Course Information

Undergraduate Courses

Anth 101. Human Biocultural Origins 
Humankind's place in nature; fossil evidence for hominid evolution; evolutionary theory; racial, clinal and genetic variability; relationship of physical and cultural adaptations; the rise of civilization. Note: Cannot be used for General Education in combination with Geography 101 or 103.

Anth 102. Introduction to Socio-Cultural Anthropology 
Cross-cultural survey of systems of social, political, and economic organization, language, gender, kinship, religion, and subsistence; culture change and intercultural connections; ethnographic field methods and theories of culture; contemporary applications.

Anth 301. Principles of Biological Anthropology
Theory and method in biological Anthropology. Hands-on collection and interpretation of data in primate comparative anatomy, human evolution, human skeletal biology, human adaptability, and primate behavioral observation.

Anth 302. Principles of Archaeology
History, method, and theory of archaeological data acquisition and interpretation. Methods of data recovery and analysis suitable to resolution of historical and processual questions. Archaeological examples from a worldwide sample of prehistoric and historic societies.

Anth 303. Principles of Socio-Cultural Anthropology
Development of theories which explain nature of culture and cultural variation. Applications of theory of culture to field methods in ethnography and interpretation of ethnographic findings.

Anth 304. Principles of Anthropological Linguistics
Structural nature of language. How languages differ, change and influence each other. Language families of the world. Significance of language for human social life in a variety of cultures.

Anth 312. Archaeological Field Techniques
Archaeological excavation of significant sites in San Diego. Techniques of excavation, recording, and surveying.

Anth 348. Historical Archaeology 
How historical texts and archaeological artifacts are used to understand colonial expansion and indigenous response across the globe over last half millennium. Incorporates native and European worldviews in investigation of archaeological sites from historical times.

Anth 349. Roots of Civilizations 
Origins and major attributes common to civilizations. Form and function of fundamental characteristics in different civilizations. Examples taken from Africa, Asia, the Near East and the New World.

Anth 350. Cultures Around the Globe 
Cultural patterns of representative peoples. Industries, arts, social organization and supernaturalism considered with view to environmental adjustment, historical development and functional interrelation. Ethnological theories reviewed and applied in interpreting illustrative societies.

Anth 353. Sustainability and Culture 
Examination of efforts of Anthropology to understand sustainability and provide solutions to human-environmental problems. Compares and explores sustainability in a variety of contexts and scales, from San Diego region to diverse communities around the world.

Anth 355. Exploring Primate Behavior 
World of our closest living relatives. What it means to be a primate, where primates live, how primates have evolved into different groups and adapted to different environments, and what primates are threatened with extinction and why.

Anth 360. From the Grave: Modern Forensic Anthropology 
Physical Anthropology and skeletal biology within medicolegal context. Methodologies used in science of forensic Anthropology, as interdisciplinary nature and authorities in related fields.

Anth 402. Dynamics of Biocultural Diversity 
Interaction of biology and culture in human populations. Relating genetic and cultural processes to the changes in human populations over time.

Anth 403. Body Culture: Anthropology of the Body
Human embodiment from socio-cultural perspective. Body ideals as well as body decoration, modification, care, and use in cultural context. Relationship between mind and body, and culture's relationship to the individual.

Anth 406. Nonhuman Primates
Basic aspects of nonhuman primates, geographical distribution, ecology (habitat, diet), external and internal morphology, locomotion and social behavior, reproduction and development.

Anth 410. Language in Culture 
Survey of Anthropological interests in the study of language and of linguistic interests in the sociocultural context of language.

Anth 422. Music and Culture 
How the forms, functions and meanings of music vary crossculturally. Understanding a society's music historically, holistically and experientially, with emphasis on non-Western music. Universals of music and music use. Ethnological theories of music and music change.

Anth 424. The Supernatural in Cross-Cultural Perspective 
Magic and religion. Conceptions of the supernatural in a cross section of world's cultures. Anthropological theories relating to supernatural beliefs and practices.

Anth 429. Anthropology of Food and Eating
Prerequisites: Anthropology 101 and 102.
Human biological and cultural variation as seen in study of food and eating. Biocultural approach to explore evolution of human diet to political economy of contemporary food systems.

Anth 439. Cultural Comparisons Through Film 
Principles of cultural Anthropology to include signs and proxemics, cultural prerequisites, kinship and social organization, and law and values. Feature and documentary films.

Anth 440. Mesoamerican Civilization Before the Europeans 
Pre-European cultures and civilizations of Mexico and upper Central America from 25,000 years ago to arrival of Spanish in 1517. Regional histories, economies, social organizations, ideologies, and political systems, settlement patterns, architecture, and art.

Anth 441. South American Civilization Before the Europeans 
(Same course as Latin American Studies 441)
Pre-European cultures and civilizations of Pacific Coastal, Andean Highland, and Amazonian South America from 25,000 years ago until 1553. Regional histories, economies, social organizations, political systems, ideologies, art, and architecture from peopling of the continent to European contact and colonization.

Anth 442. Cultures of South America 
Indian cultures in terms of origins, migration, relation to habitat, cultural variation and relevance to contemporary trends. Development of Inca civilization, the effects of the Spanish conquest and its aftermath.

Anth 444. American Cultures
An “inside-out” view of America. What culture has to do with feeling like an American. Theory and method in Anthropology. Approaches include subcultures, American values, and mass media.

Anth 446. Native Peoples of the Southwest 
Indian cultures of the American Southwest in historic times; ecological adaptations, responses to white contact, adaptations to modern American life.

Anth 448. South Pacific Cultures 
Aboriginal cultures and peoples of Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia in prehistoric, historic, and modern times.

Anth 449. Cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa 
Indigenous peoples and cultures of Africa south of the Sahara. Comparison of cultural traditions, social organization, and modern trends in newly emergent nations of the area.

Anth 450. Cultures of India 
Indigenous peoples and cultures of India and contiguous areas of South Asia. The development of cultural traditions, social organization, and modern trends.

Anth 451. American Indian Identity 
(Same course as American Indian Studies 451)
Multidisciplinary perspectives on American Indian identity today. Topics include perspectives from political, ethnic, cultural and legal standpoints, both within and outside of indigenous communities, as well as diachronic variation in perspectives.

Anth 452. Japanese Society 
Culture and social organization of Japanese people. Traditional Japanese economic, social, political and religious institutions. Okinawa and overseas Japanese. Recent industrial and urban changes in modern Japan.

Anth 457. Native Cultures of California 
Cross-cultural comparison of California Indian societies. Traditional political, religious, and economic institutions. Ecological adaptations. Linguistic diversity, traditional architecture, and culture change. Focus on Kumeyaay, Cahuilla, Chumash, Patwin, Pomo, and Yurok.

Anth 460. American Indian Languages 
(Same course as American Indian Studies 460 and Linguistics 460)
Structures of American Indian languages. Language families of North America, history, and present circumstances. Interdependence of language and culture, differences in ways of speaking. Issues of language endangerment, language death, language maintenance, and language revitalization.

Anth 471. Archaeology of North America
Origins of the American Indian and survey of the main prehistoric cultures of the North American continent.

Anth 495--Internship in Applied Anthropology
Supervised field placement of students in campus or community organization, museums, cultural resource management firms, social service and development agencies, forensic laboratories and other offices including business firms where concepts and principles of Anthropology can be put into practice.

Internships are arranged by the student with a full-time faculty member. Please fill out the 495 form (.doc), contact the professor you wish to work with and return your completed form to the department office three days prior to the end of the add/drop period for a schedule number.

Anth 499--Special Study
Individual study.

Special Studies are arranged by the student with a full-time faculty member. Please fill out the 499 form (.doc), contact the professor you wish to work with for signatures, and return your completed form to the department office three days prior to the end of the add/drop period for a schedule number.

Anth 501. Primate Behavioral Ecology
Ecology and behavior of nonhuman primates to include history of primate ecological research, feeding ecology, predation, demography and dispersal, reproduction, conflict and cooperation, conservation as well as contemporary primatology.

Anth 502. Observing Primate Behavior
Methods of observation and analysis used in study of primate behavior. Behavioral observations of primates at the San Diego Zoo and review of literature in primatology. (Formerly numbered Anthropology 500.)

Anth 505. Human Osteology
Identification of individual bones and teeth; sex, age, and racial variation; stature reconstruction; continuous and discontinuous morphological variations; paleopathology. Training in observations, measurements, and analyses.

Anth 507. Forensic Anthropology
Anthropology within medicolegal context. Methodology used in forensic Anthropology.

Anth 508. Medical Anthropology
Socio-cultural ecology of disease, medical health beliefs and practices in cultural context, and complexities of health care delivery in pluralistic societies.

Anth 510. Environmental and Ecological Anthropology
Ecological thinking in Anthropology with focus on relationships between human environmental and ecological systems in tribal, peasant, and industrial societies. Cultural aspects of how and why human societies have maintained or undermined their ecosystems.

Anth 520. Ethnographic Field Methods
Problems and techniques of field work in ethnographic and social Anthropological research; field work projects conducted using various qualitative and quantitative research techniques. Students work with informants in various settings.

Anth 523. Anthropology of Politics and Power
How Anthropology investigates power as an underlying and primary force in human relations through cross-cultural study of political institutions, effects, and relationships of power in various societies.

Anth 524. Cultural Dynamics of Religious Discourse
Interplay of local and global religious discourses. Creativity of indigenous religious practices. Dynamics of missionization, including hybridization with local religious practices. Fundamentalist discourses as oppositional mediations between local and global identity formations.

Anth 529. Urban Anthropology
Urban adaptations of past and present societies. Descriptive topics and applied concerns regarding urban origins, migrations, kinship, ethnicity, stratification, and change. Ethnographic examples drawn from Western and non-Western societies.

Anth 531. Methods in Applied Anthropology
Anthropological concepts and methodologies to solve human problems in both western and non-western societies through intervention, community development, impact assessment, and cultural communication.

Anth 532. Anthropology of Development and Conservation
Anthropological perspectives on design, implementation, and assessment of development projects and conservation initiatives in “Third World.” Interlinkages between resource exploitation, underdevelopment, and local autonomy; and political and ethical dilemmas faced by Anthropologists involved in projects.

Anth 533. Race, Ethnicity, and Identity
Theories and practices of race, ethnicity, and identity from a crosscultural and Anthropological perspective. History of race in US and other regions, focusing on how identities are constructed around concepts of difference.

Anth 535. Sex, Gender, Kinship, and Marriage
Anthropological theories and typologies relating to kinship and marriage systems, their history, their relationship to cultural practices, their implications for constraints on sexual practices, and their significance in definition of gender and gender hierarchies in world societies.

Anth 536. Gender and Human Sexuality
Constructions of gender and sexuality from Anthropological perspective. Social constructions of body, norms, deviance, and medicalization
of sexuality.

Anth 537. Anthropology of Childhood
Childhood in diverse cultural settings; evolutionary, biosocial, and health-related aspects of childhood; social and cultural uses of idea of childhood; enculturation and children's relationship to material culture.

Anth 560. Advanced Archaeological Field Techniques
Advanced projects in excavation and stabilization of ruins, archaeological surveys, laboratory analysis, preparation of reports, and act as unit supervisor. Course may be repeated with consent of instructor. Maximum credit six units.

Anth 561. Archaeological Laboratory Methods
Application of palynology, paleontology and relevant technologies. Individual laboratory research project required.

Anth 580. Anthropological Data Analysis
Computer oriented data analysis class utilizing Anthropological data sets.

Anth 582. Regional Anthropology
Study of societies in a major geographical region of the world such as Africa, the Arctic, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, Oceania, or South Asia. See Class Schedule for specific content. May be repeated with new content. Maximum credit six units.

Anth 583. Topical Anthropology
Study of a major subdiscipline such as political Anthropology, economic Anthropology, social Anthropology, psychological Anthropology, cultural ecology, applied Anthropology, Anthropological genetics, or environmental archaeology. See Class Schedule for specific content. May be repeated with new content. Maximum credit six units.

Graduate Courses

Graduate Students may also enroll in any of the 500 level courses listed above, when offered.

ANTH 600. Seminar
An intensive study in advanced anthropology. See Class Schedule for specific content. Maximum credit six units applicable to a master's degree.

ANTH 601. Seminar in Biological Anthropology
Prerequisite: Classified graduate standing. History, theory, and current research in biological anthropology. Key literature from core topical areas such as primatology, paleoanthropology, human biology, bioarchaeology, and skeletal biology.

ANTH 602. Seminar in Archaeology
Prerequisite: Classified graduate standing. History and theory in archaeological data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

ANTH 603. Seminar in Ethnology
Prerequisite: Classified graduate standing. History and theory in ethnology stressing the significant literature on such topics as cross-cultural comparison, structural-functional analysis and description, personality and culture, and sociocultural change.

ANTH 604. Seminar in Linguistics
Prerequisite: Classified graduate standing. History and theory of linguistics stressing the significant literature on such topics as cultural cognition, descriptive linguistics, lexicostatistics, and transformational analysis.

ANTH 605. Seminar in Applied Anthropology
Prerequisite: Classified graduate standing. Use of anthropological theory and methods in solving contemporary social problems. Contemporary ethnographic examples from differing regions of the world reviewed to understand complexity and locally specific variables that must be addressed in proposing interventions and solutions.

ANTH 621. Seminar in Topical Anthropology
Prerequisite: Twelve upper division units in anthropology. Study of a major subdiscipline such as political anthropology, economic anthropology, social anthropology, psychological anthropology, cultural ecology, applied anthropology, race and variation, or environmental archaeology. Maximum credit six units applicable to a master's degree. May be repeated with new content. See Class Schedule for specific content.

Anth 795--Internship in Anthropology
Prerequisites: Classified graduate standing and consent of instructor. Students assigned to various government and private agencies in which Anthropological theory can be applied. Supervision shared by department supervisor and on-the-job supervisor. Maximum credit nine units; three units applicable to a master's degree.

Internships are arranged by the student with a full-time faculty member. Please fill out the 795 form (.doc), contact the professor you wish to work with for signatures, and return your completed form to the department office three days prior to the end of the add/drop period for a schedule number.

Anth 797--Research
Independent investigation in the general field of the thesis.

Research courses are arranged by the student with a full-time faculty member. Please fill out the 797 form (.doc), contact the professor you wish to work with for signatures, and return your completed form to the department office three days prior to the end of the add/drop period for a schedule number.

Anth 798--Special Study
Prerequisites: Classified graduate standing. Individual study directed toward the preparation of a paper on a specific problem. May be repeated with variable content, with a maximum credit of three units applicable to a master's degree.

Special Studies are arranged by the student with a full-time faculty member. Please fill out the 798 form (.doc), contact the professor you wish to work with for signatures, and return your completed form to the department office three days prior to the end of the add/drop period for a schedule number.


Anth 799A--Thesis
Prerequisites: An officially appointed thesis committee and advancement to candidacy.  Preparation of a project or thesis for the master's degree.

Schedule number for Anth 799A is obtained at the Graduate Division.

Anth 799B--Thesis Extension
Prerequisites: Prior registration in Thesis, 799A, with an assigned grade symbol of RP.  Registration required in any semester or term following assignment of RP in Course 799A in which the student expects to use the facilities and resources of the university; also student must be registered in the course when the completed thesis is granted final approval

Class Schedule

To view a list of current course offerings in Anthropology go to: http://www.sdsu.edu/schedule.html.

Undergraduate and Graduate Bulletins

To view the current course catalog for undergraduate and graduate students of Anthropology go to: http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/catalog/.