Online Degrees & Certificates
AA in Anthropology
Program Description
Literally meaning "the study of humankind," anthropology sits on the boundaries between the natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities, and ponders basic questions about what it means to be human. Anthropology focuses on the diverse ways people around the world and through time have interacted with their environments, communicated with each other, organized their social lives, made sense of their world, and responded to emerging conflicts and challenges. In this program we introduce students to the importance of cultural awareness in our globally-interconnected lives, and we challenge colonial frameworks in academia and beyond. Our program prioritizes experiential learning and research both locally and internationally, through archaeological and ethnographic field programs run by our faculty. Our broad course offerings give students the opportunity to study in all fields of anthropology, including archaeology, biological and medical anthropology, forensics, cultural anthropology, linguistics, religion and belief systems, social constructs of race and ethnicity; and the capacity to build narratives of understanding and connection among people.
Learn more about the program on the Anthropology website.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to understand and apply cultural relativism; they will be able to convey an understanding of multiple cultural perspectives.
Students will demonstrate a core knowledge base in anthropology, appreciating and reflecting on human diversity in the past and present.
Students will integrate their knowledge and understanding of anthropological concepts and methods to creatively and ethically solve real-world human problems at the local, regional, and global scales.
Students will be able to articulate key concepts and events in the process of human evolution and demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities toward that end.
Students will be able to critically assess the important role that the past plays on the present, and, conversely, the important role that the present has on the past from both local, regional, national, and worldwide perspectives.
Career Opportunities
Anthropology serves as a basic springboard for understanding and working within the global arena. Anthropology graduates find opportunities in colleges, universities, and museums as teachers and researchers, and in federal and state governments as community planners, social science and public health analysts, archaeologists, and education officers. There are also employment possibilities with the United Nations, UNESCO, and World Health organizations. International corporations with offices and plants overseas need anthropologists, as do consulting firms that deal with both private corporations and governments. With the basic anthropology courses, the student can transfer to most of the universities in the country. The student may want to add statistics and business principles to enhance employment possibilities.
Please visit the Anthropology website for further information.
Award Type(s)
AA = Associate in Arts Degree
Units Required
Major: 36
Additional Information
Note: Students having difficulty attaining an associate degree because of timing or availability of classes should consult with a counselor to submit a petition for course substitution.
Online Courses for Anthropology
The courses listed BELOW are offered as online courses at least once every two years. Please see the Class Schedule for verification.
- For a complete listing of online courses offered during the current quarter, visit Online Course Information.
- If you need any additional degree information or confirmation, please contact the Counseling Division.
NOTE: Students having difficulty attaining an associate degree because of timing or availability of classes should consult with a counselor to submit a petition for course substitution.
Associate Degree Requirements
| ONLINE COURSE | TITLE | UNITS |
|---|---|---|
| English Proficiency: Select one of the following | ||
| ENGL 1A | Composition & Reading | 5 |
| ENGL 1AH | Honors Composition & Reading | 5 |
| ESLL 26 | Advanced Composition & Reading | 5 |
| or equivalent | ||
| Mathematics Proficiency: | ||
| College-level math course at or above the level of Intermediate Algebra | ||
A minimum of 90 units is required* to include:
Completion of one of the following general education patterns: Foothill General Education, CSU General Education Breadth Requirements or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC).
Core courses (12 units)
Support courses (24 units)
*Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.
Note: All courses pertaining to the major must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, a grade of "C" or better is required for all core and support courses used for the degree.
Core and Support Courses
Core Courses
| ONLINE COURSE | TITLE | UNITS |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 1 | Introduction to Physical Anthropology | 4 |
| or ANTH 1H | Honors Introduction to Physical Anthropology |
4 |
| ANTH 2A | Cultural Anthroplogy | 4 |
| or ANTH 2AH | Honors Cultural Anthroplogy | 4 |
| ANTH 8 | Introduction to Archaeology | 4 |
| or ANTH 8H | Honors Introduction to Archaeology | 4 |
Support Courses
| ONLINE COURSE | TITLE | UNITS |
|---|---|---|
| Select 12 units from the following: | ||
| ANTH 1L | Physical Anthropology Laboratory | 1 |
| or ANTH 1HL | Honors Physical Anthropology Laboratory | 1 |
| ANTH 2B | Patterns of Culture | 4 |
| ANTH 3 | World Prehistory: The Rise & Fall of Early Civilizations | 4 |
| ANTH 4 | First Peoples of North America | 4 |
| ANTH 5 | Magic, Science & Religion | 4 |
| ANTH 6 | Perspectives from Africa | 4 |
| ANTH 12 | Applied Anthropology | 4 |
| ANTH 13 | Introduction to Forensic Anthropology | 4 |
| ANTH 13L | Forensic Anthropology Laboratory | 1 |
| ANTH 14 | Linguistic Anthropology | 4 |
| ANTH 15 | Medical Anthropology: Methods & Practice | 4 |
| ANTH 16L | Basic Archaeology Laboratory | 1 |
| or ANTH 17L | Intermediate Archaeology Laboratory | 2 |
| ANTH 20 | Native Peoples of California | 4 |
| ANTH 22 | The Aztecs, May, Inca & Their Predecessors: Civilizations of the Americas |
4 |
| GEOG 1 | Physical Geography | 5 |
| or GEOG 2 | Human Geography | 4 |
| GLST 1 | Introduction to Global Studies | 4 |
| GLST 2 | Global Issues | 4 |
| PSYC 7 | Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | 5 |
| or SOC 7 | Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | 5 |
| PSYC 10 | Research Methods & Designs | 5 |
| or SOC 10 | Social Research Methods & Designs | 5 |
| AND 12 Units of the following: * | ||
| ANTH 51 | Archaeology Survey | 2 |
| ANTH 52 | Archaeology Field Methods | 4 |
| ANTH 55 | Applied Cultural Anthropology Field Methods | 1 |
| ANTH 56 | Applied Physical Anthropology Field Methods | 1 |
| ANTH 57 | Applied Archeology Field Methods | 1 |
| ANTH 67A | Cultures of the World: Ecuador | 4 |
| ANTH 67B | Cultures of the World: Belize | 4 |
| ANTH 67C | Cultures of the World: British Isles | 4 |
| ANTH 70R | Independent Study in Anthropology | 1 |
| ANTH 71R | Independent Study in Anthropology | 2 |
| ANTH 72R | Independent Study in Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 73R | Independent Study in Anthropology | 4 |
| ETHN 1 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies | 4 |
| ETHN 2 |
Introduction to African American Studies | 4 |
| ETHN 3 |
Introduction to Latinx Studies | 4 |
| ETHN 4 |
Introduction to Native American Studies | 4 |
| ETHN 5 |
Introduction to Asian American Studies | 4 |
| GIST 11 | Introduction to Mapping & Spacial Reasoning | 4 |
| or GEOG 11 | Introduction to Mapping & Spacial Reasoning | 4 |
| GIST 12 | Introduction to Geospacial Technology | 4 |
| or GEOG 12 | Introduction to Geospacial Technology | 4 |
| HIST 4A | History of Western Civilization to 800 CE | 4 |
| HIST 8 | History of Latin America | 4 |
| HIST 18 | Introduction to Middle Eastern Civilization | 4 |
| HUMN 1 | Cultures, Civilizations & Ideas: The Ancient World | 4 |
| or HUMN 1H | Honors Cultures, Civilizations & Ideas: The Ancient World | 4 |
| SOC 30 | Social Psychology | 4 |
| or PSYC 30 | Social Psychology | 4 |
| SOC 40 | Aspects of Marriage & Family | 4 |
| WMN 5 | Introduction to Women's Studies | 4 |
| Total Units | 36 | |
* Students may also use courses listed in the first section of support courses to fulfill the requirement for the second section of support courses.
For a list of on-campus courses that satisfy degree requirements, please visit Anthropology 2023-2024 Degrees & Certificates.
Based on the 2023 - 2024 degree program.