Discover the Anthropology Curriculum
Anthropology at USD offers students a stimulating intellectual environment in which to address complex human issues. Through the four-fold anthropological approach – biological, cultural, linguistic and archaeological – students will study human diversity, past and present.
Major
Anthropology majors are guided by mentors on their understanding of anthropology as a science and as a fundamental means to appreciate human and other primate diversity.
Declare an Anthropology Major!
Minor
The anthropology minor provides foundational offerings in anthropological concepts and a range of elective courses.
Explore Anthropology Courses
Read descriptions of our anthropology classes on our Courses page! Not all courses highlighted will be available every semester. Make sure to check course offerings on the registration portal for each upcoming semester.
Program Requirements
Each student declares their major(s) and minor(s) under a single catalog of record that is identified on the student's degree audit (available on Degree Works).
The program requirements below are based on the current course catalog and may not be applicable if a student is declared in an earlier catalog.
Find all previous course catalogs under on our Archived Catalogs of Record page.
34-35 units
Major
19 units
Minor
Major unit estimates include preparation for the major requirements as well as major unit requirements.
- Major
- Minor
- Learning Outcomes
Major Requirements
Students majoring in anthropology must satisfy the core curriculum requirements as set forth in this course catalog and complete all major requirements as presented in the following schedule:
Lower-Division Preparation for the Major
ANTH 101 or ANTH 111 | Becoming Human: Introduction to Biological Anthropology Becoming Human: Introduction to Biological Anthropology with Social Justice | 4 4 |
ANTH 102 or ANTH 115
or ANTH 160 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Cultural Anthropology Topics Anthropology of Everyday Life: Fieldwork, Culture, and Creative, Critical Inquiry | 3 3 3 |
ANTH 103 | Temples, Tombs and Treasures: The Relevance of Archaeology | 3 |
Total Units | 10 | |
Upper Division
ANTH 300 | Research Seminar | 3 | |
ANTH 460 | Ethnographic Field Methods | 3 | |
ANTH 495 | Senior Seminar | 3 | |
Biological Anthropology | |||
Select one of the following: | 3-4 | ||
ANTH 301 | The Human Dead: Contemporary Perspectives on Bioarchaeology and Forensic Anthropology | 3 | |
ANTH 310 | Human Evolution | 3 | |
ANTH 311 | Monkey Business: Behavior and Ecology of Primates | 4 | |
ANTH 314 | Bones: Human Osteology | 4 | |
ANTH 315 | Modern Human Variation | 3 | |
ANTH 343 | The Ancient Dead: Bioarchaeology | 3 | |
ANTH 413 | Planet of the Great Apes: Ethics of Humanity's Relationships to Other Apes | 3 | |
Cultural Anthropology | |||
Select one of the following: | 3 | ||
ANTH 324 | Environmental Anthropology | 3 | |
ANTH 325 | Food and Culture | 3 | |
ANTH 326 | Exploring Culture and Sustainability in Latin America | 3 | |
ANTH 328 | Caribbean Cultures | 3 | |
ANTH 364 | Surf Culture And History | 3 | |
Archaeology | |||
Select one of the following: | 3-4 | ||
ANTH 317 | Beasts, Bones and Biology | 4 | |
ANTH 335 | Nautical Archaeology | 3 | |
ANTH 339 | Post Medieval Seafaring and Empire | 3 | |
ANTH 343 | The Ancient Dead: Bioarchaeology | 3 | |
ANTH 390 | Archaeology of the Bible | 3 | |
ANTH 463 | Antiquities: Who Owns the Past? | 3 | |
ANTH upper-division elective courses | 9 | ||
Total Units | 27-29 | ||