Anthropology is the study of human beings from both a cultural and biological perspective. The department of Anthropology offers courses in the discipline's four subfields:

• Socio-Cultural: Description and comparison of living cultures.
• Biological: Fossil humans, human evolution and variation, genetics.
• Archaeology: Collecting and analyzing the remains of past cultures.
• Linguistics: Analysis of language and the connections between language and culture.

Students in anthropology have the opportunity to participate in archaeological excavations, ethnographic film making, the analysis of human remains, and the study of urban ethnography. Students are encouraged to develop expertise in particular cultural areas and research problems. Faculty members have engaged in work in Asia, North America, Mesoamerica, and South America. They have focused on a range of problems including urbanization, modernization, ethnicity, contemporary environmental issues, race relations, immigration, religion, ecological adaptation, and forensic anthropology.

The department maintains four active laboratories: the Anthropology Media Lab, the Linguistic Anthropology Lab, the California Coastal Archaeology Lab and the Mesoamerican Archaeology Lab.

The departments offers an Honors Program for qualified upper division students. The program is designed to introduce superior students to independent research and the writing of professional reports. Diplomas and transcripts of Honors Program graduates are designated: "Graduated with Departmental Honors in Anthropology."

Persons with a baccalaureate in anthropology can use it as a basis for teaching credentials. In addition, anthropology provides good preparation for jobs that require an understanding of cultural differences, such as counseling, medicine, human resource management and social services. The baccalaureate also trains for positions related to archaeology and museum work. 

Many advanced positions in the field require training beyond the bachelor's degree; some are open to those with the master's degree, others to holders of the doctorate. 

The department offers a master's degree in three tracks: Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, and Socio-Cultural Anthropology.

There are a number of active student associations. 

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• This employer does prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation/preference.
• This employer does prohibit discrimination based on gender identity/expression.
• This employer does offer health insurance benefits to eligible partners.
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