How to Declare Major/Minor
Major Program
When can you declare the major?
Declare the major as soon as you are eligible.
All students: no later than the beginning of the Junior year
Transfer students: during your first semester at UC Berkeley
Declare before or by the 4th week of the semester for preference for enrolling in upper division courses.
Requirements to declare the major
You must have two of the three prerequisite courses completed or in progress, and have a 2.0 GPA in the coursework for the major.
How can you declare the major?
Complete these three steps:
Fill in completely the "Application and Petition to Declare Major".
Provide photocopies of transcripts showing courses satisfying the major prerequisites that you took anywhere other than Berkeley, with the grades you earned (continuing Berkeley students may request copies of their transfer transcripts from the Undergraduate Admissions Office in 110 Sproul)
Meet with the Undergraduate Adviser in 209 Kroeber during office hours (Monday-Thursday 9-12; 1-3:30)
Major Requirements
Lower Division Prerequisites (3 total)
- Anthro 1: Introduction to Biological Anthropology
- Anthro 2 or 2AC: Introduction to Archaeology
- Anthro 3 or 3AC: Introduction to Social Cultural Anthropology
Upper Division Required Courses (9 total)
- Anthro 114: History of Anthropological Thought
- Biological Core: Chose from Anthropology courses numbered 100-112, 127A, B
- Archaeology Core: Choose from Anthropology courses numbered 121-136H, 174AC
- Sociocultural Core: Chose from Anthropology courses numbered 115-119, 137-189A
- Five Anthropology Electives: Choose five (5) from Anthropology courses numbered 100-196; graduate seminars numbered 200-280 can satisfy this requirement
Be sure to include at least one Area course and one Methods course in the nine upper-division courses.
- Area courses are numbered 121-125, 128A, 170-188, 189A
- Methods courses are numbered C100, C103, 121C, 127A, 128M, 131,132, 132A, 134, 134A, 135A, 135B, 136A-I, 138B, 139, 169A, 169B
Notes on the completing the major requirements
Lower division courses may be completed in any order. Anthropology 1 is offered only in spring and summer. Anthropology 2 and 3 are offered during both Fall and Spring, and usually during the summer.
Anthro 114 is only offered in Spring and must be completed by the junior year. It should normally not be attempted before the junior year.
Courses taken to satisfy the Area or Method requirement simultaneously satisfy one of the 9 required upper division courses. Examples:
- Anthropology 189A will satisfy both the Area requirement and one of the 5 electives
- Anthropology 132A will satisfy both the Methods and the Archaeology Core.
All courses taken to satisfy the major requirements must be taken on a letter-graded basis.
A minimum grade point average of 2.0 must be maintained in the lower and upper division Anthropology courses.
A minimum of 5 upper division requirements must be completed in the Anthropology Department at Berkeley. Up to four courses taken at other institutions (including those of the Education Abroad Program of the University of California) may be used to meet upper-division major requirements, subject to faculty review and approval. Submit a Course Substitution petition and provide a detailed syllabus (not a course description) for each class.
Minor Program
When can you declare the minor?
When you have completed all 7 courses, or during the semester you are enrolled in the final course(s).
Declare the minor as soon as you are eligible.
Requirements to declare the minor
Complete a total of seven classes: two lower-division and five upper division courses. See description of the major for details on the eligible courses.
A minimum of four upper-division courses must be taken at UC Berkeley in the Anthropology Department (upon approval, one course may be from an EAP, or taken at another 4 year institution).
All courses must be taken for a letter grade.
A minimum 2.0 average is required in all anthropology course work.
A maximum of one approved upper-division course may satisfy requirements of both the student's major and the anthropology minor program.
How can you declare the minor?
Complete these three steps:
Complete the "Petition for Confirmation of Minor Program Completion" and the "Minor Application Form".
Provide photocopies of transcripts showing courses satisfying the minor that you took anywhere other than Berkeley, with the grades you earned (continuing Berkeley students may request copies of their transfer transcripts from the Undergraduate Admissions Office in 110 Sproul).
Submit all documentation to the Undergraduate Advising Office in 209 Kroeber.