If you’re interested in learning about cultures, societies and beliefs in the past and present–anthropology is an ideal field. A deep understanding of anthropology will prepare you for a meaningful career in academia, public health, international aid, public policy, medicine and more.
Program Overview
Investigate the history and culture of our ancestors.
Studying anthropology at Western Colorado University will allow you to build a broad geographical and temporal perspective of human biological and cultural adaptations. In the program, you’ll learn about pressing current issues like environmental well-being, cultural relations, social inequality and how our knowledge of the past informs our vision for the future.
As an Anthropology major, you’ll be required to obtain valuable hands-on experience through field school opportunities in places like Italy, India and Belize or locally in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. You can take advantage of the opportunity to get out into the field every semester on trips to explore famous sites including the Hopi Mesas, Great Sand Dunes, Canyon de Chelly and Arches National Park. To hone your professional skills, your professors will help you develop and present your research at professional conferences nationwide.
Exploring the past
Anthropology students build a broad geographical and temporal perspective of human biological and cultural adaptations.
Program Requirements
At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.
Program Requirements
All standard majors require a minor in a second discipline or a second major.
A minimum of 38 credits is required:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 107 | Introduction to General Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 218 | Biological Anthropology (with laboratory) | 4 |
| ANTH 219 | Archaeology (with laboratory) | 4 |
| ANTH 230 | Cultural Anthropology (with laboratory) | 4 |
| ANTH 465 | Senior Research Seminar | 3 |
| Anthropology Electives | 13 | |
| MATH 113 | Statistical Thinking (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| Select one of the following field and laboratory courses: | 4 | |
ANTH 322 | Analysis of Material Culture (with laboratory) | |
ANTH 467 | Ethnography Field School 1 | |
ANTH 469 | Archaeology Field School 1 | |
| Total Credits | 38 | |
- 1
ANTH 467 Ethnography Field School and ANTH 469 Archaeology Field School may be repeated for eight credits.
Capstone Course Requirement
The following course in the Anthropology Major fulfills the capstone course requirement: ANTH 465 Senior Research Seminar.
Graduation Requirements
Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation. Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above). Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued.
Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ANTH 107 | Introduction to General Anthropology | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education (MATH) | 3 |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education (Area II) | 4 |
| HWTR 100 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| ANTH 218 or ANTH 230 |
Biological Anthropology (with laboratory) or Cultural Anthropology (with laboratory) |
4 |
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) | 3 |
| Elective | Elective, minor, or second major course | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education (Area I) | 3 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| ANTH 219 | Archaeology (with laboratory) | 4 |
| ANTH | ANTH elective course | 3 |
| ANTH 369 | Anthropology Field Trip (recommended) | 3 |
| Elective | Elective, minor, or second major course | 3 |
| MATH 113 | Statistical Thinking (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ANTH | ANTH elective course | 3 |
| ANTH 230 or ANTH 218 |
Cultural Anthropology (with laboratory) or Biological Anthropology (with laboratory) |
4 |
| ANTH 369 | Anthropology Field Trip (recommended) | 3 |
| Elective | Elective, minor, or second major course | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education (Area I) | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Summer | ||
| ANTH 469 or ANTH 467 |
Archaeology Field School or Ethnography Field School |
4 |
| Credits | 4 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| ANTH | ANTH elective course | 3 |
| Elective | Elective, minor, or second major course | 6 |
| Gen Ed | General Education (Area II) | 4 |
| Gen Ed | General Education (Area III) | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ANTH | ANTH elective | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education (Area III) | 3 |
| Elective | Elective, minor, or second major course | 6 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| ANTH | ANTH elective | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education (Area III) | 3 |
| Elective | Elective, minor, or second major course | 9 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ANTH 465 | Senior Research Seminar | 3 |
| Elective | Elective, minor, or second major course | 12 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 121 | |
| Fall (even years) | Spring (odd years) |
| BIOL 130 Environmental Biology BIOL 135 Environmental Biology Lab BIOL 150 Biological Principles (with Lab) BIOL 151 Diversity and Patterns of Life (with Lab) BIOL 301 General Ecology BIOL 302 Ecology Lab and Recitation BIOL 310 Cell Biology BIOL 312 Genetics (with Recitation) BIOL 342 Microbiology (with Lab) BIOL 353 Rocky Mountain Flora BIOL 372 Human Anatomy & Physiology I - (with Lab) BIOL 430 Wildlife Ecology & Management (with Lab) BIOL 431 Wildlife Techniques Workshop BIOL 476 Aquatic Ecology (with Lab) BIOL 495 Senior Seminar | BIOL 130 Environmental Biology BIOL 135 Environmental Biology Lab BIOL 150 Biological Principles (with Lab) BIOL 151 Diversity and Patterns of Life (with Lab) BIOL 300 Basic Nutrition BIOL 301 General Ecology BIOL 310 Cell Biology BIOL 312 Genetics (with Recitation) BIOL 313 Cell and Genetics Lab BIOL 320 Ornithology (with Recitation and Lab) BIOL 352 Botany (with Lab) BIOL 373 Human Anatomy & Physiology II (with Lab) BIOL 420 Molecular Biology (with Lab) BIOL 440 Conservation Biology BIOL 495 Senior Seminar |
| Fall (odd years) | Spring (even years) |
| BIOL 130 Environmental Biology BIOL 135 Environmental Biology Lab BIOL 150 Biological Principles (with Lab) BIOL 151 Diversity and Patterns of Life (with Lab) BIOL 301 General Ecology BIOL 302 Ecology Lab and Recitation BIOL 310 Cell Biology BIOL 312 Genetics (with Recitation) BIOL 327 Field Entomology BIOL 342 Microbiology (with Lab) BIOL 362 Evolutionary Biology Theory & Application BIOL 372 Human Anatomy & Physiology I (with Lab) BIOL 444 Colorado Ecoregions BIOL 481 Forest Ecology (with Lab) BIOL 495 Senior Seminar | BIOL 130 Environmental Biology BIOL 135 Environmental Biology Lab BIOL 150 Biological Principles (with Lab) BIOL 151 Diversity and Patterns of Life (with Lab) BIOL 300 Basic Nutrition BIOL 301 General Ecology BIOL 310 Cell Biology BIOL 312 Genetics (with Recitation) BIOL 313 Cell and Genetics Lab BIOL 322 Mammalogy (with Lab) BIOL 352 Botany (with Lab) BIOL 373 Human Anatomy & Physiology II (with Lab) BIOL 420 Molecular Biology (with Lab) BIOL 474 Comparative Animal Physiology (with Lab) BIOL 495 Senior Seminar |
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Find your ScholarshipsWestern’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
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The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.
Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.
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Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:
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The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.
Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).
- Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
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Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.
For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.
Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.
For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.
Note: Students enrolled in a Western-CU Boulder Partnership Program (i.e. major) do not qualify for Western Merit Scholarship programs. See the Rady Merit Scholarship section above for scholarship opportunities.
Get Involved
Take your education beyond the classroom.
Get the hands-on learning experience you need to apply your knowledge and launch your career.
- Backyard Laboratory: Tenderfoot (aka “W”) Mountain located just one mile away from campus is home to structures dating to the Paleo Indian period—more than 10,000 years ago. Western has conducted field schools on the site since 2001.
- Research: Anthropology students have many opportunities to research in the field and have access to state-of-the-art technology and sites. All students are encouraged to develop and present their own creative and relevant research projects at conferences.
- Study Abroad: Travel to India, Ecuador, Prague, London, Italy or Belize through Study Abroad Extended Studies.
Hands-on history
Anthropology students participate in an excavation on Tenderfoot (aka “W”) Mountain located just one mile away from campus, which is home to structures dating to the Paleo Indian period—more than 10,000 years ago.
News & Research
Department Information
Natural & Environmental Sciences (NES) Department
Department Chairperson
Anne W. Ryter, Ph.D.Professor of Chemistry
Administrative Assistant
Lori ClementNES Administrative Assistant
Campus Location
Western Colorado University
Hurst Hall 128
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231
