Curriculum
This is a 180-credit undergraduate program at the end of which you will earn either a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. Once you are admitted, you will work with an academic advisor to construct a detailed plan for the completion of your degree.
Degree requirements
A minimum of 180 quarter credits — at least 60 of which must be upper-division credits — are required to graduate with your anthropology degree, including:
- OSU's Baccalaureate Core (general education)
- B.A. or B.S. requirements
- College of Liberal Arts Core (for all majors in OSU's College of Liberal Arts)
- Major requirements: Anthropology
- Specialization requirement: One of four options
Honors degree online
As an undergraduate degree-seeking student, you can apply to earn an honors degree online in your academic major. Earning this prestigious degree gives you the opportunity to collaborate with faculty on research, complete a comprehensive thesis experience and engage in co-curricular activities.
Specialization options
You can tailor your program studies to align with your interests and career goals by choosing from one of the following areas of study:
Sample course topics
- Evolution of people
- Peoples of the world
- Global conflicts
- Wealth and poverty
- Forensic anthropology
- Biological and cultural constructions of race
- Natural resources and community values
- North America after the ice age
Additional program features
Archaeology field school
The program's archaeology specialization option requires 12 credits of site-based field school experience. The experience can be completed through a program that's convenient to your location or through one of the OSU field school options.
Transfer credits
Some of the degree requirements can be transferred from other colleges and universities. Please note that a minimum of 45 credits of the last 75 must be completed at Oregon State (online or on campus) to meet the academic residency requirement.
Previously earned credits will need to be reviewed upon admittance to OSU for appropriate articulation. Additional information about transferring credits is available through OSU’s Transfer Credit Central.
Add a minor or undergraduate certificate
As an OSU Ecampus student, you can select from a diverse list of online minors or undergraduate certificates to add to your degree program. Combine anthropology with the Undergraduate Certificate in Food in Culture and Social Justice to position yourself to identify and promote food justice on multiple levels. Or consider a business or environmental sciences minor to create an even more powerful résumé fit for today's job market.
Notice: Oregon State University students may now take part in internships anywhere in the United States. Read more about Ecampus’ authorization and compliance.
State of Colorado: This program requires an internship. Although Oregon State University participates in the National Council of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA), due to Colorado’s Workers’ Compensation Act, we have limited authorization to offer programs that require internships in the state of Colorado. The Colorado internship site must provide workers’ compensation. In some cases, a proposed internship site may not provide worker’s compensation insurance and, as a result, is not available as an internship site. Please contact Shannon Riggs, associate vice provost for educational programs and learning innovation, with questions.
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Important dates
See our academic calendar for our full quarter term schedule.
Degree quick facts
* Oregon State University is on a quarter-term system. There are four quarters each year and classes are 11 weeks long. This program's 180 quarter credits are equal to 120 semester credits.
† Based on current tuition rates. No additional charge for nonresident students. Does not include course materials and associated fees and expenses.
‡ You can complete all or nearly all requirements of this program online. Only the archaeology option requires site-based field school experience. View the curriculum.
Find application deadline
View required or recommended deadlines for your student type on our application deadlines page.
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