Associate of Arts in Anthropology for Transfer (AA-T) Berkeley City College

The Associate in Arts in Anthropology for Transfer Degree is designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year institution as anthropology majors. In this program, the students gain exposure to the four subfields of anthropology (biological, archaeological, cultural, and linguistic anthropology).

Students who successfully complete the AA-T in Anthropology earn specific guarantees for transfer to the CSU system: admission to a CSU with junior status and priority admission to a CSU campus and to a program or major in anthropology or a similar major.

Students transferring to a CSU campus will be required to complete no more than 60 units after transfer to earn a bachelor’s degree. Students are required to complete 60-semester units that are eligible for transfer to a California State University, including both of the following:

• (1) The Inter-segmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education – Breadth Requirements and
• (2) 18–20 semester units with a grade of C or P or better in the major and an overall minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in all CSU transferable coursework.

Peralta Colleges/Faiza Ali

What Will I Learn?

• Gain a solid grounding in the four subfields of anthropology including archaeology, social-cultural, linguistic, and physical anthropology.
• Learn both qualitative and quantitative research methods used by anthropologists in the field. These skills have numerous job applications such as in cultural resource management, museum curatorship, and/or non-profit administration.
• Gain a global perspective by studying the interactions of groups and societies from a wide array of vantage points.
• Have access to faculty mentors committed to helping students meet their educational and career goals.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

Students who complete the program will be able to:

• Explain core concepts of anthropology including biological, archaeological, and social-cultural subfields.
• Demonstrate skills in the scientific methods used by contemporary anthropologists.
• Describe an appreciation for the biological, historical, and cultural diversity of our world.

Recommended Course Sequence

1st Semester/Fall

• Introduction to Physical Anthropology
• Physical Anthropology Lab
• General Education and Electives

Total 15

2nd Semester/Spring

• Introduction to Social-Cultural Anthropology
• Introduction to Statistics
• General Education and Electives

Total 15

3rd Semester/Fall

• Introduction to Anthropological Linguistics
• Introduction to Archaeology and Prehistory
• General Education and Electives

Total 15

4th Semester/Spring

• Urban Anthropology
• General Education and Electives

Total 15

What can I do with a degree in anthropology?

Transfer to a four-year public or private university to complete a BA in anthropology. Students completing a BA in anthropology find paid work in education, health care, international development, museums, media, social work, various governmental and non-governmental agencies, medical facilities, and zoos.

Students completing a BA in anthropology are also prepared for graduate study in anthropology. Many anthropology students decide to continue on to complete a MA for job advancement. For example, with an AA or BA in anthropology, a student may be hired as an archaeologist with the National Forest Service. With a MA, that same individual can attain higher positions such as crew chief, project manager, or other more advanced career placements.