Anthropology (BA/BS)
At the UO’s Department of Anthropology, you can learn about various cultures and populations, dig up fossils, study gorillas, hunt for ancient relics, and more. Pursue your specific interests through our three anthropological subfields: cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, and archaeology.
You will be taught by working anthropologists who study societies from the past and present in West Africa, East Africa, Latin America, North America, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and the Caribbean. Learn about the human species from ecological and evolutionary perspectives, and gain a deeper understanding of human biological variation and our relation to other animals. You can participate in field schools that travel across the world digging for artifacts, and go abroad to study international cultures.
Program's Admission Requirements
Please visit the program's website.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Explain how Anthropology as a discipline examines what it means to be human through a holistic and integrative approach.
- Explain how knowledge is produced and how incorporation of diverse perspectives leads to broader understandings of the human experience.
- Evaluate the influence of genetic, ecological, and sociocultural factors on human biological and cultural variation in the past, present, and future.
- Evaluate how anthropology can help us to better understand the broad range of important issues that will require decision and policy making in the future.
- Demonstrate cross cultural awareness, cultural competency, and the importance of understanding different perspectives.
Anthropology Major Requirements
Courses used to fulfill major requirements must be taken for letter grades and passed with a C– or better. To ensure a liberal education, anthropology majors are strongly encouraged to limit their anthropology credits to 52. Majors contemplating graduate work are advised to complete two years of a second language. Statistics is desirable for those with interests in biological anthropology and archaeology.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 12 | |
| Principles of Archaeology | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Biological Anthropology | ||
| Breadth Requirements | 12 | |
One upper-division geographic area course in archaeology | ||
One course in cultural anthropology | ||
One course in biological anthropology | ||
| Four upper-division anthropology courses in one area of concentration 1 | 16 | |
| Two upper-division anthropology electives 2 | 8 | |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
| 1 | Areas of concentration: cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, archaeology. ANTH 406, ANTH 408, ANTM 406, and ANTM 408, may not be used to fulfill Area of Concentration requirement. Courses that may only be taken P/NP, e.g., ANTH 401, 403, and 405 do not count toward the fulfillment of major requirements. |
| 2 | No more than 8 credits of independent study and 8 credits of eligible courses in other departments may be used to fulfill Anthropology electives requirement. |
Majors must meet with an anthropology advisor at least once a year.
Concentration in Archaeology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Four Upper Division Archaeology Courses 1 | 16 | |
| Fundamentals of Archaeology | ||
| Food Origins | ||
| Archaeology of Egypt and Near East | ||
| Pacific Islands Archaeology | ||
| Oregon Archaeology | ||
| Archaeology of East Asia | ||
| Psychoactive Substances in Ancient Societies | ||
| Northwest Coast Archaeology | ||
| North American Archaeology | ||
| Practical Archaeobotany | ||
| Gender and Archaeology | ||
| Cultural Resource Management | ||
| African Archaeology | ||
| Peopling of the Americas | ||
| Zooarchaeology: [Topic] | ||
| Total Credits | 16 | |
| 1 | The following additional upper division Anthropology courses MAY NOT be used to fulfill this requirement: ANTH 406, ANTH 408, ANTM 406 & ANTM 408. Students may complete a second or third area of concentration by taking 3 additional courses (12 credits) in that area of concentration. Please see a major advisor for details. |
All courses must be graded, with a minimum grade of C-. Courses that may only be taken P/NP, e.g., ANTH 401, 403, 405, and 409 do not count toward the fulfillment of major requirements.
Concentration in Biological Anthropology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Four Upper Division Biological Courses 1 | 16 | |
| Human Attraction and Mating Strategies | ||
| Origins of Art | ||
| Human Evolution | ||
| Human Biological Variation | ||
| Human Osteology Laboratory | ||
| Human Growth and Development | ||
ANTH 375 | ||
| Decoding Your Genome | ||
| Advanced Evolutionary Medicine | ||
| Primate Evolution | ||
| Primate Behavior | ||
ANTH 466 | ||
| Paleoecology and Human Evolution | ||
| Evolutionary Theory | ||
| Statistical Analysis of Biological Anthropology | ||
| Primate Conservation Biology | ||
| Advanced Forensic Anthropology | ||
| Taphonomy: Bones, Bugs, and Burials | ||
| Principles of Evolutionary Psychology | ||
| Bioanthropology Methods | ||
| Total Credits | 16 | |
| 1 | The following additional upper division Anthropology courses MAY NOT be used to fulfill this requirement: ANTH 406, ANTH 408, ANTM 406 & ANTM 408. Students may complete a second or third area of concentration by taking 3 additional courses (12 credits) in that area of concentration. Please see a major advisor for details. |
All courses must be graded, with a minimum grade of C-. Courses that may only be taken P/NP, e.g., ANTH 401, 403, 405, and 409 do not count toward the fulfillment of major requirements.
Concentration in Cultural Anthropology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Four Upper Division Cultural Anthropology Courses 1 | 16 | |
| Anthropology of Globalization | ||
| Gender, Folklore, Inequality | ||
| Native North Americans | ||
| Anthropology of the United States | ||
ANTH 326 | ||
| Immigration and Farmworkers | ||
| Hunters and Gatherers | ||
| Cultures of India and South Asia | ||
| Food and Culture | ||
ANTH 411 | ||
| Culture and Psychology | ||
| Human Life History | ||
| Culture, Illness, and Healing | ||
| Latino Roots I | ||
| Latino Roots II | ||
| Jewish Folklore and Ethnology | ||
| Native South Americans | ||
| Race and Gender in Latin America | ||
| Total Credits | 16 | |
| 1 | The following additional upper division Anthropology courses MAY NOT be used to fulfill this requirement: ANTH 406, ANTH 408, ANTM 406 & ANTM 408. Students may complete a second or third area of concentration by taking 3 additional courses (12 credits) in that area of concentration. Please see a major advisor for details. |
All courses must be graded, with a minimum grade of C-. Courses that may only be taken P/NP, e.g., ANTH 401, 403, 405, and 409 do not count toward the fulfillment of major requirements.
Honors
The Anthropology Honors Program is designed for outstanding Anthropology majors interested in independent exploration of a special topic of their own choosing under the guidance of a faculty member.
Students should identify an area of research interest during their junior years or earlier, and approach members of the faculty with whom they want to work. It is best if a student can take a class taught by the faculty member during the junior year (at the latest). Some faculty members require students to take a course from them before allowing students to work in their laboratories.
Complete form with faculty advisor: Individualized Study Form
An honors thesis is expected to make a substantial and persuasive argument situated with in, and contributing to, current critical debates while demonstrating exceptional verbal clarity and sophistication.
If you intend to pursue honors in Anthropology you will need to notify the department via email, anthro@uoregon.edu, no later than the first term of your senior year.
Must meet all requirements:
- Maintains at least a 3.75 GPA in Anthropology coursework
- Maintain a cumulative 3.50 overall GPA
- Submit an original undergraduate thesis written under the guidance of a departmental faculty member, who serves as thesis advisor.
- Honors thesis must be submitted to thesis advisor 3 weeks before the end of the term you are graduating. (example Graduating: Fall – last week in November, Winter- last week in April, Spring- last week in May, Summer- last week in August)
- An electronic copy of Honors Thesis emailed to anthro@uoregon.edu.
Four-Year Degree Plan
The degree plan shown is only a sample of how students may complete their degrees in four years. There are alternative ways. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best path for them.
Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology
An optional minor is included in this example. Please consult with an anthropology advisor concerning a plan that is best for you.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
| WR 121Z | Composition I | 4 | |
| ANTH 145 or ANTH 150 |
Principles of Archaeology or World Archaeology |
4 | |
| First term of first-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
| Credits | 12 | ||
| Winter | |||
| WR 122Z | Composition II | 4 | |
| ANTH 270 | Introduction to Biological Anthropology | 4 | |
| Second term of first-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
| Multicultural course | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Spring | |||
| ANTH 161 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 4 | |
| Third term of first-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
| Multicultural course | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying social science course | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | |||
| Upper-division geographic-area course in archaeology | 4 | ||
| First term of second-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in arts and letters | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in social science | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Winter | |||
| One course in cultural anthropology | 4 | ||
| Second term of second-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in social science | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in science | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Spring | |||
| One course in biological anthropology | 4 | ||
| Third term of second-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in arts and letters | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in science | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | |||
| Upper-division course in an area of concentration | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in arts and letters | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in science | 4 | ||
| Course that satisfies minor requirement | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Winter | |||
| Upper-division course in an area of concentration | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in arts and letters | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in social science | 4 | ||
| Course that satisfies minor requirement | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Spring | |||
| Upper-division course in an area of concentration | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in science | 4 | ||
| Two courses that satisfy minor requirement | 8 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | |||
| Upper-division course in an area of concentration | 4 | ||
| Two courses that satisfy minor requirement | 8 | ||
| Additional course | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Winter | |||
| Anthropology elective | 4 | ||
| Course that satisfies minor requirement | 4 | ||
| Additional course | 4 | ||
| Credits | 12 | ||
| Spring | |||
| Anthropology elective | 4 | ||
| Course that satisfies minor requirement | 4 | ||
| Additional course | 4 | ||
| Credits | 12 | ||
| Total Credits | 180 | ||
Bachelor of Science in Anthropology
An optional minor is included in this example. Please consult with an anthropology advisor concerning a plan that is best for you.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
| MATH 105Z | Math in Society | 4 | |
| WR 121Z | Composition I | 4 | |
| ANTH 145 or ANTH 150 |
Principles of Archaeology or World Archaeology |
4 | |
| Credits | 12 | ||
| Winter | |||
| MATH 106 | University Mathematics II | 4 | |
| WR 122Z | Composition II | 4 | |
| ANTH 270 | Introduction to Biological Anthropology | 4 | |
| Multicultural course | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Spring | |||
| MATH 107 | University Mathematics III | 4 | |
| ANTH 161 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 4 | |
| Multicultural course | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in social science | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | |||
| Upper-division geographic-area course in archaeology | 4 | ||
| Course that satisfies minor requirement | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in arts and letters | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in social science | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Winter | |||
| One course in cultural anthropology | 4 | ||
| Course that satisfies minor requirement | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in social science | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in science | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Spring | |||
| One course in biological anthropology | 4 | ||
| Course that satisfies minor requirement | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in arts and letters | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in science | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | |||
| Upper-division course in an area of concentration | 4 | ||
| Course that satisfies minor requirement | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in arts and letters | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in science | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Winter | |||
| Upper-division course in an area of concentration | 4 | ||
| Course that satisfies minor requirement | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in arts and letters | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in social science | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Spring | |||
| Upper-division course in an area of concentration | 4 | ||
| Course that satisfies minor requirement | 4 | ||
| Group-satisfying course in science | 4 | ||
| Additional course | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | |||
| Upper-division course in an area of concentration | 4 | ||
| Course that satisfies minor requirement | 4 | ||
| Additional courses | 8 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Winter | |||
| Anthropology elective | 4 | ||
| Course that satisfies minor requirement | 4 | ||
| Additional course | 4 | ||
| Credits | 12 | ||
| Spring | |||
| Anthropology elective | 4 | ||
| Additional courses | 8 | ||
| Credits | 12 | ||
| Total Credits | 180 | ||