The requirements for a major in Archaeological Anthropology are 30 points in Anthropology courses, including within these 30 points the following three required courses:
- 1002 The Interpretation of Culture
- 2004 Social and Cultural Theory
- 2028 Think Like an Archaeologist: Introduction to Method and Theory
Any course taken in the Barnard Department of Anthropology counts toward the Anthropology major/concentration at Columbia. Courses offered in other departments count toward the major/concentration automatically when taught by a member of the Department of Anthropology, including its affiliated faculty. Occasionally, courses from other departments not taught by an Anthropology faculty member, may possibly count toward the major/concentration, but only with the approval of the Anthropology Department Director of Undergraduate Studies.
The requirements for a concentration in Archaeological Anthropology are 20 points in Anthropology courses, including within these 20 points, 2028 Think Like an Archaeologist: Introduction to Method and Theory.
In accordance with College guidelines, no course with a grade of D or lower may count toward the major/concentration, and only the first course that is to count toward the major/concentration may be taken pass/fail.
While a senior thesis is not required of Anthropology majors, a number of students nevertheless seek to pursue writing a thesis by joining the Senior Thesis Seminar as described here.
Study Abroad
As fieldwork is one of the defining characteristics of the field of anthropology, study abroad is very much encouraged for anthropology majors. Before students leave for the semester, they should meet with the DUS to discuss their proposed program of study. While pre-approval does not guarantee that students will receive credit for courses taken—that is up to the College—students will find out which courses may be eligible for major/concentration credit. The DUS reserves the right to decide that credit is not warranted after reviewing the completed program of study and the student's evaluations.