Why SHESC?
Solving the planet’s most pressing challenges through innovation
We offer an array of degrees, but all of them share a belief in three basic principles that build great careers.
- First, we believe skills are crucial. Our graduates know how to do things, and have the resumes to prove it. We take our students into the field with us, we teach lots of methods, we run a wildly successful research apprenticeship program across our 40 labs, we publish with our students and we model collaboration and mentorship in everything we do. Grad students get the chance to learn to teach in multiple modalities, and undergrads can work with our graduate students and faculty as assistants on their projects and in their classes.
- Second, the scale is a major asset. Being big isn’t a bad thing. By being large and in the largest research university, a vast array of classroom and experiential options are available to everyone when they need them. Scale helps students find a wide array of collaborators, training and experiences that enrich their resumes.
- Third, we collaborate with each other as part of our basic DNA. This extends to faculty working with grad and undergrad students in all aspects of our scholarship, and everyone working across disciplines to get at the most interesting questions. You can read more about some of our major collaborative projects that link faculty, graduate students and undergrads here.
Hands On Opportunities
Undergraduate Students
We offer diverse undergraduate courses taught by top faculty, including popular online classes for flexible scheduling. Students work closely with faculty in labs and fieldwork, access classes from other schools, and enjoy ample elective options. Our advisors assist in creating customized career pathways. Graduates achieve high success in gaining admission to grad or medical school, often with full scholarships.
Graduate Degree
We prioritize individual support and tailored study programs for graduate students. Our faculty mentors work intensively with a few students, fostering unique training experiences. As a leading anthropology program, we offer diverse courses and smaller specialized programs. Students can easily collaborate across the school and beyond, often funded through assistantships. Our students actively shape our school's governance and enjoy high retention rates, with many publishing alongside faculty. Our PhD graduates pursue diverse career paths, with half entering academia and the rest making impactful contributions in government and corporate sectors.
Our Societal Impact
Whether working with midwives in Guatemala to improve maternal and infant health or providing local policymakers with research results on human vulnerability to urban heat, our projects and programs make a difference. We encourage – and equip – our faculty and students to find ways to benefit our community, locally, nationally and globally.
The Global Ethnohydrology Study is a transdisciplinary, multi-year, multi-site program of research that examines the range of variation in local ecological knowledge of water issues, also known as “ethnohydrology.” It will focus on showing how factors, such as increasing urbanization, water scarcity and climate change, are related to changes in cultural ideas and knowledge.