Program Overview:

The Anthropology Department at Monterey Peninsula College is committed to the study of the human experience. The Department’s primary mission is to develop learning communities that examine the intersections of interdisciplinary dialogue. To that end, course offerings address issues in the areas of human nature and tradition, our human heritage, trends in global society, and the advances of a single political economy. With this dynamic approach, students and faculty are encouraged to foster the brand of local examination that is required of an informed global citizen. The Department’s central objective is to ultimately prepare students for life at a four-year institution by developing a curriculum that supports diverse course offerings, programming, and cooperation with our local and transnational communities.

The courses offered by the Anthropology Department introduce students to the fields of archaeology, biological anthropology, and cultural anthropology. These courses may be taken to satisfy General Education requirements or to fulfill the requirement to transfer with a declared major in anthropology.

Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Critically examine and comprehend human nature and behavior, social traditions, and institutions.
• Describe biological and cultural factors responsible for human variation.
• Distinguish variations in culture using the relativist perspective.
• Evaluate the various theories, methods, and techniques used to investigate the human past.

MPC Degrees and Certificates

• Anthropology - Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T)

Related Career Cluster Brief

Click for related career information and links to the Occupational Outlook Handbook

• Social Research