Anthropology (BS)

This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2025-Spring 2026 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.

Bachelor of Science in Anthropology
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (AS)
Department: Anthropology
Academic Plan Code(s): ANTHBS

Program Information

Anthropology is the study of what it means to be human: from the study of culture and social relations, to human biology and evolution, to languages, to music, art and architecture, and to vestiges of human habitation. It considers such fascinating questions as how peoples' behaviors changes over time, how people move about the world, why and how people from distant parts of the world and dissimilar cultures are different and the same, how the human species has evolved over millions of years, and how individuals understand and operate successfully in distinct cultural settings.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology will allow students to develop skills to understand and critically evaluate numerical data.  The degree will strengthen the students' major, preparing them for graduate research and the job market.

Degree Requirements

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Some credit hours from the General Education Requirements may be satisfied by courses defined by the program, in which case additional electives will be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree. See the Degree Requirements tab for specific coursework.

Accelerated BS/MA in Anthropology

Undergraduate students interested in participating in an accelerated dual bachelor’s/ master’s degree offered through the Soaring Scholar program must first meet with their Academic Advisor and be accepted into the program. Once accepted, students will receive an official admission letter outlining program policies and details. They will then work with their department and academic advisor to register for classes each semester, ensuring they meet the milestones and academic progress requirements of the Soaring Scholar program.

A Soaring Scholar student is considered an undergraduate student until their bachelor’s degree is conferred. In their final undergraduate semester, they are expected to apply for admission to their respective master's program.  

Anthropology majors who are considering pursuing a master's degree (MA) in Anthropology can speed up the process by applying some of their undergraduate credit hours toward a master’s degree. Students accepted into the Accelerated BS/MA program take three graduate courses (9 credit hours) as an undergraduate that apply toward both the bachelor’s degree and the eventual master's degree.

Interested students should apply to the program during their Junior year (i.e., when they have accumulated 60-90 hours of credit). Students must complete both the department’s internal application for permission to participate in the accelerated BS/MA program and the Graduate School’s application for admission to the Master of Arts program. Students must have at least a minimum overall Anthropology GPA of 3.3 and meet all other requirements for admission to the Master of Arts in Anthropology program (including at least 18 credit hours of Anthropology with at least nine (9) hours at the 300 level or higher). Students must retain a 3.0 GPA in Anthropology during their senior year to remain in the program.

Departmental Admission Requirements

Admission to the BS in Anthropology requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.

The Change Major Request form can be found under the Academic Progress tile on ULink.

Completion of this degree requires work to be submitted for the department's Learning Outcomes Measurement.  For details, contact the department.

Accelerated BS/MA in Anthropology  

1. Applicants should have completed at least 18 hours in Anthropology, with at least 9 hours at a 300 level or higher, with a 3.3 GPA in these and any additional Anthropology courses.
2. Students will apply toward the end of their 6th semester, or in the semester in which they will have completed 90 credit hours; this initial application form, available upon request, is in-house.
3. To complete the application, students will need to provide names of referees, an unofficial transcript, and a short statement of purpose.
4. Upon admission, students will select courses in consultation with their advisor and the DGS.
5. Students may apply the same 9 hours of courses at a 500 or 600 level to both their BS and MA degree. The instructor will confirm in writing that the student carried out the course's graduate level requirements.
6. Admitted students must maintain a minimum 3.0 G.P.A. across their coursework during their 7th and 8th semester-equivalents.
7. Students will formally apply for admission to the Graduate School at the beginning of the semester in which they will graduate.
8. Students may pursue either the thesis or experiential option within the MA program.
9. All other requirements for the BS and MA programs remain the same.

The Anthropology MA comprises 30 hours: 6 capstone project + 9 core requirements + 15 electives. The option to take 9 hours in the BS/MA reduces the duration of graduation school by a full semester.

General Education Requirements

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All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above). Some General Education requirements may be met in the requirements for the major or supporting coursework, in which case additional electives may be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

College/School Requirements

Program/Major Requirements*

At least 50 of the total minimum hours required must be at the 300 level or above.

*Accelerated BS/MA Requirements

During semesters 7 & 8, with their advisor’s consent, students may take for graduate credit any 500 or 600 level course with two exclusions:  1) Specific UG degree requirements ANTH 508 and a Methods course and 2) MA core courses ANTH 608 and a Research Design class. Both the latter are more suitable for students in their first official year of the MA Program. With this caveat, course selection depends on the student’s particular needs and interests.

¹

Completion of the second semester of a single foreign language; hours will vary depending on the language taken.

²

In addition to courses counted toward General Education; 6 hours must be at 300 level or above

³

May be incorporated into other degree requirements

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Fulfills General Education requirement

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Fulfills WR requirement

Flight Plan 

Accelerated BS/MA

The Flight Plan for the Accelerated BS/MA follows the first three years of the BS.

*Accelerated BS/MA Requirements

During semesters 7 & 8, with their advisor’s consent, students may take for graduate credit any 500 or 600 level course with two exclusions:  1) Specific UG degree requirements ANTH 508 and a Methods course and 2) MA core courses ANTH 608 and a Research Design class. Both the latter are more suitable for students in their first official year of the MA Program. With this caveat, course selection depends on the student’s particular needs and interests.

The Flight Plan outlined above is intended to demonstrate one possible path to completing the degree within four years.  Course selection and placement within the program may vary depending on course offerings and schedule, elective preferences, and other factors (study abroad, internship availability, etc.). Please consult your advisor for additional information about building a flight plan that works for you.

Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan, and which requirements are still outstanding. Degree audits also take transfer credits and test credits into account. "What-if" reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan.  Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.

Flight Planner
The Flight Planner tool is available for you to create a personalized Flight Plan to graduation.  Advisors have access to review your Flight Planner and can help you adjust it to ensure you remain on track to graduate in a timely manner.

To create these reports:

1. Log into your ULink account.
2. Click on the Academic Progress tile.
3. Select the appropriate report.
   1. To run a Degree Audit report, click on "View my Degree Audit."
   2. To create a What-if report, click on "What-if Advisement Report."
   3. To run a Flight Planner report, click on "Use My Flight Planner."

Click here to run a Degree Audit report, create a What-if report, or run a Flight Planner report.

Accelerated BS/MA in Anthropology  

Students accepted into the Accelerated BS/MA program take three graduate courses (9 credit hours) as an undergraduate that apply toward both the bachelor’s degree and the eventual master's degree.

Insert table or text outlining specific graduate courses to be taken as part of the accelerated option or process for selecting shared coursework here.