COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology at Texas State University follows a structured 120-credit-hour plan that combines general education, science-based learning, and specialized anthropology training. In the freshman year, students build a foundation with communication, government, history, and introductory anthropology courses, along with beginning modern language studies. The sophomore year expands into mathematics and life sciences, often including biology sequences, alongside core curriculum subjects such as creative arts, philosophy, and social sciences, while continuing anthropology coursework with lab components. By the junior year, the focus shifts toward advanced learning, where students take upper-level anthropology electives, interdisciplinary courses like psychology, sociology, or geography, and begin deeper engagement with their chosen minor. They also complete higher-level writing or philosophy courses and may take field or methods-based anthropology classes. In the senior year, students concentrate on specialization and practical application, completing advanced anthropology electives, a required theory course from options such as cultural anthropology or evolutionary thought, and an anthropology techniques course where they select hands-on training like geoarchaeology, bioarchaeology, or research methods. Throughout the program, students must also complete a minor—often in a lab-based science field—and fulfill elective requirements as needed. The curriculum ensures a balance between theoretical knowledge, scientific analysis, and practical field experience, preparing students for careers in research, cultural resource management, forensics, environmental studies, or further graduate education in anthropology and related disciplines.