Anthropology
Associate in Arts for Transfer Degree Anthropology · San Diego Mesa College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Summary
The Associate in Arts in Anthropology for Transfer Degree is intended for students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology or a related major in the California State University (CSU) system. It is accepted by some but not all CSU campuses. Students who complete this degree and transfer to a participating CSU campus will be required to complete no more than 60 units after transfer to earn a bachelor’s degree. It may not be appropriate preparation for students transferring to a CSU campus that does not accept the degree.
NOTE: Students intending to transfer into this major at a CSU should consult with a counselor and visit ASSIST for guidance on appropriate transfer coursework.
Award Notes: The following is required for all AA-T or AS-T degrees:
- Completion of 60 semester units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University
- Completion of a minimum of 18 semester units in an “AA-T” or “AS-T” major.
- Minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in all CSU-transferable coursework. While a minimum of 2.0 is required for admission, some CSU campuses and majors may require a higher GPA. Please see a counselor for more information.
- Minimum grade of “C” or “P” or better for each course in the major. Students should review the Pass/No Pass acceptance policy of the transfer institution prior to requesting this grade option.
- Certified completion of the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) pattern.
Learning Outcome(s): Students who complete the Anthropology Program will be able to:
- Use an anthropological framework to think critically in reading, writing, and/or speaking, thereby interpreting relevant problems, theses, arguments and evidence to draw and defend rational conclusions.
- Effectively communicate employing anthropological perspectives while recognizing and respecting potential differences in worldview.
- Articulate the varieties of biological and cultural adaptations and demonstrate an understanding of cultural diversity.
- Articulate ability to understand one's role in local and global society, take responsibility for one's own actions, and make ethical decisions in complex situations.
- Collect data and engage with research through appropriate use of an array of scholarly sources and through discipline specific technologies and frameworks.
Requirements
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COURSES REQUIRED FOR THE MAJOR: | 9 | |
| ANTH 102 | Introduction to Biological Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 103 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 107 | Introduction to Archaeology | 3 |
| Category A: Select one of the following courses (3 units): | 3 | |
| ENGL 202 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| STAT C1000 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| orPSYC 258 | Behavioral Science Statistics | 3 |
| Category B: Select one or two of the following courses, or any course not selected in Category A (3-5 units): | 3-5 | |
| BIOL 230 | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| GEOL 100 | Physical Geology | 3 |
| GEOL 101 | Physical Geology Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOL 104 | Earth Science | 3 |
| GEOL 120 | Earth Science Laboratory | 1 |
| GISG 104 | Geographic Information Science and Spatial Reasoning | 3 |
| PHIL 112 | Philosophy of Science | 3 |
| PSYC 255 | Introduction to Psychological Research | 3 |
| orSOCO 220 | Introduction to Research Methods in Sociology | 3 |
| Category C: Select One or Two of the Following Courses (3 units): | 3 | |
| ANTH 104 | Laboratory in Biological Anthropology | 1 |
| ANTH 117 | Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality | 3 |
| ANTH 130 | Bones: Human Osteology | 3 |
| ANTH 140 | Primatology | 3 |
| ANTH 205 | Introduction to Medical Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 215 | Cultures of Latin America | 3 |