What can I do with this?
We are now offering associate degrees for transfer to the CSU. This provides a clear pathway to a CSU major and baccalaureate degree. This AS-T degree guarantees admission with junior standing somewhere in the CSU system and gives priority admission consideration to your local CSU campus or to a program that is deemed similar to your community college major. This priority does not guarantee admission to specific majors or campuses. More information on the Degree with a Guarantee Program.
The Anthropology Degree for Transfer
- Guarantees acceptance to the CSU system
- Prepares students for transfer at the junior level to California State University programs and colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Anthropology and careers in
- Anthropology
- Forensics
- International Affairs
- Social Services
- Cultural Resource Management
- Business
- Education
Current and prospective community college students are encouraged to meet with a counselor to review their options for transfer and to develop an educational plan that best meets their goals and needs.
What will I learn?
- To critique selected aspects of human social and cultural life from an anthropological perspective.
- To compare and contrast major theoretical perspectives in anthropology.
- To use the scientific method to analyze aspects of the human condition.
- To analyze the place of humanity in nature and describe the methods used to study humans as biological organisms.
- To identify major trends in cultural evolution using the material cultures of prehistoric and historic humans.
What courses do I take?
Note: Some courses within the major may have a required prerequisite. If you feel you have equivalent knowledge and skills to those included in the prerequisite course through professional experience, licensure, or certification, you have the opportunity to submit a Prerequisite Challenge to be reviewed by the faculty chair. For the Prerequisite Challenge to be considered, you must submit documentation/verification to substantiate the basis for the challenge. Please consult a counselor for more information regarding Prerequisite Challenge.
Required Core: Complete all of the following courses
Advisory: ENGL C070.
54 hours lecture. This course analyzes social and cultural factors of human behavior in the recent past and present. Students compare and contrast cultural traditions, practices and beliefs, and discuss the associated environmental and social factors that shape human cultures. Approved for IGETC Area 4A, CSU GE Area D1, Local GE Area 2 & 6.
Advisory: ENGL C070.
54 hours lecture. This course examines humans as biological organisms from an evolutionary perspective. Areas covered include concepts, methods, findings, and issues in the study of the order primates, including relationships between fossil monkeys, apes and humans, and the significance of genetic diversity among modern populations. Approved for IGETC Area 4A or 5B, CSU GE Area B2 or D1, Local GE Area 1 or 2.
Pre-requisite: ENGL C070.
Limitation on Enrollment: Acceptance for the Honors Program or eligibility for this honors course as determined in consultation with the instructor.
72 hours lecture. This course examines humans as biological organisms from an evolutionary perspective. Areas covered include concepts, methods, findings, and issues in the study of the order primates, including relationships between fossil monkeys, apes and humans, and the significance of genetic diversity among modern populations. The honors course provides more content and requires greater intensity and depth of study than the non-honors class. Approved for IGETC Area 4A or 5B, CSU GE Area B2 or D1, Local GE Area 1 or 2.
Advisory: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture. This course is an introduction to the study of archaeology. The course includes a discussion of the nature of scientific inquiry, the history and interdisciplinary nature of archaeological research, dating techniques, methods of survey, excavation, analysis, and interpretation, cultural resource management, professional ethics, and selected cultural sequences. Approved for IGETC Area 4A, CSU GE Area D1, Local GE Area 2.
List A – Select a minimum of 3 units from the following courses:
Prerequisite: MATH C053 or MATH C055
54 hours lecture/54 hours laboratory. This course covers data analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics. Graphs and computations include measures of central tendency and dispersion, correlation and regression, and presentation of data on a histogram, scatter plot, box plot, and the normal curve. Probability concepts include those for discrete and continuous random variables. Sampling and hypothesis testing are covered for means and variances. Topics from algebra are combined with applications in statistics in the lab portion of the class. This course applies to the degree requirements for students not majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. Approved for IGETC Area 2, CSU GE Area B4, Local GE Area 4.
Prerequisite: MATH C053 or MATH C055. Advisory: ENGL C101
Limitation on Enrollment: Acceptance to the Honors Program or eligibility for this honors course as determined by the instructor.
72 hours lecture/54 hours laboratory. This course covers elements of descriptive statistics, measures of central tendency, dispersion and presentation of data. Included are concepts of probability, random variables and normally distributed random variables. Sampling error, sampling processes and the distribution of sample means are applied to real life examples. Students will conduct hypothesis testing of means and proportions for one and two populations and linear regression testing using the least squares criterion. Students use descriptive and inferential methods employing linear regression and study one and two way analysis of variance. The honors section provides more content and requires greater intensity and depth of study than the non-honors class; the honors course also requires at least one extra research assignment. Approved for IGETC Area 2, CSU GE Area B4, Local GE Area 4.
Co-requisite: ANTH C121 or ANTH C121H
54 hours laboratory. This laboratory course is offered as a supplement to Biological Anthropology and must be taken concurrently with ANTH C121. Laboratory exercises are designed to introduce students to the scientific method, and explore genetics, human variation, human and non-human primate anatomy and behavior, the primate/hominin fossil record, and other resources to investigate processes that affect human evolution. Approved for IGETC Area 5C, CSU GE Area B3, Local GE Area 1.
List B – Select one of the following courses:
Prerequisite: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture/54 hours laboratory. This course includes the study of microscopic and gross anatomy of body systems including skeletal, muscular, nervous, circulatory, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, endocrine, reproductive and integumentary systems. Approved for IGETC Area 5B & 5C, CSU GE Area B2 & B3, Local GE Area 1.
Advisory: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture/54 hours laboratory. This course covers the study of the earth as an integrated system of hydrologic, tectonic, atmospheric, and human processes, including the origin and evolution of continents, mountains, earth materials, oceans, and life forms. It also covers geologic hazards, such as earthquakes, floods, groundwater contamination, and global climate change. Laboratories are designed to complement and reinforce topics covered in the lecture and will apply geologic principles to local geologic and land use issues such as earthquake hazards, flash floods, and the evolution of landforms in eastern California. Approved for IGETC Area 5A & 5C, CSU GE Area B1 & B3, Local GE Area 1.
Prerequisite: MATH C121
54 hours lecture. This course covers research methods in the social and behavioral sciences, as well as proper reporting of results in American Psychological Association (APA) style. These methods include research design (experimental, non-experimental, and quasi-experimental), the interpretation of behavioral data using descriptive and inferential statistics, and research ethics. Approved for IGETC Area 4I, CSU GE Area D7, Local GE Area 2.
List C – Select one of the following courses:
Advisory: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture. This course is an anthropological survey of the peoples and cultures of North America. It emphasizes native ecological adaptations, languages, social organizations, religion, world view, and artistic representations. Students critically examine the impact of tribal nations on each other, as well as the interactions with other groups of people. This course examines the roots of present-day conditions of Native communities and the contributions of Native Americans to the cultures of the Americas. Approved for IGETC Area 4A or 4C, CSU GE Area D1 or D3, Local GE Area 2 & 6.
Advisory: ENGL C101
54 hours lecture. This course is a cross-cultural study of religion, magic, and witchcraft, using the methodology and theories of anthropology. The course emphasizes the role of supernatural beliefs, rituals, magic, symbolism, syncretism, altered states of consciousness, and religious change on cultural belief structures and institutions in order to provide insight into the general functions of belief in human life. Approved for IGETC Area 4A, CSU GE Area D1, Local GE Area 2 & 6.
Complete one of the following general education patterns:
Students desiring transfer to the California State University system may conform to either (1) the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or (2) CSU General Education Certification.
Please consult the Transfer Center or Counseling for more information regarding which classes will transfer to a four-year institution.
IGETC is a series of courses that community college students can use to satisfy lower division general education requirements at any CSU or UC campus.
Please consult the Transfer Center or Counseling for more information regarding which classes will transfer to a four-year institution.
Program Pathways
Official Catalog Copy
All classes needed for this degree are available at the following campuses: CC Online Ridgecrest / IWV
Additionally, some of the general education courses needed to complete this major are available at all our locations.
See Counseling for specific help with enrolling and completing this major.
How can I afford it?
This degree requires 60.0 units and will likely take 4 semesters.
Approximate Total Costs
CA Residents
60.0 units
at $46 per unit
Equals $2,760 in tuition and fees
Plus approximately $3,600* for books and supplies
Total cost $6,360 for 4 semesters
Non-residents
60.0 units
at $329 per unit
Equals $19,740 in tuition and fees
Plus approximately $3,600* for books and supplies
Total cost $23,340 for 4 semesters
*This is an estimate. Actual costs will vary.
Need help? Financial Aid can help with fee waivers and scholarships and other aid. Make sure to fill out your FAFSA every January.
