Program Overview

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Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

About

Anthropology is the study of the complete human experience- past, present, and future. Success in the 21st century requires an understanding of cultural diversity and evolutionary foundations of human behavior and biology within an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. Anthropology is especially well suited to provide this perspective through its holistic approach to understanding humanity across time and space. The UNLV Department of Anthropology is committed to academic research and scholarship, the public interest, and graduate and undergraduate education in pursuit of this goal. With a comprehensive and well-integrated curriculum, we are committed to teaching and training students in a way that balances methodological and theoretical approaches in anthropology. Our department also significantly contributes to the mission of the university by offering courses and research programs that are relevant both locally and globally, and by providing an understanding of our shared humanity while acknowledging the remarkable diversity of human cultures around the world.

Learning Outcomes

• Learn the basic tenets of anthropology and evolution (Encyclopedic knowledge).
• Study the different models of the social sciences to analyze individual and group behavior (Relativistic/pluralistic stance).
• Acquire knowledge about and understanding of the basic components of social and cultural living (Individual/collective reasoning).
• Students learn about the fundamental aspects of human biological, social, and cultural behavior, both past and present. Thanks to the commitment of our faculty, students are trained in a way that balances practical empirical, and theoretical approaches in anthropology.

Career Possibilities

• Archaeologist
• Archaeologist Surveyor
• Author
• Criminologist
• Cultural Affairs Director
• Resource Management Analyst
• Epidemiologist
• Foreign Service Officer
• Forensic Scientist
• Service Conservation Officer
• Geographer
• International Development Specialist
• Lawyer
• Librarian
• Linguist
• Management Consultant
• Military Officer Cultural
• Museum Curator Diplomat
• Paleontologist
• Peace Corps Volunteer
• Policy Research & Evaluation Analyst
• Regional Planner Forest
• Social Impact Assessor
• Social Worker
• Urban Planner Journalist
• Teacher

Requirements

Anthropology (BA)

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Anthropology is the study of the complete human experience- past, present, and future. Success in the 21st century requires an understanding of cultural diversity and evolutionary foundations of human behavior and biology within an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. Anthropology is especially well suited to provide this perspective through its holistic approach to understanding humanity across time and space. The UNLV Department of Anthropology is committed to academic research and scholarship, the public interest, and graduate and undergraduate education in pursuit of this goal. With a comprehensive and well-integrated curriculum, we are committed to teaching and training students in a way that balances methodological and theoretical approaches in anthropology. Our department also significantly contributes to the mission of the university by offering courses and research programs that are relevant both locally and globally, and by providing an understanding of our shared humanity while acknowledging the remarkable diversity of human cultures around the world.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn the basic tenets of anthropology and evolution (Encyclopedic knowledge).
2. Study the different models of the social sciences to analyze individual and group behavior (Relativistic/pluralistic stance).
3. Acquire knowledge about and understanding of the basic components of social and cultural living (Individual/collective reasoning).
4. Students learn about the fundamental aspects of human biological, social, and cultural behavior, both past and present. Thanks to the commitment of our faculty, students are trained in a way that balances practical empirical, and theoretical approaches in anthropology.

Career Possibilities

• Archaeologist
• Archaeologist Surveyor
• Author
• Criminologist
• Cultural Affairs Director
• Resource Management Analyst
• Epidemiologist
• Foreign Service Officer
• Forensic Scientist
• Service Conservation Officer
• Geographer
• International Development Specialist
• Lawyer
• Librarian
• Linguist
• Management Consultant
• Military Officer Cultural
• Museum Curator Diplomat
• Paleontologist
• Peace Corps Volunteer
• Policy Research & Evaluation Analyst
• Regional Planner Forest
• Social Impact Assessor
• Social Worker
• Urban Planner Journalist
• Teacher

Advising

Please see advising information at the UNLV College of Liberal Arts Wilson Advising Center.

Accreditation

For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.

University Graduation Requirements

Please see Graduation Policies for complete information.

Modality: Fully Online, Fully In-Person, or Blended

This Program is available Fully Online, Fully In-Person, or Blended. Students may select their preferred modality at the time of admission. Those who choose the fully online option are committing to complete their entire degree through online education and will be identified as fully online students in MyUNLV. If circumstances or preferences change after admission, students may request a change in modality through the official change of major process. Academic advisors are available to help students select the format that best supports their academic and personal goals and can assist with any changes needed.

Anthropology (BA) Degree Requirements - Total Credits: 120

General Education Requirements - Credits: 35-46

First-Year Seminar - Credits: 2-3

English Composition - Credits: 6

• ENG 101 - Composition I
• ENG 102 - Composition II

Second-Year Seminar - Credits: 3

Constitutions - Credits: 4-6

Mathematics - Credits: 3

Distribution Requirement - Credits: 18-19

Please see Distribution Requirements for more information

Humanities and Fine Arts - Credits: 9

• Two courses 3 credits each from two different humanities areas - 6 credits
• One course in fine arts- 3 credits

Social Science - Credits: 0

• Automatically satisfied by Major requirements

Life and Physical Sciences and Analytical Thinking - Credits: 9-10

• Two courses from life and physical sciences category; at least one with a lab
• Analytical Thinking 3 credit course

Multicultural and International - Credits: 0-6

• Multicultural, one 3 credit course required
• International, one 3 credit course required

These courses may overlap with general education and major requirements. A single course may not meet the multicultural and international requirements simultaneously. List of approved Multicultural and International courses.

Major Requirements - BA in Anthropology- Credits: 39-40

Required Courses - Credits: 18

• ANTH 101 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
• ANTH 102 - Introduction to Biological Anthropology
• ANTH 105 - Introduction to World Archaeology
• ANTH 193 - Essentials of Data Analysis for Anthropologists
• ANTH 436 - History of Anthropology
• ANTH 492 - Anthropology Internship and Professional Development

Lab or Field Course - Credits: 3

A minimum of one lab or field course from the following:

• ANTH 438 - Ethnographic Field Methods
• ANTH 447 - Archaeological Field Methods
• ANTH 448B - Archaeological Field Practicum
• ANTH 449A - Ceramic Analysis in Archaeology
• ANTH 449B - Lithic Artifact Analysis
• ANTH 449D - Zooarchaeology Laboratory
• ANTH 462 - Human Osteology
• ANTH 464 - Dental Anthropology

Theory Course - Credits: 3

A minimum of one theory course from the following:

• ANTH 403 - Anthropology of Women and Men
• ANTH 420 - Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion
• ANTH 428 - Signifying Identities: Ethnicity, Nationality, Gender, and Class
• ANTH 455 - Archaeological Theory
• ANTH 467 - Health and Disease in Antiquity
• ANTH 485 - Language and Culture

Additional ANTH Courses - Credits: 15

Selection of remaining credit hours from the above listed and/or from the following:

• ANTH 103 - The Evolution of Everything
• ANTH 110L - Introductory Biological Anthropology Lab
• ANTH 216 - Cultures Through Film
• ANTH 301 - Peoples and Cultures of Native North America
• ANTH 305R - Arctic Anthropology
• ANTH 306 - Contemporary Chinese Society
• ANTH 311 - Cultural Resources Management
• ANTH 330 - Cultures of Exploitation, Slavery, and Terrorism
• ANTH 331 - A Global Crisis: Food, Human Health, and Climate
• ANTH 360 - Dogs, Cats and Other Beasts: Anthropology of Animals
• ANTH 365 - Bones, Bodies and Trauma: Forensic Studies in Anthropology
• ANTH 400C - Native Americans of the Southwest
• ANTH 403 - Anthropology of Women and Men
• ANTH 409 - Economic Anthropology
• ANTH 411 - Buddhism and Culture
• ANTH 420 - Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion
• ANTH 422 - Psychological Anthropology
• ANTH 426 - Medical Anthropology
• ANTH 434 - Ethnohistory
• ANTH 440A - Archaeology of North America
• ANTH 440B - Archaeology of the Great Basin
• ANTH 440C - Archaeology of the Southwest
• ANTH 441B - Near Eastern and Mediterranean Prehistory
• ANTH 441C - Peoples and Cultures of Ancient Near East
• ANTH 443 - Environmental Archaeology
• ANTH 444 - Bioarchaeology
• ANTH 456 - Archaeology of Technology
• ANTH 457 - Archaeology of Complex Societies and Archaic States
• ANTH 458 - Origins of Inequality: A Cross-cultural Perspective
• ANTH 460 - Primate Evolution
• ANTH 466 - Human Nutrition: Past, Present, and Future
• ANTH 473 - Anthropology of Violence
• ANTH 475 - Evolutionary Medicine
• ANTH 490 - Study in Anthropology Abroad
• ANTH 492 - Anthropology Internship and Professional Development
• ANTH 497A - Senior Thesis I
• ANTH 497B - Senior Thesis II
• ANTH 499 - Independent Research

Other Anthropology Requirements - Credits: 18

• Social Science - Credits: 9
• Fine Arts - Credits: 3
• Foreign Language/Foreign Culture - Credits: 6

General Electives - Credits: 16-28

See notes 1 and 2

Total Credits: 120

Notes

1. Selection of remaining credit hours for the major, college, and university requirements, and electives are left to the student. Students interested in graduate study should select these carefully and in consultation with their advisor.
2. A total of at least 42 credits in upper-division course work (300-400 level) is required of all majors.
3. Any one of the following lab or filed courses: ANTH 438, ANTH 447, ANTH 448B, ANTH 449A, ANTH 449B, ANTH 449D, ANTH 462, or ANTH 464 are Milestone Experience courses for Anthropology B.A.
4. ANTH 492 is a Culminating Experience course for Anthropology B.A.

Documents/Downloads

Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

• Plans of Study
  • 4 Year Plan
  • 4 Year Plan
  • 4 Year Plan
  • 4 Year Plan
• Syllabi
  • ANTH

• Degree Worksheets
• Careers
  • NA
• Graduate Handbooks
  • NA
• Additional Downloads
  • NA
• Related Links
  • NA

Contacts

Department of Anthropology

Anthropology focuses on the spectrum of the human experience from the past to the present. With a comprehensive and well-integrated curriculum, the Department of Anthropology teaches and trains students in a way that balances methodological and theoretical approaches in anthropology. Our courses and research programs are relevant on local and global scales, and we provide students with an insightful understanding of our shared humanity and diversity human cultures around the world.

College of Liberal Arts

The College of Liberal Arts offers students a well-rounded education in the humanities and social sciences. Students develop strong analytical and communication skills for a lifetime of learning and discovery that can be applied to a wide variety of careers.