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Where to begin?

A lot of people start with Anthro 2A or 2B, and sometimes 2C or 2D. They are big lecture classes and give an excellent overview of the main branches of anthropology.

But you can also begin with Anthro 30A or 30B. These are usually smaller (30-50 students), and give a taste of current research and methods in anthropology. The topic of these classes varies from year to year, too, and are often organized around a particular professor's current research project. For example, one year, 30A might be about money, markets, and cultural meaning; the next, it might be about science, technology and society; the next, it might be about war, terror and violence (all actual topics from the past five years).

Are you interested in a particular geographic area or world region? a particular set of religious practices and beliefs? a particular set of social and cultural problems? If so, you might want to explore the offerings in the upper division classes. There is no reason not to take an upper division class (unless there are pre-requisites listed in the Schedule of Classes, of course) as you explore the field of anthropology and consider majoring in it.

The formal requirements for the major are listed below.

Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree:
University Requirements: See UCI Catalogue pages 54-59.
School Requirements: See UCI Catalogue pages 388-389.

Departmental Requirements for the Major:

School requirements must be met and must include 12 courses (48 units) as specified below:

Students are strongly encouraged to take Anthropology 180A after they have had at least three courses beyond Anthropology 2A and 2B, 2C, or 2D. Students are also strongly encouraged to take both Anthropology 30A and 30B.

The faculty encourages Anthropology majors or minors to study abroad and experience a different culture while making progress toward degree objectives. The Center for International Education, which includes the Education Abroad Program (EAP) and the International Opportunities Program (IOP), assists students in taking advantage of many worldwide opportunities. For example, EAP offers excellent opportunities to study anthropology at many universities abroad and courses taken for departmental requirement C, D, and E would be excellent choices to take. Study abroad also can provide opportunities for cross-cultural experience, field research, and foreign language training. See the Center for International Education section of the Catalogue for additional information.

Our undergraduate majors have also taken advantage of UROP and SURP to conduct independent research locally or abroad, often leading to honors' theses or presentations at conferences. See the UROP website for more information.