COURSE CURRICULUM

The Archaeology and Biological Anthropology concentration requires students to complete a structured curriculum that combines foundational anthropology courses with specialized training in archaeology and biological anthropology. The program begins with 13 units of lower division core courses that introduce the major areas of anthropology. These courses include Introduction to Biological Anthropology with a laboratory component, Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Introduction to Archaeology, and Language, Culture, and Critical Thinking. Together, these courses provide students with a broad understanding of human evolution, cultural diversity, archaeological research, and the relationship between language and society.Students then complete 12 units of upper division core courses that strengthen their knowledge across key anthropological subfields. In this section, students select one sociocultural anthropology course such as Thinking About Culture or Ethnographic Analysis, and one linguistic anthropology course such as Linguistic Anthropology or Language and Culture. They must also choose one archaeology course from options such as California Archaeology, Great Basin Archaeology, Prehistory of the Southwest, North American Prehistory, Early Mesoamerican States, or Peopling of North America. In addition, students select one biological anthropology course such as Human Paleontology, Fundamentals of Biological Anthropology, Evolution of Human Behavior, or Human Variation. These courses help students develop a deeper understanding of human societies, languages, and biological evolution.For the Archaeology and Biological Anthropology concentration, students complete 18 to 19 units of specialized upper division coursework. This includes courses focused on archaeological theory and practice, where students select two courses related to archaeological methods, ancient societies, and environmental approaches to anthropology. Students also choose two biological anthropology courses that may cover topics such as human evolution, primate biology, evolutionary medicine, skeletal analysis, or bioarchaeology. In addition, students must complete one laboratory or field methods course that provides hands-on experience in areas such as archaeological analysis, human osteology, museum methods, primate observation, or archaeological fieldwork. Students also complete an additional elective related to archaeology or biological anthropology to further expand their expertise.Overall, the major requires a total of 43 to 44 units in anthropology. In addition to the major requirements, students must complete 43 units of general education courses covering communication, quantitative reasoning, arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, physical and biological sciences with a laboratory component, ethnic studies, and upper division interdisciplinary coursework. This curriculum equips students with scientific knowledge, research skills, and practical experience for careers in archaeology, biological anthropology, research, cultural resource management, and related fields, while also preparing them for advanced academic study.