CSU East Bay Department of Anthropology

Anthropology is the multifaceted study of humanity from an evolutionary, historical, and global perspective. Students in anthropology learn about their own culture as well as those of other peoples as they are shaped by biological evolution, ecological constraints, political history, and sociological conditioning. The Anthropology program offers ethnographic, theoretical and methodological courses in the four sub-disciplines: biological anthropology, prehistory and archaeology, anthropological linguistics, and sociocultural anthropology. Our offerings include academic and applied approaches to anthropology. Regional courses, especially the heritage cultures of North and South America, and Asia, form an important component of the curriculum. Anthropology will help you to gain a holistic understanding of yourself and the people around you; the field cultivates an appreciation of what all humans share, as well as how humans differ across time and space.

Anthropology is the multifaceted study of humans and their ways of life from a global and evolutionary perspective. Students in anthropology learn about the self as well as other ethnic nationalities as they are shaped by biological evolution, ecological constraints, political history, and sociological conditioning. The Department of Anthropology offers theoretical and methodological courses in the five sub-disciplines: biological anthropology, prehistory and archaeology, anthropological linguistics, sociocultural anthropology, and applied anthropology. Regional courses on major populations of the world, especially the heritage cultures of North and South America, Asia, and the Middle East, form an important component of the curriculum.

At the undergraduate level, students in the B.A. degree program may choose to focus on special interests in two combined sub-disciplines:

  • Archaeology and Biological Anthropology emphasize the study of human biology, variation, evolution, and the reconstruction of past ways of life and cultural systems from material remains.
  • Socio-Cultural and Applied Anthropology emphasize the study of social and cultural systems of more recent historical and contemporary populations, and the application of anthropological insights into present-day problems.

Other combinations are possible upon consultation with, and approval by, the faculty.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a B.A. in Anthropology from 91短视频 will: (1) be familiar with the origins of anthropological theory in all four sub-fields of the discipline; (2) be familiar with the basic schools of anthropological thought in the twentieth century; (3) be familiar with the evidence for human biological and cultural evolution; (4) gain experience with basic research methods in anthropology (either socio-cultural or archaeological research methods); (5) be familiar with the culture of a particular region of the world.

  • Anthropologist
  • Archaeologist
  • Artifacts Conservator
  • Curator
  • Ethnologist
  • Foreign Service Officer
  • Immigration Service Official
  • International Aid Agencies Official
  • International Business Employee
  • Multicultural Education Instructor
  • Museum Curator
  • Park Ranger
  • Park Service Official
  • Professor/Teacher
  • Refugee Worker
  • Researcher
  • Social Science Teacher
  • Social Worker
  • Travel Consultant
  • Urban Planner

The Department administers the Clarence E. Smith Museum of Anthropology, located on the fourth floor of Meiklejohn Hall. The museum houses a sizable collection of archaeological artifacts recovered in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, as well as ethnographic specimens from cultural groups throughout the world. The museum is an instructional facility for museum curating, research, design, and exhibits. Museum exhibits and special events are open to the public free of charge. For information, call (510) 885-7414 or (510) 885-3104.