Anthropology is the study of people, both ancient and modern, in their cultural context. The field involves a global look at human cultures from prehistoric times to the present, integrating findings from the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities. Students of anthropology learn to appreciate the variety of cultures throughout human history and to understand the meaning of human biological and cultural development as well as diversity.
The undergraduate degree in anthropology emphasizes knowledge and awareness of:
In addition, students completing the degree in anthropology are expected to acquire the ability and skills to:
Course code for this program is ANTH.
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below. (A minimum of 30 credit hours in anthropology, 18 of which must be upper division, is required for the degree.)
Required Courses and Semester Credit Hours
Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for more information on eligibility. The concept of “adequate progress” as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress in anthropology, students should meet the following requirements:
Prerequisites. To be considered for admission as a regular degree student, applicants should have a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 (4.00 = A) or a master of arts degree in anthropology. Graduate Record Examination scores for verbal and quantitative aptitude tests are required. Letters of recommendation and evidence of previous anthropologically oriented experience and work are carefully considered. Students with fewer than 18 credit hours of previous course work in anthropology are considered deficient and may be asked to present a greater number of hours for a degree.
Application. Inquiries concerning applications should be directed to the main departmental office. Completed applications are reviewed once each year and are due by January 15. Students with no previous graduate work should apply for entrance into the MA program which, if successfully completed, will prepare them for the PhD program. Students who have or will have completed an MA degree in anthropology by the time of their admission may apply for direct admission into the PhD program, but they may be required to complete specific remedial requirements in some cases.
Course Requirements. Students may have a primary specialization in any of the major subfields of anthropology: archaeology, cultural, or biological anthropology. The department expects graduate students to maintain a breadth of competence in general anthropology through the master’s degree with specialization intensifying with progress toward the PhD degree.
All entering graduate students must have had the equivalent of ANTH 4000 or 5000 (Quantitative Methods in Anthropology) or take the course, or in the case of cultural anthropology students an appropriate “tool course,” during their first year in residence.
As partial fulfillment towards a graduate degree, all students must complete the graduate proseminar that covers the three subdisciplines of anthropology (cultural, biological, and archaeology). The proseminar should be taken during the first semester in residence, if possible. In addition, students are required to take one graduate seminar focusing on one of the two subdisciplines outside of their primary specialization.
Other specific course requirements are established through a consultation with an academic advisor. MA students in archaeology and biological anthropology are normally expected to write a thesis (plan I). In consultation with their advisor, students in cultural anthropology have the option of writing a thesis or completing their MA degree by examination only (plan II).
Additional information about other specific areas of specialization and other requirements for the degree may be obtained by writing directly to the Department of Anthropology, and by referencing the Graduate School section. Information is also available at the departmental website (www.colorado.edu/anthropology).