Humanities and Social Sciences

Anthropology Program

Undergraduate Studies

Common Resources for Current Students

Anthropology is recognised as a core discipline for purposes of satisfying the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (ABA) degree in social sciences. Apart from taking a major in anthropology, students may simply add individual anthropology subjects to their degree.

Subjects (units) offered in the Anthropology Program in 2009 reflect the broad and varied nature of the discipline. Anthropology is concerned with the study of social life - the structural arrangements and cultural patterns which shape group behaviour at every level of social action, whether global, national or local.

Anthropologists work within a number of theoretical and methodological traditions and the range of subjects offered within the Program is accordingly diverse. Within that diversity, however, the program is structured to ensure that students specialising in anthropology are conversant with core concepts and basic research methods.

Anthropology is recognised as a core discipline for purposes of satisfying the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (ABA) degree in social sciences and the Bachelor of Social Sciences (ABSS). Apart from taking a major in Anthropology, students may simply add individual anthropology subjects to their degree.

In the first year of study students are introduced to basic concepts in a range of topic areas and social processes. In second and third year students can select from a range of subjects covering topics such as gender, family, kinship and marriage, anthropological concepts and practice, Aboriginal Australia, comparative studies of other societies, development, psychological anthropology, childhood, and others.

A major in anthropology consists of 130 credit points of anthropology subjects or subjects cross-listed as equivalent to anthropology subjects. A major will include at least 30 credit points at first-year level and at least 60 credit points at third-year level of anthropology (or equivalent) subjects.

Students taking 130 or more credit points in anthropology, or wishing to proceed to honours, must complete at either second or third-year level the following two subjects:

ANT2CIA/ANT3CIA and ANT2MQA/ANT3MQA