Anthropology

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Study humankind, including our similarities and differences, through all facets of society and culture.

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Degree

Bachelor

Length

4 years

Faculty/School

Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Why study Anthropology at UBC Okanagan?

Anthropologists are interested in the findings of all fields pertaining to humans and the processes of social and cultural life in human societies past and present, near and far. It connects the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. Cultural Anthropology is a main area of focus at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

Anthropology is the integrated study of what it means to be human in the broadest possible sense.

Degree Options

Anthropologists tend to specialize in one of four major subfields: anthropological archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology and linguistic anthropology.

Cultural anthropology is a main area of focus at UBC Okanagan, but a full undergraduate program is also available in linguistic anthropology. UBC Okanagan also offers courses in applied anthropology, sometimes considered a fifth subfield.

At UBC Okanagan, you can complete a Bachelor of Arts (BA) with a major or minor in anthropology.

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Sample Courses

These are examples of courses you can enrol in during your studies. To plan your academic journey, please visit undergraduate academic planning.

ANTH 100 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 103 - Introduction to World Archaeology
ANTH 111 - Introduction to Biological Anthropology
ANTH 170 - Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology

ANTH 252 - Visual Anthropology and New Media
ANTH 233 - Archaeology Field School I
ANTH 260 - Ethnobotany: Plants and People
ANTH 205 - Gender, Sexuality, and the Body

ANTH 318 - Paleolithic Archaeology
ANTH 370 - Morphology, Syntax, and Semantics
ANTH 304 - Ethnography of the Northwest Coast
ANTH 353 - India in Motion: Ethnographic Perspectives

ANTH 441 - Forensic Anthropology
ANTH 429 - Medical Anthropology and International Development
ANTH 407 - Ethnographic Methods: Acquiring Research Skills
ANTH 473 - Endangered Languages

Plan your academic journey by exploring the undergraduate academic planning guide designed for Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences students.

Explore customized Program Plans designed to support your journey to graduation and beyond.

Careers and Outcomes

UBC degrees are respected by employers around the globe. Program graduates will have the skills to pursue a career in a variety of fields like,

  • Advocate
  • Archaeological technician
  • Assistant language instructor
  • Bilingual/bicultural program specialist
  • Collections manager
  • Communications officer
  • Community development officer
  • Community support worker
  • Cultural consultant to police
  • Cultural resource manager
  • Curator
  • Environmental research
  • Ethnographic research assistant
  • Exhibit assistant
  • First Nations land claims advisor
  • Foreign service officer
  • Forensics assistant
  • Fundraising consultant
  • Health researcher
  • Heritage interpreter
  • Immigration services consultant
  • Impact assessor
  • International student advisor
  • Manager, cultural business council
  • Map and aerial photo interpreter
  • Market researcher
  • Media development
  • Multicultural education specialist
  • Museum and gallery assistant
  • Organizational analyst
  • Outreach assistant
  • Park interpreter
  • Policy analyst
  • Policy researcher
  • Project officer, urban Indigenous strategy
  • Public health educator
  • Research analyst
  • Sales representative
  • Social development advisor
  • Social impact analyst
  • Strategic planning advisor
  • Tourism research
  • Travel agent/guide/consultant
  • Travel or technical writer
  • Urban planner
  • Youth worker

Admission, Fees, Applying

You could soon be studying at one of the world’s top universities. Be sure to review the content below to prepare for attending UBC Okanagan.

Experiential Learning

Expand your horizons while studying abroad, conducting meaningful research, or working in the community with your UBC colleagues.

Learn more about Co-op, Go Global and Undergraduate Research Awards opportunities at Experiential Education.

Gain research experience working with community groups affiliated with the Institute for Community Engaged Research (ICER), an organization at UBC Okanagan that supports socially engaged research on topics such as cultural conservation and Indigenous languages.

UBC Okanagan’s anthropology community fosters a supportive environment from which you can achieve your academic and career goals. Professors are welcoming and helpful, while the student-led Anthropology Student Union offers opportunities for student to meet, converse, and build understanding of the important issues in the Okanagan and the world.

Global and Close-Knit

At UBC Okanagan, you gain all the benefits of attending a globally ranked, top 5% university while studying in a close-knit learning community. 50% of graduates, from all across the globe, choose to stay in the region.

Discover the Okanagan

A diverse natural region with sandy beaches, beautiful farms, vineyards, orchards and snow-capped mountains, the Okanagan is an inspirational landscape perfect for those seeking leisure or outdoor adventure.

UBC's Okanagan campus borders the dynamic city of Kelowna, a hub of economic development with a population of more than 150,000 people— the fourth fastest-growing population in Canada.