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We live in a diverse society, and as an anthropology major at Rollins, you’ll learn about the impact of culture, past and present, on our world today. Anthropology delves into a range of some of the world’s most pressing problems, including immigration, racism, gender discrimination, global health, heritage, and the environment.

As an anthropology major, you’ll develop research, writing, and critical thinking skills that can be applied to a variety of career paths in business, nonprofits, education, law, advocacy, and healthcare.


Why Study Anthropology at Rollins

  1. 1

    Hands-On Learning

    Extensive archaeological collections, active research programs, and immersive class projects will give you opportunities to implement the methods and skills learned in class while conducting your own fieldwork.

  2. 2

    Community Engagement

    Develop local-to-global connections in your studies, working closely with community organizations and activist groups as you study culture and human experiences.

  3. 3

    Faculty Mentorship

    Faculty members embrace collaborations with students and encourage in-depth, interactive learning experiences that include presenting at national conferences and publishing in scholarly journals.

Interested in Studying Anthropology at Rollins?

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SJ Renfroe

“Rollins goes beyond telling you to ‘do good in the world’ or ‘be a leader’—it shows you how to self-examine and look at how you can use the tools you learn to create meaningful change. The quality of the faculty and the personalized attention allowed me to form deep relationships, and I’m so thankful to the anthropology program for its focus on creating good people who study systemic issues and not just cultures.”

SJ Renfroe '18

Program Manager, HIAS

A group of Rollins students dig for artifacts.

Dive Into Anthropology

The Department of Anthropology offers you a holistic understanding of human diversity through classes in each of anthropology’s four sub-disciplines: archaeology, linguistic anthropology, biological anthropology, and cultural anthropology. By examining cultures through the distinct lenses of each of these fields, you will acquire a multifaceted perspective on the human experience that spans vast stretches of time and space.

See What You'll Learn

Rollins Anthropology Careers

Rollins anthropology grads are making tomorrow happen at some of the world’s most innovative organizations.

  • Self portrait of Konrad Antczak

    Konrad Antczak ’11

    Postdoctoral Fellow, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

  • Self portrait of Theresa Chu-Bermudez

    Theresa Chu-Bermudez ’11

    Owner, Get Out! Custom Travels

  • Self portrait of Morgan Gill.

    Morgan Gill ’14

    Judicial Law Clerk, Montgomery County Circuit Court

  • Self portrait of Rachael Kangas.

    Rachael Kangas ’11

    Director, Central & West Central Regions, Florida Public Archaeology Network

  • Self portrait of Alexandria Mickler

    Alexandria Mickler ’16

    Public Health Advisor, USAID

  • Self portrait of Jennifer Sherwood

    Jennifer Sherwood ’11

    Public Policy Manager, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research


Real World Experience

From community engagement courses to research, anthropology students hone their skills in the real world.

  • Florida Public Archaeology Network
  • Global Livingston Institute
  • Mi Familia Vota
  • Hope CommUnity Center
  • Nemours
Rollins College students enjoying lunch by the Lakeside pool.

Apply By February 1

No app fee. No formal essay or test scores required. Automatic consideration for scholarships that range from $15,000 to $32,000. It’s never been easier or more rewarding to apply to Rollins. Don't wait: apply by February 1.

Start Your ApplicationStart Your Application

Popular Courses

Our courses probe the biological basis of human society, societal norms and behavior, social change, and cross-cultural similarities and differences in areas such as politics, economics, religion, youth culture, globalization, and gender.


A Day in the Life of a Rollins Anthropology Major

“Anthropology is my academic soulmate and has fundamentally shaped my worldview toward greater empathy for other cultures and peoples. The anthropology department is a lot like a family—you can develop relationships with incredible mentors. I got into grad school because of my professor. ”

SJ Renfroe '18

Program Manager, HIAS

A student interviews a migrant farmworker for a research project.

Beyond the Classroom

Student Leaders on Campus In addition to Lambda Alpha National Collegiate Honor Society for Anthropology, our students have an active Anthropology Club and play leadership roles in additional clubs across campus, including EcoRollins, The Democracy Project, Medical Ethics Club, Rollins Improv Players, and Voices for Women.

Study Abroad You’ll have the opportunity to apply anthropological skills you’ve learned in the classroom to real-world settings by participating in semester-long programs in countries such as Japan, Ireland, and Brazil as well as short-term field studies in Guatemala, Morocco, and Mexico, and a summer internship in Uganda.

Community Engagement We work with numerous community partners, giving our students the chance to engage in important social issues, like farmworkers’ rights, voting rights, undocumented immigrants, LGBTQ youth, health inequities, and historic preservation.



Keep Exploring

Take a deeper dive into anthropology at Rollins by meeting your future professors, seeing our grads in action, and sitting in on a class.

Bonner Leader on an Immersion

July 29, 2024

Leading Change

For the past 10 years, the College’s Bonner Leaders Program has provided service-learning opportunities to students passionate about social issues and nonprofit work, creating positive change in the Rollins community and beyond.

Leading Change
From top left: Connor Xu ’23, Ashley Troutman ’23, Capri Gutierrez ’23, Emily Froehlich ’23, Raj Singh ’23, Sarah Skala ’23, and Georgina Groth ’23.

May 09, 2023

Rising to the Top

This year’s seven valedictorians share highlights from their time at Rollins and a glimpse of what’s next in their meaningful lives and productive careers.

Rising to the Top
collage of students working in various communities

November 02, 2022

Solving the World’s Biggest Problems

For Rollins students, alumni, and faculty, the most pressing issues of our time are not insurmountable. They’re opportunities to bring meaning to the term “global citizenship.”

Solving the World’s Biggest Problems

Expert Faculty

Our faculty members work in close partnership with our students and the area’s premier institutions. They foster deep, meaningful, insightful class discussions to provide context for various social issues. With a broad range of specializations, our faculty enhance learning through close mentorship.

Department of Anthropology

Cornell Hall - Room 110
Rollins College
1000 Holt Ave. - 2761
Winter Park, FL32789

Telephone:407.646.2670

  • Shan-Estelle Brown portrait

    Shan-Estelle Brown, PhD

    Associate Professor of Anthropology

    Research interests: Medical anthropology, patient-provider relationship, health disparities, chronic illness, self-treatment, global health

  • Zack Gilmore

    Zack Gilmore, PhD

    Department Chair, Associate Professor of Anthropology

    Research interests: Anthropological and public archaeology, critical heritage, Indigenous historicities, Archaic period, shell mounds, early pottery technology, Florida and American Southeast

  • Rachel Newcomb portrait

    Rachel Newcomb, PhD

    Professor of Anthropology

    Research interests: Cultural anthropology, Middle East and North Africa, gender, Islam, globalization, immigration, food studies, and writing for popular media

  • Ashley Kistler portrait

    Ashley Kistler, PhD

    Professor of Anthropology

    Research interests: Cultural, linguistic, and public anthropology, Mesoamerica, Maya culture, gender, cultural revitalization, identity, and immigration

  • A blue icon featuring a silhouette of a person.

    Andrés Romero, PhD

    Assistant Professor of Anthropology

    Research Interests: Cultural/medical anthropology, violence, place and memory, drug rehabilitation, the anthropology of life/death, visual culture, literary ethnography, Colombia

  • Rollins professor Sana Saiyed.

    Sana Saiyed, PhD

    Visiting Assistant Professor

    Research Interests: Biological anthropology, ethnoprimatology, human-wildlife relationships, multispecies ethnography, environmental anthropology, anthropological approaches to wildlife conservation and management