Anthropology is the comparative study of human diversity through time and across the world. Its scope spans the humanities, the social sciences, and the biological, physical, and evolutionary sciences. As a history of the human species, anthropology studies all human biological and behavioral variation, including nonhuman primates, from the earliest fossil records to the present. Anthropology uncovers the patterns of past and present societies and seeks to understand the ways cultural meaning and political power have shaped human experience.
At the University of Wisconsin–Madison, anthropology consists of three subfields:
- archaeology — the investigation and analysis of the remains from past cultures, uncovered through excavation;
- biological anthropology — the study of human evolution and the roots of the biological and genetic diversity found among contemporary peoples; and
- sociocultural anthropology — the comparative study of society, politics, economy, and culture, whether in historical times or today.
Students can also take classes in anthropological linguistics, the analysis of language and its place in social life. Comparative and empirical work—and fieldwork in particular—are the hallmarks of anthropology on this campus.
How to Get in
| Requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| How to get in | No application required. All students who meet the requirements listed below are eligible to declare. For information on how to declare, visit Advising & Careers. |
| Courses required to get in | None |
| GPA requirements to get in | None |
| Credits required to get in | None |
| Other | None |
University Requirements
All undergraduate students must complete both the following Core General Education (Core GenEd) and University Degree and Quality of Work requirements. The requirements below apply to students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution is Summer 2026 or later.
Students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution occurred before Summer 2026 should refer to the archived Guide for the requirements that apply to them.
Core General Education (Core GenEd) Requirements
| Civics & Perspectives | 3 credits of Civics & Perspectives coursework. |
| Communication & Literacy | 6 credits of Communication & Literacy coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingenglishplacement |
| Humanities & Arts | 6 credits of Humanities & Arts coursework. |
| Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning | 6 credits of Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingmathplacement |
| Natural Science & Wellness | Complete both:
|
| Social & Behavioral Science | 3 credits of Social & Behavioral Science coursework. |
| Total Credits | 30 credits. |
For more information see the policy.
University Degree and Quality of Work Requirements
All undergraduate degree recipients must complete the following minimum requirements. Requirements for some programs will exceed these requirements; see program requirements for additional information.
| Total Degree | 120 degree credits. |
| Residency | Complete 30 credits in residence. A course is considered “in residence” if it is taken when in undergraduate degree-seeking status and:
|
| Quality of Work | Achieve at least the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, and/or academic program. |
| Math | Demonstrate minimal mathematics competence by: |
| English Language | If required to take the UW-Madison English as a Second Language Assessment Test (MSN-ESLAT), demonstrate minimal English language competence by:
|
| Language | Complete one:
|
| Major Declaration | Declare and complete the requirements for at least one major. |
College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. Some courses satisfy more than one L&S degree requirement (visit College of Letters & Science: Requirements for details).
This major can be paired with either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree requirements.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
| Communication | Complete both:
|
| Quantitative Reasoning | Complete both:
|
| Ethnic Studies | one 3+ credit course with the Ethnic Studies designation |
| Language | Complete either:
|
| L&S Breadth: Humanities | Complete 12 credits with the Humanities or Literature designation, which must include at least 6 credits with the Literature designation. |
| L&S Breadth: Social Sciences | Complete 12 credits with the Social Science designation. |
| L&S Breadth: Natural Sciences | Complete 12 credits with the Natural Science, Biological Science, or Physical Science designations, which must include both:
|
| Liberal Arts and Science (LAS) Coursework | at least 108 credits |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | at least 60 credits at the Intermediate or Advanced level |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one major. |
| Total Credits | at least 120 credits |
| UW-Madison Experience |
|
| Quality of Work |
|
Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their School/College to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.
Requirements for the Major
An undergraduate major in Anthropology consists of a minimum of 30 credits distributed within the department, with 15 credits coming from required coursework as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO 105 | Principles of Biological Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTHRO 300 | Cultural Anthropology: Theory and Ethnography | 3 |
| Complete two: | 6 | |
| Principles of Archaeology | ||
| The Emergence of Human Culture | ||
| The Origins of Civilization | ||
| Capstone Seminar: | 3 | |
| Undergraduate Seminar | ||
| ANTHRO electives | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all ANTHRO and major courses
- 2.000 GPA in 15 upper-level major credits in residence1
- 15 credits in ANTHRO, taken on campus
- 1
ANTHRO 300 and above are upper-level, with the exception of Quechua and Yucatec Maya language courses (ANTHRO/LACIS 361, ANTHRO/LACIS 362, ANTHRO/LACIS 363, ANTHRO/LACIS 364, ANTHRO/LACIS 376, ANTHRO/LACIS 377).
Honors in the Major
Students may declare Honors in the Major in consultation with the Anthropology major advisor.
Honors in the Major Requirements
To earn Honors in the Major, students must satisfy both the requirements for the Anthropology major (above) and the following additional requirements:
- Complete 3 credits in honors courses in each section of anthropology (biological, archaeological, and cultural)
- Complete an additional 490 seminar (different topic) or one seminar at the 600 level (with consent of instructor and advisor)
- Complete a Senior Honors Thesis (681/682)
- Earn a 3.300 University GPA
- Earn a 3.300 GPA for all ANTHRO and major courses
Below is a list of course options by section:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Anthropology (complete one): | 3 | |
| Principles of Biological Anthropology | ||
| Hominoid Evolution | ||
| Human Skeletal Anatomy | ||
| Heredity, Environment and Human Populations | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| The Evolution of the Genus, Homo | ||
| Introduction to Primatological Research | ||
| Study Abroad: Topics in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Primate Behavioral Ecology | ||
| Seminar in Evolutionary Theory | ||
| Seminar-Current Problems in Paleoanthropology | ||
| Biology of Mind | ||
| Primate Conservation | ||
| Cultural Anthropology (complete one): | 3 | |
| Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity | ||
| Global Language Issues | ||
| Introduction to Social Medicine | ||
| Cut 'n' Mix: Music, Race, and Culture in the Caribbean | ||
| Latin America: An Introduction | ||
| Introduction to Culture and Health | ||
| Africa: An Introductory Survey | ||
| Cultural Anthropology: Theory and Ethnography | ||
| Indians of North America | ||
| Music, Race, And Culture in Brazil | ||
| Anthropology of Religion | ||
| Family, Kin and Community in Anthropological Perspective | ||
| Economic Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to the Anthropology of Japan | ||
| Elementary Quechua | ||
| Elementary Quechua | ||
| Intermediate Quechua | ||
| Advanced Quechua | ||
| Medical Anthropology | ||
| First Semester Yucatec Maya | ||
| Second Semester Yucatec Maya | ||
| Historical Anthropology | ||
| American Indian Women | ||
| Anthropology by Women | ||
| Study Abroad: Topics in Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Symbolic Anthropology | ||
| Ethnobotany | ||
| Anthropology, Environment, and Development | ||
| Psychological Anthropology | ||
| Anthropology and Education | ||
| Human Language | ||
| Archaeological Anthropology (complete one): | 3 | |
| Archaeology and the Prehistoric World | ||
| Principles of Archaeology | ||
| Dimensions of Material Culture | ||
| Topics in Archaeology | ||
| The Emergence of Human Culture | ||
| The Origins of Civilization | ||
| Prehistory of Africa | ||
| Lithics and Archaeology | ||
| Ancient Technology and Invention | ||
| Archaeology of Wisconsin | ||
| Field Course in Archaeology | ||
| Bones for the Archaeologist | ||
| Study Abroad: Topics in Archaeology | ||
| Ethnobotany | ||
| Archaeological Methods of Curation | ||
| A seminar chosen from: | 3 | |
| Undergraduate Seminar | ||
| Seminar in Evolutionary Theory | ||
| Seminar-Current Problems in Paleoanthropology | ||
| Problems in Anthropology | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis: | ||
| ANTHRO 681 & ANTHRO 682 | Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | 6 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Learning Outcomes
- Acquire specialized training in anthropological research.
- Obtain comparative global knowledge of human diversity, material culture, culture history, and the evolution of people’s relationships with the physical, cultural, and natural world.
- Gain an awareness of ethnographic, archaeological and bio‐anthropological ethics practice and research.
- Distinguish between empirical and speculative narratives and claims about human diversity past and present.
Four-Year Plan
This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANTHRO 100-200 level course | 3 | ANTHRO 100-200 level course | 3 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | Ethnic Studies course in ANTHRO | 3 |
| Communication A | 3 | Literature Breadth | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning A | 3 | Physical Science Breadth | 3 |
| Language (if needed) | 4 | Language (if needed) | 4 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANTHRO 200-300 level course | 3 | Communication B | 3-4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning B | 4 | ANTHRO 200-300 level course | 3 |
| Literature Breadth | 3 | Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | I/A COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if BS) | 3 |
| INTER-LS 210 | 1 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Declare the Major | ANTHRO 300-600 level elective | 3 | |
| ANTHRO 300-600 level elective | 3 | ANTHRO 300-600 level elective | 3 |
| Humanities Breadth | 3 | Humanities Breadth | 3 |
| I/A COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if BS) | 3 | Electives | 5 |
| Elective | 4 | ||
| 13 | 14 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANTHRO 490 | 3 | ANTHRO 300-600 level elective | 3 |
| Electives | 12 | Electives | 12 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Advising and Careers
Declare or Cancel This Major
Please follow the process described on the Anthropology website.
Study Abroad
Learning in Letters & Science emphasizes discovery, growth, understanding different perspectives, and challenging yourself, which makes studying abroad an excellent fit for many L&S students: studyabroad.wisc.edu
As a university with global influence, we have more than 300 study abroad programs in over 80 countries. These vary in length, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and level of independence. There are many programs to complement every major and any year of college (including the final semester)—and all meet UW–Madison’s high academic standards. Students admitted into Letters & Science can even choose a short program in the summer before they start college or their whole first year: studyabroad.wisc.edu/launch. Talk with your academic advisor about how studying abroad might fit with your academic plan.
SuccessWorks
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Through one-on-one career advising, events, and resources, you can explore career options, build valuable internship and research experience, and connect with supportive alumni and employers who open doors of opportunity.
- What you can do with your major (Major Skills & Outcomes Sheets)
- Make a career advising appointment
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Try “Jobs, Internships, & How to Get Them,” an interactive guide in Canvas for enrolled UW–Madison students