Anthropology, Biological Anthropology Concentration, B.A.

Degree Requirements

Required Courses

General Education 41 Credit Hours ¹
Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required) 0-14 Credit Hours ²
Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses) 3 Credit Hours
University electives (beyond major) 25-39 Credit Hours
Major requirements (listed below) 40-41 Credit Hours

Total: 120 Credit Hours

Footnotes

¹ The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
² The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level of the student’s chosen language (typically 232) or by placing out of that language through the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures’ placement test.

Major Requirements

To earn a B.A. or B.S. degree in anthropology, students complete 40-41 credit hours in the major. Given the diverse opportunities the discipline provides, the major is designed to allow students the opportunity to work closely with their advisers to develop a curriculum appropriate to their personal and professional interests. Those students wishing to do so may elect to pursue a concentration in one of the three sub-disciplines of cultural, biological or archaeological anthropology.

The concentrations guide students in choosing courses to enhance opportunities for graduate school or allow them to pursue an area of personal interest within the larger discipline of anthropology. Up to two elective courses from a discipline outside of anthropology may be applied to the major. Elective courses from outside of the program must be approved by the student’s adviser and must be at the 300- or 400-level. Students must receive at least a “C-” in a class to have it count toward the major.

General Program

The general program provides students with a holistic introduction to the breadth of anthropology highlighting experience in the subdisciplines of cultural, archaeological and biological anthropology, as well as introductory experiences in linguistics. The program is designed to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of the discipline in preparation for advanced graduate training or as an adjunct to their personal and professional aspirations.

Required Courses

ANTH 195. Cultural Anthropology 3.00 (C, R)
ANTH 196. Biological Anthropology 3.00
ANTH 197. Archaeology 3.00 (A,R)
ANTH 201. The Discipline of Anthropology 1.00 (R)
ANTH 375. History of Theory in Sociocultural Anthropology 3.00 (C,R,W) ¹
One elective from each of the following: cultural anthropology, biological anthropology and archaeology 9 Credit Hours
Other electives 15 Credit Hours ^{2, 3}

One course from the following: 3-4 Credit Hours

ANTH 315. Human Evolution 3.00 (B)
ANTH 316. Human Evolutionary Psychology 3.00 (B)
ANTH 435. Ethnographic Genres and Methods 4.00 (C,F)
ANTH 455. Archaeology: Methods of Analysis and Interpretation 4.00 (A,F)

Total: 40-41 Credit Hours

Footnotes

¹ Students should take two of ANTH 195 , ANTH 196 or ANTH 197 and at least one anthropology elective before taking ANTH 375 .
² Students may take up to two adviser approved electives at the 300 or 400 level from courses outside of the program.
³ Students should consider including ANTH 305. Language and Culture , as one of their electives.

Biological Anthropology Concentration

The focus of biological anthropology is the study of human biology from an evolutionary perspective. Biological anthropology is interested in understanding how and why the human species became what it is today. Thus, it involves the study of human evolution, human biology and its variation, human ecology (how humans interrelate with their environment) and primate behavior and biology (to place humans in the proper comparative context). Biological anthropologists also recognize that human culture, and learned behavior in general, are fundamentally important to understanding the human condition which leads them to emphasize a bio-cultural approach in which both biology and culture are integrated into a holistic understanding of humanity.

Students work closely with biological anthropology faculty to choose electives from both within and outside of the department to refine their own research and scholarly interests. Upper-level electives in biology, psychology and/or geographic sciences are recommended depending on the student’s particular goals. Students might consider taking a minor or second major in these disciplines. Students are strongly encouraged to gain practical experience in biological anthropology through study abroad, internships or independent study with faculty.

Required Courses

ANTH 195. Cultural Anthropology 3.00 (C, R)
ANTH 196. Biological Anthropology 3.00
ANTH 197. Archaeology 3.00 (A,R)
ANTH 201. The Discipline of Anthropology 1.00 (R)
ANTH 375. History of Theory in Sociocultural Anthropology 3.00 (C,R,W)
ANTH 376. Anthropology of Reproduction 3.00 (C)
or
WGSS 376. Anthropology of Reproduction 3.00
One upper-division course in archaeology and cultural anthropology 6 Credit Hours
At least one additional upper level course in biological anthropological topics 3 Credit Hours
Electives ^{2, 3} 12 Credit Hours

Choose two of the following courses: 6 Credit Hours

ANTH 315. Human Evolution 3.00 (B)
ANTH 316. Human Evolutionary Psychology 3.00 (B)
ANTH 317. Primate Evolutionary Ecology 3.00 (B)

Total: 40 Credit Hours

Footnotes

¹ Students should take two of ANTH 195 , ANTH 196 or ANTH 197 and at least one anthropology elective before taking ANTH 375 .
² Students may take up to two adviser approved electives at the 300 or 400-level from courses outside of the program. BIO 270. Human Physiology (3, 2) and BIO 290. Human Anatomy (3, 3) are accepted electives.
³ In addition to biological anthropology courses, students are encouraged to take electives from across the breadth of cultural and linguistic anthropology and archaeology.