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Anthropology
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hand holds a pottery fragment, Image Credit: M. Lauer

Undergraduate Program

Are you interested in ancient civilizations? Tracing humanity’s ancient footsteps? Connecting with Indigenous cosmologies and realms of thought? Breaking the chains of systemic injustices? Creating a more sustainable world? Then a degree in Anthropology at SDSU is right for you.

With 63 unique courses to explore, a BA degree in Anthropology at SDSU offers an exciting deep dive into the diverse world of human biology and culture—past, present, and future. This interdisciplinary adventure spans the realms of natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities, opening students' minds to new ways of understanding what it means to be human. 

Whether you're learning in one of our eight cutting-edge laboratories, uncovering history through an archaeological field school, practicing ethnographic interviews, or immersing yourself in an internship, you'll have opportunities to gain hands-on experience that brings the classroom to life. But our students don’t stop at studying the human experience—they use anthropological knowledge to engage with real-world issues, championing justice, equity, and sustainability for a better tomorrow.  Read our Learning Goals and Outcomes.

Potential career paths for BAs include:

  • Cultural Resource Manager: Protect and manage cultural heritage in compliance with regulations.
  • Public Policy Analyst: Influence public policies that improve social conditions based on anthropological research.
  • Non-profit Coordinator: Drive initiatives for NGOs focused on social justice, health, and environmental sustainability.
  • Corporate Consultant: Apply anthropological insights to enhance cultural competency within global businesses.
  • Market Researcher: Analyze market trends and consumer behavior to guide business strategies.
  • User Experience (UX) Researcher: Improve product design and services by understanding user needs and behaviors.
  • Journalist: Report on human interest stories and societal issues with a deep understanding of cultural contexts.

For questions about the major contact our undergraduate advisor, Dr. Isaac Ullah, ([email protected]).

Always check requirements with those listed in the official SDSU Course Catalog for the academic year in which you matriculated to SDSU. For more, read our FAQs about the major. 

Preparation for the major consists of 9 units:

  • Anthropology 101
  • Anthropology 102
  • Anthropology 103

The major consists of a minimum of 37 upper division units, at least 34 of which are in anthropology, to include:

  • Anthropology 301 (3 units)
  • Anthropology 302 (3 units)
  • Anthropology 303 (3 units)
  • Anthropology 304 or 410 or 460 (3 units) 
  • Anthropology 395 (1 unit)

One course may be substituted with another upper division anthropology course with consent of the department.

Six units selected from the following “methods” courses:

  • Anthropology 312
  • Anthropology 348
  • Anthropology 355
  • Anthropology 360
  • Anthropology 495
  • Anthropology 505
  • Anthropology 520
  • Anthropology 531
  • Anthropology 532
  • Anthropology 546
  • Anthropology 560
  • Anthropology 561
  • Anthropology 562
  • Anthropology 563
  • Anthropology 564
  • Anthropology 565 
  • Anthropology 483 (with consent of the department)
  • Anthropology 499 (with consent of the department)
  • Anthropology 583 (with consent of the department)

Eighteen additional upper division units, at least 15 of which are in anthropology, one course of the 18 additional upper division units may be selected from one of the following courses (which will also satisfy three units of the General Education requirement in IV.A., B., or C.):

  • American Indian Studies 420
  • Biology 315
  • Chicana and Chicano Studies 301
  • Geography 312
  • History 406
  • History 441
  • Philosophy 330
  • Philosophy 332  [or Sustainability 332]
  • Political Science 435
  • Religious Studies 376
  • Sociology 320
  • Sociology 355
  • Women’s Studies 310
  • Women’s Studies 382

The minor in anthropology consists of a minimum of 18 units in anthropology. Read our FAQs about the minor.

  • 6 units (two courses) selected from:
    • Anthropology 101
    • Anthropology 102
    • Anthropology 103
  • 12 upper division units in anthropology

Courses in the minor may not be counted toward the major, but may be used to satisfy preparation for the major and general education requirements, if applicable. A minimum of six upper division units must be completed in residence at SDSU.