Anthropology is the study of humanity. As an Anthropology major, you will join a community dedicated to understanding all aspects of the human condition, past and present. CSU Anthropology has several fields of specialization including archaeology, biological anthropology, paleoanthropology, and sociocultural anthropology.
Undergraduate students can pursue a general Anthropology degree focused on an appreciation of human diversity from a broad and holistic perspective or declare a concentration specializing in Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, or Cultural Anthropology.
The department offers two summer field schools: the Archaeology Field School and the Paleontology Field School, study abroad opportunities, and more than a dozen research centers and teaching laboratories.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Employ anthropological theory and qualitative/quantitative research methods to describe and analyze human biological and cultural variation over time and across space.
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Describe and evaluate the inter-relationships between environments, health and well-being, and human cultural and biological evolution.
- Synthesize anthropological theory, methods, and data to formulate arguments both orally and in written format.
- Articulate anthropology to non-specialists and explain anthropological concepts across subfields and/or with other social sciences and humanities disciplines.
- Transfer knowledge gained in anthropology program to a career trajectory after graduation.
Careers in Anthropology
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of anthropologists is expected to grow 4% between now and 2032. This is because anthropology majors receive broad academic training and acquire skills that are in high demand and suitable for careers the public and private sectors. An anthropology degree offers skills in critical thinking and communication, scientific research and analysis, laboratory techniques, archaeology survey & cataloguing, design survey, and awareness of the role of culture in shaping human reactions and perceptions which is critical to working in a multicultural world. Participating in internships and cooperative education opportunities is highly recommended to enhance students’ practical training and development.
Anthropology provides students with a broad academic background suitable for a variety of jobs in the public and private sectors. Anthropology majors are trained to think independently and critically, communicate effectively, and function in a multicultural world. Employers appreciate liberal arts majors for their multiple skills and their ability to adapt to a variety of tasks and work environments. Participating in internships and cooperative education opportunities is highly recommended to enhance students’ practical training and development.
Careers for graduates are available in cultural and natural resource management, international development, healthcare, project management, research, museum and collections management, education, business, and government. Graduates who go on for advanced studies can pursue careers in anthropology or attain advanced positions with the possibility of rising to executive professional levels.
Career opportunities for Anthropology graduates include:
- Museum curator / technician
- Project manager
- Cultural resource manager
- Market researcher
- Medical scientist
- Human resources / cultural affairs officer
- University instructor
- Forensic anthropologist or technician
- Project archaeologist
- GIS analyst
- Historic preservation officer
- Scientific / technical writer
- Medical anthropologist
- Rural development staff
See what our alumni are doing with their Anthropology degrees and where anthropology can take you!
Concentrations
Change of Major
To change your major to Anthropology, you can either call the College of Liberal Arts Academic Advising Center at 970-491-3117, or send them an email.
Effective Fall 2024
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AUCC | Credits | ||
| ANTH 100 | Introductory Cultural Anthropology (GT-SS3) | 3C | 3 |
| ANTH 101 | Practicing Anthropology | 1 | |
| ANTH 120 | Human Origins and Variation (GT-SC2) | 3A | 3 |
| ANTH 121 | Human Origins and Variation Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 3A | 1 |
| ANTH 140 | Introduction to Archaeology (GT-HI1) | 3D | 3 |
| CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | 1A | 3 |
| 1B | 1B | 3 | |
| Electives | 13 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| GR 100 | Introduction to Geography (GT-SS2) | 3C | 3 |
| 1C | 1C | 3 | |
| Arts and Humanities | 3B | 6 | |
| Biological and Physical Sciences1 | 3A | 3 | |
| Anthropology electives (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 3 | ||
| Electives | 12 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Junior | |||
| ANTH 400/GR 400 | History of Theory-Anthropology and Geography | 4B | 3 |
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in archaeology not taken in another category: | 3 | ||
| Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies | |||
| Study Abroad--England: Hadrian's Wall | |||
| Archaeology of North America | |||
| Geoarchaeology | |||
| Archaeology of Rock Art | |||
| Race/Ethnicity in the Ancient Mediterranean | |||
| Archaeology of the Ancient Nile | |||
| Archaeology of Ancient Roman Food | |||
| Study Abroad--Pompeii in Italy: Life and Death of a Roman City | |||
| Archaeologies of Graffiti | |||
| Colorado Prehistory | |||
| Archaeological Investigation | |||
| Digital Digging--Geophysics in Archaeology | |||
| Andean Archaeology and Ethnohistory | 4A | ||
| Archaeology of Mesoamerica | 4A | ||
| Impacts on Ancient Environments | 4A | ||
| Anthropological Perspectives on Food | |||
| Great Plains Archaeology | 4A | ||
| Archaeology and the Public | 4A | ||
| Lithic Technology | |||
| Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management | |||
| Gods, Heroes, Stones--Greek Archaeology | |||
| Field Class in Archaeology | |||
| Anthropological Report Preparation | 4A | ||
| Anthropology Curation and Exhibition Methods | |||
| Zooarchaeology | |||
| Archaeology of the Ancient Near East | |||
| The Archaeology of Time | |||
| Heritage Resource Management | |||
| Seminar: Archaeology | |||
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in biological anthropology not taken in another category: | 3 | ||
| Human Diversity (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||
| Introduction to Forensic Anthropology | |||
| Human Ecology | 4A | ||
| Quantifying Anthropology | |||
| Primates | 4A | ||
| Growing Up Primate | |||
| Human Osteology | |||
| Human Evolution | 4A | ||
| Human Biological Variation | 4A | ||
| Evolution of Primate Behavior | 4A | ||
| Evolution of Human Adaptation | 4A | ||
| Anthropology Perspectives-Evolution, Society | |||
| Bipedal Apes | |||
| Evolutionary Medicine and Human Health | |||
| Zooarchaeology | |||
| Paleontology Field School | |||
| Human Biology | 4A | ||
| The Neandertals | 4A | ||
| Human Skeleton Analysis | |||
| Methods of Analysis in Paleoanthropology | |||
| Seminar: Biological Anthropology | |||
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in cultural anthropology not taken in another category: | 3 | ||
| Anthropology of the Arts | |||
| Soundscapes-Music as Human Practice | 3C | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of Africa | |||
| Modern Indian Culture and Society | |||
| Modernization and Development | |||
| Southeast Asian Cultures and Societies | 4A | ||
| Global Mobilities–The African Diaspora | |||
| Anthropology of Human Rights | |||
| Beer, Brewing, and Culture | 4A | ||
| The Anthropology of Religion | 4A | ||
| Human Ecology | 4A | ||
| Anthropology of Sex and Reproduction | |||
| Narrative Traditions and Social Experience | 4A | ||
| Language and Culture | 4A | ||
| Art and Culture | |||
| Gender and Anthropology | 4A | ||
| Medical Anthropology | 4A | ||
| Applied Medical Anthropology | |||
| Psychological Anthropology Laboratory | |||
| Public Anthropology and Global Challenges | |||
| Indigenous Peoples Today | 4A | ||
| Development in Indian Country | 4A | ||
| Gender, Culture, and Health | |||
| Indigenous Environmental Stewardship | |||
| Cultural Psychiatry | 4A | ||
| Theory in Cultural Anthropology | |||
| Method in Cultural Anthropology | |||
| Ethnographic Field School | |||
| Cultures of Virtual Worlds–Research Methods | 4A | ||
| Psychological Anthropology | 4A | ||
| International Development Theory and Practice | 4A | ||
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in geography (GR subject code) not taken in another category | 3 | ||
| Anthropology electives (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 9 | ||
| Advanced Writing | 2 | 3 | |
| Electives | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Students must take ANTH 493 concurrently with one of the courses listed in the selection below it: | |||
| ANTH 4932 | Capstone Seminar | 4C | 1 |
| Select one AUCC 4A course from the following not taken in another category:2 | 3-4 | ||
Cultural Anthropology: | |||
| Southeast Asian Cultures and Societies | 4A | ||
| Beer, Brewing, and Culture | 4A | ||
| The Anthropology of Religion | 4A | ||
| Narrative Traditions and Social Experience | 4A | ||
| Language and Culture | 4A | ||
| Gender and Anthropology | 4A | ||
| Medical Anthropology | 4A | ||
| Indians of North America | 4A | ||
| Indigenous Peoples Today | 4A | ||
| Development in Indian Country | 4A | ||
| Indigenous Ecologies and the Modern World | 4A | ||
| Cultural Psychiatry | 4A | ||
| Ethnographic Field Methods | 4A | ||
| Cultures of Virtual Worlds–Research Methods | 4A | ||
| Psychological Anthropology | 4A | ||
| International Development Theory and Practice | 4A | ||
Archaeology: | |||
| Andean Archaeology and Ethnohistory | 4A | ||
| Archaeology of Mesoamerica | 4A | ||
| Impacts on Ancient Environments | 4A | ||
| Great Plains Archaeology | 4A | ||
| Archaeology and the Public | 4A | ||
| Anthropological Report Preparation | 4A | ||
Biological Anthropology: | |||
| Human Ecology | 4A | ||
| Primates | 4A | ||
| Human Evolution | 4A | ||
| Human Biological Variation | 4A | ||
| Evolution of Primate Behavior | 4A | ||
| Evolution of Human Adaptation | 4A | ||
| Human Biology | 4A | ||
| The Neandertals | 4A | ||
| Anthropology electives (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 9 | ||
| Electives3 | 16-17 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Program Total Credits: | 120 | ||
- 1
ANTH 274 fulfills AUCC 3A.
- 2
ANTH 493 must be taken concurrently with one of the AUCC 4A anthropology courses listed with ANTH 493 in the senior year. Using Competencies (AUCC 4A) must be taken concurrently with ANTH 493. Courses approved for AUCC category 4A taken in the sophomore, junior, or senior year and not concurrently with ANTH 493 and not included in the approved list in the program will not count toward completion of the 4A requirement for this major. Students taking Senior Honors Thesis (HONR 499, 3 credits) are also required to register for ANTH 493 (1 credit).
- 3
Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| ANTH 100 | Introductory Cultural Anthropology (GT-SS3) | X | 3C | 3 | |
| ANTH 101 | Practicing Anthropology | X | 1 | ||
| CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | X | 1A | 3 | |
| 1B | X | 1B | 3 | ||
| Electives | 5 | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 2 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| ANTH 120 | Human Origins and Variation (GT-SC2) | X | 3A | 3 | |
| ANTH 121 | Human Origins and Variation Laboratory (GT-SC1) | X | 3A | 1 | |
| ANTH 140 | Introduction to Archaeology (GT-HI1) | X | 3D | 3 | |
| Electives | 8 | ||||
| AUCC 1B and CO 150 must be completed by the end of Semester 2. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Semester 3 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| GR 100 | Introduction to Geography (GT-SS2) | 3C | 3 | ||
| Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |||
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 3A | 3 | |||
| Electives | 6 | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 4 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| 1C | X | 1C | 3 | ||
| Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |||
| Anthropology elective (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 3 | ||||
| Electives | 6 | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Semester 5 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| Anthropology electives (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 3 | ||||
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in archaeology not taken in another category (See List on Requirements Tab) | 3 | ||||
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in biological anthropology not taken in another category (See List on Requirements Tab) | 3 | ||||
| Advanced Writing | 2 | 3 | |||
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 6 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| ANTH 400/GR 400 | History of Theory-Anthropology and Geography | 4B | 3 | ||
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in cultural anthropology not taken in another category (See List on Requirements Tab) | 3 | ||||
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in geography (GR subject code) not taken in another category | 3 | ||||
| Anthropology electives (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 6 | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Senior | |||||
| Semester 7 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| ANTH 493 | Capstone Seminar | X | 4C | 1 | |
| AUCC 4A: Select one course not taken elsewhere from the AUCC 4A List on the Requirements Tab | X | 4A | 3-4 | ||
| Anthropology electives (ANTH subject code) not taken in another category | 9 | ||||
| Electives | 1-2 | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 8 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| Electives | X | 15 | |||
| The benchmark courses for the 8th semester are the remaining courses in the entire program of study. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Program Total Credits: | 120 | ||||