Anthropology, Minor
Explore courses taught by leading experts across one of the nation's largest anthropology programs. This minor lets you examine human cultures, biology and behavior from many angles. Add it to any major to broaden how you understand people and the world.
Quick facts
Locations
Credits
Additional facts
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Minor description
Anthropology minor description
A minor program in anthropology completes your academic experience by focusing on the lessons and people that make human societies so interesting and challenging to understand, both in the past and in modern times.
A focus in evolutionary anthropology is perfect if you are on a premedical track in which a broad evolutionary perspective is important for understanding disease processes. A focus in sociocultural anthropology provides you with understanding of human interaction and how social groups function.
Coursework in anthropology complements many majors, and anthropological training provides you with a competitive advantage in the workforce as you learn how to problem-solve creatively and better understand yourself and others.
Why earn an anthropology minor at ASU?
You learn from faculty whose anthropology research earns recognition at both the state and national levels, including ASU President's Professors and Arizona Board of Regents Professors, a MacArthur Fellow, and elected members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Beyond the classroom, faculty-led study abroad programs help you gain a clearer view of the world, its peoples and the complex challenges facing us all. Through The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' Research Apprenticeship Program, you can also work directly with faculty and graduate students on a wide range of anthropology projects, building hands-on training and real research experience.
Courses
This undergraduate minor includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below:
2026-2027 Catalog Year
The minor requires 18 credit hours. A "C" minimum is required for all courses in the minor, although students must maintain a 3.00 GPA in the post-baccalaureate certificate program.
| Requirement | Minimum grade | Credit hours |
|---|---|---|
|
The minor in anthropology requires 18 credit hours, of which 12 credit hours must be upper-division. A minimum of six upper-division credit hours must be completed through The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. When selecting courses, the college offering the course can be identified by viewing the course details in Class Search. Only courses completed with a grade of "C" (2.00 on a scale of 4.00) or better may be applied toward the minor requirements. |
||
|
6 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 6 |
|
At least two of the three subfields must be represented.
Archaeology Subfield Evolutionary Anthropology (aka Physical Anthropology) Subfield Sociocultural Anthropology Subfield Students choose 12 credit hours from the subfields of archaeology, evolutionary anthropology and sociocultural anthropology (including linguistics). The course completed to fulfill the Core requirement may limit the courses available to fulfill the Upper Division Subfield requirements due to necessary prerequisites.
12 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 12 |
|
Prerequisite courses may be needed in order to complete the requirements of this minor.
|
Enrollment requirements
GPA Requirement: None
Incompatible Majors: BA in anthropology; BS in anthropology
Other Enrollment Requirements: None
Current ASU undergraduate students may pursue a minor and have it recognized on their ASU transcript at graduation. Minor requirements appear on the degree audit once the minor is added. Certain major and minor combinations may be deemed inappropriate by the college or department of either the major program or the minor. Courses taken for the minor may not count toward both the major and minor.
Here are the admission and application details
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Careers this anthropology minor prepares you for
The critical thinking skills learned in this minor program are beneficial in any career field that requires understanding human behavior and its motivations, including medicine, marketing, business, consulting and human resources.
The demand in the job market for people with an anthropology background is stimulated by a growing need for researchers and analysts with keen thinking skills who can manage, evaluate and interpret large amounts of data. As the many spheres of human interaction expand globally, people trained in anthropology are increasingly sought for their broad, holistic knowledge and perspectives, which are the hallmarks of anthropology.
Career opportunities include:
- acting as legal advocates in international cases
- analyzing and proposing policies
- conducting postgraduate academic research
- consulting for private and public organizations
- curating cultural resources
- directing nonprofit organizations
- directing programs in the private or public sector
- managing culture or heritage resources in private or public sectors
- modeling infectious diseases
- planning communities
- teaching
Advanced degrees or certifications may be required for academic or clinical positions.
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
School of Human Evolution & Social Change
|
SHESC 233
shesc.undergrad@asu.edu
480-965-6215
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
