Anthropology, BA

The study of anthropology is an exciting and dynamic field that explores the diversity of human culture and biology throughout time and space. As a discipline, anthropology brings together the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to provide a holistic understanding of human history, behavior, and society.

Our Anthropology undergraduate degree program is rooted in the traditional four-field approach to anthropology, which includes archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. This approach allows students to gain a comprehensive understanding of the human experience, from our evolutionary past to the complexity of contemporary societies. 

Throughout the program, students will have multiple opportunities for fieldwork and research experience, allowing them to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world settings.

The program also prepares students to attend top graduate schools or to aspire to careers in fields like:

• Anthropology
• Museums
• Cultural resource management
• The arts
• Business
• And a variety of other professions and service agencies.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Anthropology requires a minimum of 36 credit hours of ANTH course work including a minimum of 24 hours of upper-division (3000+ level) coursework.

A grade of C or better is required for any course applied to the major, and a minimum 2.0 GPA must be maintained in all ANTH course work.

No more than 60 credit hours of ANTH course work may apply to the bachelor’s degree.

All majors must complete three of the following introductory core courses:

• ANTH 1020 - Introduction to Archaeology
• ANTH 1030 - Introduction to Biological Anthropology
• ANTH 1040 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
• ANTH 2800 - The Nature of Language

All majors must also complete both of the upper-division core courses:

• ANTH 3970 - History and Theory of Anthropology
• ANTH 4980 - Senior Seminar in Anthropology

In addition to 15 credit hours of elective ANTH courses, at least 12 of which must be upper-division credit hours, ANTH majors are required to complete one Methods and one Integrative course from the lists below. Additional Methods and Integrative courses may count toward the ANTH elective requirements. Finally, all students preparing to graduate must complete the Anthropology Graduating Seniors Assessment via Canvas. Students will receive an email with detailed information on the assessment prior to graduation.

Methods Courses:

• ANTH 3000 - Quantitative Methods in Anthropology
• ANTH 3190 - Field Practicum in Applied Archaeology
• ANTH 3210 - Lab Techniques in Archaeology
• ANTH 3215 - Mapping Archaeology
• ANTH 3350 - Forensic Anthropology
• ANTH 3360 - Methods in Biological Anthropology
• ANTH 3500 - Ethnographic Methods and Theory
• ANTH 3630 - Field Experience in Applied Cultural Anthropology
• ANTH 3660 - Applied Community Studies
• ANTH 4340 - Primate Behavior and Ecology Methods
• ANTH 4450 - Ethnography of Sport

Integrative Courses:

• ANTH 3280 - Archaeological Approaches to Gender and Sexuality
• ANTH 3310 - Human Reproduction: Dating, Mating, and Parenting
• ANTH 3380 - Evolutionary Medicine and Health
• ANTH 3400 - Cultural Diversity in the United States
• ANTH 3430 - Anthropological Approaches to Globalization
• ANTH 3600 - History and Practice of Archaeology
• ANTH 3810 - Language, Culture, and Society
• ANTH 4040 - Hunter-Gatherer Societies: Past and Present
• ANTH 4270 - Landscape Archaeology: Sustainability and Collapse
• ANTH 4310 - Cognitive Evolution
• ANTH 4330 - Parasites in Human Evolution
• ANTH 4420 - Museums and Meaning

For more information, please see the Academic Catalog.