Anthropology B.A.

Information and Policies

Introduction

The anthropology bachelor of arts (B.A.) incorporates the three anthropological subfields of anthropological archaeology, cultural anthropology, and biological anthropology, while providing undergraduates with a solid grounding in theory and methods.

Students do not declare an emphasis or concentration within the anthropology major. All students therefore are general anthropology majors and complete the same requirements. However, students can choose to take additional courses in a specific area of anthropology while completing the upper-division anthropology electives required for the major, or by choosing to take courses above and beyond what is required for the major.

Program Learning Outcomes

A student who graduates with a B.A. in anthropology has the following knowledge and skills.

Core Concepts in Anthropology

The student demonstrates understanding of the core concepts in three primary subfields of anthropology: cultural anthropology, archaeology, and biological anthropology.

Knowledge of Cultural Differences

The student demonstrates knowledge of cultural variation and the diversity of perspectives, practices, and beliefs found within each culture and across cultures.

Integration of Subfields

The student integrates cultural, biological, and archaeological perspectives on human bodies, behavior, materialities, and institutions.

Written Communication

The student demonstrates the ability to write clearly by formulating well-organized arguments that are grounded in supporting evidence while countering evidence that contradicts the student's claims.

Oral Communication

The student is able to organize ideas and information and articulate them effectively.

Research and Analytical Skills

The student demonstrates knowledge of the basic steps involved in scholarly research, including locating and critically evaluating scholarly and other information sources relevant to the chosen topic. The student can recognize and demonstrate a basic understanding of research methods used in the various subfields of anthropology, including—but not limited to— participant observation, thick description, laboratory and field analysis, and interviewing.

Understanding of Long-Term Changes in Human Behavior and Conditions in Deep Time

The student has a grasp of long-term changes in the conditions that have shaped humans and the environments they inhabit.

Academic Advising for the Program

For more information regarding department policies, please consult the undergraduate coordinator at the Anthropology Department undergraduate advising website.

All majors, including double majors, must prepare a program of study. This can be done in consultation with faculty or undergraduate coordinator. The Anthropology Department urges students to seek faculty advice early in planning for the major. Faculty hold regular office hours weekly and encourage students to come in to talk about their program, or coursework, and career and professional advising. Students planning to pursue graduate training should plan course schedules in close consultation with faculty advisors. Transfer students should consult the Transfer Information and Policy section of this program statement.

Peer Advisors

The Anthropology Department has instituted a peer advisor program as a supplement to academic advising offered by faculty members. The peer advisors are juniors and seniors who have been trained to help students with questions and general guidance through the anthropology major. Please consult the Anthropology Department undergraduate advising website for scheduling with the peer advisors.

Getting Started in the Major: Frosh

This major is not highly sequential or course intensive. Students may begin taking courses toward the major in the first year, but it is not required.

Transfer Information and Policy

Transfer Admission Screening Policy

Students planning to apply in this major are not required to complete specific major preparation courses for consideration of admission to the University of California, Santa Cruz. Transfer students are strongly encouraged to complete ANTH 1, ANTH 2, and ANTH 3 before transferring to UC Santa Cruz, however, it is not required for admission.

Getting Started in the Major: Transfer Students

Transfer Credit Toward Major/Minor Requirements

Students may transfer courses equivalent to ANTH 1, ANTH 2, and ANTH 3 from California community colleges and universities with existing articulation agreements (www.assist.org).

Students may also petition to transfer courses equivalent to ANTH 1, ANTH 2, and ANTH 3 from other community colleges or from four-year institutions.

Students may petition up to 10 quarter credits (equivalent to two UC Santa Cruz courses) of upper-division transfer credit toward the elective requirements under the following circumstances:

A student has taken an upper-division anthropology course at another four-year university (including courses taken through study abroad) and wants to petition for the course to count toward the anthropology major or minor elective.
A student was enrolled in an accredited Field School Program and wants to petition for the course to count toward the anthropology elective requirements.

Prior to Enrolling in Your First Quarter at UCSC

Complete Lower-Division Requirements

Most upper-division courses have one of the following lower-division introductory courses as a prerequisite:

ANTH 1 Introduction to Biological Anthropology
ANTH 2 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 3 Introduction to Archaeology

Confirm Transfer Credit Has Been Processed

After you have been admitted to UCSC and all your final official transcripts from other colleges have been received, the Office of Admissions will evaluate your transfer credit. The evaluation shows which of your past courses are transferable to UCSC and how many credits you have accrued. It also shows which general education requirements you have satisfied, whether you have satisfied the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), and whether you have satisfied the University of California Entry Level Writing and American History and Institutions requirements. Students access this information through MyUCSC by viewing the Degree Progress Report from the My Academics area of the Student Center. If this information is not available for your first enrollment period, contact a college or major advisor to help you select appropriate classes. It is an excellent idea to keep an unofficial copy of your transcripts from your previous schools. You should take these documents with you to all academic advising appointments.

Confirm Transfer Credit Articulates with UCSC Courses

Courses taken at community colleges or four-year universities may be used to satisfy the lower-division requirements for the major. View the UC Articulation Agreements to determine which California community college courses are equivalent to our ANTH 1, ANTH 2 and ANTH 3. Please note that courses approved by the Office of Admissions for transfer credit do not necessarily satisfy major requirements. Courses must have an articulation agreement to count automatically toward major requirements.

If your transfer credit course does not articulate with a UC Santa Cruz course, you may submit an Anthropology Coursework Petition which can be found on the Anthropology Department web site. Senate Faculty are not in service during summer, so fall admits will likely need to wait until after the beginning of fall quarter for coursework petitions to be approved.

Enrolling in Your First Quarter at UCSC

We strongly recommended that transfer students take ANTH 150, Communicating Anthropology, during their first quarter at UCSC. This course is designed to provide transfer students with a transition to UCSC coursework. It emphasizes critical reading and writing skills and is an excellent foundation for further upper-division coursework. This class fulfills the anthropological theory core requirement.

We also recommend taking only one additional upper-division course in anthropology during your first quarter at UCSC. Most upper-division anthropology courses are offered only on an every-other-year basis. Transfer students are advised to plan accordingly.

“Free Quarter” for Transfer Students with Unarticulated, Lower-Division Courses

Any student who has taken a course analogous to ANTH 1, ANTH 2, or ANTH 3 will be issued a permission code by the undergraduate advisor for courses listing ANTH 1, ANTH 2, or ANTH 3 as a prerequisite (provided the class has not reached maximum enrollment) in their first quarter at UCSC. Students must provide unofficial transcripts as evidence that they have completed courses analogous to ANTH 1, ANTH 2, or ANTH 3.

If the student fails to petition for a course substitution during their first quarter, they must receive instructor permission to enroll in courses with ANTH 1, ANTH 2, or ANTH 3 as prerequisites thereafter until the prerequisite is satisfied either by taking the class or approved course substitution petition.

Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process

Major Qualification

In order to qualify for the major, students must have received a "C/P" or better in at least one lower-division anthropology course (ANTH 1, ANTH 2, or ANTH 3) and have either received a "C/P" or better in a second lower-division anthropology course or be enrolled in a second lower-division anthropology course at the time of declaration. Transfer students should consult the Transfer Information and Policy section of this program statement.

Appeal Process

Students who are informed that they are not eligible to declare the major may appeal this decision by submitting a letter to the department chair within 15 days from the date the notification was mailed. Within 15 days of receipt of the appeal, the department will notify the student, college, and Office of the Registrar of the decision.

How to Declare a Major

Students should submit a petition to declare by completing the petition for major/minor declaration form as soon as they complete the major qualification courses or reach their declaration deadline quarter, whichever comes first.

Students petitioning when the campus declaration deadline is imminent (i.e., in their sixth quarter, for students admitted as frosh), will either be approved, denied, or provided with conditions (e.g., completion of some courses with certain grades) that will be resolved within at most one more enrolled quarter, even if they have not completed major qualification courses.

STEP 1: Make a copy of the UCSC Academic Planning Form.

STEP 2: Make an appointment in Slug Success to meet an anthropology peer adviser to review major requirements and start making your academic plan.

STEP 3: Share your Academic Planning Form Google Doc with the anthropology undergraduate adviser (anthugra@ucsc.edu). It is very important that you complete this step, as you will not be declared until you do so!

STEP 4: Complete a Petition for Major/Minor Declaration (once you have completed Major Qualifications) in MyUCSC. If you are not logged into MyUCSC, you will need to navigate to your Student Homepage and select the Undergraduate Student eForms tile > Petition for Major/Minor to access the form.

Recommended: Meet with an Anthropology Senate faculty member to discuss your major plans and academic plan. It is best to meet with faculty during their quarterly office hours or email them to schedule an appointment. The Anthropology Department does not assign faculty advisers – we suggest that you meet with a faculty member whose work coincides with your interests. In addition to reviewing the required declaration paperwork, you should also talk with the faculty member about your intellectual and career interests, graduate school preparation, opportunities for experiential learning (e.g. internships or research), and options for satisfying the senior comprehensive requirement.

If you are a transfer student, you must provide the department with an unofficial copy of your transcript from any institution where you took anthropology courses that you would like to apply to the major requirements. Please do this as soon as possible as it may effect your enrollment in anthropology courses that have prerequisites.

Letter Grade Policy

Anthropology students can choose to take courses required for the major or minor for a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) grading option. Students receive a P (Pass) for work that is performed at C level or better. However, all students must abide by the campus policy that no more than 25% of their UCSC credits applied toward graduation may be graded on a Pass/No Pass basis. The Anthropology Department does not set any additional restrictions on how many required anthropology courses students can take for Pass/No Pass. However, it is recommended that students take very few of their upper-division anthropology courses for Pass/No Pass.

Course Substitution Policy

Courses from California Community Colleges

Courses from Other Four-Year Universities

The Anthropology Department may also accept introductory anthropology courses equivalent to ANTH 1, ANTH 2 and ANTH 3 from other four-year universities but students must petition to have these courses count toward the anthropology major or minor requirements.

You may also apply up to 10 credits (two classes) of upper-division credit toward the major. These credits must be taken at four-year universities, through EAP, or through an approved field study program. The director of undergraduate studies must approve each course. For more information about the approval and waiver process, see the Anthropology Coursework Petition which can be found on the Anthropology Department web site.

Anthropology courses from other universities that are approved by the Anthropology Department will count toward the elective requirement. Students must complete the Anthropology Senior Comprehensive requirement at UCSC—course petitions will not be accepted for this requirement.

Coursework Petition Process

STEP 1: Initiate the Anthropology Coursework Petition which can be found on the Anthropology Department web site.

STEP 2: Complete and sign the form in DocuSign. It will be sent to the anthropology undergraduate advisor for review.

STEP 3: The Director of Undergraduate Studies reviews petitions to approve/deny to satisfy lower-division/upper-division elective major/minor requirements.

STEP 4: The undergraduate advisor processes coursework in MyUCSC and completes the petition, and the student saves the completed form for their records.

Approval of ANTH 1, ANTH 2, and/or ANTH 3

Anthropology undergraduate advisor processes "Other Credit Quick" to indicate satisfaction of the course prerequisite.

Anthropology Undergraduate Advisor processes "Requirement Waiver" in the Degree Progress Report in MyUCSC to indicate that the major/minor requirement is satisfied.

Approval for Upper-Division Elective Credit

If Admissions processed credit transferred from another institution, the anthropology undergraduate advisor processes the "Course Directive" in their Degree Progress Report in MyUCSC to indicate that one elective is satisfied.

If Admissions has not processed credit transferred from another institution, the anthropology undergraduate advisor processes "Requirement Waiver" in the Degree Progress Report to indicate that one elective is satisfied.

Independent Study

Independent study (or individual study) courses are opportunities for students to pursue personalized learning experiences under the guidance of a faculty member. These courses focus on either lab work (ANTH 197, Lab Tutorial), internships (ANTH 198, Independent Field Study), or general research (ANTH 199, Tutorial). We offer independent study courses for 2 credits (six hours of work per week) or 5 credits (15 hours of work per week). For more on the types of opportunities you can pursue through independent study, see our Experiential Learning page.

Enrollment Process

Step 1: Student meets with a faculty sponsor to outline the proposed work.

Step 2: Initiate the Anthropology Petition for Undergraduate Individual Studies on the Anthropology Department web site.

Step 3: Complete and sign the form in DocuSign. It will be sent to the faculty sponsor to review and e-sign.

Step 4: The student saves the completed form for their records and enrolls in class using the class number provided via MyUCSC.

Limitations

Undeclared students may not take more than 7 credits of independent study courses per quarter. Students who are declared in a major may only take more than 7 credits of independent study courses per quarter with authorization from the department. Only one 5-credit independent study course can count toward the major requirements as an elective. Independent study courses cannot count toward the minor requirements.

Study Abroad

Anthropology is a very international discipline: the classes and coursework in this department draw upon studies of many different places and peoples. Most anthropologists work in foreign countries and all engage with scholarship from around the world. Anthropology students are strongly encouraged to make study abroad part of their education and the department is currently developing a plan of study to enable students to conduct independent research abroad with which to write a senior thesis.

Anthropology students who participate in EAP can petition up to two upper-division anthropology courses taken abroad to count toward the anthropology major or minor requirements. When approved, these courses count toward major/minor requirements as upper-division electives.

Note: The Anthropology Department at most will accept up to two upper-division courses from another university—this includes universities throughout the country and courses taken abroad.

The Anthropology Department does not pre-approve EAP courses to count toward the major/minor requirements. Students must petition for EAP courses to count toward requirements after returning from abroad by completing the Coursework Petition Form found on the department web site. It is very important that students save all of their EAP coursework as it may be needed for the course petition. Syllabi that are submitted for course petitions must include detailed information about the course—brief descriptions of courses and syllabi written in languages other than English will not be accepted. It is the student’s responsibility to ask for a more detailed course description if the EAP instructor does not provide it.

Only anthropology courses taken through EAP are normally eligible to count toward anthropology major/minor requirements; however, if a university abroad does not have an anthropology department, other related courses may be considered.

Again, save all EAP coursework. It is the student’s responsibility to retain all relevant course materials for EAP programs. It can often be difficult to contact instructors after an EAP program has ended.

Honors

The Anthropology Department awards honors in the major and highest honors in the major based on a ranked departmental grade point average (GPA) that is calculated using all upper-division courses taken in the major with the exception that only one independent-study course can be used in this calculation. For students who have taken multiple independent-study courses in the department, the independent-study course that has the highest grade is used for the calculation. Approximately 15 percent of the graduating class is considered for honors based on their ranked departmental GPA through the quarter before graduation. The criteria for awarding highest honors in the major are overall superlative performance in the major (top 5 percent of ranked departmental GPA) and general breadth of excellence across the subfields of anthropology. Receiving honors on the senior comprehensive requirement is also considered as a factor in awarding highest honors, but is not always determinative.

Anthropology Website

The Anthropology website outlines information on department procedures and requirements, program planning, independent study, faculty interests, and campus resources for anthropology majors.

Requirements and Planners

Course Requirements

To graduate with an anthropology major, students must successfully complete the following courses:

Lower-Division Courses

ANTH 1	Introduction to Biological Anthropology	5
ANTH 2	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology	5
ANTH 3	Introduction to Archaeology	5

For information on receiving credit for lower-division coursework taken at other institutions, see the section Transfer Credit Toward Major/Minor Requirements.

Upper-Division Courses

Ten upper-division courses

Five core requirements

one course in anthropological theory
one course in sociocultural anthropology
one course in regional specialization
one course in archaeology
one course in biological, medical or environmental anthropology

For course offerings, see the section Courses in Anthropology by Category. Students may not substitute coursework from another program or institution for core courses.

Four anthropology electives (any additional upper-division anthropology courses)

Two-credit courses do not count toward the 10 upper-division courses required for the major. Only one 5-credit individual studies course (ANTH 197, ANTH 198, or ANTH 199) may be counted toward the 10 required upper-division courses. Theory courses can only be counted toward the theory requirement or an upper-division elective. See the section on Transfer Credit Toward Major/Minor Requirements for information on receiving credit for upper-division coursework taken at other institutions to be applied toward electives.

Students who are given permission to take a graduate seminar in anthropology may use the course to satisfy an upper division elective.

Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement

Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division disciplinary communication (DC) requirement. Anthropology’s DC requirement aims especially at cultivating high-level skills in critical and ethnographic writing.

To satisfy the DC requirement students must complete a senior seminar series course or complete an independent senior thesis following the guidelines below.

Senior Seminar

Either a course in the ANTH 194 series or a course in the ANTH 196 series.

Senior Thesis

	Either these courses
ANTH 195A	Biological Anthropology Senior Thesis Series: Research Design	5
ANTH 195B	Biological Anthropology Senior Thesis Series: Guided Laboratory Research	2
ANTH 195C	Biological Anthropology Senior Thesis Series: Thesis Writing	5
	or this course
ANTH 195S	Senior Thesis	5

Students should only enroll in ANTH 195S during the quarter in which they intend to submit their thesis.

Comprehensive Requirement

Students can fulfill the senior comprehensive requirement in anthropology either by passing a senior seminar (ANTH 194/ANTH 196-series course) or by writing an acceptable independent senior thesis (ANTH 195S or ANTH 195A, ANTH 195B and ANTH 195C).

Senior seminars are small, writing-intensive classes focusing on advanced topics in anthropology. The prerequisite for admission to a senior seminar is successful completion of courses ANTH 1, ANTH 2, and ANTH 3; senior seminars are restricted to senior anthropology majors.

Students considering an independent thesis must arrange for the sponsorship and support of a faculty member before beginning research. An independent senior thesis (not written within a senior seminar) should be based on original research and reflect the student’s understanding of fundamental theories and issues in anthropology. The thesis should be comparable in content, style, and length (generally 25–30 pages) to a professional journal article in its subfield. Students who wish to complete the senior comprehensive requirement through and independent thesis will enroll in a section of ANTH 195S supervised by their thesis sponsor or ANTH 195A, ANTH 195B and ANTH 195C series.

The senior comprehensive requirement can be satisfied in one of two ways:

Senior Seminar

Either a course in the ANTH 194 series or a course in the ANTH 196 series.

Senior Thesis

Students who are interested in completing their senior comprehensive requirement by independent thesis, rather than seminar, must arrange for the sponsorship and support of a faculty member before beginning research. An independent senior thesis should be based on original research and reflect the student’s understanding of fundamental theories and issues in anthropology. The thesis should be comparable in content, style, and length (generally 25-30 pages) to a professional journal article in its subfield.

Students who plan to write an independent senior thesis must begin planning well in advance—typically three quarters before they plan to graduate. The senior thesis process usually takes about a full academic year and requires that students be highly self-motivated and committed to their thesis topic. Most students spend at least one quarter conducting research and one quarter writing the thesis.

	Either this course
ANTH 195S	Senior Thesis	5
	or these courses
ANTH 195A	Biological Anthropology Senior Thesis Series: Research Design	5
ANTH 195B	Biological Anthropology Senior Thesis Series: Guided Laboratory Research	2
ANTH 195C	Biological Anthropology Senior Thesis Series: Thesis Writing	5

Course enrollment options

Students who wish to complete the senior comprehensive requirement through an independent thesis will either enroll in a section of ANTH 195S supervised by their thesis sponsor or enroll in ANTH 195A, ANTH 195B, and ANTH 195C. Students interested in biological anthropology should reach out to faculty in this subfield to discuss their plans and see if enrollment in the series is an option.

Thesis topics and examples

Senior theses have been based on independent ethnographic studies, life histories, and laboratory analyses of archaeological or osteological remains. Copies of past senior theses are available for review in the Ethnographic Library (328 Social Sciences 1) to give students a sense for the range of topics available for study and the appropriate structure, scope, and style of senior theses. These documents may not be removed from the library.

Senior thesis process and submission

STEP 1: Choose a topic. This can be developed independently or with a faculty member. Students interested in biological anthropology topics should enroll in ANTH 195A for support.

Students can review examples of past senior theses in the Ethnographic Library (see details above).

STEP 2: Identify an Anthropology senate faculty member who will sponsor and advise you on your thesis. Arrange to meet during office hours with a faculty member with whom you have taken a course and who has research expertise related to your proposed topic.

If you intend to do ethnographic fieldwork, do not start research until after you have consulted with your thesis sponsor.

STEP 3: If the research for your thesis involves work with either human subjects or animals, then you must talk to your thesis sponsor regarding the Human Subjects or CARC applications.

Students must submit and gain approval on a Human Subjects or CARC application to present or publish any findings from thesis research.

STEP 4: Conduct your thesis research. You may elect to take one to two independent study courses (ANTH 197, 198, or 199) with your thesis adviser or take ANTH 195B so that you can receive units for your research.

Only one, 5-unit independent study course may be counted towards upper-division major requirements.

STEP 5: Enroll in ANTH 195S or ANTH 195C and write your thesis. For format, rules, and style information, talk to your thesis advisor and see the American Anthropological Association’s Style Guide.

Your senior thesis must be submitted by the end of the quarter in which you are enrolled for ANTH 195S or ANTH 195C.

STEP 6: The final draft of your senior thesis must be submitted to the department so that the Anthropology Undergraduate Advisor can confirm completion of the senior comprehensive requirement when processing major checklists for graduation.*

Please visit the Anthropology Department web site for the Senior Thesis Submission and Evaluation Form

*After completing the senior thesis submission form, students will automatically be redirected to DocuSign, where they’ll be asked to confirm authorization to share the thesis by signing their initials on a form. This is required. Students will be prompted to upload a copy of the thesis again, which will be appended to the DocuSign form.

Honors review

If your faculty sponsor determines that your completed thesis warrants review for honors, they will select another senate faculty member from the Department of Anthropology to review as a second reader. The second reader will confirm whether the thesis merits honors.

Planners

The tables below are for informational purposes and do not reflect all university, general education, and credit requirements. See Undergraduate Graduation Requirements for more information.

The following are two sample academic plans: (1) a four-year plan for frosh students as preparation for the anthropology B.A. major and (2) a two-year plan for transfer students for the anthropology B. A. major. ANTH 1 and ANTH 3 satisfy the SI general education requirement, and ANTH 2 satisfies the CC general education requirement.

Four-Year Plan

Year	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Entering				College 1A
				Summer Edge (optional)

1st (frosh)	ANTH 1	ANTH 2	ANTH 3
	College 1	WRIT 1/WRIT 1E (if needed)

2nd (soph)	Bio/Med/Env	Sociocultural	Archaeology
	WRIT 2**

3rd (junior)	Theory	Regional	Upper-division elective
			Upper-division elective

4th (senior)	Upper-division elective	Upper-division elective	Senior Seminar*

*Alternatives listed in the section Requirements of the B.A.

** WRIT 2 should be taken in or before spring quarter of the second year.

Students must complete all other GE requirements, some of which are satisfied by anthropology courses.

Two-Year Plan

Year	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
Entering				KRSG 1T
				Summer Edge (optional)

3rd (junior)	Theory	Regional	Archaeology
	Upper-division elective	Sociocultural	Bio/Med/Env

4th (senior)	Upper-division elective	Upper-division elective	Senior Seminar*
	Upper-division elective

*Alternatives listed in the section Requirements of the B.A.

It is assumed that a student has completed ANTH 1, ANTH 2, and ANTH 3 before transferring to UCSC.