Degree Requirements

The Department of Anthropology offers both a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree is more specialized and requires more math and science courses. Both degrees offer a strong foundation on which to build a professional career. The Department also offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Culture and Environment in conjunction with the Environmental Science and Policy Program (ENSP). 

Satisfactory Progress Benchmarks

All students--whether pursuing a B.A. or B.S. degree--must have successfully completed the following requirements within two terms of being in the major:
a) Two of the following: ANTH 210, ANTH222, ANTH 240,  ANTH 260
b) Four General Education Distributive Studies courses
c) Fundamental Studies Math and English requirements

All students--whether pursuing a B.A. or B.S. degree--must have successfully completed three of the four foundational courses: ANTH210, ANTH222; ANTH240; and ANTH260 within three terms.

Students who fail to complete these benchmarks will be removed from the major.

Degree Audits

An audit is the procedure for checking your progress toward your degree.  Students can have one done at any time but they must have an official audit done soon after reaching 75 credits,  as this is required for graduation. 

There are three steps to the audit:

  1. check the transcript and uachieve for errors and let the Department of Anthropology Undergraduate Advisor know if there are any questions or concerns
  2. make an appointment with the Department of Anthropology Undergraduate Advisor to check all major requirements and to get the audit form
  3. take the audit form to an advisor at the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) to finalize the audit and have the registration block lifted

 

Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

Foundation Courses (3 courses)
Three of the following four foundation courses are required for the B.A. in Anthropology degree. If a student completes all four foundation courses, the fourth course can be counted as an anthropology elective

  • ANTH210- Introduction to Medical Anthropology and Global Health
  • ANTH222: Introduction to Ecological and Evolutionary Anthropology (4 credits)
  • ANTH240- Introduction to Archaeology
  • ANTH260- Introduction to Socio-cultural Anthropology and Linguistics

Method and Theory Courses (2 courses)
Two of the following four upper level method and theory courses are required for the anthropology major. (If a student completes a third or fourth method and theory courses, these courses can be counted as an anthropology electives.)

  • ANTH310: Method & Theory in Medical Anthropology and Global Health (offered every Spring) 
  • ANTH322: Method & Theory in Ecological Anthropology (offered every Fall)
  • ANTH340- Method and Theory of Archaeology (offered every Fall beginning Fall 2021)
  • ANTH360- Method and Theory of Socio-Cultural Anthropology (offered every Spring)

Anthropology Electives (minimum of 12 credits)
12 credits of anthropology electives, beyond the foundational and method and theory course requirements, are required for a B.A. in Anthropology

  • 6 of the 12 credits must be taken at the 300 - 400 level
  • A maximum of 6 credits of the following courses may be applied to this requirement: ANTH358, ANTH386, ANTH398.
  • Courses listed as ANTH and courses taught by anthropology Affiliate Faculty in other departments can be counted towards the anthropology electives requirement.  Students are advised to check with the Undergraduate Advisor or the Director of Undergraduate Studies before enrolling in courses with affiliate faculty.
  • Pre-approved anthropology courses completed in departments affiliated with the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area can also be applied to the elective requirement. Students are advised to check with the Undergraduate Advisor or the Director of Undergraduate Studies before enrolling in courses through the Consortium.

Applied Field Methods (minimum of 3 credits)
Reflective, experiential learning outside the classroom is an essential to Anthropology. Anthropology majors therefore are required to take one of the following courses. Courses worth more than 3 credits may have their additional credits applied toward the Anthropology electives requirement. Students focusing in Archaeology must take ANTH496: Field Methods in Archaeology.

  • ANTH341: Introduction to Zooarchaeology
  • ANTH386: Experiential Learning Internship, 3-6 credits
  • ANTH447: Material Culture Studies in Archaeology
  • ANTH451: Environmental Archaeology
  • ANTH464: Anthropology of Cultural Heritage
  • ANTH467: Researching Environment and Culture
  • ANTH468P: Anthropology, War & Security
  • ANTH498C: Environmental  Conservation and Indigenous People in Brazil, 6 credits
  • ANTH496: Field Methods in Archaeology, 6 credits

Other relevant courses may be used with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

 

Quantitative Skills Course (1)
 A quantitative Skills course is required for the B.A. in Anthropology degree. Designed to give students a background in quantitative analysis and statistics, this requirement helps students develop a mathematical foundation for future academic and career goals. The quantitative skills option is satisfied by the completion of one course from the following list with a C- or better:

  • MATH107: Introduction to Math Modeling and Probability or higher level MATH course
  • STAT100: Introduction to Statistics
  • BIOM301: Introduction to Biometrics
  • ECON201:  Principles of Macroeconomics
  • ECON321: Economic Statistics
  • EDMS451: Introduction to Educational Statistics
  • GEOG306: Introduction to Quantitative Methods for the Geographic Environmental Sciences
  • PSYC200: Statistical Methods in Psychology
  • SOCY201: Introductory Statistics for Sociology

Additional courses can be used to satisfy this requirement, but must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies

 

Supporting Course Work (minimum of 18 credits)
The supporting coursework requirement is like designing your own minor with your faculty advisor. To fulfill the supporting coursework requirement, students may take courses from a pre-existing minor, from a single department outside Anthropology, or from multiple departments. The purpose of the supporting course sequence is to enable students to develop skills and additional academic preparation that are related to their specific interests in anthropology. Supporting courses can be used to further develop a student’s focused interest in archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, or linguistic anthropology or they might be directed to a particular topical or skill area (i.e. social science research methods, human geography, environmental, health, cultural studies, gender) or they might be used to learn about a particular geographical or cultural group (i.e--Latin Americans, the African Diaspora, Muslims, etc.) 

The following rules also apply to the supporting course work requirement:

  • Supporting courses should relate to the student's area of focus, whether biological anthropology, archaeology, or socio-cultural anthropology.
  • All courses intended to satisfy the requirement must be approved by the faculty advisor prior to the student's senior year.  Therefore, students should plan ahead with their faculty advisor.
  • Up to 8 credits of the 18 credit requirement may be fulfilled with anthropology courses.
  • A maximum of 6 credits of the following courses may be applied to this requirement: ANTH358, ANTH386, ANTH398.
  • For Students under the University CORE requirements, courses used to fulfill the University's Advanced Studies CORE Requirement may not be applied toward Supporting Course Work.
  • Courses used toward the department's quantitative skills requirement or any other Anthropology requirements may not be applied to the Supporting Course Work section.
  • If a student plans to use course work from another major or minor it is the student's responsibility to ensure that work is eligible to be double counted.

Please direct questions concerning the supporting  course work requirement to the Undergraduate Advisor.

Click here for the Supporting Coursework Approval Form.

Bachelor of Science in Anthropology

Foundation Courses (3 courses)
Three of the following four foundation courses are required for the B.S. in Anthropology degree. If a student completes all four foundation courses, the fourth course can be counted as an anthropology elective

  • ANTH210- Introduction to Medical Anthropology and Global Health
  • ANTH222: Introduction to Ecological and Evolutionary Anthropology (4 credits)
  • ANTH240- Introduction to Archaeology
  • ANTH260- Introduction to Socio-cultural Anthropology and Linguistics

Method and Theory Courses (2 courses)
Two of the following four upper level method and theory courses are required for the B.S. in Anthropology. (If a student completes a third or fourth method and theory courses, these courses can be counted as an anthropology electives.)

  • ANTH310: Method & Theory in Medical Anthropology and Global Health (offered every Spring)
  • ANTH322: Method & Theory in Ecological Anthropology (offered every Fall)
  • ANTH340- Method and Theory of Archaeology (offered every Fall beginning Fall 2021)
  • ANTH360- Method and Theory of Socio-Cultural Anthropology (offered every Spring)

Anthropology Electives (minimum of 12 credits)
12 credits of anthropology electives, beyond the foundational and method and theory course requirements, are required for the B.S. in Anthropology

  • 6 of the 12 credits must be taken at the 300 - 400 level
  • A maximum of 6 credits of the following courses may be applied to this requirement: ANTH358, ANTH386, ANTH398.
  • Courses listed as ANTH and courses taught by anthropology Affiliate Faculty in other departments can be counted towards the anthropology electives requirement.  Students are advised to check with the Undergraduate Advisor or the Director of Undergraduate Studies before enrolling in courses with affiliate faculty.
  • Pre-approved anthropology courses completed in departments affiliated with the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area can also be applied to the elective requirement. Students are advised to check with the Undergraduate Advisor or the Director of Undergraduate Studies before enrolling in courses through the Consortium.

Applied Field Methods (minimum of 3 credits)
Reflective, experiential learning outside the classroom is an essential to Anthropology. Anthropology majors therefore are required to take one of the following courses. Courses worth more than 3 credits may have their additional credits applied toward the Anthropology electives requirement. Students focusing in Archaeology must take ANTH496: Field Methods in Archaeology

  • ANTH341: Introduction to Zooarchaeology
  • ANTH386: Experiential Learning Internship, 3-6 credits
  • ANTH447: Material Culture Studies in Archaeology
  • ANTH451: Environmental Archaeology
  • ANTH464: Anthropology of Cultural Heritage
  • ANTH467/468O: Researching Environment and Culture
  • ANTH468P: Anthropology, War & Security
  • ANTH498C: Environmental  Conservation and Indigenous People in Brazil, 6 credits
  • ANTH496: Field Methods in Archaeology, 6 credits

Other relevant courses may be used with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

 

Quantitative Skills Courses (2)
 Two of the following quantitative skills courses are required for the B.S. in Anthropology degree.

  • MATH107: Introduction to Math Modeling and Probability
  • STAT100: Introduction to Statistics
  • MATH120: Elementary Calculus I (4 cr.)
  • MATH121: Elementary Calculus II (4 cr. )
  • MATH140: Calculus I (4 cr.)
  • MATH141: Calculus II (4 cr.)

Specialization Science Electives (3 courses, at least 9 credits)

Three courses and at least nine credits of courses from the list below are required for a B.S. in Anthropology. Courses with prerequisites are marked with an asterisk (*). Students are responsible for checking prerequisites. Prerequisite courses will not count toward the 3-course, 9-credit total unless the prerequisite courses are also counted here.

  • AGNR301 Sustainability
  • AREC241 Environment, Economics and Policy (4 cr.)
  • *AREC326 Intermediate Applied Microeconomics
  • AREC345 Global Poverty and Economic Development
  • AREC365 World Hunger, Population and Food Supplies
  • AREC433 Food and Agricultural Policy
  • *AREC453 Natural Resources and Public Policy
  • AOSC 123 Causes and Implications of Global Change
  • BSCI103: World of Biology
  • BSCI135 Plants that Transformed the World (4 cr.)
  • BSCI160/1: Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology (4 cr.) 
  • BSCI170/1: Principles of Ecology and Evolution (4 cr.) 
  • BSCI189 Beyond Race: Human Biological Diversity (4 cr.)
  • *BSCI222 Principles of Genetics (4 cr.)
  • *BSCI360 Principles of Animal Behavior
  • *BSCI361 Principles of Ecology (4 cr.)
  • *BSCI363 Biology of Conservation and Extinction
  • *BSCI370 Principles of Evolution
  • *BSCI462 Population Ecology
  • *BSCI471 Molecular Evolution
  • CMSC 131 Object-Oriented Programming I (4 cr.)
  • CMSC 132 Object-Oriented Programming II (4 cr.)
  • ENST233 Introduction to Environmental Health
  • ENST440 Crops, Soils, and Civilizations
  • GEOL100/110: Physical Geology and Laboratory (4 cr.)
  • *GEOL 340: Geomorphology
  • *GEOL 342: Stratigraphy and Sedimentation
  • *GEOL 446: Geophysics
  • GEOG 330 Society and Sustainability
  • GEOG 332 Economic Geography
  • GEOG 372: Remote Sensing
  • GEOG 373: Geographic Information System
  • *GEOG 416 Conceptualizing and Modeling Human Environment Interactions
  • GEOG 431 Culture and Natural Resource Management
  • *GEOG 472: Remote Sensing: Digital Processing and Analysis
  • *GEOG 473: Geographic Information System and Spatial Analysis
  • *MIEH300 Introduction to Environmental Health
  • MIEH321 Syphilis to SARS: Climate Change, Development and Emergence of Infectious Diseases
  • HLTH130: Introduction to Public and Community Health
  • HLTH200: Introduction to Research in Community Health
  • *HLTH300: Biostatistics for Public Health Practice
  • HIST 204: History of Science