Senior Portfolio

All students must complete a portfolio in order to receive a BA in Anthropology. Anthropology majors should begin thinking about the portfolio as soon as they declare the major. A well-constructed portfolio will exemplify the student's accomplishments within the Anthropology Program and serve as core materials for future employment or further education.

  • The portfolio will include the following materials:
    1. An overview that synthesizes and integrates the portfolio's materials, including the three examples listed in #2. (3-5 pages)
    2. Three examples of academic/ professional experience from three different Anthropology courses. These may include term papers from anthropology classes (not less than five pages each) or other academic/professional experiences (e.g., documentation of a museum exhibit or special project that the student worked on as part of an independent study or internship).
    3. A current resume.
    4. A statement describing the student's experiences as an Anthropology Major (i.e., why the student became a major and the most important learning experiences). (3-5 pages)
    5. A statement of the student's future plans and how anthropological training will contribute to achievement of those plans. (3-5 pages)
  • The portfolio will be evaluated using the following criteria:
    1. Students will demonstrate the ability to use anthropological concepts and theories to present a holistic and comparative understanding of human biological and cultural diversity.
    2. Students will demonstrate the ability to collect, analyze, synthesize, and interpret anthropological data in fulfillment of #1.
    3. Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate anthropological knowledge effectively through written, oral, or data presentation in varying formats.
    4. Students will demonstrate the ability to critically apply anthropological thinking to contemporary issues relevant to their own and other cultures.

    Students should keep these criteria in mind as they work, in consultation with their advisor and other Anthropology professors, to describe their experiences within the major, chart their future plans, and select exemplary work to include in the portfolio. Some elements of the portfolio (e.g., resume, statement of future plans) will be completed within Senior Seminar, though students should begin to prepare these items earlier in the program.

The Anthropology Program maintains a Dropbox in D2L where students should upload the components of their portfolio. The complete portfolio should be submitted for review no later than the seventh week of the semester that the student plans to graduate. It will be reviewed by at least two professors in the Anthropology Program. If parts of the portfolio are deemed unsatisfactory, the student will be asked to revise and resubmit them. Accordingly, students should submit their materials as early as possible so that they will be able to complete the necessary revisions.