Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Anthropology
Bachelor of Arts
Anthropology Major Requirements
The B.A., Anthropology has three tracks: cultural anthropology, medical anthropology and biological anthropology. Each track has five core courses and five additional required courses depending on the track. The total number of units for each program is 40.
In addition to the general education requirements, the following courses are required.
Cultural Anthropology Track Requirements
| Required courses, Lower-division | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 200L | The Origins of Humanity | 4 |
| ANTH 201 | Introduction to Social Anthropology, or | |
| ANTH 263 | Exploring Culture Through Film | 4 |
| Required courses, Upper-division | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 410ab | Ethnographic Field Methods and Practicum | 4-4 |
| ANTH 440 | History of Anthropological Theory | 4 |
Five additional courses are required, of which at least two must be topical and at least one must represent an area of world ethnography. The following Anthropology courses are considered topical: ANTH 300, ANTH 305, ANTH 306, ANTH 317, ANTH 333, ANTH 335, ANTH 345, ANTH 355, ANTH 360, ANTH 365, ANTH 370, ANTH 371, ANTH 372, ANTH 373, ANTH 375, ANTH 405, ANTH 407, ANTH 455, ANTH 460, ANTH 470, ANTH 472, ANTH 476; the following courses are cross-listed with Anthropology and are also considered topical: AMST 395, SWMS 336, SWMS 385 and SWMS 420.
The following Anthropology courses are considered to represent an area of world ethnography: ANTH 310, ANTH 311, ANTH 314, ANTH 315, ANTH 316, ANTH 320, ANTH 322, ANTH 323, ANTH 324, ANTH 326, ANTH 327, ANTH 328, ANTH 330, ANTH 335, ANTH 374, ANTH 425, ANTH 435x; the following course is cross-listed with Anthropology and is also considered to represent an area of world ethnography: SOCI 375.
Medical Anthropology Track Requirements
| Required courses, Lower-division | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 200L | The Origins of Humanity | 4 |
| ANTH 201 | Introduction to Social Anthropology, or | |
| ANTH 263 | Exploring Culture Through Film | 4 |
| Required courses, Upper-division | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 410ab | Ethnographic Field Methods and Practicum | 4-4 |
| ANTH 440 | History of Anthropological Theory | 4 |
Five additional Anthropology courses are required, which should include at least three courses from the following list, one of which may be lower-division: ANTH 101, ANTH 105, ANTH 305, ANTH 360, ANTH 365, ANTH 370, ANTH 373, ANTH 380, ANTH 405.
Biological Anthropology Track Requirements
| Required courses, Lower-division | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 200L | The Origins of Humanity | 4 |
| ANTH 201 | Introduction to Social Anthropology, or | |
| ANTH 263 | Exploring Culture Through Film | 4 |
| Required courses, Upper-division | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 406 | Seminar in Biological Anthropology | 4 |
| ANTH 440 | History of Anthropological Theory | 4 |
| ANTH 490x | Directed Research, or | |
| ANTH 491 | Directed Research for Honors | 4 |
Five additional upper-division Anthropology courses are required, which should include at least three from the following: ANTH 300, ANTH 305, ANTH 306, ANTH 308 and ANTH 375.
Major in Anthropology (Visual Anthropology) Requirements
In addition to the general education requirements, the following courses are required.
| Required courses, Lower-division | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 200L | The Origins of Humanity | 4 |
| ANTH 263 | Exploring Culture Through Film | 4 |
| Required courses, Upper-division | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 410ab | Ethnographic Field Methods and Practicum | 4-4 |
| ANTH 440 | History of Anthropological Theory | 4 |
| ANTH 475 | Ethnographic Film Analysis | 4 |
| ANTH 476 | Ethnographic Film Theory from an Historical Perspective | 4 |
| One course to be selected from: | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 470 | Multidisciplinary Seminar in Visual Anthropology | 4 |
| ANTH 472 | Visual Techniques in Anthropology: Stills | 4 |
| Two courses to be selected from: | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| Two 300- or 400-level anthropology courses not listed among the required courses | 8 | |
| Total upper-division units | 32 | |
Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies
The Department of Anthropology offers a course of study that leads to a B.A. degree in Global Studies. As with any degree in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, students are required to complete all applicable general education, writing, diversity and language requirements. Specific degree requirements include 16 units of required core courses within anthropology (4 lower level, 12 upper level), 16 units of required humanities or social science electives, and 8 units of language courses (in addition to the 8 units required of all USC Dornsife students), for a total of 40 units.
The 16 units of required courses in the humanities and/or social sciences must be taken in the Departments of Anthropology, Comparative Literature, History, International Relations, Political Science and Religion. Students must choose these units from a list of electives (see below). Some substitutions can be made with the approval of the thesis adviser. The choice of these courses allows students to tailor the degree to their individual needs, but students are expected to take their elective courses with a focus on one geographical area or set of issues. The 8 additional units of language may be taken at USC or fulfilled elsewhere in compliance with the same guidelines that apply to the USC Dornsife foreign language requirement.
In addition to specific course work, students in the global studies major should complete at least one and are recommended to complete two study abroad programs with at least one semester abroad during the junior year. Ideally, a student would spend one summer abroad and one semester abroad prior to the senior year.
In the senior year, global studies majors take a senior seminar in the fall semester and write a senior thesis under the supervision of a regional scholar in the spring semester. A regional scholar can be chosen from any of the six participating departments — Anthropology, Comparative Literature, History, International Relations, Political Science and Religion — and this scholar should have some expertise in the country or region where the student has spent a semester abroad. Students will receive guidance in the selection of a regional scholar to supervise their senior thesis.
International Careers
Global studies is an ideal course of study for students wishing to work for international organizations, either governmental organizations or non-governmental ones (NGOs). Along with the required core and collateral courses, the elective units allow sufficient flexibility to complete course prerequisites for regional and area studies programs, law school and business school. The global studies academic adviser can provide direction in planning course selections toward specific fields.
| REQUIRED CORE COURSE, LOWER-DIVISION (4 UNITS) | ||
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 205 | Introduction to Global Studies and Overseas Research | 4 |
| REQUIRED CORE COURSES, UPPER-DIVISION (12 UNITS) | ||
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 325 | Global Studies Research Methods | 4 |
| ANTH 415 | Global Studies Senior Seminar | 4 |
| ANTH 490x | Directed Research, or | |
| ANTH 491 | Directed Research for Honors | 4 |
| APPROVED ELECTIVE COURSES (16 UNITS) |
|---|
Humanities Elective Courses: AMST 250, COLT 102, COLT 250, COLT 264, COLT 303, COLT 379, COLT 382, COLT 445, FREN 347, HIST 180, HIST 300, HIST 324, HIST 333, HIST 369, HIST 372, HIST 384, HIST 413, HIST 456, HIST 470, IR 376, REL 315, REL 316, REL 330, REL 331, REL 332, REL 334, REL 415, REL 417
Social Science Elective Courses: ANTH 235, ANTH 250, ANTH 273, ANTH 301, ANTH 314, ANTH 327, ANTH 328, ANTH 330, ANTH 333, ANTH 335, ANTH 345, ANTH 373, ANTH 410ab, ANTH 425, ANTH 460, IR 210, IR 305, IR 308, IR 309, IR 310, IR 323, IR 358, IR 361, IR 362, IR 364, IR 367, IR 371, IR 439, IR 463, POSC 120, POSC 248, POSC 250, POSC 255, POSC 260, POSC 351, POSC 352, POSC 355, POSC 358, POSC 363, POSC 365, POSC 366, POSC 377, POSC 453, SWMS 336
Minor in Cultural Anthropology
| Required courses, Lower-division | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 201 | Introduction to Social Anthropology, or | |
| ANTH 263 | Exploring Culture Through Film | 4 |
| Required course, Upper-division | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 440 | History of Anthropological Theory | 4 |
| Two courses to be selected from: | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 345 | Politics, Social Organization, and Law | 4 |
| ANTH 360 | Symbolic Anthropology | 4 |
| ANTH 370 | Family and Kinship in Cross-Cultural Perspective | 4 |
| ANTH 460 | Economic Anthropology | 4 |
| One world area specialization course | 4 | |
Minor in Folklore and Popular Culture
The minor in folklore and popular culture provides an academic foundation for students interested in the many genres in the field including folktales, myths, legends, proverbs, jokes, games, folk medicine, and folk and indigenous musical traditions, from around the world. Through interdisciplinary course work, students will learn techniques of collecting, analyzing and interpreting the traditional expressive culture of diverse groups. Students will analyze the interrelationships of folklore and national, regional and ethnic identities. After becoming acquainted with methods of interpreting different forms of folklore, students will see how value systems are reflected in the data, so that students understand the ideological underpinnings of group formation, group identity, conflict and strategies for resolution. By focusing on the individual, informal culture, and the tension between the individual and myriad groups to which they belong, folklore provides yet another window into understanding how individuals function in complex societies. Since the field is historically grounded and culturally comparative, folklore provides important perspectives on the human condition.
Course Requirements
For the minor in folklore and popular culture, students must complete five courses, as distributed below.
| Core requirement | units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 333 | Forms of Folklore | 4 |
| lower-division courses (Choose One) | units | |
|---|---|---|
| AMST 285 | African American Popular Culture | 4 |
| ANTH 101 | Body, Mind and Healing | 4 |
| ANTH 263 | Exploring Culture Through Film | 4 |
| ANTH 273 | Shamans, Spirits and Ancestors: Non-Western Religious Traditions | 4 |
| CLAS 280 | Classical Mythology | 4 |
| COMM 206 | Communication and Culture | 4 |
| HIST 271 | Early Native American Stories | 4 |
| upper-division courses (Choose Three) | units | |
|---|---|---|
| AMST 395 | African American Humor and Culture | 4 |
| ANTH 360 | Symbolic Anthropology | 4 |
| ANTH 370 | Family and Kinship in Cross-Cultural Perspective | 4 |
| ANTH 372 | Interpretation of Myth and Narrative | 4 |
| ANTH 373 | Magic, Witchcraft and Healing | 4 |
| ANTH 490x | Directed Research | 4 |
| CLAS 325 | Ancient Epic | 4 |
| CLAS 380 | Approaches to Myth | 4 |
| COLT 311 | Epic | 4 |
| COLT 312 | Heroes, Myths and Legends in Literature and the Arts | 4 |
| COLT 365 | Literature and Popular Culture | 4 |
| COMM 384 | Interpreting Popular Culture | 4 |
| COMM 440 | Music as Communication | 4 |
| GERM 346 | German Folklore and Popular Culture | 4 |
| HIST 380 | American Popular Culture | 4 |
| MDA 330 | The Armenian Heritage: History, Arts, and Culture | 4 |
| MUSC 444 | American Roots Music: History and Culture | 4 |
| POSC 441 | Cultural Diversity and the Law | 4 |
Minor in Medical Anthropology
Medical anthropology examines the body, illness and healing from a cultural perspective, including comparative studies of folk healing systems, curing rituals and Western biomedical practices.
| Required course | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 101 | Body, Mind and Healing | 4 |
| One course (4 units) to be selected from: | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 105 | Culture, Medicine and Politics | 4 |
| ANTH 125 | Social Issues in Human Sexuality and Reproduction | 4 |
| ANTH 200L | The Origins of Humanity | 4 |
| ANTH 201 | Introduction to Social Anthropology | 4 |
| ANTH 273 | Shamans, Spirits and Ancestors: Non-Western Religious Traditions | 4 |
| Upper-division courses: four of the following (16 units): | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 305 | Childhood, Birth and Reproduction | 4 |
| ANTH 360 | Symbolic Anthropology | 4 |
| ANTH 373 | Magic, Witchcraft and Healing | 4 |
| ANTH 375 | Applied Anthropology | 4 |
| ANTH 380 | Sex and Gender in Anthropological Perspective | 4 |
| ANTH 405 | Evolutionary Medicine | 4 |
| ANTH 440 | History of Anthropological Theory | 4 |
| OT 375 | The Narrative Structure of Social Action: Narrative, Healing and Occupation | 4 |
| SWMS 336 | Health, Gender and Ethnicity | 4 |
| SWMS 420 | Woman, Nature, Culture: The Behavioral Ecology of Women | 4 |
Minor in Southeast Asia and its People
This minor allows students to supplement more narrowly defined departmental majors with a multidisciplinary focus on an area of great importance both to global developments and to cultural heritage issues in California and the United States. There is no language requirement and no required courses, but students must take one lower and four upper-division courses dealing with Southeast Asian cultures and people of Southeast Asian heritage in the United States. The focus of this new minor is on transnational connections and the new area of global culture.
| Lower Division | units | |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one class (4 units) | ||
| ANTH 250 | Race and Sexual Politics in Southeast Asia | 4 |
| ANTH 273 | Shamans, Spirits and Ancestors: Non-Western Religious Traditions | 4 |
| AMST 220 | The Making of Asian America | 4 |
| POSC 120 | Comparative Politics | 4 |
| REL 131 | Religions of Asia | 4 |
| REL 150 | Religion and Immigration | 4 |
| HIST 265 | Understanding Race and Sex Historically | 4 |
| Upper Division | UNITS | |
|---|---|---|
| Choose four classes (16 units), including at least one class from each list. | ||
| Southeast Asia | ||
| ANTH 322 | Anthropology of Bali | 4 |
| ANTH 373 | Magic, Witchcraft, and Healing | 4 |
| COLT 379 | Nationalism and Postcolonialism in Southeast Asian Cinema | 4 |
| IR 315 | Ethnicity and Nationalism in World Politics | 4 |
| POSC 352 | Politics of Southeast Asia | 4 |
| POSC 377 | Asian Political Thought | 4 |
| REL 330 | Introduction to the Religions of India | 4 |
| REL 334 | Religion and Colonial Encounter | 4 |
| Southeast Asia and the United States | ||
| AMST 377 | Legacies of Viet Nam | 4 |
| HIST 344 | The Vietnam War, 1945–1975 | 4 |
| IR 424 | Citizenship and Migration in International Politics | 4 |
| POSC 328 | Asian American Politics | 4 |
| REL 336 | Re-viewing Religion in Asian America | 4 |
Interdisciplinary Law and Society Minor
See the Department of Political Science.
Minor in Photography and Social Change
See Sociology.