The UW anthropology major is committed to describing, interpreting, and explaining the historical, biological, and cultural diversity of the human species. Anthropology's unique contribution to the human sciences and humanities is its expansive scope — temporally and spatially — in the study of human beings. It includes the study of human evolution, the archaeological record, language and culture, the relationship between humans and their environment, and cultural modes of being as these differ in time and space. In studying anthropology, students can better understand how to find ways to live together in today's world, respecting cultural diversity while building upon common human values.

Whether you are an anthropology major or just thinking about becoming one, the Anthropology Advising Office is the place to go for information about degree and program requirements, current course offerings, and advice about completing your studies. The advising office is located in Denny Hall rooms 245/247. For more information about the major, please contact Diane Guerra, the Director of Student Services, at djguerra@u.washington.edu or (206) 543-7772.

The UW General Catalog entry for the anthropology major is here and is reproduced below.

Core Courses (20 credits):

• BIO A 201: Principles of Biocultural Anthropology (5 credits);
• ANTH: Any 200 level ANTH course (5 credits);
• ARCHY 205: Principles of Archaeology (5 credits);
• One of the following: CS&SS/SOC/STAT 221, STAT 220, STAT 311, Q SCI 381 or ARCHY 495. Occasionally other basic statistics courses may be accepted upon petition to the departmental advising office.

Electives (35 credits):

• 35 additional ANTH, ARCHY, and BIO A credits distributed across the subfields or concentrated as suits the interests of the student. 20 of these credits must be in upper-division (300- or 400-level) courses. Students may count one 100-level ANTH, ARCHY, or BIO A course toward the major, but are not required to do so;
• The following AIS courses may apply toward this requirement:  AIS 201, AIS 202, AIS 203, AIS 240, AIS 311, AIS 312, AIS 316, AIS 317, AIS 330, AIS 335, AIS 340, AIS 443.

Maximum 12 credits (18 for Honors students) from ANTH 499, ARCHY 499, and BIO A 499 combined can be counted toward the major.

Admission to the standard anthropology major requires the following:

• A minimum of 15 ANTH/ARCHY/BIO A credits;

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 for ANTH/ARCHY/BIO A credits, with no less than a 2.0 in each course;

• A minimum GPA of 2.5 for all prior college work including transfer credits.

Students are admitted all quarters and there are no quarterly deadlines.

Anthropology is the study of human beings in all their cultural and biological diversity. It includes the study of human evolution, the archaeological record, language and culture, the relationship between humans and their environment, and cultural modes of being as these differ in time and space. In studying anthropology, students can better understand how to find ways to live together in today's world, respecting cultural diversity while building upon common human values.

The study of anthropology at the University of Washington comprises three sub-disciplines:

• Archaeology is the study of the human past through investigation of material remains (artifacts, food remains, features, structures, etc.) and their relationships in space and time.
• Biocultural anthropology focuses on understanding human variation through the study of the ecological, demographic, genetic, developmental, paleontological, and epidemiological dimensions of modern human adaptation and its evolutionary basis.
• Sociocultural anthropology is the study of human societies, their cultures and histories, and the circuits of power and exchange that link them to the world at large.

Study at the undergraduate level can further entail any of four optional tracks: Medical Anthropology and Global Health, Anthropology of Globalization, Archaeological Sciences, and Human Evolutionary Biology.

Tracks and Options

After completing required courses within the anthropology core, students can elect to focus on one area or take courses in different areas within the major. There are three informal tracks in which students may wish to concentrate their studies. These are:

• Archaeology: The exploration of human prehistory through evidence of past human activities. 
• Biocultural Anthropology: The study of the evolution and adaptation of the human species, non-human primates, and modern human populations.
• Sociocultural Anthropology: The study of culture broadly conceived, including language and symbolic systems, practices, and identities.