Experiential practice and learning take place in our classrooms. Our ANTH 460 Capstone course (Dr. Angèle Smith) is innovative in our Faculty (FISSSH). In the 4th year, we have an integrated Capstone course for all majors across all sub-fields.
Capstone students have the unique advantage of being able to reflect on and engage with their learning experience throughout their major. Students create a take-away “skills list”, that is, the skills and knowledge that Anthropology majors graduate with.
Central to this course, Capstone students work on a passion project – a topic within Anthropology, across any of the subfields – to explore and engage in higher level research and writing. The best papers are edited and published in the online Capstone Reader that is used in the ANTH 102 Intro course, meaning that many Anthropology majors leave the program as published authors.
Our curriculum and program delivery emphasizes experiential learning. Students “learn by doing” as they creatively apply their anthropological knowledge in the writing of publishable papers that are important resources for inspiring many 1st year Intro students to continue on in the discipline. The online Capstone Reader is evidence of the skills and knowledge that the Capstone students have gained and share with the next generation of students.