There are three options for completing a major in anthropology: a B.A. track in anthropology, a B.A. track in cultural anthropology, and a B.S. in evolutionary anthropology.
B.A. in Anthropology (Bachelor of Arts)
The B.A. track in anthropology trains students in the discipline's four traditional subfields: cultural, biological, and linguistic anthropology and archaeology, providing them with a holistic understanding of humans as biological, cultural, and linguistic beings, both in the present and the past. This track is intended for students who seek a comprehensive understanding of human cultural and physical diversity within a broad social, historical, and evolutionary framework.
Requirements for a major in anthropology. The degree code is 070.
Total number of required credits: 40 credits, of which at least 18 credits are at the 300 or 400 level. One course in each of the subfields of anthropology is required: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (01:070:101), Introduction to Human Evolution (01:070:102), Introduction to Archaeology (01:070:105), and Linguistic Anthropology (01:070:108 or 312). In addition, one 300- or 400-level course is required in each of anthropology's subfields: cultural, linguistic, biological anthropology, and archaeology. The remaining credits are electives. The subdisciplines to which upper division courses apply are indicated on the department's website. Honors in Anthropology can be used toward this requirement. Credit may be given for courses in other departments if approved.
All courses applied to this major must be completed with a grade of C or better.
B.A. in Cultural Anthropology (Bachelor of Arts)
The B.A. track in cultural anthropology focuses on the issues, modes of inquiry, fieldwork strategies, methods of data collection and analysis, and forms of ethnographic representation that characterize contemporary cultural anthropology. The cultural anthropology track is intended for students interested in current cultural, social, and political issues, especially in understanding the relationship of global processes to new cultural forms and social inequalities. Students learn how cultural theory is integrated with empirical ethnographic research and how to balance knowledge of worldwide interconnections with in-depth knowledge of particular geographic regions (e.g., Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the United States). Students trained in cultural anthropology develop a unique set of skills enabling them to work successfully in many different cultural environments; a major in cultural anthropology also provides excellent preparation for students planning graduate training in anthropology or other disciplines, including professional training in law, teaching, and social work.
Requirements for a major in cultural anthropology. The degree code is 070.
Total number of required credits: 38 credits, of which at least 18 are at the 300 or 400 level.
Requirements for cultural anthropology track
INTRODUCTORY COURSES: both required - 8 credits
01:070:101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
01:070:108 Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology
GEOGRAPHIC AREA COURSES: two courses required - 6 credits
01:070:223 Anthropology of Latin America
01:070:238 Anthropology of Europe
01:070:244 Anthropology of South Asia
01:070:246 Anthropology of Southeast Asia
01:070:248 Anthropology of China
01:070:250 Anthropology of the Contemporary United States
01:070:338 Anthropology of Africa
01:070:379 Gender and Power in Africa
01:070:389 Ethnography of Gender in South Asia
HISTORY, THEORY, METHODS: one course required - 3 credits
01:070:311 History of Anthropology
01:070:317 Method and Analysis in Cultural Anthropology
01:070:318 Reading Ethnographic Writing
01:070:401 Theories in Cultural Anthropology
01:070:410 Explanation in Anthropology (if approved topic)
ELECTIVE COURSES: seven courses required - 21 credits
01:070:216 Anthropology and Modern Problems
01:070:220 Food and Culture
01:070:222 Anthropology of Human Sexuality and Eroticism
01:070:223 Anthropology of Latin America
01:070:225 Women in Anthropological Perspective
01:070:238 Anthropology of Europe
01:070:244 Anthropology of South Asia
01:070:246 Anthropology of Southeast Asia
01:070:248 Anthropology of China
01:070:250 Anthropology of the Contemporary United States
01:070:301 Psychological Anthropology
01:070:303 Wealth and Culture
01:070:304 Political Anthropology
01:070:305 Anthropology of Development
01:070:307 Medical Anthropology
01:070:308 Anthropology of Religion
01:070:309 Visual Anthropology
01:070:311 History of Anthropology
01:070:312 Language and Social Diversity
01:070:317 Method and Analysis in Cultural Anthropology
01:070:318 Reading Ethnographic Writing
01:070:319 Anthropology of Human Rights
01:070:320 Diaspora, Multiculturalism, and Ethnicity in the United States
01:070:323 Women Writing Culture
01:070:338 Anthropology of Africa
01:070:360 Families
01:070:368 Anthropology of Mass Media
01:070:371 Politics of Culture
01:070:372 Anthropology of the Body
01:070:374 Localities and Global Systems
01:070:376 Power and Difference
01:070:378 Anthropology of Gender
01:070:379 Gender and Power in Africa
01:070:380 Culture, Memory, History
01:070:389 Ethnography of Gender in South Asia
01:070:401 Theories in Cultural Anthropology (if approved topic)
01:070:406 The Rights and Wrongs of Indigenous Peoples
01:070:410 Explanation in Anthropology (if approved topic)
01:070:486 Gender, Development, and Environment
Honors in Anthropology credit, and one approved independent study course, may be used toward the elective requirement. No course may fulfill more than one requirement.
All courses applied to this major must be completed with a grade of C or better.
B.S. in Evolutionary Anthropology (Bachelor of Science)
The B.S. degree in evolutionary anthropology is designed for students who plan to go to graduate school in archaeology, biological anthropology, paleoanthropology, geoarchaeology, or other related fields in human evolutionary studies (e.g., skeletal biology, forensic science, primatology). This option prepares students with a multidisciplinary, science-oriented background for careers in the field of evolutionary anthropology. This degree is also useful and desirable for careers in the medical sciences.
Requirements for a major in evolutionary anthropology. The degree code is 071.
Total number of required credits: 50 credits
basic courses (16-20 credits): 01:070:101 or 108, 102, 105
approved statistics course (3 credits): 01:070:395; 01:960:211, 212, 285, 379, or 401
01:119:101 and 102, or 01:460:101 and 103 (biology or geology)
One course in each of the following areas in 070: (18 credits, of which 12 are at the 300-400 level):
primatology: 01:070:212, 215, 348, 349, 350, or 354
social evolution: 01:070:204, 210, 310, 325, 356, or 361
skeletal biology/hominid paleontology: 01:070:326, 327, 354, 355, 358, 359, or 390
prehistoric archaeology: 01:070:206, 207, 208, 230, 231, 232, 330, 332, 333, 335, 391, or 392
geoarchaeology/paleoecology: 01:070:213 or 394; 01:460:330 or 396
anthropological genetics: 200-level or higher (01:070:240, 420)
Other requirements (12-16 credits): Remaining credits may be fulfilled by any other 070 course including Honors in Anthropology. In addition, credit will be given for approved courses in other departments. All courses applied to this major must be completed with a grade of C or better.
