Anthropology is the comparative study of human diversity through time and across the world. Its scope spans the humanities, the social sciences, and the biological, physical, and evolutionary sciences. As a history of the human species, anthropology studies all human biological and behavioral variation, including nonhuman primates, from the earliest fossil records to the present. Anthropology uncovers the patterns of past and present societies and seeks to understand the ways cultural meaning and political power have shaped human experience.
At the University of Wisconsin–Madison, anthropology consists of three subfields:
- archaeology — the investigation and analysis of the remains from past cultures, uncovered through excavation;
- biological anthropology — the study of human evolution and the roots of the biological and genetic diversity found among contemporary peoples; and
- sociocultural anthropology — the comparative study of society, politics, economy, and culture, whether in historical times or today.
Students can also take classes in anthropological linguistics, the analysis of language and its place in social life. Comparative and empirical work—and fieldwork in particular—are the hallmarks of anthropology on this campus.
How to Get in
| Requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| How to get in | No application required. All students who meet the requirements listed below are eligible to declare. For information on how to declare, visit Advising & Careers. |
| Courses required to get in | None |
| GPA requirements to get in | None |
| Credits required to get in | None |
| Other | None |
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
| Mathematics | Complete the University General Education Requirements for Quantitative Reasoning A (QR-A) and Quantitative Reasoning B (QR-B) coursework. |
| Language |
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| L&S Breadth |
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| Liberal Arts and Science Coursework | Complete at least 108 credits. |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | Complete at least 60 credits at the intermediate or advanced level. |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one major. |
| Total Credits | Complete at least 120 credits. |
| UW-Madison Experience |
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| Quality of Work |
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Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.
Requirements for the Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO 105 | Principles of Biological Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTHRO 300 | Cultural Anthropology: Theory and Ethnography | 3 |
| Complete two: | 6 | |
| Principles of Archaeology | ||
| The Emergence of Human Culture | ||
| The Origins of Civilization | ||
| ANTHRO 490 | Undergraduate Seminar | 3 |
| ANTHRO electives | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all ANTHRO and major courses
- 2.000 GPA in 15 upper-level major credits in residence1
- 15 credits in ANTHRO, taken on campus
- 1
ANTHRO 300 and above are upper-level, with the exception of Quechua and Yucatec Maya language courses (ANTHRO/LACIS 361, ANTHRO/LACIS 362, ANTHRO/LACIS 363, ANTHRO/LACIS 364, ANTHRO/LACIS 376, ANTHRO/LACIS 377).
Honors in the Major
Students may declare Honors in the Major in consultation with the Anthropology major advisor.
Honors in the Major Requirements
To earn Honors in the Major, students must satisfy both the requirements for the Anthropology major (above) and the following additional requirements:
- Earn a 3.300 University GPA
- Earn a 3.300 GPA for all ANTHRO and major courses
- Complete the following coursework:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Anthropology (complete one): | 3 | |
| Principles of Biological Anthropology | ||
| Hominoid Evolution | ||
| Human Skeletal Anatomy | ||
| Heredity, Environment and Human Populations | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| The Evolution of the Genus, Homo | ||
| Introduction to Primatological Research | ||
| Study Abroad: Topics in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Primate Behavioral Ecology | ||
| Seminar in Evolutionary Theory | ||
| Seminar-Current Problems in Paleoanthropology | ||
| Biology of Mind | ||
| Primate Conservation | ||
| Cultural Anthropology (complete one): | 3 | |
| Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity | ||
| Global Language Issues | ||
| Introduction to Social Medicine | ||
| Cut 'n' Mix: Music, Race, and Culture in the Caribbean | ||
| Latin America: An Introduction | ||
| Introduction to Culture and Health | ||
| Africa: An Introductory Survey | ||
| Cultural Anthropology: Theory and Ethnography | ||
| Indians of North America | ||
| Music, Race, And Culture in Brazil | ||
| Anthropology of Religion | ||
| Family, Kin and Community in Anthropological Perspective | ||
| Economic Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to the Anthropology of Japan | ||
| Elementary Quechua | ||
| Elementary Quechua | ||
| Intermediate Quechua | ||
| Advanced Quechua | ||
| Medical Anthropology | ||
| First Semester Yucatec Maya | ||
| Second Semester Yucatec Maya | ||
| Historical Anthropology | ||
| American Indian Women | ||
| Anthropology by Women | ||
| Study Abroad: Topics in Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Symbolic Anthropology | ||
| Ethnobotany | ||
| Anthropology, Environment, and Development | ||
| Psychological Anthropology | ||
| Anthropology and Education | ||
| Human Language | ||
| Archaeological Anthropology (complete one): | 3 | |
| Archaeology and the Prehistoric World | ||
| Principles of Archaeology | ||
| Dimensions of Material Culture | ||
| Topics in Archaeology | ||
| The Emergence of Human Culture | ||
| The Origins of Civilization | ||
| Prehistory of Africa | ||
| Lithics and Archaeology | ||
| Ancient Technology and Invention | ||
| Archaeology of Wisconsin | ||
| Field Course in Archaeology | ||
| Bones for the Archaeologist | ||
| Study Abroad: Topics in Archaeology | ||
| Ethnobotany | ||
| Archaeological Methods of Curation | ||
| ANTHRO 490 | Undergraduate Seminar | 3 |
| or a seminar chosen from: | ||
| Seminar in Evolutionary Theory | ||
| Seminar-Current Problems in Paleoanthropology | ||
| Problems in Anthropology | ||
| ANTHRO 681 & ANTHRO 682 | Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | 6 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
Learning Outcomes
- Acquire specialized training in anthropological research.
- Obtain comparative global knowledge of human diversity, material culture, culture history, and the evolution of people’s relationships with the physical, cultural, and natural world.
- Gain an awareness of ethnographic, archaeological and bio‐anthropological ethics practice and research.
- Distinguish between empirical and speculative narratives and claims about human diversity past and present.
Four-Year Plan
This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANTHRO 100-200 level course | 3 | ANTHRO 100-200 level course | 3 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | Ethnic Studies course in ANTHRO | 3 |
| Communication A | 3 | Literature Breadth | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning A | 3 | Physical Science Breadth | 3 |
| Foreign Language (if needed) | 4 | Foreign Language (if needed) | 4 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANTHRO 200-300 level course | 3 | Communication B | 3-4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning B | 4 | ANTHRO 200-300 level course | 3 |
| Literature Breadth | 3 | Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | I/A COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if BS) | 3 |
| INTER-LS 210 | 1 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Declare the Major | ANTHRO 300-600 level elective | 3 | |
| ANTHRO 300-600 level elective | 3 | ANTHRO 300-600 level elective | 3 |
| Humanities Breadth | 3 | Humanities Breadth | 3 |
| I/A COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if BS) | 3 | Electives | 5 |
| Elective | 4 | ||
| 13 | 14 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANTHRO 490 | 3 | ANTHRO 300-600 level elective | 3 |
| Electives | 12 | Electives | 12 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Advising and Careers
Declare or Cancel This Major
Please follow the process described on the Anthropology website.
SuccessWorks
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Through one-on-one career advising, events, and resources, you can explore career options, build valuable internship and research experience, and connect with supportive alumni and employers who open doors of opportunity.
- What you can do with your major (Major Skills & Outcomes Sheets)
- Make a career advising appointment
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Try “Jobs, Internships, & How to Get Them,” an interactive guide in Canvas for enrolled UW–Madison students