Dec 12, 2024  
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2024-25 
    
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2024-25

Anthropology Major (B.A.)


Major code BA4252

College of Arts and Sciences  
Sociology and Anthropology  
Bentley Annex 162
Athens, OH 45701
socanth@ohio.edu
www.ohio.edu/cas/sociology-anthropology

Diane Ciekawy, contact person
ciekawy@ohio.edu

Program Overview

Students who choose to major in anthropology receive training in the core subfields of the discipline and choose from a variety of topics that allow for greater specialization. Members of our faculty have conducted extended research in Africa, Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, and the United States, and they are dedicated to bringing their real-world experiences into the classroom. Faculty members devote much attention to students, and our majors have many opportunities to work closely with their professors.

To earn a B.A. in Anthropology, students take at least 11 courses in anthropology for a total of 33 semester credit hours, including introductory courses in cultural, biological, and archaeological anthropology. They work with an advisor from the anthropology program to select from a flexible range of courses that best suit their interests and the University’s requirements for graduation.

Because anthropology has applications to and connections with so many other disciplines, students are encouraged to plan their program of study to include courses from biology, geological sciences, geography, history, sociology, and psychology. They are also encouraged to take courses from other academic programs in which anthropology faculty members participate, such as Global Studies, Classics and Religious Studies, War and Peace Studies, Environmental Studies, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

The Anthropology Program offers other advantages to its majors:

  • Ohio University’s Field School of Archaeology gives students the chance to receive hands-on experience in current archaeological techniques and laboratory analysis of archaeological material in a field school taught by Ohio University anthropology faculty. In addition, the biological anthropology laboratory gives students hands-on experience through its extensive skeletal collection. 
  • Ohio University funds competitive grants for undergraduate research projects and holds an annual research symposium which enables students to present their work to the university community.
  • Ohio University’s Office of Global Opportunities serves a growing number of students who are choosing to travel and study outside of the U.S., offering traditional semester and summer programs, internship placements, volunteer projects and faculty-led programs to over 30 destinations worldwide. The Anthropology Program offers a special Spring Break Study Abroad course tailored for its majors on Human rights law, and justice in Northern Ireland.

Admissions Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission

No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Change of Program Policy

No selective or limited admission requirements.

External Transfer Admission

No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Opportunities Upon Graduation

The wide-ranging positions held by graduates with an anthropology degree reflects the diversity of anthropology as a field. Ohio University anthropology students have been accepted into top graduate schools in anthropology, social work, forensics, history, education and other related fields. Others have gone on to pursue professional schooling in medicine and law. Many students have received fellowships or research assistantships due to their Ohio University undergraduate research experiences. They have also entered governmental agencies, including the Peace Corps, AMERICORPS, VISTA, parks service and NEH. Students in cultural anthropology often obtain positions in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focused on U.S. or international development, and in the human resource departments of institutions and corporations. Archaeology students are employed in cultural resource management (CRM) firms, historical preservation offices, contract archaeology businesses, and museums. Students in biological anthropology have graduated with positions in forensics labs, zoos, primate centers, and medical laboratories. Some anthropology students pursue graduate degrees and are employed by institutions of higher education.

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Requirements

University-wide Graduation Requirements


Ohio University requires the completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours for the conferral of a bachelor’s degree. This program can be completed within that 120-hour requirement. For more information on the minimum hours requirement and other university-wide requirements, please review the Graduation Requirements – University-wide  page.

Liberal Arts and Sciences Distribution Requirement


View the College and Liberal Arts and Sciences Distribution Requirements .

Anthropology Hours Requirement


Complete a total of 33 semester hours of ANTH coursework, including all of the requirements below.

Introductory Anthropology Courses


Complete the following three courses:

Anthropology Subrequirements


  • Complete 15 credit hours at the 3000/4000 level across the three subfields (archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology);
  • Complete 6 credit hours at the 4000-level from two of the three subfields;
  • Complete 3 credit hours in any ANTH course.