Anthropology lets you study people and their culture, language, evolution, belief systems, and social structures. If you’re curious about how humans live, think, and interact, there are programs designed to help you explore those questions through real research. The fall season offers plenty of chances to sharpen your academic interests while getting involved in meaningful inquiry.
Why choose a fall program over summer?
Fall programs tend to move at a steadier, more manageable pace. Instead of packing everything into a few intense weeks, they’re designed to fit in your regular school schedule. That means you can spend more time learning about ethnographic methods, interpreting cultural data, or working through long-term projects. These programs also help you build consistency, something that stands out on applications because it shows sustained engagement with a subject, not just a one-time summer sprint.
Below is a curated list of 13 fall anthropology programs that accept high school students.
13 Fall Anthropology Programs for High School Students
1. NYU Precollege
Location: NYU campus, New York City, NY (on-campus and online options available)
Cost: Tuition charged per credit (approximately $700–$14,000 total, depending on credits taken); additional housing and dining fees for residential students
Program Dates: Fall semester – September 2 – December 19
Application Deadline: August 15 (for fall)
Eligibility: Rising or current 11th–12th graders with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; international students welcome (English proficiency required)
Through NYU Precollege, you’ll earn college credit and experience university-level coursework. Anthropology students can take foundational courses such as Introduction to Archaeology or Politics, Power, and Society, gaining exposure to qualitative and comparative methods, data interpretation, and critical analysis. You’ll work directly with NYU faculty and collaborate with peers from around the world while developing key research and writing skills.
2. CitiesX: The Past, Present, and Future of Urban Life – HarvardX (edX)
Location: Online
Cost: Free to audit; an optional paid certificate is available
Program Dates: October 14 – December 10
Application Deadline: Open until the course start date (October 14)
Eligibility: Open to all learners; suitable for high school students and above
Offered through HarvardX, CitiesX examines how cities evolve as social, cultural, and economic systems—an essential topic in applied anthropology and urban studies. Over 11 weeks, you’ll analyze the rise and transformation of cities like Rome, Mumbai, and New York using frameworks from anthropology, sociology, and urban economics. Coursework covers themes such as migration, gentrification, governance, and cultural diversity, supported by case studies and expert interviews. You’ll apply comparative and policy analysis tools to assess how cities shape human behavior and collective identity.
3. Global Health Case Studies from a Biosocial Perspective – HarvardX
Location: Online
Cost: Free to audit; an optional paid certificate is available
Program Dates: October 14 – June 24
Application Deadline: Open until the course start date (October 14)
Eligibility: Open to all learners; ideal for advanced high school students interested in anthropology, sociology, or medicine
Taught by physician-anthropologists, this course examines global health through an anthropological and sociological lens. You’ll learn to analyze health challenges using a biosocial framework. Across 12 weeks, you’ll explore ethnographic case studies from Asia, Africa, and the Americas to understand how global health programs are designed, implemented, and interpreted within diverse cultural contexts. The curriculum emphasizes ethical engagement, inequality, and critical theory, fostering interdisciplinary skills in qualitative analysis and social theory.
4. Bipedalism: The Science of Upright Walking – DartmouthX
Location: Online
Cost: Free to audit; an optional paid certificate is available
Program Dates: October 14 – November 4 (5 weeks; 3–4 hours per week)
Application Deadline: Open until the course start date (October 14)
Eligibility: Open to all learners; suitable for high school students interested in anthropology, anatomy, or evolutionary biology
Developed by Dartmouth College and SmithsonianX, this course investigates the origins and mechanics of bipedalism. You’ll compare human locomotion with that of apes, birds, and other mammals while analyzing fossil evidence that traces the emergence of upright walking millions of years ago. Through an interdisciplinary lens that includes anthropology, biomechanics, anatomy, and paleontology, you’ll learn how researchers reconstruct evolutionary pathways and interpret the trade-offs of bipedal movement. Key topics include skeletal adaptation, evolutionary pressures, and the scientific method as applied to physical anthropology.
5. Introduction to Religions & Ecology – Yale University
Location: Online
Cost: Free to audit; optional paid certificate (included with Coursera Plus)
Program Dates: Self-paced; ~1 week at 10 hours/week (8 modules total)
Application Deadline: Open enrollment year-round
Eligibility: Open to all learners; recommended for high school students and above interested in anthropology, religion, or environmental studies
Taught by Yale professors, this course explores how religious worldviews intersect with ecology and environmental ethics, a key topic within cultural and environmental anthropology. You’ll study how major global religions and Indigenous traditions conceptualize human–nature relationships and ecological responsibility. The course combines anthropological, ethical, and ecological frameworks to analyze how cultural beliefs shape environmental behavior. Across eight modules and six graded assignments, you’ll develop interdisciplinary skills in ethical reasoning, comparative cultural analysis, and environmental humanities.
6. Miracles of Human Language: An Introduction to Linguistics – Universiteit Leiden
Location: Online
Cost: Free to audit; an optional paid certificate is available
Program Dates: Self-paced; approximately 2 weeks (10 hours per week recommended)
Application Deadline: Open enrollment year-round
Eligibility: Open to all learners; ideal for high school students interested in anthropology, linguistics, or cognitive science
This course explores how language shapes human cognition and society, core themes within linguistic anthropology. Through six structured modules, you’ll study phonetics, grammar, multilingualism, and the cultural diversity of language systems. The course includes interviews with leading linguists such as Noam Chomsky and Adele Goldberg, providing theoretical and applied perspectives on how languages evolve and function. You’ll complete seven short assignments designed to build analytical and comparative linguistic skills.
7. Introduction to Archaeology: Knowing the Past
Location: Online
Cost: Free to audit; optional paid certificate (included with Coursera Plus)
Program Dates: Self-paced; ~1 week to complete (10 hours total)
Application Deadline: Open enrollment year-round
Eligibility: Open to all learners; recommended for advanced high school students and above
Offered by Rice University, this course introduces you to the scientific and interpretive methods of archaeology—the foundation of anthropology’s study of human history. You’ll learn how archaeologists recover, analyze, and interpret material culture to understand past societies. The course covers the history of archaeological thought, excavation and dating techniques, and case studies illustrating how data is turned into cultural insight. Through 14 structured assignments across four modules, you’ll practice key skills like contextual analysis, data documentation, and critical evaluation of evidence.
8. Anthropology: Understanding Human Culture and Society
Location: Online
Cost: one-time payment; lifetime access
Program Dates: Self-paced; start anytime
Application Deadline: Open enrollment year-round
Eligibility: Open to all learners; ideal for high school students interested in anthropology and human behavior
This beginner-friendly course introduces the four major branches of anthropology—cultural, biological, linguistic, and archaeological—through a combination of video lectures and assignments. You’ll explore how humans have evolved, how societies organize through kinship, religion, and language, and how culture adapts to environmental and global challenges. A capstone project allows you to apply anthropological methods to real-world issues such as globalization, health, or sustainability. With nearly four hours of structured content, the course builds your understanding of human diversity, comparative analysis.
9. Cultural Anthropologist (Introduction to Anthropology)
Location: Online
Cost: One-time payment; lifetime access
Program Dates: Self-paced; start anytime
Application Deadline: Open enrollment year-round
Eligibility: Open to all learners; suitable for beginners and high school students interested in cultural studies
This introductory course provides a concise foundation in cultural anthropology, exploring how shared beliefs, traditions, and worldviews shape human societies. Over 26 short lectures (1.5 hours total), you’ll examine key anthropological concepts, including cultural relativism, holism, social transmission, and identity formation. The course also touches on ethnographic fieldwork and symbolism, helping you understand how anthropologists analyze rituals, myths, and social norms. You’ll strengthen analytical and interpretive skills relevant to sociology, history, and cross-cultural communication.
10. Introduction to Philosophical Anthropology
Location: Online
Cost: one-time payment; lifetime access
Program Dates: Self-paced; start anytime
Application Deadline: Open enrollment year-round
Eligibility: Open to all learners; ideal for high school and early college students interested in philosophy, anthropology, or human studies
This course explores the central philosophical questions about what it means to be human through the lens of philosophical anthropology. Across 12 concise lectures (2 hours total), you’ll examine themes such as perception, freedom, ethics, society, and art, drawing on influential thinkers from the history of Western philosophy. Each module introduces key conceptual frameworks—such as embodiment, intersubjectivity, and value formation—paired with reflective quizzes and curated reading lists. By engaging with such topics as race, environment, and technology, you’ll develop analytical and critical thinking skills relevant to both philosophy and anthropology.
11. Magic in the Middle Ages – University of Louvain & University of Barcelona
Location: Online
Cost: Free to audit; optional paid certificate (included with Coursera Plus)
Program Dates: Self-paced; approximately 9 hours total
Application Deadline: Open enrollment year-round
Eligibility: Open to all learners; recommended for high school and college students interested in anthropology, history, or cultural studies
Taught by professors from the University of Louvain and the University of Barcelona, this course explores how magical beliefs and practices reveal the social, religious, and scientific thought of medieval Europe. Across five modules, you’ll study topics like popular versus learned magic, alchemy, geomancy, astrology, and the intersection between magic, heresy, and early science. The course also examines cross-cultural influences, including Islamic esoteric traditions and their impact on Western Europe.
12. Introduction to Cultural Studies
Location: Online
Cost: one-time payment; lifetime access
Program Dates: Self-paced; start anytime
Application Deadline: Open enrollment year-round
Eligibility: Open to all learners; ideal for high school and early college students interested in anthropology, intercultural studies, or global communication
This 2.5-hour course introduces key themes in cultural and social anthropology, focusing on how humans create meaning, exchange value, and maintain social order. Through lectures on topics such as gift-giving, reciprocity, and social institutions, you’ll learn how anthropologists analyze relationships, culture, and power structures across societies. The course also covers ethnographic research methods and the historical development of anthropology as a discipline, giving you a foundation in both theory and practice.
13. Animals and Society Specialization – University of Colorado Boulder
Location: Online
Cost: Free to audit; optional paid certificate (included with Coursera Plus)
Program Dates: Self-paced; ~4 weeks per course (3-course series)
Application Deadline: Open enrollment year-round
Eligibility: Open to all learners; suitable for high school students interested in sociology, anthropology, and animal studies
Taught by sociologist Leslie Irvine, this three-course specialization explores the interdisciplinary field of human–animal studies, examining how animals shape and are shaped by human societies. You’ll analyze the cultural, ethical, and social implications of animal roles in daily life—from pets and livestock to wildlife and research animals. Topics include anthropological and sociological theories of domestication, symbolism, and human–animal boundaries. Each course integrates applied projects, encouraging you to connect theory with real-world contexts across fields such as animal welfare, media, and environmental policy.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image source – University of Colorado Boulder