Advising

Who needs major advising?

All Anthropology majors should see the advisor in the major at least once a year to ensure that they are meeting the requirements for completing their degree. Students with 90 units (final year) should meet with a major advisor before enrolling in courses in their final two semesters.

Who needs career advising?

It is recommended that you attend our career symposium held in each spring semester. You should also meet with the Career Resources Advisor at least once, ideally at the end of your second year so you can strategically plan your upper division coursework.

How do I see an advisor?

Advisors are available during their office hours during term time. Some may require you to book an appointment on an online calendar.

How do I submit paperwork remotely?

Most forms submitted remotely do not require your signature. Fill them out on your computer and email them from your SFSU email, which serves as proof of your identity. Please include a c.c. to anthro@sfsu.edu.

What if I just want general advising?

For General Education advising, students should visit the Undergraduate Advising Center.

What if I am on academic probation?

Students with academic probation holds should first go to the Undergraduate Advising Center for more information.

After meeting with Undergraduate Advising Center, the completed paperwork should be brought to the chair of the department.

Interested in changing or adding a major or minor in Anthropology?

Changes to majors and minors can be done in your student center. Please make an appointment with an anthropology advisor to plan your course schedule.

How do I know which courses to take for the major?

Follow the degree requirements for the major in the bulletin, which are also listed on the Degree Progress Report (DPR) in your student center. You can find instructions for accessing and reading your DPR here.

The roadmaps for the degree program are also useful for selecting your courses each semester.  

Should I use the Degree Planner?

Some students use the degree planner in their student center. However, it has many limitations including the uncertainty of the exact classes that will be scheduled each semester. Students have used it, and put of taking required courses in the last semester that were then not available or overlapped with other required classes. The advisors in the department generally find students can more easily work out their degree planning using the roadmaps and the DPR.

When should I take the required course in the major?

To avoid having scheduling problems in the last semester, you should try and complete all the required core classes, a theory course and a methods course by the end of the 3rd year. Electives in the major, complementary studies, SF State studies and University electives are more flexible and have more sections to choose from so they are easier to schedule.

What is complementary studies and how do I get those courses approved?

Complementary studies are 12 units (upper or lower division and transfer courses) outside the major that enrich your studies in anthropology. You must meet with the advisor in the major to get the courses approved and have the advisor enter the completion once the coursework is completed before it will show up with a green check mark on your DPR.

A minor, second major or study abroad program will always be approved by the advisor. Other courses that will always be approved are: Language courses, courses in the College of Ethnic Studies, Classics, Geography, Sociology, Sexuality Studies, and Women and Gender Studies. Some courses in other departments such as History, Biology or Humanities may be approved, but be sure to check with an advisor before you enroll.

Planning your complementary studies is best done by your second year or in your first semester for transfer students. They are meant to represent a well-thought out program of study that matches your particular interests in anthropology.

Should I enroll in the Ethnography Certificate Program?

The courses for the ethnography certificate program are double-counted toward the major. If you meet the minimum requirements of a B in the certificate courses and a 3.3 GPA overall, it will signal to potential employers that you have a certain level of training in ethnographic field methods.

While you may formally apply to the program, if you meet all requirements for the certificate at the time you graduate, you will be awarded the certificate as long as you submit the forms and pay a small processing fee (see next question).

I am enrolled in or I have completed the requirements for the Ethnography Certificate Program, why doesn’t it show up on my DPR?

Certificates are not required to graduate so they are not included on the
DPR. Awarding of an Ethnography Certificate is a three-step process that takes place outside of the DPR.

1. Download and complete the CAP form by December 10th for Fall, June 10th for Spring or August 10th for summer award of the certificate.
2. In order to issue the certificate, Graduate Studies (even though it’s an undergraduate certificate) has a processing fee of $7. To pay the fee, follow these instructions: https://grad.sfsu.edu/content/pay-graduate-fees-online and select the Undergraduate Certificate. Make sure to download or screenshot the receipt.
3. Email the completed CAPS form and fee receipt to the Anthropology Undergraduate Advisor.

Can I do a 699 course?

Although 699s across the University are called independent studies, they must be supervised and mentored by a faculty member. Faculty are not given teaching credits for these supervisory courses, and they only do them when they have the time to give exceptional students the opportunity to do research work in that faculty member’s area of expertise.They can not be used as substitutes for regular classes in the curriculum.

How much time and project work faculty members have to mentor independent  students projects is limited. If you are interested, you would need to speak to a professor at least one semester before taking a 699. This would usually be someone with whom you have taken a methods or other upper division class with recently.

The University requires a 3.0 GPA to enroll in a 699 course and there will be no exceptions to this policy. Some professors may require a higher GPA to mentor projects.

How do I transfer non-articulated courses into the major?

Not all courses from other universities are automatically treated as equivalent to our department's courses. For such "non-articulated" courses, you must speak with an advisor to have the courses accepted as part of your Anthropology coursework. Continuing students who take a course at another University should get approval prior to taking the course.

Why don’t my study abroad courses appear under the major on my DPR?

Courses approved for the major on the Bilateral Academic Advising Form you completed before you left the country should automatically appear as credits toward the degree on your degree progress report. If any do not appear under the major, you must speak with an Anthropology advisor.  Speak to your advisor within your first two months after your return to campus.

I am a double major. Do I have to take two GWAR courses?

We may allow a substitution of our 305GW core requirement with the GWAR offered by the department in your other major. Many other, but not all, departments will allow the same GWAR reciprocity for double majors, and if so, you can decide which GWAR works best for you to count toward both majors. Your advisor may request a copy of the syllabus from another GWAR course before approving the substitution.