Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology is offered by the Department of Anthropology. Anthropology is the study of human origins, development, and diversity. Anthropologists explore the ways in which people understand and adapt to living in a variety of settings, ranging from urban environments to rural villages, all over the world and across time. Anthropologists are interested in investigating such questions as: What does it mean to be human? What are the historical, social, political, economic, and environmental pressures that have helped shape the experiences of particular groups of people? How do human beings interact with the physical environment? Does the language that one speaks affect the ways in which one thinks and experiences the world?

The Anthropology major at Temple is organized according to two thematic areas of anthropology: "Evolution and Human Environments" and "Mobility and Global Inequality." These two areas allow us to offer students the tools they will need to work and thrive in an increasingly multicultural and multilingual globalized world. Laboratory facilities, internships, fieldwork, and experiential learning courses provide students with practical experiences.

The Anthropology major is intended to give students a foundation in the discipline of anthropology. Each thematic area of anthropology at Temple requires the development of a number of skills, including: formulating hypotheses; developing research programs and proposals; applying theories to the interpretation of artifacts and other data; and gathering ethnographic information through participant-observation. There is sufficient flexibility in the requirements for the Anthropology major so that a student with a specific interest can focus their program of study in that area—or not, if a more general program is of interest.

With its focus on human diversity and its emphasis on cultural relativism, the Anthropology major well prepares students for the issues they are likely to encounter in today's workplaces. At Temple we offer a number of courses on such topics as the Anthropology of Policy, Medical Anthropology, and Anthropology of the Family, which prepare students for careers in public administration, social work, health policy, and other aspects of public policy-related work, in addition to professional careers in fields such as business, law and medicine. Anthropology students are also well-prepared to participate in activities which call for cultural sensitivity and an understanding of cultural differences, such as the teaching of English as a foreign language and other work with immigrant communities or work in the global marketplace. A variety of courses on archaeology prepare students for careers in the field of cultural resources management and historic preservation.

Campus Location: Main

Program Code: LA-ANTH-BA

Distinction in Major

Anthropology majors may graduate with distinction in the major if they have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Contact Information

Kimberly Williams, Anthropology Department Chair
608 Gladfelter Hall
215-204-7775
kimberwilliams@temple.edu

Michael Hesson, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Anthropology Advisor
662 Gladfelter Hall
mhesson@temple.edu

Joseph DelMastro, Administrator
609 Gladfelter Hall
joseph.delmastro@temple.edu

Learn more about the Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology.

These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2025-2026. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2025 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.

Summary of Degree Requirements

University Requirements

• MATH 0701 (4 s.h.) and/or ENG 0701 (4 s.h.), if required by placement testing.
• All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. All Anthropology majors take one writing-intensive methods course selected from: ANTH 3196, ANTH 3396, ANTH 3596, or ANTH 3796, and a capstone writing intensive course, ANTH 4097.
• Students must complete requirements of the General Education (GenEd) Program. See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details.

College of Liberal Arts Requirements

• Completion of a minimum of 123 credits, including:
  • 90 credits in CLA/CST courses;
  • 45 credits of which must be at the upper level (numbered 2000-4999).
    • For Social Science majors, 6 upper level credits (numbered 2000-4999) must be taken in Humanities Subject Areas: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek (Ancient), Greek and Roman Classics, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Philosophy, Religion, Russian, and Spanish in the College of Liberal Arts, Art History in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, or any department in the College of Science and Technology.
  • A minimum GPA of 2.0, cumulatively, in CLA/CST coursework, and in the major.
  • Only courses in which a student receives a grade of at least C- can satisfy GenEd, major, minor, or CLA Foreign Language and Global Studies requirements.
  • Professional Development Requirement
    • All students in the College of Liberal Arts are required to take a 1 credit seminar in professional development. CLA 1002 Professional Development for Liberal Arts Majors is the appropriate course option for this major. Other courses that fulfill this requirement may be found on the CLA College Requirements page. Only one course in this category may count towards graduation.
  • Foreign Language/Global Studies Requirements:
    • All students must complete or test out of the first and second levels of a foreign language - these courses are numbered 1001 and 1002;
    • All students must complete at least one course from the GenEd Global/World Society category; and
    • All Bachelor of Arts students must complete one of the following options:
      • Third semester of a foreign language;
      • Demonstrated proficiency beyond the third semester in a foreign language (placement exam or certification from the language department);
      • Take one Global Studies course from the list on the CLA College Requirements page;
      • Study Abroad at an approved program; or
      • Take a second General Education Global/World Society course.
    • Notes on Foreign Language Study
      • The third level of language is numbered 1003 in French, Spanish, and Portuguese and numbered 2001 in all other foreign language subjects.
      • Students are strongly encouraged to take the third level of a foreign language as it is the minimum required for election to the prestigious honor society Phi Beta Kappa. (Taking the course does not guarantee admission but not taking it guarantees exclusion.)
      • See the College of Liberal Arts Policies section of this Bulletin for more information on the Foreign Language Placement, Regression in Coursework, and guidelines for students' other experiences with language.

General Electives are typically one-third of a student's program of study and can be focused on a second major, a minor, or towards some other personal enrichment or professional goals. See an academic advisor for assistance in developing an academic plan for these courses.

Major Requirements (33 credits)

¹

It is anticipated that at least six of the electives in Anthropology will be taken at the 2000 level or higher so as to double-count against the minimum requirement of 45 upper level credits to allow students maximum flexibility in their program.

²

Electives may not have been used to satisfy other requirements of the major.

Suggested Academic Plan

Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

Suggested Plan for New Students Starting in the 2025-2026 Academic Year

¹

Anthropology Electives: It is anticipated that at least six of the electives in Anthropology will be taken at the 2000 level or higher so as to double-count against the minimum requirement of 45 upper level credits to allow students maximum flexibility in their program.