Anthropology - Bachelor of Arts
The field of anthropology provides a broadly based education in the social and biological sciences. Undergraduate anthropology majors develop an understanding of human diversity that will benefit them in a wide variety of careers. They have particular advantage in positions that require contact with different cultures and ethnic groups or with large organizations that provide human services.
Students intending to become professional anthropologists pursue careers in teaching, archaeological research, museums, public and private cultural resource management, international development and business, human services and health care, forensic sciences, urban planning, agricultural development, and administration. While anthropology is a traditional academic discipline, it also has become an applied profession.
Today, many anthropologists hold important positions in government, business, public policy organizations, and health professions. Anthropology’s broad perspective on human diversity and intercultural relations provides students with valuable professional skills. NMSU anthropologists are committed to teaching practical knowledge and useful skills that will contribute to students’ career goals and to their intellectual development.
Requirements
The BA in Anthropology requires 36 credits, 15 in upper division core courses (ANTH 301 Cultural Anthropology, ANTH 315 Introduction to Archaeology, ANTH 355 Biological Anthropology, ANTH 350 Anthropological Theory, and ANTH 399 Professionalism & Practice in Anthropology). Students must complete all University degree requirements, which include: General Education requirements, Viewing a Wider World requirements, and elective credits to total at least 120 credits with 48 credits in courses numbered 300 or above. Developmental coursework will not count towards the degree requirements and/or elective credits, but may be needed in order to take the necessary English and Mathematics coursework.
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education | ||
| Area I: Communications | ||
| English Composition - Level 1 | ||
| ENGL 1110G | Composition I | 4 |
| or ENGL 1110H | Composition I Honors | |
| English Composition - Level 2 | ||
| Select one English course from the following list 1 | 3 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
| Professional and Technical Communication Honors | 3 | |
| Professional and Technical Communication Honors | 3 | |
| Advanced Technical and Professional Communication | 3 | |
| Writing in the Humanities and Social Science | 3 | |
| Oral Communication 2 | 3 | |
| Area II: Mathematics | 3-4 | |
Any Mathematics course found in Area II will meet the requirement, excluding MATH 2134G 2 | ||
| Introduction to Statistics (recommended) | 3 | |
| Area III/IV: Laboratory Sciences and Social/Behavioral Sciences 3,4 | 10-11 | |
Area III: Laboratory Sciences (4 credits) | ||
| Introduction to Biological Anthropology and Introduction to Biological Anthropology Lab (recommended, not required) | 4 | |
Area IV: Social/Behavioral Sciences (3 credits) | ||
The following are recommended but not required. | ||
| Introduction to Anthropology | 3 | |
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 | |
| World Archaeology | 3 | |
| Indigenous Peoples of North America | 3 | |
Either an Area III/IV: Laboratory Sciences or Social/Behavioral Sciences Course (4 or 3 credits) | ||
| Area V: Humanities 2 | 3 | |
| Area VI: Creative and Fine Arts 2 | 3 | |
| General Education Elective 2 | 3-4 | |
| Viewing A Wider World 5 | 6 | |
| Departmental/College Requirements | ||
| ANTH 301 | Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 315 | Introduction to Archaeology | 3 |
| ANTH 350 | Anthropological Theory | 3 |
| ANTH 355 | Biological Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 399 | Professionalism & Practice in Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 301, ANTH 315, and ANTH 355 may be taken in any order that best suits the student's interests. | ||
| Departmental Electives | ||
| Select additional electives in anthropology to bring total credits in major to 36, including 27 upper-division. | 15 | |
| Second Language Requirement: (required- see below) | ||
| Electives, to bring the total credits to 120 | 49-52 | |
Students must graduate with 48 upper-division. | ||
| Total Credits | 120 | |
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A grade of C- or better must be earned.
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See the General Education section of the catalog for a full list of courses
- 3
Students taking nine or more credits in a specific subject area, even though the courses are not designated as General Education courses, will have met the general education requirements for that subject area.
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All students must take one Area III: Laboratory Science (4 credits), one Area IV: Social/Behavioral Science Course (3 credits) and one additional course in either area (3-4 credits) in order to complete the requirement.
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Students must complete two Viewing the Wider World Courses (VWW) for a total of 6 credits. One VWW must be from outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the second must be from outside of Anthropology. A student may substitute three credits taken as study abroad for one of the VWW course requirements.
Second Language Requirement
For the Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, all majors must reach a one year proficiency in a foreign language (through 1120 level, completed with a C- or better) or equivalent/placement. Student who choose to earn the Concentration in Culture and Language must reach a two year proficiency in a foreign language (through 2120 level with a C- or better) or equivalent/placement. The options to complete these requirements are listed below. The number of credits that a student needs to take may vary depending on what level of language proficiency they already possess. Please speak with an advisor for more information as to which courses you will need to take to fulfill the second language requirement for this degree. Please note that language immersion courses are available through the Office of Experiential Learning and Education Abroad.
Option 1:
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of the following sequences: | ||
| FREN 1110 & FREN 1120 & FREN 2110 & FREN 2120 | French I and French II and French III and French IV | 3-14 |
| GRMN 1110 & GRMN 1120 & GRMN 2110 & GRMN 2120 | German I and German II and German III and German IV | 3-14 |
| JAPN 1110 & JAPN 1120 & JAPN 2110 & JAPN 2120 | Japanese I and Japanese II and Japanese III and Japanese IV | 3-14 |
| SPAN 1110 & SPAN 1120 & SPAN 2110 & SPAN 2120 | Spanish I and Spanish II and Spanish III and Spanish IV | 3-14 |
| PORT 1110 & PORT 1120 | Portuguese I and Portuguese II | 3-6 |
| For Heritage Speakers: | ||
| SPAN 1210 & SPAN 1220 & SPAN 2210 | Elementary Spanish for Heritage Learners I and Spanish for Heritage Learners II and Spanish for Heritage Learners III | 3-9 |
Option 2:
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete the following sequence for American Sign Language (with a C- or better): | ||
| SIGN 1110 | American Sign Language I | 3 |
| SIGN 1120 | American Sign Language II | 3 |
| SIGN 2110 | American Sign Language III | 3 |
Option 3:
| Prefix | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Challenge the 1120 or 2120 level for the following courses: | ||
| FREN 2120 | French IV | 3 |
| or GRMN 2120 | German IV | |
| or JAPN 2120 | Japanese IV | |
| or SPAN 2120 | Spanish IV | |
OR | ||
| Challenge the 1120/2210 level for the following courses: | ||
| PORT 1120 | Portuguese II | 3 |
| or SPAN 2210 | Spanish for Heritage Learners III | |
Option 4:
Pass a three-credit, upper-division course (numbered 300 or above) taught in a second language by the department of Languages and Linguistics.
Option 5:
Obtain college certification of completion of two years of a second language at the high school level with a grade of C- or higher in the second-year level.
Option 6:
By obtaining certification of a working knowledge of a Native American language from the American Indian program director.
Option 7:
By obtaining, from the head of the Department of Languages and Linguistics, certification of a working knowledge of a second language if such language is not taught at NMSU.
Option 8:
In the case of a foreign student who is required to take the TOEFL exam admission, the dean will automatically waive the second language requirement.
A Suggested Plan of Study for Students
This roadmap assumes student placement in MATH 1220G College Algebra and ENGL 1110G Composition I . The contents and order of this roadmap may vary depending on initial student placement in mathematics and English. It is only a suggested plan of study for students and is not intended as a contract. Course availability may vary from fall to spring semester and may be subject to modification or change.
| Freshman | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 1110G or ENGL 1110H | Composition I or Composition I Honors | 4 |
| Any Mathematics course found in Area II will meet the requirement, excluding MATH 2134G | 3 | |
| Survey of Mathematics | ||
| College Algebra | ||
| Introduction to Statistics (recommended) | ||
| Area III/IV: Laboratory and Social/Behavioral Science: Select two of the Anthropology Gen Ed courses 1 | 6-8 | |
| The following will count for the major: | ||
| Introduction to Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Biological Anthropology and Introduction to Biological Anthropology Lab | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| World Archaeology | ||
| Indigenous Peoples of North America | ||
| Window of Humanity | ||
| Archaeology: Search for the Past | ||
| Area V: Humanities or Area IV: Creative and Fine Arts 2,3 | 3 | |
| Second Language 1110 or Placement 4 | 4 | |
| Area I: Communications, select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Communication | ||
| Public Speaking | ||
| Introduction to Communication Honors | ||
| Area V: Humanities or Area VI: Creative and Fine Arts 2,3 | 3 | |
| Second Language 1120 4 | 4 | |
| Credits | 30-32 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| ANTH 301 | Cultural Anthropology 5 | 3 |
| Area I: Communications, select one of the following | 3 | |
| Advanced Composition | ||
| Professional and Technical Communication Honors | ||
| Professional and Technical Communication Honors | ||
| Advanced Technical and Professional Communication | ||
| Writing in the Humanities and Social Science | ||
| Second Language 2110 4 | 3 | |
| Anthropology Elective Course or Core Course | 3 | |
| General Education Elective Course 3 | 3-4 | |
| ANTH 315 | Introduction to Archaeology 5 | 3 |
| Area III: Laboratory Science Course 1 | 4 | |
| Second Language 2120 4 | 3 | |
| Anthropology and Archaeology Field Schools are typically offered in Summer | ||
| Archaelogical Field School | ||
| Advanced Archaeological Field School | ||
| Elective Course(s) | 5 | |
| Credits | 30-31 | |
| Junior | ||
| ANTH 350 | Anthropological Theory (offered Fall only) | 3 |
| Viewing a Wider World Course 8 | 3 | |
| Anthropology Elective (Upper Division) 11 | 3 | |
| Minor Course or Elective Course 9 | 3 | |
| ANTH 355 | Biological Anthropology (offered Spring only) 5 | 3 |
| ANTH 399 | Professionalism & Practice in Anthropology (offered Spring only) 10 | 3 |
| Viewing a Wider World Course 8 | 3 | |
| Minor Course or Elective Course 9 | 3 | |
| Minor Course or Elective Course 9 | 3 | |
| Summer Field Opportunities: | ||
Archaeological Field School 10 | ||
Ethnographic Field School 10 | ||
| Elective Course | 3 | |
Study Abroad | ||
| Credits | 30 | |
| Senior | ||
| Anthropology Elective Course (Upper Division) 11 | 3 | |
| Anthropology Elective Course (Upper Division) 11 | 3 | |
| Minor Course of Elective Course (Upper Division) 9 | 3 | |
| Minor Course of Elective Course (Upper Division) 9 | 3 | |
| Elective Course (Upper Division) | 3 | |
| Elective Course (Upper Division) | 3 | |
| Anthropology Elective Course (Upper Division) 11 | 3 | |
| Minor Course or Elective Course (Upper Division) 9 | 3 | |
| Elective Course(s) | 6 | |
| Credits | 30 | |
| Total Credits | 120-123 | |
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Students must take one Area III: Laboratory Sciences course, one Area IV: Social/Behavioral Science Course and an additional course in either area in order to fulfill the General Education requirements.
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Students must take one Area V: Humanities course and one Area VI: Creative and Fine Arts Course in order to fulfill their General Education requirements. Students completing the Concentration in Culture and Language may take LING 2110G for their Area V requirement.
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See the General Education section of the catalog for a full list of courses.
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Please note that immersion courses abroad are available through Study Abroad and may substitute for courses in the second language sequence. Language courses numbered 1110 and 1120 are needed for the basic foreign language requirement for the BA in Anthropology. Language courses numbered 2110 and 2120 are required for students pursuing the Concentration in Language and Culture.
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Core courses ANTH 301 Cultural Anthropology, ANTH 315 Introduction to Archaeology, and ANTH 355 Biological Anthropology may be taken in any order that best suits the student's academic development.
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Summer Course offerings commonly include ANTH 388 Archaelogical Field School, ANTH 488 Advanced Archaeological Field School, which follows logically from the ANTH 315 Introduction to Archaeology core class.
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Students are encouraged to Study Abroad or begin a minor in a related field, and a VWW course can often be an entry to a minor. Three credits of Study Abroad may substitute for one VWW requirement. Students completing the Concentration in Culture and Language may take LING 302V as one VWW requirement.
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Anthropology students often complete minors in related fields. It is recommended but not required. See faculty for advice about how to enhance your educational development with a minor.
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Please note that ANTH 399 Professionalism & Practice in Anthropology is a capstone course for the degree and ideally should be taken in the Spring of the junior year, after completion or in conjunction with the Anthropology core courses. ANTH 399 is only offered in the Spring semester.
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For summer field opportunities, consult a faculty advisor. Applications for summer field courses are usually due by mid March. Honors students in Anthropology are encouraged to seek out National Science Foundation - Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites Programs in the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
The NMSU Honors College also offers the Honors College Scholarship for a self-designed international travel and research experience. Sophomore and Junior Crimson Scholars are eligible to apply.
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A minimum of 27 upper division credits in Anthropology is required overall. A minimum of 36 total credits in Anthropology is required for the B.A. degree.