Anthropology

Anthropology involves the study of people, their origins, their biological variations and characteristics, their languages and cultural patterns, their social structures and institutions, and their adaptation to their environment. The department offers a major, a minor, an optional major program and a master’s program with two options. The major is designed to contribute to a student’s liberal education and to prepare the student for graduate work, teaching or other professional pursuits. The minor is designed to complement a wide variety of other majors by exposing students to key issues in multiculturalism, human diversity and anthropological methodology. Anthropological methodology in turn complements methodologies in a wide range of fields: business, engineering, health, education and allied fields in the social sciences. The optional major program is for students with highly focused interests and provides for maximum flexibility in the use of instructional resources.

Social Science Subject Matter Program for the Single Subject Credential

Anthropology majors who are interested in teaching social studies at the middle school or high school level may combine their major program with the Single Subject Social Science Subject Matter Program to meet requirements for entering a Single Subject Credential Program. View Social Science Subject Matter Program for Secondary School Teachers (.pdf) for more information. The Anthropology undergraduate advisor also can provide assistance in coordinating the completion of both the major and the subject matter program simultaneously. See also the disclosure statement regarding Programs Leading to Licensure and Credentialing.

1. Foundations (12 units)

ANTH 151 Introduction to Biological Anthropology (3)
ANTH 152 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3)
ANTH 153 Introduction to Archaeology (3)
ANTH 303 Anthropological Thought (3)

2. Peoples and Places (3 units)

Choose one of the following:

ANTH 306 Anthropology of Native North America (3)
ANTH 307 Anthropology of Native California and the Southwest (3)
ANTH 338 Anthropology of Africa (3)
ANTH 345 Anthropology of the Contemporary United States (3)
ANTH 351 Anthropology of Middle America (3)
ANTH 352 Anthropology of South America (3)
ANTH 353 The Maya: Ancient and Modern (3)
ANTH 356 Anthropology of the Mediterranean (3)

3. Method and Theory (3 units)

Choose one of the following:

ANTH 473 Theory and Method in Archaeology (3)
ANTH 474 Quantitative Methods in Anthropology (3)
ANTH 475 Ethnographic Research Methods (3)
ANTH 519 Seminar in Archaeological Theory and Method (3)
ANTH 574 Advanced Quantitative Methods in Anthropology (3)
ANTH 575 Advanced Ethnographic Research Methods (3)

4. Seminar (3 units)

Choose one of the following:

ANTH 490A-E Seminar in Anthropology (3)
ANTH 516 Seminar on Ethnography as Narrative (3)
ANTH 521 California Archaeology (3)
ANTH 560 Social Evolution (3)

5. Breadth Electives (12 units)

In consultation with the undergraduate advisor for the Anthropology department, choose one course from each of the following subdisciplines:

Cultural Anthropology

ANTH 310 Language in Culture: Anthropological Linguistics (3)
ANTH 326 Introduction to Folklore (3)
ANTH 404 Comparative Social Organization (3)
ANTH 405 Cognitive Anthropology (3)
ANTH 424 Supernatural in the Modern World (3)
ANTH 430 Environmental Anthropology (3)
ANTH 450 Historical Anthropology (3)
ANTH 451 Economic Anthropology (3)
ANTH 462 Anthropology of the Arts (3)

Biological Anthropology

ANTH 311 Human Variation (3)
ANTH 341 Bones: An Introduction to the Study of Human Remains (3)
ANTH 421 Primatology: Morphology, Behavior and Social Organization (3)
ANTH 423 Human Behavior: Evolutionary Perspectives (3)
ANTH 440 Bioarchaeology (3)
ANTH 445/L Human Osteology and Lab (3/1)
ANTH 453 Human Paleontology (3)

Archaeology

ANTH 426 Old World Archaeology (3)
ANTH 427 Archaeology of North America (3)
ANTH 428 Archaeology of Mesoamerica (3)
ANTH 429 Archaeology of South America (3)
ANTH 449 Historical Archaeology (3)
ANTH 460 Gender Archaeology (3)

Applied Anthropology

ANTH 302 Introduction to Applied Anthropology (3)
ANTH 346 Urban Anthropology (3)
ANTH 425 Culture, Health and Healing (3)
ANTH 432 Environmental Justice and Health (3)
ANTH 465 Museum Anthropology: Principles and Practices (3)
ANTH 468 Cultural Heritage (3)
ANTH 486 Interrogating Globalization: The Ethnography of Global Problems (3)

6. Additional Electives (12 units)

In consultation with the undergraduate advisor for the Anthropology department, choose four additional 3-unit upper division courses in Anthropology (12 units). Any one section of ANTH 494AA-ZZ will count as one elective course.

7. General Education (48 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (ES) graduation requirement.

9 units are satisfied by the following courses in the major: ANTH 151 satisfies B2 Life Science; and ANTH 152 and ANTH 153 satisfy D1 Social Sciences.

If taken, ANTH 326 satisfies upper division C2 Humanities; ANTH 341 satisfies B5 Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning or upper division D1 Social Sciences; ANTH 302 satisfies upper division D1 Social Sciences; and ANTH 310 and/or ANTH 345 satisfies 3-6 units of upper division F Comparative Cultural Studies.

Optional Program

Students may, on their own initiative and before the completion of 90 units, devise an Anthropology major program that reflects specialized or interdisciplinary interests. Requirements of the optional program are:

1. A written outline of proposed courses and statement of objectives.
2. At least 42 semester units, of which 36 or more are upper division (exception: ANTH 222 will be permitted to count for 3 of these 36 units).
3. More total units in anthropology than in any other field.
4. The evaluation and approval of the proposed program by a departmental committee of at least two anthropology faculty members.
5. Approval by the department chair. Students may present their proposed program directly to the evaluating committee for consideration or consult with one or more faculty advisors before submitting a list of courses. Upon acceptance of the program by the department, a program of study will be prepared and maintained in the student’s file.

Total Units in the Major: 45

General Education Units: 39

Additional Units: 36

Total Units Required for the B.A. Degree: 120