The Archaeology track is an informal sequence of courses. This is distinct from a major option which will be recognized on your academic transcript.
The archaeology track for anthropology majors is an informal sequence of courses designed to prepare you for a career in archaeology. This is distinct from the Archaeological Sciences option (ASc option), which is a specific set of courses that will be recognised on your academic transcript.
Students on the archaeology track will graduate fully qualified to take up archaeological careers in the private sector or at many levels of government. If you wish to pursue a higher degree, you will be among the best prepared of all first-year graduate students. Along the way you will have the opportunity to take part in fieldwork locally or in remote corners of the world. You can learn about the human past in regions ranging from Indonesia and Australia to Russia, Nevada and Gasworks Park — all areas in which our faculty are currently working.
This is how the archaeology track is structured:
- The 200-level courses provide broad frameworks in elementary method and theory and enable students to engage with real-world contexts.
- At the 300-level, the classes become much smaller and more focused. Students will typically use archaeological methods, techniques and materials to answer questions within specific geographical areas, and must be able to communicate those answers to their peers.
- In the 400-level courses, students’ various analytical skills (GIS, stone tools, ceramics, faunal remains, geoarchaeology, statistics and dating methods) are further developed. Students’ critical and theoretical skills are challenged by courses in tightly focused archaeological topics.
- Undergraduates will be joined by graduate students in the 400-level courses, and undergraduates may also enroll in 500-level (graduate) courses subject to instructor's approval.
To browse courses in the archaeology track, visit the UW course catalog. To see a PDF of the track and curriculum please view our UW Archaeology brochure (PDF).