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Major & Minor Information

The Anthropology Major and Concentrations

To receive a B.A. degree with a major in anthropology, the student must meet the requirements of Revelle, John Muir, Thurgood Marshall, Earl Warren, Eleanor Roosevelt College, or Sixth College. Additionally, the student must meet the following requirements of the Department of Anthropology:

  1. A minimum of twelve four-unit upper-division courses in the Department of Anthropology must be completed.
  2. The undergraduate core ANTH 101, 102, and 103 must be completed (included as three of the twelve courses required under No. 1, above). All or some of the courses in this sequence are prerequisites for some other upper-division courses. This sequence consists of: 
    • 101 Anthropological Archaeology
    • 102 Biological Anthropology
    • 103 Sociocultural Anthropology
  3. No courses taken in fulfillment of the above requirements may be taken on a Pass/Not Pass (P/NP) basis. [An exception is made for some courses accepted from other schools and for one independent study course (199), or one directed group study course (198), and a combination of one internship seminar (ANBI 187A, C or ANTH 187B) with the corresponding academic internship project (AIP 197). However, this exception does not extend to ANTH 101, 102, or 103, or to transfer credits accepted in lieu of them. These must be taken for a letter grade.]
  4. For the B.A. degree, a minimum average of 2.0 is required, both as an overall average in all anthropology courses and in the ANTH 101, 102, and 103 sequence considered separately.
  5. At least seven of the upper-division courses submitted for the major must be taken at the University of California, San Diego. The seven normally must include ANTH 101, 102, and 103. A transfer course may be accepted in lieu of one of these core courses, if, in the opinion of the director of Undergraduate Studies, the content is substantially the same. In no case will transfer credit be accepted in lieu of more than one of these courses.
  6. All undergraduate majors in anthropology must select and satisfy the requirments of at least one of the three concentrations—Anthropological Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, and Sociocultural Anthropology. Course work is specific to each concentration and described below.

The Major in Anthropology with a Concentration in Archaeology

The department offers a B.A. degree in anthropology with concentration in archaeology. A minimum of at least twelve upper-division courses in anthropology are required. Specifically, this degree requires:

  1. The Anthropology Core Sequence: ANTH 101, 102 and 103. .
  2. Three additional four-unit upper-division courses with the prefix ANAR
  3. Six additional four-unit, upper-divisional elective courses within the Department of Anthropology

Some students may elect to take field-school courses such as ANAR 194 or study-abroad courses in archaeology that are more than four units. In these cases, the total number of units for such courses will be applied to the satisfaction of archaeology requirements #2 and #3. For example, a twelve-unit field school course with the ANAR prefix may be used to satisfy requirement #2 or to partially satisfy requirement #3.
Students majoring in anthropological archaeology are encouraged to take the field school ANAR 190 or ANAR 119.

To review requirements and track your progress, please click here for a degree check in Archeology Concentration. See also the Sample Four Year Plan.

The Major in Anthropology with a Concentration in Biological Anthropology

The department offers a B.A. degree in anthropology with concentration in biological anthropology. A minimum of at least twelve upper-division courses within and beyond anthropology are required. Specifically, this degree requires:

  1. The Anthropology Core Sequence: ANTH 101, 102, 103.
  2. The Biological Anthropology Concentration Requirement: ANBI 111
  3. Three additional four-unit upper-division courses with the prefix ANBI
  4. Five additional four-unit, upper-divisional elective courses. At least one of these five electives must be taken from an approved list of biology courses. This list is available from the undergraduate coordinator in the Department of Anthropology. Each of the remaining four electives is to be drawn from that list or must be an upper-division anthropology course.

To review requirements and track your progress, please click here for a degree check in Biologiocal Anthropology Concentration. See also the Sample Four Year Plan.

The Major in Anthropology with a Concentration in Sociocultural Anthropology

The department offers a B.A. degree in anthropology with concentration in sociocultural anthropology. A minimum of at least twelve upper-division courses in anthropology are required. Specifically, this degree requires:

  1. The Anthropology Core Sequence: ANTH 101, 102, 103.
  2. The Sociocultural Concentration Requirement:
    Any three of the following seven courses:
    • ANSC 118 Language and Culture
    • ANSC 120 Anthropology of Religion (previously ANGN 120)
    • ANSC 121 Psychological Anthropology (previously ANPR 107)
    • ANSC 122 Language in Society (previously ANGN 149)
    • ANSC 123 Political Anthropology (previously ANGN 151)
    • ANSC 124 Cultural Anthropology (previously ANPR 106)
    • ANSC 125 Gender, Sexuality, and Society (previously ANGN 125)
  3. One additional ANSC course focusing on a particular region, country, or religion (e.g., Indigenous Peoples of Latin America; Modernity in Brazil; Global Islam).
  4. Five additional four-unit upper-division elective courses within the Department of Anthropology.

To review requirements and track your progress, please click here for a degree check in Sociological Anthropology Concentration. See also the Sample Four Year Plan.

The Anthropology Minor

Students may choose a minor in anthropological archaeology, biological anthropology, or sociocultural anthropology. Each consists of seven anthropology courses. At least five of these courses must be upper-division, and at least four should be taken at UCSD. The list of courses offered for each minor is available from the undergraduate coordinator in the Department of Anthropology. Transfer credits from other anthropology departments are usually accepted. Education Abroad Program credits are acceptable at the discretion of the undergraduate advisor.

To review requirements and track your progress, please click here for the Anthropology minor degree check.

Guidelines for Minor Application

You can apply for one of the Anthropology minors at any time by using the Major/Minor tool under Academic Links on TritonLink. 

When listing courses on the application, only list course numbers and titles for courses you have already completed or are currently enrolled in. For courses not yet completed, please list as follows:

  • Subject Code: ANTH
  • Course No: LD or UD
  • Title: Anthropology Elective
  • Institution: UCSD
  • Units: 4.00