What We Do

Anthropology is the study of humankind in the broadest sense. Our faculty and PhD students specialize in three subfields: archaeology, sociocultural anthropology, and Integrative Anthropological Sciences (evolutionary, biological and cultural). We offer BA degrees with an emphasis in archaeology, biological anthropology, sociocultural anthropology and a general anthropology degree covering all emphasis subfields. For over half a century, the Department of Anthropology at UCSB has been an active and vibrant center of research, mentorship and teaching. We invite you to join us.

Why We Do It

Anthropology looks deeply into the human experience, into what make us uniquely human. The study take us into the past to explore how we lived and evolved into who we are today. It helps us understand not just our universal past and present, the sameness that unifies us, but helps all global citizens appreciate the immense diversity of human experiences on our planet today. By studying anthropology, we investigate the impacts our past and present have had on ourselves socially, physically, culturally, biologically and ecologically. These lessons are vital tools to understanding how we will shape the future.

Where We Work

Our faculty, graduate students and undergraduates engage in research all over the globe. Currently, our sites can be found in over 30 countries.