A very important announcement regarding the related fields lists for both the Cultural and Physical Emphasis.

The Anthropology department has changed its policy regarding these lists. Previously, classes from these lists could count towards the major without a petition. Now, classes have to be petitioned in order to count towards the major.

Why has this change occurred? According to the College of Letters and Science policy every single course taken, if it is on the related fields list, has to count towards calculating the Anthropology Major GPA. So for example, if you took a Psychology course--without realizing it was on the list because it was before you declared the major--and failed it, that course must still be used in calculating the Anthropology Major GPA. While for most students the related fields lists have been beneficial, some students have been hurt by the lists.

To reiterate: even though the Anthropology major sheets stipulate that only 2 courses for the cultural emphasis and 3 courses for the physical emphasis can be used to fulfill course requirements, in terms of calculating your GPA all courses (even it goes beyond the 2 or 3 that the major sheets allow for) must count--whether you want them to or not and thereby possibly lower your Anthropology Major GPA.

Now, you will have a choice of what courses outside of the Anthropology discipline you want to have count towards the major. The department will retain the lists as "preapproved" classes that would count towards the major with a petition. This is to help guide you in selecting courses. These lists were originally put in place to encourage you to broaden your learning and we do not want to hinder that.

The final note is for those of you graduating this year during any quarter: Fall 2002 through Summer 2003 degree candidates. You do not need to worry about having to fill out any petition forms. The automatic petitioning process will hold for you if (1 )you need to have the courses to finish the Anthropology major and (2) doing so will not lower your Anthropology GPA below a 2.00 (e.g., as long as it will help you).

 

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Last updated: October 22 , 2002 DL