Advising System
On declaring the major, each student meets personally with the Director
of Undergraduate Studies. Together, they discuss the requirements and options
in the major, and select an appropriate faculty advisor. The student then
meets at least once a semester with the advisor, who is available during regular
office hours and by appointment. The size of most courses is small, and majors
receive personal attention from their faculty advisors in selecting courses
and developing career plans.
Advisors routinely enquire about particular aspects of cultural anthropology
which most interest the majors and what they hope to achieve with their Cultural
Anthropology major. The advisors accordingly make suggestions regarding which
courses are best suited to the needs of individual students. The advisors
are thus keenly interested in assisting individual majors to design a coherent
major in line with their goals and interests.
Advisors also offer advice and guidance on careers in anthropology and assist
the student in using the major to locate and obtain jobs and to design and
advance his/her career.
Work in Related Disciplines
Related courses in other departments are strongly recommended to enrich the
program of each major. A student with interests in Latin America, for instance,
may take a history course on Mexico or Brazil. All students should discuss
with their advisors h ow best to take advantage of courses in other Duke departments
to enrich their studies in cultural anthropology.
Distinction
The department offers an intensive and personalized graduation with distinction
program to qualified seniors, who research a senior thesis on a topic of their
own choice in close collaboration with members of the Cultural Anthropology
faculty. The thesis can be based on original fieldwork, archival or library
research, or some combination of various methods. Previous topics have ranged
from the influence of feminism on cultural anthropology to causes of revolution
in Latin America to patterns of socialization of Mormon youth in Utah.
Admission to the program requires a 3.0 gpa overall and a 3.3 gpa in the major.
Both must be maintained to graduation for the student to be eligible for distinction.
To pursue distinction, the student must enroll in the senior seminar, Cultural
Anthropology 195S and Cultural Anthropology 196S, in the fall and spring of
his or her senior year. These courses teach research methods and offer guidance
in the planning and writing of the thesis.
In addition, each student forms a supervisory committee for his/her thesis
during the fall of the senior year. This committee should consist of three
faculty members who offer the student advice and support in preparing the
thesis. At least two of the members must be faculty from the Cultural Anthropology
Department. Due in April of the senior year, the thesis must be judged of
at least B+ quality by the supervisory committee to qualify the student for
distinction. Finally, the student must pass an oral examination on the thesis,
administered by the supervisory committee upon its completion. Students who
fulfill the above requirements graduate with distinction in cultural anthropology.
Students who have a 3.0 gpa overall and a 3.3 gpa in the major, both of which
must be maintained to graduation, may also enroll in Cultural Anthropology
195S and Cultural Anthropology 196s to pursue graduation with distinction
in cultural anthropology.
Study Abroad
The department encourages majors to take advantage of the opportunities
available for a semester or year of study abroad. Many of these overseas programs
have a wide selection of offerings in cultural anthropology, either in independent
field research or formal classroom study. Students can obtain materials on
the programs at the Study Abroad Office and should discuss their plans with
their advisor.
Duke Home | A&S Home | Home | duca@duke.edu