Program Highlights
Off-Campus Study
Spend January in Tanzania. Study current issues in Europe. Take part in Luther’s Archaeological Field School in northeast Iowa.
Student/Faculty Collaboration
Conduct research with faculty and staff in the lab and field.
Anthropology Lab and Collections
Gain hands-on experience in collections management, research, exhibit development, or in a work-study position.
What You’ll Learn
Luther’s anthropology program helps you examine central questions about the human condition today and in the past. The program focuses on the four fields of cultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology.
Anthropology Major
Core courses in the major introduce you to the main subfields of anthropology. The 200-level courses teach you how to conduct anthropological research. In your junior year, you’ll take Anthropological Theory, which explores the theoretical perspectives that shape the discipline. You’ll also take electives based on your personal goals and interests.
Anthropology Minor
As an anthropology minor, you’ll take five courses, including two 100-level courses, one 200-level course, and two electives.
Whether you major or minor in anthropology, you’re encouraged to have a field experience. You can do this through a regular course offering, an internship, or study abroad.
Careers and Outcomes
Luther’s anthropology program teaches you to use anthropological knowledge to address real-world problems. Our anthropology majors go on to find success in a diverse variety of careers. Many also continue their studies in graduate school.
Employers
- Bureau of Land Management
- Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office
- Smithsonian Institute
- Science Museum of Minnesota
- University of Notre Dame
- Universal American School, Kuwait
- Centers for Disease Control
- Veterans Administration Rural Health Resource Center
- College Possible
- Ana M. Mencini & Associates
Career Fields
- Personnel administration
- Urban planning
- Museum curation
- Contract archaeology
- International business
- Teaching
- Cultural resource management
- Immigration law

Geophysical Remote Sensing
Archaeological remote sensing allows archaeologists to study the remains of past cultures without physically contacting them. It can include aerial photography, satellite imagery, and a range of geophysical techniques. Luther is one of only a few institutions in the U.S. that offers this opportunity for undergraduates.
At Luther, you can get hands-on experience with archaeological remote sensing. Our students are have used this specialized technology to learn more about Decorah’s history.
Internships
Luther helps match anthropology students with choice internships at museums, educational organizations, and various nonprofit organizations. Recent anthropology majors have interned at:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
- YMCA of Metro Minneapolis
- Helping Services of Northeast Iowa
- Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio