Anthropology

Our Mission

The primary educational mission of the Department of Anthropology is teaching, research, and professional service to impart the critical importance of understanding the human condition and its relevancy to an increasingly diverse world. To accomplish this task, the Department of Anthropology provides a curriculum that will help students understand and appreciate the range of human cultures as well as the significance of biological evolution of the human condition.

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Anthropology Student Featured in UM News

UM Doctoral Student Digs Up Archaeological Accomplishment

The journey of Megan Denis, an Anthropology doctoral candidate, toward becoming a globetrotting doctoral student at the University of Montana began at an archaeological dig in British Columbia.

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Now a WRGP Approved Program!

150% of Resident Tuition for Western US Grad Students

The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) is an agreement among WICHE’s 16 member states and territories* in the western United States, allowing WICHE-region students to attend select out-of-state graduate programs and pay only 150% of resident tuition.

Learn more under Financial Aid

$3.2 Million Grant Awarded by European Research Council

Studying hunter-gatherer societies

The University of Montana will split a $12 million grant with three other universities around the globe to study hunter-gatherer societies. UM will receive $3.2 million from the grant to fund its research, with Regents Professor of Anthropology, Dr. Anna Prentiss, as the PI in Montana.

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CSI: Missoula - July 2026

UM Pre-College Summer Exploration Course

Do you have an interest in crime, forensics, DNA, and court shenanigans? CSI: Missoula (CJUS 191) is for you. Participants spend two weeks investigating a simulated murder case. Learn by doing - follow the proper steps and procedures of a crime scene investigation, DNA analysis, profiling, court proceedings, and finish with a mock trial—all while spending two weeks in a University of Montana dorm room with friends old and new!

Learn More and Register Now

Careers in Anthropology

Through our undergraduate and graduate programs, students achieve a broad cross-cultural education and prepare to apply their anthropological knowledge in their chosen career paths. A minor, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees are offered in anthropology, with options or specializations available at every level. For undergraduates, the B.A. can include an option in Archaeology, Cultural and Ethnic Diversity, Forensic and Biological Anthropology, Linguistics, or a general degree crafted to the student's interests. Parallel missions to promote the study of human diversity and experience are advanced by the Linguistics Program, which is also housed in the Department.

• Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)

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