Anthropology, Bachelor of Arts
Program Overview
The Anthropology Program strives to fulfill its responsibilities by providing quality undergraduate academic education in anthropology. Emphasis is placed on exposing students to a holistic approach to anthropology that incorporates three major subfields--cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, and archaeology. A major or minor in anthropology is especially appropriate for professionals closely involved with people. Our graduates acquire skills useful in many careers rather than just skills applicable to one job. Students trained in our program should have acquired oral and written communication skills, research skills, and "people" or "sociocultural" skills which qualify them well for careers in international business, government, politics, criminal justice, social work, and medicine or other health-related professions. Our graduates are especially well prepared to practice in south Texas or a comparable area made special by the meeting of different cultures.
Specific graduation requirements for this program beyond university bachelor’s degree requirements.
A student graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology is required to demonstrate proficiency (beginning, intermediate or advanced) in a foreign language. Proficiency can be demonstrated by:
- Earning 6 credits of foreign language through successful completion of coursework
- Earning 6 credits through a foreign language college credit exam (e.g., AP, CLEP, International Baccalaureate)
- Demonstrating proficiency by meeting the WebCAPE scores approved by the Department of Writing and Language Studies
- Demonstrating proficiency by an exam approved by the Department of Writing and Language Studies
Core Curriculum - 42 hours
The Core Curriculum serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must achieve core student learning outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility, by completing courses within each category or component area of the Core Curriculum as outlined below.
The University has approved specific courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements. Approved courses can be found on the Core Curriculum Page. Students seeking the most efficient way to complete the core curriculum and major or minor requirements are advised to take approved courses that can fulfill both requirements. Although core curriculum courses can also be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, earned credits hours are only applied once.
Major Requirements - 42 hours
Required Courses - 15 hours
Anthropology Core:
Choose one:
| ANTH 1302 | Human Cultures in World Prehistory |
| ANTH 1354 | The Anthropology of Expressive Culture |
| ANTH 2311 | Global Health and Social Justice: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Illness and Inequality |
Social and Behavioral Sciences:
If ANTH 1324, ANTH 2302 or ANTH 2351 are used to fulfill core curriculum credit hours, students must take an additional social behavioral science course from the core curriculum list below to fulfill anthropology major requirement credit hours.
Choose from:
Prescribed Electives - 27 hours
Choose from:
Free Electives - 36 hours
Free elective credit hours at the advanced level may be needed to achieve the institutional minimum of 42 advanced hours.
Total Credit Hours: 42
Total Credit Hours: 120
View this program’s recommended roadmap to graduation.
UTRGV Roadmaps are a suggested sequence of courses designed to assist students in completing their undergraduate degree requirements. This is a term-by-term sample roadmap of courses required to complete the degree. Students must satisfy all requirements in their catalog including, but not limited to course prerequisites, grade point average and course grade benchmarks, progression requirements, and graduation requirements.
Students should meet with their academic advisor every semester to discuss their individualized path toward completion. Degree progress within this roadmap depends upon such factors as course availability, individual student academic preparation and readiness, student time management, work and personal responsibilities, and financial considerations. Students may choose to take courses during summer terms to reduce course loads during long semesters.