Earn a BA in Anthropology
The undergraduate major in Anthropology provides students with a breadth of understanding across the full range of anthropological sub-disciplines as well as the opportunity to explore one of three specializations in greater depth. The major program of study emphasizes a four-field approach, providing exposure to Sociocultural Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Anthropological Archaeology, and Linguistic Anthropology as well as their interrelationships. This holistic approach serves Anthropology’s intellectual goal to achieve a comprehensive and comparative understanding of humanity in its full sociocultural and bio-evolutionary complexity. An undergraduate major in Anthropology contributes to a liberal arts education, offering a disciplined awareness of human behavior, biology, and social institutions in different times and places. The major encourages undergraduate research and study abroad and prepares students for postgraduate studies as well as careers in law, medicine, business, international relations, development, the environmental sciences, and related fields.
General Requirements
Please see the CAS Anthropology Bulletin for more details.
All students entering as freshmen as of Fall 2018 will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, a general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience. BU Hub requirements are flexible and can be satisfied in many different ways, through coursework in and beyond the major and, in some cases, through co-curricular activities. Students majoring in Anthropology with a Specialization in Anthropology, Health, and Medicine will, through their coursework, satisfy the following BU Hub requirements: Philosophical Inquiry, Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Writing Research and Inquiry, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Quantitative Reasoning I and II, and both Social and Scientific Inquiry I and II, while also satisfying Toolkit requirements for Writing Intensive, Critical Thinking, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration, and Creativity/Innovation.
Sociocultural Anthropology Requirements
A total of 12 courses, or 48 credits, are required to complete the Sociocultural Anthropology specialization. All courses should be chosen in consultation with an advisor.
All required courses listed below are each four credit hours.
Prerequisites (2 courses)
- CAS AN 101 Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology or CAS AN 103 Anthropology Through Ethnography (only one of these two courses may be taken for credit in the major)
- CAS AN 102 Human Biology, Behavior, and Evolution
Principal Courses (4 courses)
Four principal courses are required, one from each of the following areas:
- One 200-level or above course in Biological Anthropology: CAS AN 233, 234, 263, 330, 331, 333, 335, 336, 337, 339, 534, 550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 558, 559, 588, 595, 597, 598.
- One course in Linguistics: CAS AN 351, AN 521, or CAS LX 250
- One 200-level or above course in Sociocultural Anthropology: CAS AN 210, 211, 220, 240, 243, 252, 260, 285, 290, 302, 305, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 323, 325, 326, 327, 340, 344, 345, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351, 355, 360, 362, 363, 365, 368, 371, 372, 375, 379, 382, 384, 397, 438, 505, 515, 519, 520, 521, 524, 525, 530, 532, 533, 538, 540, 541, 547, 548, 557, 560, 563, 568, 570, 571, 573, 585, 589, 590, 593, 594, 596.
- One course in Archaeology at any level, excluding CAS AR 100: CAS AR 101, 150, 200, 201, 202, 205, 206, 208, 209, 210, 215, 221, 222, 230, 232, 240, 250, 251, 261, 262, 270, 273, 280, 283, 290, 305, 307, 322, 323, 330, 331, 332, 337, 338, 341, 342, 343, 346, 347, 348, 353, 365, 370, 371, 372, 375, 390, 393, 396, 410, 430, 435, 438, 450, 480, 500, 503, 505, 506, 507, 511, 513, 516, 518, 528, 531, 532, 534, 535, 551, 556, 570, 577, 580, 590, 593.
Additional Courses (6 courses)
- CAS AN 461 Ethnography and Anthropological Theory I
- CAS AN 462 Ethnography and Anthropological Theory II
- Two Sociocultural Anthropology courses dealing with a geographical region of the world (one may be in Archaeology); the two courses need not deal with the same region. Anthropology and Archaeology courses that meet this requirement are indicated by the parenthetical designation “area” following the course title in the Courses section of the Bulletin and include: CAS AN 285, 307, 309, 310, 312, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 323, 327, 341, 344, 347, 350, 365, 367, 368, 375, 379, 438, 505, 520, 524, 532, 538, 547, 548, 573, 575, 585; CAS AR 201, 209, 210, 221, 222, 230, 232, 240, 250, 251, 261, 262, 270, 273, 283, 322, 323, 330, 331, 332, 337, 338, 341, 342, 343, 346, 347, 348, 353, 365, 370, 371, 372, 390, 438, 511, 513, 528, 531, 532, 534, 535.
- Two additional Anthropology or Archaeology courses (excluding CAS AR 100): CAS AN 210, 211, 220, 233, 234, 240, 243, 252, 260, 263, 285, 290, 302, 305, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 323, 325, 326, 327, 330, 331, 333, 335, 336, 337, 339, 340, 344, 345, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351, 355, 360, 362, 363, 365, 368, 371, 372, 375, 379, 382, 384, 397, 401, 402, 491, 492, 438, 461, 462, 505, 515, 519, 520, 521, 524, 525, 530, 532, 533, 534, 538, 540, 541, 547, 548, 550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558, 559, 560, 563, 568, 570, 571, 573, 585, 588, 589, 590, 593, 594, 595, 596, 597, 598; CAS AR 101, 150, 200, 201, 202, 205, 206, 208, 209, 210, 215, 221, 222, 230, 232, 240, 250, 251, 261, 262, 270, 273, 280, 283, 290, 305, 307, 322, 323, 330, 331, 332, 337, 338, 341, 342, 343, 346, 347, 348, 353, 365, 370, 371, 372, 375, 390, 393, 396, 410, 430, 435, 438, 450, 480, 500, 503, 505, 506, 507, 511, 513, 516, 518, 528, 531, 532, 534, 535, 551, 556, 570, 577, 580, 590, 593, 595; and any of the 600-level courses in the Medical Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Practice Program, GMS MS 605, 610, 622, 624, 630, 640, 650, 670, 677, 678, 679, 680.
Note that no more than two courses for the Sociocultural specialization can be taken from outside of CAS Anthropology
Biological Anthropology Requirements
A total of 52 credits are required to complete the Biological Anthropology Specialization. All courses should be chosen in consultation with an advisor.
Prerequisites [2 courses]
- CAS AN 101 Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology or CAS AN 103 Anthropology Through Ethnography
- CAS AN 102 Human Biology, Behavior, and Evolution
Principal Courses [4 courses]
Four principal courses are required, one from each of the following areas.
- One 200-level or above course in Biological Anthropology: CAS AN 233, 234, 263, 330, 331, 333, 335, 336, 337, 339, 534, 550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 558, 559, 588, 595, 597, 598.
- One course in Linguistics: CAS AN 351, AN 521, or CAS LX 250
- One 200-level or above course in Sociocultural Anthropology
- One course at any level in Archaeology, excluding CAS AR 100
Additional Courses [7 courses]
- Two 200-level or higher courses in Biological Anthropology or Biology from the following list, one of which may be SAR HS 251 or HS 369 from Sargent College: CAS AN 233, 234, 263, 330, 331, 333, 335, 336, 337, 339, 401, 402, 491, 492, 534, 550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 558, 559, 588, 595, 597, 598; CAS BI 203, 206, 210, 211, 213, 216, 218, 225, 230, 271, 272, 281, 282, 291, 292, 302, 303, 305, 306, 307, 309, 310, 311, 315, 325, 349, 371, 372, 385, 391, 392, 394, 401, 402, 407, 410, 411, 413, 421, 422, 423, 438, 439, 440, 441, 443, 445, 448, 449, 455, 471, 472, 475, 481, 486, 491, 492, 497, 498, 504, 506, 509, 513, 519, 520, 525, 527, 528, 530, 535, 542, 545, 546, 551, 552, 553, 560, 565, 572, 576, 577, 578, 579, 580, 581, 582, 583, 584, 586, 594, 595, 598; SAR HS 251, 369.
- Two courses in Biological Anthropology at 300-level or above
- Two courses in Biological Anthropology at 400-level or above
- One additional course in Archaeology or Biology from the following lists: CAS AR 206, 280, 290, 307, 410, 505, 506, 516, 518. CAS BI 107, 108, 114, 116, 119, 126, 171, 172, 191, 192, 203, 206, 210, 211, 213, 216, 218, 225, 230, 271, 272, 281, 282, 291, 292, 302, 303, 305, 306, 307, 309, 310, 311, 315, 325, 349, 371, 372, 385, 391, 392, 394, 401, 402, 407, 410, 411, 413, 421, 422, 423, 438, 439, 440, 441, 443, 445, 448, 449, 455, 471, 472, 475, 481, 486, 491, 492, 497, 498, 504, 506, 509, 513, 519, 520, 525, 527, 528, 530, 535, 542, 545, 546, 551, 552, 553, 560, 565, 572, 576, 577, 578, 579, 580, 581, 582, 583, 584, 586, 594, 595, 598
Note that no more than 3 courses for the Biological Anthropology Specialization may be from outside of CAS Anthropology.
Anthropology, Health, & Medicine Requirements
A total of 52 credits are required to complete the Anthropology, Health, and Medicine Specialization. All courses should be chosen in consultation with an advisor.
Prerequisites [2 courses]
- CAS AN 101 Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology or CAS AN 103 Anthropology Through Ethnography
- CAS AN 102 Human Biology, Behavior, and Evolution
Principal Courses [4 courses]
Four principal courses are required, one from each of the following areas.
- One 200-level or above course in Biological Anthropology: CAS AN 233, 234, 263, 330, 331, 333, 335, 336, 337, 339, 534, 550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 558, 559, 588, 595, 597, 598.
- One course in Linguistics: CAS AN 351, AN 521, or CAS LX 250
- One 200-level or above course in Sociocultural Anthropology
- One course in Archaeology at any level, excluding CAS AR 100
Additional Courses [7 courses]
- CAS AN 210 Medical Anthropology (required)
- Two 200-level or above courses in Anthropology or Biology taken from the following list, including CAS BI 114: CAS AN 233, 234, 260, 263, 290, 302, 311, 330, 333, 335, 372, 401, 402, 491, 492, 530, 550, 551, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558, 559, 560, 571, 588, 595; CAS BI 114, 206, 210, 211, 310, 315.
- Four 300-level or above courses in Anthropology, Biology, the School of Medicine’s MA in Medical Anthropology, or Sargent School of Public Health taken from the following list: CAS AN 302, 311, 330, 333, 335, 372, 401, 402, 491, 492, 530, 550, 551, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558, 559, 560, 571, 588, 595; CAS BI 310, 315; GMS MA 605, 620, 622, 624, 630, 640, 650, 670, 676, 677, 678, 679, 680, 691, 692; SAR HS 325, 369, 400, 430, 445.
Note that no more than 3 courses for the Anthropology, Health, and Medicine Specialization may be from outside of CAS Anthropology.