2014-2015 University Catalog

Anthropology, BA

Banner Code: LA-BA-ANTH

Anthropology is the study of human beings and their cultures. The bachelor of arts degree in anthropology draws broadly from the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. It is a strong undergraduate major that provides a sound interdisciplinary preparation for a variety of careers.

This undergraduate program offers students the option of applying to the accelerated master’s degree program. See Anthropology, BA/Anthropology, Accelerated MA for specific requirements.

This program of study is offered by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology . For policies governing all undergraduate degrees, see Academic Policies .

Degree Requirements

Students must fulfill all requirements for bachelor’s degrees , including Mason Core requirements. Students pursuing a BA in anthropology must complete additional college requirements for the BA degree in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Students pursuing this degree must complete 36 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.00.

Students are advised to consult with an advisor to learn how they can fulfill Mason Core requirements in global understanding, information technology, and synthesis, as well as the college-level requirement in non-Western culture.

Four core courses (12 credits)

SOCI 311 may substitute for ANTH 390 .

ANTH 114 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Credits: 3
ANTH 120 - Unearthing the Past: Prehistory, Culture and Evolution Credits: 3
ANTH 390 - Theories, Methods, and Issues I Credits: 3
ANTH 490 - Theories, Methods, and Issues II Credits: 3

Eight elective courses (24 credits)

Students choose electives from ANTH courses at the 300- and 400-level

Students may use two SOCI courses as electives:
SOCI 311 - Classical Sociological Theory Credits: 3 (if not used as a substitute for core course ANTH 390 )
SOCI 313 - Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences Credits: 4
Note: Students wishing to pursue careers in anthropology should consider taking ANTH 492 (or subfield specialty equivalents, such as ANTH 420 , 450 , 495 , or 496 ) as one of their electives.

Total: 36 credits

Writing-Intensive Requirement

The university requires all students to complete at least one course designated “writing intensive” in their majors at the 300 level or above. Students majoring in anthropology may fulfill this requirement by successfully completing ANTH 490 .

Degree Total: Minimum 120 credits

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