Registration Guide: Anthropology (Biological)
Students majoring in Anthropology with a Specialization in Biological Anthropology will, through their required coursework, satisfy the following BU Hub requirements: Global Citizenship; Scientific Inquiry I; and Social Inquiry I, while also satisfying Intellectual Toolkit requirements for Critical Thinking. Other required and breadth courses within the larger major may also satisfy BU Hub requirements in Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meaning; Aesthetic Exploration; Historical Consciousness; Scientific Inquiry II; Social Inquiry II; Quantitative Reasoning I; Quantitative Reasoning II; Individual in Community; Ethical Reasoning; Writing Intensive; Oral and/or Signed Communication; Digital/Multimedia Expression; and Toolkit requirements in Research and Information Literacy; Teamwork/Collaboration; and Creativity/Innovation. While most BU Hub requirements for the major may be fulfilled within Anthropology, we encourage our students to explore the breadth of the university offerings that are relevant to their interests, particularly for their elective requirements, in keeping with the expansive educational goals of the Hub.
A typical first semester Anthropology (Biological) schedule looks like:
- Anthropology course
- Linguistics or Archaeology course
- Language course or Course of interest
- Writing course
- Optional add-on: First-Year Seminar
Please see below for more detailed suggestions on each course:
Course #1: Anthropology Course
As your first course, choose between two prerequisite courses: CAS AN 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology or AN 102 Human Biology, Behavior, and Evolution. These courses are offered each semester and can be taken in any order, so feel free to pick whichever one you’re most interested in or fits into your schedule best.
Please note: if you have, or will have, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or other external credit awarded equivalent to CAS AN 101 or CAS AN 102, please makes rue to register for the Anthropology course you do not have credit for.
Course #2: Linguistics Course or Archaeology Course
Major-Related Courses: Your next course should be another major-related requirement. We recommend picking one of the following:
- CAS LX 250 Intro to Linguistics
- CAS AR 190 Intro to Archaeology
- An additional 200-level Archaeology course
**Please note: CAS AR 100 Great Discoveries in Archaeology will not fulfill any of your anthropology major requirements.
-OR-
Course of interest: Select a course that interests you – perhaps based on subjects you’ve enjoyed in the past or a new subject you’re excited to try for the first time! If you’re not sure where to start, you can review our Registration Instructions for tips on browsing by topic or Hub requirement.
Course #3: Language Course or Course of interest
CAS Language Course: CAS students must exhibit proficiency through the fourth-semester level of a language other than English. If you have not already done so, please review the full language policy here.
If you plan to fulfill this language requirement through coursework at BU, then your next course should be a language course:
- If you’re new to the language, you’ll start with the first-semester level (usually coded as 111 – for example, Spanish 1 is CAS LS 111, Arabic 1 is CAS LY 111, etc.).
- If you have previously studied the language, you will need to take a placement test to determine what level to start with (for instance, CAS LS 112 Spanish 2, CAS LY 211 Arabic 3, CAS LK 212 Korean 4, etc.). Please review the CAS Language Requirement page for detailed information about placement tests and appropriate levels.
If you’ll fulfill the language requirement through advanced credit (such as AP/IB scores) or through native proficiency of another language, you have fulfilled your language requirement and can instead take a course of interest (as seen below).
-OR-
Course of interest: Select a course that interests you – perhaps based on subjects you’ve enjoyed in the past or a new subject you’re excited to try for the first time! If you’re not sure where to start, you can review our Registration Instructions for tips on browsing by topic or Hub requirement.
Course #4. CAS Writing Course or Core Humanities 1
Your fourth course should be a writing course:
- If you did not apply to BU with a TOEFL/IELTS score, you can take either:
- CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar. Each section of WR 120 focuses on a specific topic/theme, so you should register for a section that pairs with your interests.
- CAS CC 101 Core Humanities 1: Ancient Worlds: (offered fall only): An interdisciplinary study of the origins of civilization, from Mesopotamia and the Hebrew Bible to the development of Greek civilization through Homer, Greek tragedy, and the philosophy of Plato. You should enroll in CAS CC 101 if you are considering the Core Curriculum. This course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, First-Year Writing Seminar, Creativity/Innovation.
- If you applied to BU with a TOEFL/IELTS score, you should take the Multilingual Writer Placement (instructions will be sent via email) before you register for a writing course. The writing placement is a suggestion, but it will help you make an informed decision about the most appropriate level for you. Depending on what level WR course you register for, you will fulfill the following Hub requirements:
- CAS WR 111 Academic Writing for ESL Students 1 – fulfills The Individual in Community Hub
- CAS WR 112 Academic Writing for ESL Students 2 – fulfills Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy Hub
- CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar – fulfills First-Year Writing Seminar Hub (If you place into WR 120, you are welcome to take CC 101 Core Humanities 1 instead to fulfill your FYW Hub.)
Optional Course #5: First-Year Seminar
First-Year Seminar: FY 101 (1 unit) – Optional
FY101 is a one-unit, low stress, non-academic class that serves as a semester-long introduction to BU and college life. FY101 helps you get a head start on making connections at BU. Each section is taught by a student peer mentor and a staff instructor.
- FY101 classes are small and are for new students only, so they provide a great way to get to know other first-years!
- Your peer mentor and instructor will provide resources to create a more successful and meaningful college experience and help you get ahead in your first semester here.
- FY101 includes free, optional trips around Boston.
- There are specialty sections based on major and identity (e.g., Natural Sciences, First Generation, etc ) so be sure to choose the one that’s right for you!
Interested in Pursuing the Core?
If you are interested in the Core Curriculum, we recommend one of the following courses in place of a language course/course of interest. (Talk to your advisor to discuss these adjustments in more detail!)
- CAS CC 111: Core Natural Science 1: Origins—of the Big Bang, Earth, Life and Humanity (offered fall only): The origins of the physical world, a scientific parallel to CC 101. Explores how the fields of astronomy, earth science, biology, and anthropology help us to understand our place in the cosmos from a scientific perspective. Topics include the Big Bang, evolution of the stars and earth, evolution of life, and the origins of human life and society. Assignments include computer-based and experimental laboratory work as well as team-based investigation and original research.
- This course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
- This course will fulfill the CAS Natural Sciences Laboratory requirement.
- CAS CC 212: Core Natural Science 2: Reality, Science, and the Modern World (offered spring only): Studies the paradigm-shifting scientific theories of quantum theory and relativity that created a new world view and forced the 20th century into a new understanding of our relation to reality. Students parallel these theories with current debates about science, such as those concerning climate change and the phenomenon of “junk science.” Considers the role of science in the modern world, how we know what we know, the roles of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle and chaos theory, and the nature of truth in a 21st century context.
- This course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking.
- This course will fulfill the CAS Natural Sciences Laboratory requirement.
If you are interested in the humanities-based Core courses, we encourage you to consider CAS CC 101 (see the ‘Writing Course’ drop-down above).
**PLEASE NOTE: Students in the Core Program who are interested in majors within the natural sciences (Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Neuroscience, Physics, etc.) and are taking at least one laboratory course this semester should NOT enroll in CAS CC 111 or 212.
Find out more about the Core Curriculum, the Hub, and registration here.
Ready to register? Let’s go – click here!
For more information about your specific major requirements click here!