MIT Anthropology offers undergraduate students exposure to diverse human cultures, providing perspectives relevant to other fields in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and engineering.

Our courses offer conceptual tools for cross-cultural understanding and train students to think critically about the dynamism of specific cultural forms. Subjects also provide intensive introduction to areas of faculty specializations, including medical anthropology, the social dimensions of science, technology and computing, material culture studies, environmental movements, food cultures and politics, magic and religion, ethnographic film production, gender and family studies, migration and ethnic identity, and urban studies.

Undergraduates can major, minor, or concentrate in Anthropology. Students create programs of study with the aid of their primary academic advisors, and their minor or major advisor in Anthropology. Anthropology also offers joint degree programs in combination with engineering or science fields. Please see the Requirements page and the MIT catalog for further details.

Concentrate in Anthropology

Students choose to fulfill their HASS Concentration in Anthropology for a variety of reasons. Some are drawn to our classes to help prepare for professional work in multicultural and international settings, or because they love to travel. Other students recognize in anthropological readings their own stories of immigration, transcultural generation gaps, or the social reproduction of inequality. Some report finding enduring “life lessons” in learning about other possible ways of living, doing and being. Many students enjoy participating in our small, discussion-based seminars.

The Anthropology Concentration requires just 3 subjects: 1 introductory subject plus 2 electives of your own choosing. You can find the Anthropology Concentration Advisor via the Quicklinks menu on this page.