Anthropology is dedicated to understanding and appreciating all aspects of human diversity, past and present. In today’s global era, anthropology is increasingly relevant as we seek to explore and explain differences and similarities among the world's cultures. Research, teaching, and service are the foundations of the Department of Anthropology at Washington University. The department is comprised of world-class scholars whose research interests represent three subfields of the discipline: sociocultural anthropology (including linguistics), archaeology, and physical anthropology.

Excellence in teaching and attention to undergraduates is a hallmark of the anthropology department, which offers a major and minor in anthropology, as well as an optional global health and environment specialization. The department also has a relatively small, top-ranked graduate program that trains scholars for the PhD in archaeology, physical anthropology, or sociocultural anthropology, and which gives students a high level of support.

The department enjoys a strong sense of community among students and faculty. Students find that the program provides one of the most flexible and well-rounded undergraduate majors in the liberal arts, and that it is an unrivaled preparation for professional study (law, business, medicine) and a springboard to careers in wide ranging fields. Many prominent scholars, including Patty Jo Watson, Erik Trinkaus, and Lee Robins, have made the department a home over the last several years.