Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology

Students completing an anthropology degree are awarded a BA degree or a BA degree with Honors in Anthropology. The undergraduate program is designed to help students develop an appreciation of other cultures and other world views and to gain an understanding of how and why the diversity in human culture and biology came about. Anthropology is an exciting and broad-ranging discipline. The undergraduate curriculum requirements ensure a common foundation of understanding but allow for great flexibility for specialized training. This is described in the graphic below and in complete detail in the MU Catalog. The BA requirements changed for the 2020-21 academic year. Requirements prior to Fall 2020 are described in archived catalogs. Students should follow the requirements for the academic year they started at Mizzou. A graduation plan worksheet for students who started prior to Fall 2020 is still available (pdf).

Related Majors, Minors and Certificates

Because of the interdisciplinary nature of anthropology, the Department of Anthropology recommends that all students supplement their major with related courses that complement their anthropology courses. These courses may be offered by a single department or may be a related set of courses from several departments (e.g., courses in ancient history from both the Ancient Mediterranean Studies the History Departments). Fulfillment of a formal minor (consisting of at least 15 hours in another department as approved by that department) or second major (at least 30 hours in another department as approved by that department) can also be an effective way to gain expertise in related areas. Certificates are another way to establish skillsets that may span several departments (e.g., multicultural studies or neuroscience).

GPA Requirements

The College of Arts and Science requires that students attain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all courses in their major department and in courses that comprise the related field. In addition, all core courses in anthropology (2020 or 2021/2022, 2030, 2040, 2050 or 2051/2052, 4990) must be completed with a grade of C- or higher and students may receive a grade below C- in no more than one other course used to satisfy the major.

Departmental Honors Requirements

Award of the BA with Honors in Anthropology is not associated with General Honors (administrated by the Honors College) or Latin Honors (e.g. magna cum laude, determined entirely by GPA). Instead, it is designed for students who desire a more intensive experience in anthropology and who wish to work closely with faculty in the anthropology department on an independent research or scholarly project.

Eligibility

declared Anthropology major
3.3 or above cumulative GPA
3.5 or above GPA in MU Anthropology courses

Conferral of Departmental Honors

develop an independent research project in consultation with a department faculty member and the Director of Undergraduate Studies
enrollment in Anthropology 4950H, Honors Research in Anthropology, is recommended while carrying out the research project although projects initiated in other courses or through independent, noncredit research experiences may be honors eligible
submit the results of the research project as a formal honors thesis that the student defends during an oral examination conducted by an examining committee
- examining committee consists of three faculty members: the advisor, another faculty member, and the Director of Undergraduate Studies
- each committee member is given a copy of the student’s thesis or evidence of scholarly activity at least ten days before the examination
- examination is scheduled no later than the thirteenth week of the semester during which the student expects to graduate
after the examination, provide a final copy of the thesis or evidence of scholarly achievement (e.g., photographs) suitable for preservation in the department