BS in Biological Anthropology/MA in Anthropology
The dual Bachelor of Science in Biological Anthropology/Master of Arts in Anthropology program allows students to complete the graduate degree on an accelerated timeline by completing 9 graduate credits as part of the undergraduate program. Students build on the foundation of the biological anthropology major with graduate-level work in topics like Medical Anthropology, Preventive Conservation Techniques, Gender and Sexuality and more.
Students are advised to consult their departmental advisor regarding the details of the degrees and course of study.
Application Requirements
Eligible students will apply for formal admission into the BS/MA program by February 15, through the CCAS Combined Degree Application process. Students will be recommended for admission to the MA program on the same basis as other applicants for the degree, with the final decision being made by the CCAS graduate dean.
Degree Timeline
Combined degree students are admitted to the master's program with the understanding that during their undergraduate program, they will complete 9 credits of master's coursework, which also count toward the bachelor's degree.
This leaves 27 credits left to finish out their 36-credit master's degree. Most students complete six credits over the summer, nine credits in the fall semester and nine credits in the final spring semester, totaling one calendar year beyond the bachelor's degree. During that year, they are officially graduate students and eligible for consideration as teaching assistants or graders.
Sample BS in Biological Anthropology/MA in Anthropology Schedule
- ANTH 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004 (13 hours)
- BISC 1111, 1112 (8 hours)
- Upper-level bio in organismal/sub-organismal biology (BISC) (3hours)
- PSYC 2015 (or any other option in the major requirements in this section)
- GPAC and University Writing
Fall (15 hours)
- Upper-level archaeology (ANTH)
- Upper-level biological anthropology (ANTH)
- Upper-level biology course in Cell/molecular bio (BISC)
- Two electives/ GPAC courses
Spring (15 hours)
- Upper-level Biological Anthropology (ANTH)
- Upper-level archaeology (can also be obtained in a study abroad program)
- Upper-level biology course in Ecology/Evolution (BISC)
- One electives/ GPAC courses
- Apply to the BA/MA
Fall (15 hours)
- Graduate seminar (e.g., Anth 6302)
- Four electives, including either a second graduate-level course or an upper-level undergraduate course for graduate credit
Spring (15 hours)
- Methods course (e.g. Anth 3404/3403, Anth 3838, Anth 6413)
- Anth 6103, Proseminar in Archaeology
- Three electives, may include a graduate-level course or upper-level undergraduate course for graduate credit
Summer After Senior Year (three–six hours)
- Anth 6995, Research OR Field School
Fall (nine hours)
- Anth 6102, Proseminar in Sociocultural Anthropology
- Placing-out exams in biological anthropology and/or linguistics
- Three electives (could include thesis research or internship)
Spring (nine–12 hours)
- Three electives (could include thesis research or internship)
- Hand in thesis or other culminating exercise
Course Requirements
Students take 12 graduate credits as part of their undergraduate program. All requirements for both the BS in Biological Anthropology and the MA in Anthropology must be fulfilled.
BS Requirements
The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.
Program-specific curriculum:
The following requirements must be fulfilled: 51 credits, including 21 credits in introductory courses and 40 additional credits in required courses for the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required introductory courses | ||
| 21 credits in introductory courses | ||
| ANTH 1001 | Biological Anthropology | |
| ANTH 1002 | Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| or ANTH 1002W | Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| ANTH 1003 | Archaeology | |
| ANTH 1004 | Language in Culture and Society | |
| BISC 1111 | Introductory Biology: Cells and Molecules | |
| BISC 1112 | Introductory Biology: The Biology of Organisms | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Additional required courses for the major | ||
| 12 credits in courses selected from the following: | ||
| ANTH 2406 | Human Evolutionary Genetics | |
| ANTH 3401 | Human Functional Anatomy | |
| ANTH 3402 | Human Evolutionary Anatomy | |
| ANTH 3403 | Forensic Anthropology Laboratory | |
| ANTH 3404 | Human Variation | |
| ANTH 3406 | Advanced Human Osteology | |
| ANTH 3407 | Conservation in a Changing World: Human and Animal Behavior | |
| ANTH 3408 | The Evolution of Human Families | |
| ANTH 3409 | Evolution of Primate Life Histories | |
| ANTH 3411 | Primatology | |
| ANTH 3412 | Hominin Evolution | |
| or ANTH 3412W | Hominin Evolution | |
| ANTH 3413 | Evolution of the Human Brain | |
| ANTH 3491 | Topics in Biological Anthropology | |
| ANTH 3802 | Human Cultural Beginnings | |
| or ANTH 3802W | Human Cultural Beginnings | |
| ANTH 3832 | Paleoanthropological Field Program | |
| 9 credits in biology (BISC) courses numbered 2000 or above, including at least one course from each of the following three categories: | ||
| Cell/molecular biology | ||
| BISC 2202 | Cell Biology | |
| BISC 2207 | Genetics | |
| BISC 2208 | Genetics Laboratory | |
| BISC 2213 | Biology of Cancer | |
| BISC 2214 | Developmental Biology | |
| BISC 2220 | Developmental Neurobiology | |
| BISC 3209 | Molecular Biology | |
| BISC 3210 | Nanobiotechnology | |
| BISC 3211 | Nanobiotechnology Laboratory | |
| BISC 3212 | Immunology | |
| BISC 3261 | Introductory Medical Biochemistry | |
| BISC 3262 | Biochemistry Laboratory | |
| BISC 3263 | Special Topics in Biochemistry | |
| Organismal/sub-organismal biology | ||
| BISC 2320 | Neural Circuits and Behavior | |
| BISC 2332 | Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | |
| BISC 2333 | Evolution and Extinction of Dinosaurs | |
| BISC 2334W | Integrative Biology of Fishes | |
| BISC 2337 | Introductory Microbiology Laboratory | |
| or BISC 2337W | Introductory Microbiology | |
| BISC 2339 | Parasitology | |
| BISC 3122 | Human Physiology | |
| BISC 3320 | Human Neurobiology | |
| Ecology/evolution | ||
| BISC 2581 | Human Gross Anatomy | |
| BISC 2450 | Organic Evolution | |
| BISC 2451 | History of Life | |
| BISC 2452 | Animal Behavior | |
| BISC 2454 | General Ecology | |
| BISC 3458 | Plant Comparative Structure and Function | |
| BISC 3460 | Conservation Biology | |
| BISC 3461 | Plant-Animal Interactions | |
| BISC 3462 | Plant-Animal Interactions Laboratory | |
| BISC 3463 | Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics | |
| BISC 3464 | Ecology and Evolution of Societies | |
| One course selected from the following: | ||
| CHEM 1111 | General Chemistry I | |
| CHEM 1112 | General Chemistry II | |
| CHEM 2085 | Environmental Chemistry | |
| CHEM 3140 | Geochemistry | |
| or GEOL 3140 | ||
| CHEM 3165 | Biochemistry I | |
| CHEM 3166 | Biochemistry II | |
| PSYC 2014 | Cognitive Psychology | |
| PSYC 2015 | Biological Psychology | |
| PSYC 3112 | Psychology of Adolescence | |
| PSYC 3118 | Neuropsychology | |
| BISC 1005 | The Biology of Nutrition and Health | |
| or BISC 1007 | Food, Nutrition, and Service | |
| BISC 1006 | The Ecology and Evolution of Organisms | |
| or BISC 1008 | Understanding Organisms through Service Learning | |
| GEOL 1001 | Physical Geology | |
| GEOL 1002 | Historical Geology | |
| GEOL 1005 | Environmental Geology | |
| STAT 1127 | Statistics for the Biological Sciences | |
| 6 credits in anthropology (ANTH) courses numbered 2000 and above, excluding courses in the 3400 range, ANTH 3802, and ANTH 3832. | ||
Note: The major in biological anthropology cannot be pursued in conjunction with the major in anthropology.
MA Requirements
The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Programs.
A minimum of 36 credits in graduate coursework, including 9 credits in proseminars and 3 credits in an approved methods course. Students must also complete either a thesis (for which they must register for 3 to 6 credits of ANTH 6999 Thesis Research) or a culminating journal article. The remaining credits are fulfilled with electives and, if a concentration was selected, concentration courses. Students are encouraged to plan their programs with an advisor.
Foreign language—There is no language requirement for the MA degree. However, thesis projects that require language skills will only be approved by department advisors provided students show evidence of having language skills that are required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core requirements | ||
| Proseminars | ||
| At least three proseminars selected from the following: | ||
| ANTH 6101 | Proseminar in Biological Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6102 | Proseminar in Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6103 | Proseminar in Archaeology | |
| ANTH 6104 | Proseminar in Linguistic Anthropology | |
| Students with significant background in a field, as determined by evaluation of a petition to the proseminar instructor, may waive one proseminar. Those who are permitted to waive a proseminar must take one course from group A and one from Group B. | ||
| Group A | ||
| ANTH 6101 | Proseminar in Biological Anthropology | |
| or ANTH 6103 | Proseminar in Archaeology | |
| Group B | ||
| ANTH 6102 | Proseminar in Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| or ANTH 6104 | Proseminar in Linguistic Anthropology | |
| Methods | ||
| One approved 3-credit methods course. | ||
| Thesis or other culminating project | ||
| Students must write either a thesis or a culminating journal article. Students who choose to write a thesis must register for 3 to 6 credits of ANTH 6999 Thesis Research.. | ||
| Electives | ||
| 18 to 24 credits in elective courses, depending on the number of credits taken in core course requirements. Students may choose to pursue a concentration (below), in which case any credits remaining after core and concentration requirements have been met are taken in elective courses. | ||
| In addition, students can enrich their degree through courses in programs at GW's other research centers or through the DC- schools consortium. | ||
| Optional concentrations | ||
| In addition to completing all core requirements for the degree, students may choose to pursue a concentration as part of their program of study. All requirements for the concentration must be fulfilled. | ||
| Museum training concentration (12 credits) 1 | ||
| 12 credits in courses selected from the following. 6 of these credits may be in an internship. | ||
| ANTH 6200 | Museum Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6201 | Methods in Museum Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6203 | Preventive Conservation Concepts | |
| ANTH 6204 | Preventive Conservation Techniques | |
| ANTH 6205 | Problems in Conservation | |
| ANTH 6230 | Internship in Museum Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6291 | Special Topics in Museum Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6508 | Ethics and Cultural Property | |
| International development concentration (12 credits) | ||
| Required | ||
| ANTH 6301 | The Anthropology of Development | |
| Two courses selected from the following: | ||
| ANTH 6302 | Issues in Development | |
| ANTH 6330 | Internship in Development Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6391 | Anthropology and Contemporary Problems | |
| ANTH 6501 | Gender and Sexuality | |
| ANTH 6507 | Nationalism and Ethnicity | |
| One approved graduate-level course in quantitative analysis. | ||
| Health, science, and society (HSS) concentration focus options (12 or 15 credits) | ||
| The HSS concentration offers a choice of two focus areas: medical anthropology (15 credits) and science and technology studies (12 credits). Please consult with the advisor for each focus area. | ||
| HSS concentration—Science and technology studies focus (12 credits): | ||
| Required | ||
| ANTH 6504 | Social Study of Science and Technology (This cornerstone course should be taken in the first year of the program.) | |
| One approved 3-credit methods course | ||
| 6 credits in sociocultural anthropology coursework selected from the list below. For courses not directly focused on health, students should direct their learning toward health issues to the extent possible, e.g., by selecting a health-related term paper topic. With the concentration advisor's permission, other anthropology courses, including courses offered through the Consortium of University of the Washington Metropolitan Area, may be taken to fulfill this concentration requirement. | ||
| ANTH 3503 | Psychological Anthropology (for graduate credit) | |
| ANTH 3991 | Special Topics (Race and Policing (taken for graduate credit)) | |
| ANTH 6506 | Topics in Medical Anthropology (Culture and Psychiatry) | |
| ANTH 6591 | Topics in Sociocultural Anthropology (Either Materiality: The Anthropology of Things AND/OR Anthropology of Environmental Politics) | |
| AMST 2620 | Human Mind and Artificial Intelligence (taken for graduate credit) | |
| AMST 6610 | Constructing the Natural, Unnatural, and Artifactual | |
| HSS concentration—medical anthropology focus (15 credits): | ||
| Required | ||
| ANTH 6505 | Medical Anthropology (This graduate seminar is the required cornerstone class and should be taken in the fall of first year) | |
| 6 credits in research methods courses, which must include one course in qualitative methods and one course in quantitative methods, selected from the following: | ||
| Qualitative methods course options: | ||
| ANTH 6331 | Research Methods in Development Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6531 | Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| SOC 6232 | Qualitative Methods | |
| Quantitative methods course options: | ||
| PUBH 6003 | Principles and Practices of Epidemiology | |
| 6 credits in sociocultural anthropology coursework selected from the following courses. For courses not directly focused on health, students should direct their learning, as much as possible, toward health issues, for example, by selecting a health-related term paper topic. (With the concentration advisor's permission, other anthropology courses, including courses offered through the Consortium of University of the Washington Metropolitan Area, may be taken to fulfill this concentration requirement.) | ||
| ANTH 6301 | The Anthropology of Development | |
| ANTH 6302 | Issues in Development (Anthropology of Intervention) | |
| ANTH 6391 | Anthropology and Contemporary Problems (Anthropology of Security) | |
| ANTH 6501 | Gender and Sexuality | |
| ANTH 6504 | Social Study of Science and Technology | |
| ANTH 6505 | Medical Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6506 | Topics in Medical Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6591 | Topics in Sociocultural Anthropology (Displacement and Diaspora) | |
| ANTH 6707 | Issues in Middle East Anthropology (Anthropology of State and Government AND/ OR Anthropology of Citizenship and Displacement) | |
| IAFF 6138 | Special Topics in International Development Studies (Gender and Development or Indigenous People) | |
| Undergraduate courses and graduate internships may be taken for credit toward the HSS concentration—medical anthropology focus with the permission of the concentration advisor. Examples include, but are not limited to the following: | ||
| ANTH 3503 | Psychological Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6330 | Internship in Development Anthropology | |
1Students whose primary interest is in museum techniques, rather than anthropology, are advised to apply to the MA in museum studies program. (Note that an MA in teaching in the field of museum education is also available through the Graduate School of Education and Human Development.)