At Wesleyan, attention is paid to cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, and archaeology. Courses are offered in cultural, social, and archaeological theory and method, as well as in a wide range of specializations, including feminist and gender studies, urban anthropology, globalization, popular culture, and the ethnography and archaeology of particular regions around the world.

The discipline of anthropology is as much one of the humanities as one of the social sciences, and it also has affinities with the natural sciences through its archaeological and biological anthropology components. Anthropology majors are expected to pursue an individually tailored concentration of courses designed in consultation with their advisors. These individual programs should draw on courses available in this department and others. No more than three courses taken outside Wesleyan may be counted toward the major.