatology.
Thoughtfully deconstruct the symbolism present in art featuring primates from around the world.
Clearly describe the historical influence of primate trade and the consequences for biomedicine, research, and entertainment (e.g., media, zoos) today.
Critically evaluate the ethical and moral implications of human-primate relationships from a global perspective.

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Melissa Gauthier
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course introduces students to the various methods of enquiry and interpretation used in anthropological research. With examples from across the subfields of anthropology, this course provides an overview of research design, ethical considerations and different quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis.

This includes participant observation, interviewing, ethnographic mapping and participatory visual methods. We will also address key debates about the production and status of anthropological knowledge and the relationship between theory and methodology.

This course is designed to help students improve their ability to:

critically evaluate anthropological research
select and apply appropriate methods of data collection and analysis for addressing specific research questions
assess the advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative methods in certain contexts 
critically assess how historical and contemporary factors can shape the power relations between researcher and participants
understand the ethical and political implications of anthropological research

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will gain valuable experience in anthropological research, critical analysis, academic writing and use of referencing. This will involve synthesizing and evaluating information from scholarly sources and clearly communicating through academic writing and peer-to-peer discussions. Through practical research exercises, students will develop foundational skills for the collection, recording and analysis of anthropological data.

Mandatory tutorial sessions are part of this course and must be enrolled in separately.

Fall 2026 - 300 level

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Andrea Mariko Grant
Delivery: Online

Course description

Technology is a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives - we encounter it in multiple forms throughout the course of our day but rarely reflect on its social, historical, political, moral, and ecological dimensions. In ANTH 304 we will explore technology from an anthropological perspective, focusing on the ways in which culture shapes technology and technology shapes culture. Technology can be a form of connection, especially across time and space, but it can also entrench inequalities and asymmetrical relations of power both locally and globally. We will focus on alternative ways to imagine technology, decentering Eurocentric approaches in the process. Technological changes are often framed as inevitable, with those failing to adapt to the times left behind (economically, morally). In this course we will challenge this assumption and pay close attention to who benefits and who does not from such claims.

Course outcomes/objectives

Critically reflect on the relationship between technology and progress and discourses of technological inevitability
Analyze the social, political, moral, and ecological impacts of technology, applying key anthropological concepts and theories
Evaluate alternative models and theories for understanding technology and how they might create more equitable worlds
Formulate informed positions on contemporary debates about emerging digital technologies and develop skills (oral and written) to communicate them

Topics may include

Race and gender
Labour
Infrastructures
Repair and maintenance
Digital memory
Ethical dimensions of emerging technologies such as AI

Fall 2026
Instructor: Mr. Mark McIntyre
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

What is ethnographic film? This course takes this question as a starting point to examine how film and video function within anthropology as representational forms and research practices. Through the analysis of ethnographic, experimental, and documentary films, students explore key issues including representation, ethics, authorship, reflexivity, and knowledge production. Engaging both classic and contemporary works, students develop skills in critical film analysis while situating these media within broader debates in cultural and visual anthropology.

Course outcomes/objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Critically evaluate ethnographic and documentary film making as a medium for producing and disseminating anthropological knowledge.
Demonstrate critical understanding of ethnographic, documentary, and experimental film as forms of anthropological knowledge production and representation.
Apply key concepts in cultural and visual anthropology including representation, power, authorship, reflexivity, and ethics to the analysis of visual media.
Evaluate how visual media construct and communicate cultural difference, with attention to the historical and contemporary contexts of ethnographic filmmaking.
Engage critically with ethical issues in anthropological representation, including consent, collaboration, positionality, and responsibilities toward subjects and audiences.
Situate visual anthropology within broader theoretical and decolonizing approaches in anthropology, including critiques of authority, knowledge production, and representation.
Synthesize and communicate anthropological arguments about visual media in clear written and/or oral forms using appropriate disciplinary terminology.

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Amy Levine
Delivery: Online

Course description

From amulets to antibiotics, medical anthropology examines ideas of what it means to be sick, to be a healer, and to be healed from a cross-cultural perspective.

Medical anthropology looks at traditions of diagnosis and healing across the globe, exploring sickness and health as shaped by wider cultural values, political conditions, ideas about knowledge, the role of medical technologies, and notions of rights and responsibilities.

This course encourages students to examine concepts of disease, suffering, health, identity, and well-being in their immediate experience and beyond. In the process, students will gain a working knowledge of ecological, feminist, critical, science and technology studies, and applied approaches used by medical anthropologists. The universality of biomedicine will not be taken for granted; rather, we will examine the plurality of skills and expertise generated by the various political, economic, social, and ethical demands under which biomedicine has developed in different places and at different times. The course will also begin to critically assess some recent efforts to decolonize medical anthropology.

Course content will include studies from at least three continents, which includes recently published research on Indigenous Canadians, Kashmiris, and others.

Course outcomes/objectives

Define some key concepts in the field of medical anthropology
Understand some key assumptions and values embedded in biomedicine
Critically assess the ethics and effectiveness of global health research, policy and program initiatives aimed at reducing health inequities
Apply concepts derived from medical anthropology to the analysis of everyday problems

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Amy Levine
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course provides an introduction to the field of economic anthropology. It challenges the assumptions of conventional economics and business by delving into some foundational debates as well as analyzing economic realities from a cross-cultural perspective. Several topics are explored, including, but not limited to: gift-giving, markets, wealth, value, debt, mass consumption, waste, and several holistic and sustainable responses.

Course outcomes/objectives

Define some key concepts in the field of economic anthropology using multiple modes of communication including short films
Understand some key assumptions and values embedded in conventional economics and business approaches
Apply concepts derived from economic anthropology to the analysis of everyday problems
Practice and refine self-assessments, creating and managing citations, and in-class discussion

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Tatiana Degai
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This is a reading intense and practice-based course that offers insights into the meanings of and approaches to ethnographic research. We will focus on the main principles, ethics and methods contemporary ethnography employs. This class is organized as a cooperative and collaborative discussion group and think tank with contributions expected from all. Over the course the students will develop a deeper understanding of the methodologies that might fit their future research. Students are expected to be prepared to discuss the readings for each class meeting, contribute to small group (peer-review) and whole class discussions.

Course outcomes/objectives

become familiar with qualitative research methods and approaches
practice conducting independent ethnographic research including conducting interviews and fieldnote analysis
build and strengthen the skills of making public presentation
build and strengthen the skills of writing an ethnography
practice conducting peer evaluation

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Yin Lam
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course will introduce the basic tenets of research, highlighting how research projects are created and undertaken by archaeologists and biological anthropologists. This course will immerse students in the research process from beginning to end, including research design, development of the research proposal, hypotheses and research objectives/questions data collection, basic data analysis, interpretation, and knowledge mobilization. Students will also engage in discussions of best practices and ethics in research, as well as of the biases inherent to all research that reflect our social, economic, and academic environment. While there will be some lectures, wherever possible classes will feature an experiential approach so that students gain hands-on, practical experience. Classes will largely take the format of a “research group” setting: we will spend the time talking about research, designing group research projects, working through problems, and collaborating. This course will also include some components related to professionalization, such as grant writing, elevator pitches, and the CV.

Course outcomes/objectives

By the completion of this course, you will be able to:

Understand the major components of research design.
Develop effective skills in the implementation of different aspects of the research process.
Prepare a research grant/fellowship/scholarship application.
Disseminate research results.
Critically assess and evaluate research publications.
Engage in professionalization.

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. April Nowell
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course will trace the technological, behavioral and cultural adaptations of hominins in the Plio/Pleistocene that permitted our ancestors to move out of Africa and into the rest of the Old World. Specific topics include whether or not culture is unique to humans, food procurement strategies, taphonomy and experimental archaeology, the possibility of “finding” the individual in the archaeological record of the Paleolithic, hominin land use, stone tool manufacture, and the origins of language, art, ritual and symbolism. While focusing on the archaeological record, this course will draw upon research conducted in primatology, biology, and ethnology among other disciplines. Students taking this course are expected to develop an understanding of behavioral changes throughout human evolution and to develop a working knowledge of key sites, stone tool industries, fossils, researchers, methods and issues that form the basis of Paleolithic archaeology.

Course outcomes/objectives

Research, critical reading, and academic writing (clear, focused, data supported writing).

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Cassandre Campeau-Bouthillier
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

In this course, the primary objective is to examine the anatomy and functioning of the human musculoskeletal system as a foundation for further studies in areas such as bioarchaeology, forensic anthropology, paleopathology, and paleoanthropology, among others. Students will learn to identify the elements of the human skeleton and major skeletal landmarks, skeletal muscle anatomy, skeletal growth and development, and basic skeletal biology and histology. The ethical considerations of studying human remains will be a consistent theme. The lecture component will focus predominantly on the biological, developmental, and functional components of the musculoskeletal system, while weekly lab sessions will enable students to engage in hands-on activities aimed at identification of the skeletal structures and an appreciation for human skeletal variation.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will develop the following skills:

acquiring an extensive anatomical vocabulary as relevant to the identification of human skeletal remains and their landmarks;
the ability to handle and side bones properly;
the ability to answer practical questions about the human skeleton;
the ability to examine the form and function of each skeletal element of the human skeleton.

Mandatory lab sessions are part of this course and must be enrolled in separately.

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. April Nowell
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

It is estimated that in prehistoric societies children comprised at least forty to sixty-five percent of the population, yet the archaeological literature has largely been silent about the lives they lived and the contributions they made. In this course drawing on readings in archaeology, cultural anthropology, primatology, childhood growth and development studies, and evolutionary psychology we explore the broad set of research questions archaeologists can ask about children and childhood. While we will read case studies from all time periods, we will focus in particular on the prehistoric child—what can we learn about the lives of children and through them, the values, beliefs, and behaviors of the cultures of which they were a part, in cultures and times when we do not have any historical record from which to draw? Do prehistoric children really leave minimal evidence, or have we been looking in the wrong places? Have we, in a sense, been looking without seeing? The course will be organized around four central themes:

What is a child/What is childhood?
Are children knowable through the archaeological record?
Children and the archaeology of identity; and
Children in action: Are children more than vessels of cultural transmission?

Course outcomes/objectives

Research, critical reading, and academic writing (clear, focused, data supported writing).

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Erin McGuire
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Raiders and Traders, Pirates and Farmers – The Vikings colour our view of the Middle Ages in a multitude of ways. The course takes a detailed look at the archaeological evidence for the people we call Vikings in the period defined rather broadly from c.800-1300 AD. A key focus of the course will be on materials and objects of the Viking Age, which we will explore through artifact studies and experiential archaeology. An important aspect of this course is challenging the misrepresentation of the Vikings by nationalist groups.

Course outcomes/objectives

The aims of this course are:

To examine the Viking Age using interdisciplinary source material with a focus on the archaeological record;
To outline theoretical and interpretative approaches to the Norse migrations;
To challenge the misrepresentation of the Viking Age by nationalist groups; and
To develop communication skills for diverse circumstances and audiences.

Intended Learning outcomes (ILOs)

By the end of the course students should be able to:

Critically assess the evidence used in the investigation and interpretation the Viking Age (e.g. archaeological, historical and literary sources);
Identify, select, and evaluate key concepts and debates within their chosen Viking-Age themes (see course project);
Discuss and critique a range of modern discourse about the “Vikings” and the Viking Age;
Create engaging and informative communications tailored to diverse audiences using digital tools; and
Evaluate the value of collaboration, demonstrate the ability to integrate diverse perspectives, and assess personal contributions and growth in the completion of a shared project.

Fall 2026 - 400 level

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Timothy Knowlton
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course invites students to engage directly with foundational texts that have proven influential in the emergence of anthropology as a distinctive mode of inquiry. We will situate these texts and their authors in relation to major historical trends in the development of anthropological thought and in dialogue with critics past and present. Through our readings and in-class discussions, we will explore the changing definitions of anthropology’s subjects, objects, and methods, with particular focus on the period from its beginnings as an academic discipline through the late twentieth century. By close reading, reflection and practicing impromptu debate, together we will cultivate the ability to evaluate these historical approaches and assess how they continue to influence contemporary thought and practice in anthropology. In the process, we will each further develop our own appraisals of the implications and applications of anthropological theory.

Course outcomes/objectives

In this course, students will learn to:

Identify influential theorists in the development of anthropology as a discipline, their key concepts and contributions.
Assess the relationship between contemporary anthropology and the discipline’s foundational ideas.
Analyze texts as arguments and evaluate those arguments, their assumptions and implications.
Apply anthropological terminology and concepts accurately both orally and in writing.
Locate and situate anthropological texts using the UVic Library’s tools and resources.
Write and support an argument using the Chicago Author-Date in-text citation style guide.

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Daromir Rudnyckyj
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

What is money, really — and who gets to make it? This course addresses one of the most powerful and least understood forces shaping human life, overturning everything you thought you knew about how economies work and who they work for. Drawing on cutting-edge anthropological and sociological research, students will discover that money is not a neutral instrument or a natural fact but a social institution — a symbol, a relationship, and a claim on collective resources — whose design has profound consequences for equality, justice, and human wellbeing. From ancient Mesopotamia to contemporary Zimbabwe, from the marble halls of central banks to grassroots community currency experiments, the course traces how monetary systems have been used to concentrate power and perpetuate inequality, but also how communities around the world have reinvented money from the ground up to build more just and equitable economies. Students will grapple with both the explosive growth of cryptocurrency and the quiet revolution of community currencies like Local Exchange Trading Systems, asking whether these innovations can truly democratize money or whether they simply replicate existing hierarchies in new forms. By the end of the course, students will not only think differently about money — they will understand it as one of the most powerful levers available for reshaping society, and will be equipped with the critical tools, collaborative skills, and theoretical frameworks to imagine, and perhaps help build, a more just economic future.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will obtain comprehension of conceptual and methodological approaches in economic anthropology. Students will develop skills in critical analysis: the ability to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of informed arguments and to thoughtfully reflect on acute contemporary problems. Students will also develop skills in effective presentation techniques and in working collaboratively in teams. Finally, students will develop critical reading and writing skills.

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Tatiana Degai
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Arctic is home to unique ecosystems with fragile biological diversity as well as rich cultures celebrated by Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

The goal of this course is to offer an introduction into the broad array of the contemporary issues of the Circumpolar North with primary focus on Arctic Indigenous Peoples, Arctic knowledge systems, environmental stewardship and policies.

The core questions that will be addressed during this course are:

What is Arctic today?
What is the place of humans in Arctic’s past, present and future?

Course discussions, readings and assignments are aimed to enhance the understanding of interconnections between Arctic climate, environment and societies at the local and global scales.

Course outcomes/objectives

understand the unique place of the Arctic at the global scale
navigate across the challenges and solutions in relation to life in the Arctic
practice creative presentation design
situate anthropological discourses in relation to the Peoples of the Arctic 
practice written and oral communication

Fall 2026
Instructor: Dr. Alison Murray
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Seminar course that explores evolutionary theory as applied to anthropological questions relevant to humans and non-human primates. The course examines how foundational concepts and thinkers in Evolutionary Theory have shaped scientific and popular perceptions about humans, and how evolutionary anthropologists are critically re-evaluating these models and their historical biases.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students in this course will learn to:

think critically about the evolutionary explanations on which the field has been based
identify and integrate ideas and evidence presented in the human evolutionary literature
contribute to current discussions around the historical biases inherent in biological anthropology

Topics may include

the legacy of Darwin’s ideas
challenging tenets of ‘evolution by natural selection’: are humans really unique? Is adaptation only about the genes? Is race actually biological? Is sexual selection really at play in humans?
popular misconceptions around Neanderthals, gendered divisions of labour, and the evolution of running, play, sport, and dance

Fall 2026
Instructor: Leah Fulton
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Indigenous communities everywhere have engaged cultural mapping in support of land rights and title, evaluating impacts to their lands, supporting the work of Indigenous governance, revitalizing languages. Anthropologists are often invited to be partners in the work, supporting Indigenous peoples’ efforts to mobilize these works in legal discourses, environmental assessment processes, government consultations, land use planning, cultural interpretation, and inter-generational knowledge sharing.

While reviewing a range of ethnographic mapping practices, the crux of the course is centred on the practice of land use and occupancy mapping (also called Traditional Use Studies), which have developed to grapple with the specific problems of demonstrating the nature and scope of Indigenous land resource rights. We will develop hands-on skills in the methods and theory behind these kinds of studies and flesh out the details of how these are used in regulatory and legal contexts in Canada. Students will engage the social, legal and political dimensions of ethnographic mapping through critical examination of the power of Indigenous cartographies, revealing how mapping and 'counter-mapping' have become powerful discursive practices.

Course outcomes/objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Describe key approaches and debates in ethnographic and cultural mapping.
Explain the role of land use and traditional use studies as it relates to governance, consultation and legal contexts.
Develop skills in GIS, GPS, and ethnographic field mapping, cartography, and spatial data management.
Produce digital mapping resources using tools such as Google Earth Pro, Felt, and basic coding environments.
Critically evaluate the role of mapping technologies in shaping representations of Indigenous Knowledge and territory.
Apply theory and insights from readings through collaborative group-work.

Spring 2027 - 100 level

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Erin McGuire
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

By the end of ANTH 100, students should be able to:

Explain what it means to be human from cultural, biological, and archaeological viewpoints, and reflect on how these perspectives intersect;
Use culture, biology, and language as analytical tools to interpret human variation and commonality across societies and time periods;
Discuss contemporary global and local issues and explain how anthropologists contribute to understanding and addressing them;
Identify and assess some of the methods anthropologists use, explain how they have evolved, and apply ethical reasoning to research scenarios;
Distinguish between legitimate anthropological/archaeological practices and pseudoscientific or pseudoarchaeological claims, and explain why the distinction matters; and
Exhibit public writing and research skills that reflect anthropological practice and are transferable to other disciplines and employment contexts.

Spring 2027
Instructor: Leah Mernaugh Bergman
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

World travel has never been easier, faster, or more accessible than it is today. Social media images of idyllic destinations tell us that happiness may be just a plane ticket away. At the same time, we are confronted with the fact that travel is mediated by the power-laden realities of economics, passports, and global pandemics. This course explores many forms of travel, from tourism to migration to pilgrimage, through the lens of anthropology. By exploring various theoretical writings, case studies, and ethnographic accounts, we will consider social and cultural meanings of travel, interrogate the “Eat Pray Love” narrative around finding yourself in a foreign country, and think about how power influences how people move across space. Students will emerge from this course with a deeper understanding of how travel shapes and is shaped by larger trends in our contemporary world.

Course outcomes/objectives

Explore contemporary issues related to travel and globalization
Understand what distinguishes an anthropological approach and examine key anthropological contributions to this topic
Critically analyze travel narratives and media representations, assessing how they construct and reinforce stereotypes and power dynamics
Develop and practice academic writing skills

Topics may include

Globalization, “Disneyfication,” and global tourism
Ex-pats, influencers, and digital nomads
Passports, borders, and power differentials
Pilgrimage and religious travel
Diasporas, heritage, and “roots tourism”
COVID-19 and global travel

Spring 2027 - 200 level

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Daromir Rudnyckyj
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

We use money so frequently that life without it seems almost unimaginable. Many of the daily relationships we have with other people (bus drivers, baristas, cashiers, and even friends and family) and certainly almost any work we do, involves paying or receiving money. Yet, we almost never stop to think about what money is or how it works. But how does it work? How is it possible that one can walk into the Bibliocafé and exchange some shiny, stamped metal objects, brightly coloured pieces of paper (or nowadays small, ornately designed polymer sheets) for a cup of coffee, or better yet, food? What gives this metal, paper, and plastic such power?

This is an introductory lecture course that presumes no prior knowledge of anthropology. It explores the history and culture of money. It seeks to show how the monetary system we use today and take to be universal is in fact the specific outcome of a series of random events that began in ancient times. We will critically reflect on the use of money in contemporary Canada by contrasting it with examples of money and money-like systems that have existed in other times and cultures. We will further seek to understand how money is changing today and what the implications of these changes are for economic development, addressing poverty and inequality, and political power. In so doing, we will critically evaluate money in the many forms it has taken historically, from gold, grain, beads, and shells to paper, plastic, computer code, and bitcoin.

Course outcomes/objectives

understand how anthropological approaches are useful in uncovering the assumptions embedded in everyday economic activities and the use of money
develop skills to critically analyze how the role money plays in society, culture and politics
develop the ability to understand ideas and behaviours in specific cultural and social contexts
learn to recognize that social creations, such as money, are not natural outcomes of some pre-given order but are instead deeply shaped by history and culture
develop critical thinking and reading skills

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Yin-Man Lam
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course introduces the sub discipline of archaeology, highlighting a few of the many places, theories, methods, techniques, and people(s) who have illuminated our shared human history. We consider the kind of questions archaeologists ask, how the archaeological record is formed, how archeologists collect data, conduct analyses, and interpret their findings. The course is not a comprehensive review but aims to examine the processes through which human history is encountered, narrated, and mobilized in the present. The laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with techniques discussed in lectures and/or the readings. Please ensure that you have registered for both the lecture and a lab section.

Course outcomes/objectives

Become familiar with common terms and concepts in archaeology
Identify types of archaeological evidence and interpretations
Consider the utility of different archaeological methods and techniques
Describe and categorize commonly recovered archaeological material

Mandatory lab sessions are part of this course and must be enrolled in separately.

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Ammie Kalan
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is an introduction to the subfields of biological anthropology, emphasizing the past and present evolution and diversity of human and nonhuman primates. Course topics include evolutionary theory, population genetics, primatology, paleoanthropology, and contemporary human diversity and adaptation. Lab exercises will cover human osteology, fossil identification, comparative skeletal anatomy, human genetic principles, and physiological differences in human populations.

Course outcomes/objectives

The major objective of this course is to introduce students to the range of theoretical and methodological techniques within biological anthropology that help us to understand human biological variation and evolution.

Mandatory lab sessions are part of this course and must be enrolled in separately.

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Helen Kurki
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Human anatomy and biology are the result of millions of years of evolution, but it has not been a goal-directed process of change towards a “perfect” species. Evolution is a process of “jerry-rigging” an organism to fit their environment, rather than designing perfect structures and organisms from scratch. Our evolutionary history as an ape, a primate, a mammal, a vertebrate, and an animal, means we share aspects of our biology and anatomy with all other members of these groups, extant and extinct, and we can trace our shared evolutionary relationships through these features. But all species are also unique in their own ways. This course explores how evolution has shaped the human species and diversity within our species. We will examine the evidence for our shared evolutionary history with other animals, the ways in which we are different, and what this may mean for human health and our future.

Course outcomes/objectives

This course aims to aid students in learning to…

Understand how evolution has shaped human anatomy and biology
Recognize the evidence for our shared ancestry with other primates, mammals, vertebrates, animals
Consider the ways in which our evolutionary history may influence our health in a modern context, and how environment plays a role in our development
Think critically about evolutionary explanations applied to human biology, diversity, and health

Topics may include

Principles of evolution
Evolutionary history of humans
Human evolutionary anatomy
Human variation
Energetics and metabolism
Evolution and health

Spring 2026
Instructor: Dr. Melissa Gauthier
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course introduces students to the various methods of enquiry and interpretation used in anthropological research.

With examples from across the subfields of anthropology, this course provides an overview of research design, ethical considerations and different quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. This includes participant observation, interviewing, ethnographic mapping and participatory visual methods. We will also address key debates about the production and status of anthropological knowledge and the relationship between theory and methodology.

This course is designed to help students improve their ability to:

critically evaluate anthropological research
select and apply appropriate methods of data collection and analysis for addressing specific research questions
assess the advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative methods in certain contexts 
critically assess how historical and contemporary factors can shape the power relations between researcher and participants
understand the ethical and political implications of anthropological research

Course outcomes/objectives

Mandatory tutorial sessions are part of this course and must be enrolled in separately.

Spring 2027 - 300 level

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Dzifa Dordunoo
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

In this course, students will continue to develop an understanding of the critical relationship between global social and economic processes, the earth, and the health of humans. The readings and lectures emphasize how local experiences of health are linked with global economic and political processes through the changing environment. An emphasis is placed on the student as a global citizen and advocate within the context of the global society and the changing health of the environment. The course is organized into thirteen weekly sessions. Through discussions, debates, presentations, case studies, guest speakers, teaching sessions and critical reflections, the student will gain experiential knowledge of the course concepts considering real-world, global health challenges.

Course outcomes/objectives

Understand the intersections between the well-being of individuals and the cultural, historical and environmental conditions within which a person lives
Critically examine the role of power, inequality, and structural violence in producing health disparities among marginalized populations.
Evaluate the impact of globalization, migration, and colonial histories on contemporary health practices and access to care.
Develop the ability to observe global health patterns and to analyze global trends
Apply knowledge of trends to real case materials through in-class exercises
Develop skills in the critical analysis of representations about the health of others

Topics may include

Colonialism
Racism
Sustainable Development Goals
Anthropocene
Planetary Health
Epidemiology
Models of health
Concepts of globalization
Historical changes in disease and health
Epigenetics
Economics

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Alexandrine Boudreault-Fournier
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course aims at sensitizing the students to the often-forgotten presence of sounds in everyday life. More than just a phenomenological account of sound, the course proposes to consider all sound-related dimensions (noise, music, voice, silence, etc.) as significant elements of research and analysis. It further takes sound as something to seriously reflect upon from an anthropological perspective. Throughout this course, students will have the opportunity (1) to map out and reflect upon ethnographies of sound, theories of sound, sound art works and recent writings in Sound Studies—a thriving field in the humanities and social sciences—and (2) to experiment directly with sound production. In being involved in the production of soundscapes and other related sound installations/projects, students will be encouraged to think about how sound can be considered a significant element of research and theory-making.

Course outcomes/objectives

To think creatively about how sound can become an element of research and analysis in anthropology.
To reflect critically on sound in your everyday life and in relation to your own research interests.
To discuss recent and historical research, works and projects constructed on an analysis of sound from various perspectives and approaches: anthropology, sociology, visual and media arts, music, sound studies, communication, etc.
To determine how sound can enhance the visual dimension of films, exhibitions and research.
To produce simple to more complex sound clips and/or soundscapes in order to explore research interests and questions in anthropology and other disciplines.

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Craig Candler
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

What does practicing, professional, and engaged (or applied) anthropology look like beyond the university? Who do we work for? What do we do? How do we make a living? In this course, you’ll be working with Craig and a team of practicing and professional anthropologists who make their living working with and for human communities in the real world, beyond the university. We’ll explore the rich history of Canadian applied anthropology, as well as current trends, and engage with some of the thorny ethical and methodological issues that can arise when cultural worlds collide. Our focus will be on the role of social science and Indigenous knowledge in environmental decision making from environmental assessments, wildfires, and contaminated landscapes, to UNDRIP and reconciliation of Indigenous knowledge and law in the courts, or other quasi-judicial processes. We’ll also see what practicing anthropology looks like in other fields, from health, to policy development, to media, to design and user experience (UX) work. Students will learn and practice anthropological skills and approaches, including community-based scoping, work planning, research and mapping, documentation and information management. We’ll practice the kinds of clear, concise communication skills that are important, and in demand, if you want to work outside the university and in the real world.

Open the doors and step outside with us into the fresh air beyond the university walls. You might be surprised by how interesting and rewarding cultural anthropology beyond the university can be.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will gain an understanding of the practice of anthropology beyond university settings, including how to make a living, ethical concerns, legal and policy drivers, historical and contemporary approaches. Students will learn first-hand from practicing anthropologists, will gain practical experience with applied research methods, and will practice writing and reporting clearly and concisely for audiences that are not academic readers.

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Helen Kurki
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course introduces students to quantitative data analysis in Anthropology. It is designed for students with little or no previous experience in this area but who wish to achieve basic statistical literacy, enabling them to perform common statistical analyses and understand statistical results reported in the literature. The course format includes lectures and computer-based labs, with a focus on the theory, application and interpretation of statistical analyses and information. The relationship between research questions and statistical design will also be examined. Data analysis applications will be based in R and RStudio.

Course outcomes/objectives

This course aims to aid students in learning to…

explain statistical concepts such as types of quantitative data, probability, normal distributions, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals
evaluate the appropriate use and interpretation of statistical analyses
interpret statistical results, both numerical coefficients and graphical representations
apply common statistical analyses and create graphical representations using R programming language and the RStudio GUI
explain how virtual (computer-based) approaches are being applied to quantitative data analysis in Biological Anthropology and Archaeology

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Amy Levine
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is a review of ethnographic methods used in the field by cultural anthropologists. The class will focus on theoretical concerns in doing ethnography and practical methods and techniques for becoming an ethnographer. The sessions will be divided between lectures, discussion, and in-class workshops on ethnographic methods.

The course takes the perspective that collaborative and community-based research is a fundamental element of good ethnographic research. We will discuss issues of ethics in contemporary research settings, the impact of rapport and relationships in ethnographic research, and the importance of reflexivity in ethnographic writing.

This course is a hands-on engagement with ethnography. Students will be given the opportunity to practice their techniques through practical assignments, cumulating in a final research paper or multi-modal presentation which demonstrates the use of a variety of techniques in their own original ethnographic writing. On the way, methods and techniques for participant observation, fieldnotes, interviewing, representation, qualitative analysis, and ethnographic writing will be learned and practiced.

Course outcomes/objectives

Become familiar with qualitative research methods and approaches
Practice conducting independent ethnographic research including conducting interviews and fieldnote analysis
Build and strengthen the skills of making public presentation
Build and strengthen the skills of writing an ethnography
Practice conducting self and peer evaluations

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Tommy Happynook
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course explores Indigenous People’s health in Canada through immersive and applied Indigenous practices. The course focuses on anthropological understandings of culture to highlight contemporary ways that Indigenous People(s) are reclaiming and revitalizing their culture, healing, and health practices. Students will have a brief introduction to anthropology’s role in colonization and the subsequent impacts on Indigenous People’s Health. This courses focus is the positive relationships between culture, health, language, identity, and the natural (lands, waters, skies, etc.) and spiritual world as a foundation for the reclamation and revitalization of Indigenous health.

Upon completing this course, you will have a fundamental understanding of:

the impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples’ health in Canada.
the relationship between people, land, health and how this is experienced by Indigenous peoples and communities.
how holistic approaches and cultural practices enhance the health of Indigenous peoples and community.
the diverse ways Indigenous peoples/communities are putting into practice processes of reclamation and revitalization of health.

Course outcomes/objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will:

develop and/or deepen an understand how culture and language enhance the health of Indigenous Peoples and communities.
develop and/or deepen an understand the relationships between Indigenous People(s), the natural world, and health.
develop and/or deepen an understand the relationships between Indigenous People(s), the spiritual world, and health.
develop and/or deepen an understand the diverse ways Indigenous People(s) and communities are applying processes of reclamation and revitalization to achieve better health.
develop and/or apply critical thinking skills.

Topics may include

Nature/spirit/health
Ceremony
Local medicines
Food sovereignty/security
Language
Humour

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. April Nowell
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Drawing on lectures, slides, films, assigned readings, hands-on lab experiments and class discussions, this course explores cave art and portable art (including figurines) made from 40,000 – 10,000 years ago during the Upper Paleolithic.  Specifically, we will look at techniques of manufacture, analysis, interpretation, dating and conservation.  We will consider questions such as who made this art, can we infer its meaning(s), what does it tell us about the cognitive capacities of our ancestors, can we use art to study the individual in the past and should we even use the term “art” to describe these images?  The second half of the course will focus on regional developments within Paleolithic art (e.g., Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Siberia, South Africa and Australia). Students are expected to become cognizant of key issues in Paleolithic art and the history of research in this discipline and to be able to recognize images, artifacts and artistic styles from sites in different regions of the Old World.

Course outcomes/objectives

Research, critical reading, and academic writing (clear, focused, data supported writing); public speaking/academic presentation.

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Alison Murray
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

A central question in anthropology is “Why are humans the way we are?” Human evolutionary biology examines the mechanisms driving human variability and how these mechanisms have been shaped by our evolutionary history. Using this evolutionary approach, we will seek the answers to several key questions:

What is unique about human biology (anatomy, metabolism, physiology, energetics) and the way that we adapt to the environment?
What selective factors have shaped this biology across our evolutionary history?
When you expose humans to the western industrialized lifestyle, why is the result an epidemic of metabolic diseases like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes? What can our evolutionary history tell us about why the body become sick in this particular way?
How and why does the organization and conduct of our societies (social dynamics, social hierarchy, power relations, and inequality) affect our biology and our metabolic health?

As such, this course explores both the evolution of human biology and the evolution of social inequality and hierarchy, using the lens of metabolic disease to demonstrate the profound impacts of our evolutionary history on contemporary health.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students in this course will learn to:

perceive the importance of both our evolutionary history and our environment (ecological and social) in shaping human growth and energetics, variation, behaviour, and metabolic health
think critically about evolutionary explanations as they are applied to human diversity and health
identify and integrate ideas and evidence presented in the human evolutionary biology literature

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Yin Lam
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

In this course on archaeological faunal analysis, the majority of class time will be spent in the lab, where each student will study modern reference material and analyze a faunal assemblage from a local archaeological site. Lectures will cover basic zooarchaeological methods and topics. Assessment is based on practical identification exams, a paper and class presentation based on library research, and the report on the archaeological faunal assemblage.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students become proficient in the identification of the bones of several local species of mammal. They use Excel or similar software to document their faunal assemblages, conduct basic analyses, and produce graphs. They conduct library research and critically evaluate published presentations of zooarchaeological data. They revise their library research papers into PowerPoint presentations that they deliver in class.

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Tatiana Degai
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is designed to introduce the students to the disciplines of linguistic anthropology and sociolinguistics. We will explore the links between languages, cultures, and diverse ecosystems, analyze the histories and experiences of language shift in different language communities, discuss language ideologies, and refer to historical and political trends in language revitalization. The core questions of this course is to understand why language and culture diversity is important, what processes lay behind Indigenous languages, how sustainability of the languages can be achieved, and what role anthropology plays or can play in these processes.

This course is a combination of discussions of the readings, language immersion activities, language revitalization activities, response papers, group work, and student presentations.

Course outcomes/objectives

Knowledge building around relationships between languages and cultures;
Critical analysis of the processes that lay behind language vitality;
Practice collaborative group work
Situate anthropological practices in language revitalization;
Become familiar with the methods of linguistic anthropology

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Dzifa Dordunoo
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course explores the intersection of human diversity and healthcare, focusing on how biological, social, and cultural differences influence health outcomes. Through a problem-based learning approach, students investigate contemporary issues related to race, gender, and other social categories, with an emphasis on understanding when and how diversity should be integrated into healthcare delivery and policy. Students will critically analyze how healthcare systems either accommodate or marginalize diverse populations and will develop evidence-based strategies to promote inclusive, equitable care.

Course outcomes/objectives

Develop understanding of the importance of diversity and inclusion in healthcare
Critically assess clinical data related to diversity and inclusion in healthcare systems
Reflect on personal and societal biases and their influence on healthcare delivery and policy
Utilizing problem-based learning to design an intervention or proposal that addresses a specific issue of diversity in healthcare.

Topics may include

Implicit biases
Health disparities
Cardiovascular health
Cultural diversity
Anthropometric measurement
Nutrition
Risk stratification
Immune responses
Blood donation
Malaria
Clinical monitoring (vital signs and laboratory assessments)

Spring 2027 - 400 level

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Daromir Rudnyckyj
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This hands-on theory and practice course teaches:

anthropological research methods,
cutting-edge theory in economic anthropology and the anthropology of money, and
how to use theoretical analysis to better understand empirical research.

Through lab participation, students become part of the Counter Currency research team.

Based on cutting-edge theory in economic anthropology and in interdisciplinary social scientific research on money that calls for knowledge production by destabilizing materialist/idealist binaries, the Counter Currency Lab combines methods from the anthropology, history, sociology and other academic fields. The aim is to understand money and inequality through the development of a currency research platform.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students work collaboratively with each other and professors to inventory and analyze archival materials in the anthropology of money and develop individualized research projects based on course materials.

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Tommy Happynook
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course explores Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing through immersive and applied learning opportunities. This course applies ḥuuʕiiʔatḥ cultural teachings, knowledge, worldviews, and language to highlight efforts of reclamation, revitalization, and resurgence. The course examines relationships between culture, language, identity, and the natural and spiritual worlds through focused and specific applied and experiential learning opportunities.

Course outcomes/objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will:

develop a foundation for identifying Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.
develop and/or deepen understandings of colonization’s impacts on Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.
develop and/or deepen understandings of the importance of Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing in the context of their education and academia more broadly.
develop and/or deepen understandings of the ways Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing are being reclaimed and revitalized.
develop and/or deepen understandings of how Indigenous ways of knowing are practiced through applied and experiential learning opportunities. develop and/or apply critical thinking skills.

Topics may include

Cedar weaving as applied learning
Indigenous worldviews
Indigenous knowledge
Indigenous research

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. April Nowell
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This course is designed as an in-depth investigation of the major methodological and theoretical issues confronting archaeologists today. Emphasis is placed on the ways in which archaeologists reconstruct human behavior using the archaeological record and how different theoretical approaches relate to the types of data recovered and the interpretation of those data. The first third of the course is designed to provide students with a solid background in the past 60 years of archaeological thought while the final two thirds of the course will focus on where the discipline is today. It is expected that students will leave the course with a thorough understanding of the theoretical foundations of the discipline, an awareness of issues facing archaeology today and an ability to critically evaluate the primary literature in our field.

Course outcomes/objectives

Research, critical reading, academic writing (clear, focused, data supported writing), academic debate, and public speaking.

Spring 2027
Instructor: Mr. Dylan Hillis
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This class considers the coastal archaeology of Northwestern North America over the past 14,000 years. Topics include post-glacial environmental change, early peopling, coastal lifeways, household archaeology, social complexity, foodways, ethics, and Indigenous Archaeologies. We approach how archaeologists assemble information and knowledge to synthesize cultural histories based on inference, convention, and critique. We thematically discuss readings and case studies and conduct exercises that consider debates about practical methodologies, analytical approaches and theoretical orientations. While much of NWC archaeology remains cultural historical it is increasingly informed Indigenous perspective. Such integration will be considered across individual research projects. As this is a 4^th year seminar, an introductory course in archaeological method and theory is required, normally ANTH 240, while ANTH 340 (Archaeology of BC) is desirable. Structured class discussions, guest lectures, and student presentations will prepare us to work with some original archaeological material, transforming observations and documentation into data and interpretation(s). We also do some hands-on exercises in artifact replication in this class. Some optional field trips maybe scheduled on weekends later in the term. There will be no exams in this course.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students develop critical research and technical skills including identifying and referencing relevant literature, conducting typological, chronological, and stratigraphic analyses, participating in structured discussions and lab exercises. There will be explicit instruction and feedback on giving short, effective poster presentations. Students can also opt to work with available archaeological materials to gain experience the process of classifying and measuring specimens (qualitative and quantitative research).

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Ammie Kalan
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

Seminar-based course focused on in-depth exploration of topics related to primate behaviour and cognition and understanding the methods and theories used to research these subjects. Weekly themes will be discussed via a selection of scientific articles. Themes may include reproductive ecology, foraging ecology, communication, cooperation, tool use, conservation, and the study of non-human primate cultures among others. Classes will consist primarily of round-table discussions and student presentations.

Course outcomes/objectives

Students will learn, via sets of structured questions, to read and think critically on topics important to primate cognition and conservation. Students will develop skills in library/online-based research and will engage in both upper-level writing assignments and a detailed oral presentation using visuals/slides. A relaxed seminar atmosphere will encourage students to voice ideas and opinions on contemporary topics in the discipline.

Spring 2027
Instructor: Dr. Melissa Gauthier
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

The honours seminar is a capstone class that provides students with a collaborative intellectual community.

The honours seminar functions very much like a graduate seminar, providing mentorship in scholarly professional development, along with rich peer learning focused on bridging sub-field knowledge and integrative anthropological thinking to contribute to understanding current issues, ideas and debates.

Key milestones for the honours seminar will be working through fundamental elements of the research, writing and presentation of the honours essay.

Course outcomes/objectives

critical and integrative thinking, evaluating arguments, synthesizing information, comprehending the context of academic debate and argument
development and application of research skills including defining a research problem, creating a manageable research question, developing a research plan, identifying relevant sources, composing a literature review, generating relevant data and analysing data
verbal and written communication skills including summarizing information, synthesizing data, structuring an argument, offering constructive peer review, and revising work in progress
presentation skills including summarizing and communicating research results in conference-style presentations.

Course format

This class will be a 3-hour weekly seminar in the spring term. Students will be expected to come prepared and to participate actively in the conversations.

To facilitate the successful scoping, logistics and approvals of the honours essay, we will also be holding several shorter sessions together at a mutually agreeable time during the fall term.

In addition to these scheduled group seminar times, students will identify an honours supervisor – an anthropology professor intimately knowledgeable with the honours thesis topic – and organize individual meetings with them at key points throughout the term.

Undergraduate courses

Summer 2026

ANTH 100 - Introduction to Anthropology

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

ANTH 150 - Race, Culture, and Power

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

Topics may include

ANTH 343 - Archaeological Field Techniques

ANTH 381 & 382 - Mexico Field School

ANTH 384 - Forensic Anthropology Field Course

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

ANTH 427 - Graphic Anthropology

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

ANTH 485 - Textiles in Experimental Archaeology

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

Topics may include

Fall 2026 - 100 level

ANTH 100 - Introduction to Anthropology

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

ANTH 150 A02 - Race, Culture, and Power

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

Topics may include

Fall 2026 - 200 level

ANTH 200 - Cultural and Social Anthropology

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

ANTH 201 - Indigenous Peoples, Colonization and Anthropology

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

Topics may include

ANTH 202 - Food, Religion, and Culture (cross-listed w RCS 202)

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

Topics may include

ANTH 240 - Archaeology (lecture & lab)

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

ANTH 250 - Biological Anthropology (lecture & lab)

Course description

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ANTH 252 - Primates, People and Society

Course description

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ANTH 260 - Introduction to Anthropological Research (Lecture & Tutorial)

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

Fall 2026 - 300 level

ANTH 304 - Technology and Culture

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

Topics may include

ANTH 309 - Anthropology of Film and Video

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

ANTH 312 - Introduction to Medical Anthropology

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Course outcomes/objectives

ANTH 314 - Economic Anthropology

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Course outcomes/objectives

ANTH 318 - Ethnographic Research Methods

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ANTH 319 - Research Methods in Archaeology and Biological Anthropology

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ANTH 341 - Paleolithic Archaeology

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ANTH 352 - Human Osteology (Lecture & lab)

Course description

Course outcomes/objectives

ANTH 362 - Archaeology of Children