Anthropology Degree Requirements

Degree Patterns

You can choose to do a major, advanced major or honours degree in Anthropology. The university has specific requirements for students wishing to complete these different types of degrees. For degree pattern requirements in Anthropology, as well as all course descriptions, see Course Patterns.

To help you decide what type of degree suits you best, here are some points to consider: 

Honours in Anthropology

The challenge of advanced study in anthropology draws strong students to an Honours degree. Honours students take 60 credits of anthropology courses and complete a thesis. Students who plan to continue their academic work at the M.A. or Ph.D. levels and those who enjoy the subject and want to apply anthropological knowledge in other careers should consider the Honours program. The benefits of an Honours degree include: 

• A greater variety of courses and more in-depth study in anthropology. 
• Better integration into the program. 
• Contact with other Anthropology students. 
• One-on-one contact with one or more professors who act as advisors for your thesis project. 
• A degree that is more widely recognized than the Advanced Major and will carry more weight with prospective employers and graduate programs than the Major. 

Advanced Major in Anthropology 

Students completing a Joint Advanced Major degree in a program such as Development Studies or Women’s Studies may choose anthropology as their other subject. The Advanced Major degree is also available in anthropology alone. See the Anthropology Program Advisor if you are considering this option. 

Major in Anthropology 

If you enjoy studying a variety of subjects but want to explore anthropology in some depth, consider completing a Major in Anthropology. 

Joint Major 

A Joint Major allows you to combine your specialization in Anthropology with another discipline and have both recognized in your degree. Some areas of specialization include: 

• Aquatic Resources 
• Celtic Studies
• Development Studies 
• English 
• History 
• Philosophy 
• Political Science 
• Psychology 
• Sociology 
• Women's Studies 

See Course Patterns for requirements and course patterns for a joint major. 

Honours with Subsidiary Subject 

The Honours with Subsidiary program allows students to pursue a combined study in two disciplines while maintaining Anthropology as the principal subject. This enables students to broaden their knowledge of other academic disciplines without sacrificing the concentration in Anthropology. Students can and have pursued subsidiaries in: 

• Development Studies 
• English 
• History 
• Philosophy 
• Political Science 
• Public Policy and Governance 
• Psychology 
• Women's Studies 

See Course Patterns for requirements and course patterns for an Honours with subsidiary. 

Course Patterns 

The following are the general requirements. If you are interested in one of our suggested streams (General Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Anthropology of Development, or Archaeology), please see the more detailed course patterns under “Suggested Course Streams.” 

Major and Advanced Major 

Requirements include 36 credits as follows: 

• ANTH 111 and 112 (6 credits); 
• 3 credits from ANTH 243, 253; 
• 3 credits from ANTH 218, 223, 233, 234; 
• ANTH 303 (3 credits); 
• 3 credits from ANTH 304, 305; 
• 18 additional ANTH credits, 12 of which must be at the 300/400 level; 
• Advanced major students are required to write a senior paper in a 400 level ANTH course. 

Honours 

Requirements include 60 credits as follows: 

• ANTH 111 and 112 (6 credits); 
• 3 credits from ANTH 243, 253; 
• 3 credits from ANTH 218, 223, 233, 234; 
• ANTH 303, 304 and 305 (9 credits); as of 2021-22, honours students will also be required to take ANTH 455; 
• 33 additional ANTH credits, of which 12 must be at the 300/400 level; as of 2021-22, students will take 30 additional ANTH credits, of which 9 must be at the 300/400 level. 
• ANTH 400 (6 credits). 

Honours in Anthropology with Subsidiary

Requirements include 48 credits as follows:

• ANTH 111 and 112 (6 credits);
• 3 credits from archaeology focus courses, such as ANTH 243, 253;
• 3 credits from social anthropology focus courses, such as ANTH 218, 223, 233, 234;
• ANTH 303, 304, 305 (9 credits);
• 18 additional ANTH credits, of which 12 must be at the 300/400 level;
• ANTH 400 (6 credits).

For program regulations, see section 4.1 of the Academic Calendar.