Welcome!

Welcome to the homepage of the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology! Our new department was created in July 2004, when we left our former departmental “home” of Modern Languages and Intercultural Studies. The department offers an undergraduate major in Anthropology, minors in Folklore and Anthropology, and a M.A. in Folk Studies, plus a number of general education courses.

Please come visit us in our new departmental offices in Room 237 of the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center. You are also welcome to visit the Anthropology Lab in the Rock House and the WKU Folk Life Center located in the historic Pioneer Log Cabin, recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mission

The Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology provides WKU students and the University constituency with the training, intellectual tools, and resources to understand the cultural and biological dimensions of humankind in terms of the myriad shaping factors addressed in our respective disciplines. Although the disciplines of anthropology and folk studies are distinct, they share the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and public service, recognizing that this mission continues to evolve in response to regional, national, and global change... more...