The B.A. in Archaeology (the Archaeology Major) requires 9 courses (2 lower and 7 upper division) totaling 36 units. The Interdisciplinary Archaeology major draws courses from many departments including Anthropology, Art History, Classics, Environmental Studies, History, Human Biology, Jewish Studies, Linguistics, Material Sciences, Middle Eastern Studies, Religion, and Spatial Sciences.


  • One Required Course (4 units):

    ANTH 202g Archaeology: Our Human Past Units: 4


    Select Either One 4-Unit Course or two 2-Unit Courses from the Following Lower-Division Course List (4 units):


    AHIS 120gp Foundations of Western Art: Prehistoric to Renaissance Units: 4
    AHIS 125gp Arts of Asia I: Antiquity to 1300 Units: 4
    AHIS 126g Arts of Asia II: 1300 to the Present Units: 4
    AHIS 127g Arts of the Ancient Americas Units: 4
    AHIS 128g Arts of Latin America Units: 4
    AHIS 201g Digging into the Past Units: 4
    AHIS 220g Medieval Visual Culture Units: 4
    ANTH 140g Mesoamerican Cosmovision and Culture Units: 4
    ANTH 207 Introduction to Heritage Studies Units: 4
    ARCG 298aL Introduction to Scientific Diving Units: 2
    ARCG 298bL Introduction to Scientific Diving Units: 2
    CHEM 102 The Molecular World Units: 4
    CHEM 103Lgx General Chemistry for the Environment & Life Units: 4
    CHEM 105bL General Chemistry Units: 4
    CHEM 107Lg General Chemistry for Chemistry Majors Units: 4
    CHEM 205Lgx Chemical Forensics: The Science & Its Impact Units:4
    CLAS 150gp The Greeks and their Legacies Units: 4
    CLAS 151gp The Legacy of Rome Units: 4
    CLAS 190g History of Science: Antiquity to the Scientific Revolution Units: 4
    CLAS 212 Archaeology: Interpreting the Past Units: 4
    CLAS 280gp Classical Mythology in Art and Literature Units: 4
    CORE 101* Symbols and Conceptual Systems Units: 4
    CORE 103* The Process of Change in Science Units: 4
    ENST 100g Introduction to Environmental Studies Units: 4
    ENST 150gx Environmental Issues in Society Units: 4
    GESM 110 & 111* Seminar in the Arts Units: 4
    GESM 120 & 121* Seminar in Humanistic Inquiry Units: 4
    GESM 130 & 131* Seminar in Social Analysis Units: 4
    HBIO 200Lg The Human Animal Units: 4
    HIST 101gp State and Society in the Ancient World Units: 4
    LING 295g The Ancient Near East: Culture, Archaeology, Texts Units: 4
    MASC 110L Materials Science Units: 4
    REL 111g The World of the Hebrew Bible Units: 4
    REL 112g Religions of Ancient Egypt and the Near East Units: 4
    REL 114g The Mediterranean: A Religious History Units: 4
    REL 115g Jerusalem, City of Three Faiths Units: 4
    REL 121g The World of the New Testament Units: 4
    REL 125gp Introduction to Christianity: Antiquity to 1500 Units: 4
    REL 132g Origins of Western Religions Units: 4
    REL 135g Chinese Religions and Culture Units: 4
    REL 136g Sense and Sensuality in Indian Religions & Culture  Units: 4
    REL 137g Introduction to Islam Units: 4
    SSCI 165Lgw Sustainability Science in the City Units: 4
    SSCI 265Lg The Water Planet Units: 4

    *Petition class to apply towards Major/Minor


  • One course required from Ethics & Heritage (4 units):

    AHIS 301 Guardians of the Past? Art Preservation, Ethics, and the Law  Units: 4
    REL 304 Ethics and Global Heritage Units: 4


    Two courses from this list: (8 units):

    Theories and Methods

    AHIS 325 Roman Archaeological Excavation: Methods and Practice Units: 4
    AHIS 415 Object-Worlds: Histories and Theories of Things Units: 4
    AHIS 425 Interdisciplinary Studies in Classical Art and Archaeology: Research and Methodology Units: 4
    AHIS 427 Archaeological Theories, Methods, and Practice Units: 4
    ANTH 307 Trojan Archaeology Units: 4
    ANTH 343 Heritage Archaeology Units: 4
    ANTH 400 Maya Resilience: Constructing Past and Present Identities Units: 4
    ANTH 410 Ethnographic Research Methods  Units: 4
    ANTH 440 History of Anthropological Theory Units: 4
    ANTH 450 Field Research in Maya Archaeology Units: 4
    ANTH 481L** GIS for Investigating the Past Units: 4
    ARCG 305Lg** Virtual, Digital Culture, Heritage & Archaeology Units: 2 or 4
    ARCG 306L Maritime Archaeology Survey and Technology Units: 4
    ARCG 308 Techniques and Issues in 3D Imaging and Modeling Units: 2
    ARCG 323p Roman Archaeology, History, Methods and Field Work Units: 4
    ARCG 490 Directed Research Units: 1-8 units
    ARCH 550 Heritage Conservation Policy and Planning  Units: 3
    ARCH 559 Cultural Resource Management Units: 3
    REL 303g Exploring Ancient Ways of Living: Experimental Archaeology Units: 4
    REL 494 Lab Methods and Theories in Archaeology Units: 4
    REL 495 Field Methods and Theories in Archaeology Units: 4


    Three Courses from the Following Two Areas (12 units):

    Cultural/Historical

    AHIS 321 Greek Art and Archaeology Units: 4
    AHIS 322 Roman Art and Archaeology Units: 4
    AHIS 330 Medieval Art Units: 4
    AHIS 381g Visual Culture of Asia Units: 4
    AHIS 384 Early Chinese Art Units: 4
    AHIS 420 Studies in Ancient Art Units: 4
    AMST 343 Food, Health and Culture in Los Angeles Units: 4
    ANTH 310 Archaeology of the Americas Units: 4
    ANTH 312 Documenting Latinx Los Angeles Food Cultures  Units: 4
    ANTH 314g The Nature of Maya Civilization Units: 4
    ANTH 321 Space, Place, Perception and Power Units: 4
    ANTH 327 Media Ethnography and Living Archives Units: 4
    ANTH 329 Archaeology and Global Cultural Heritage Units: 4
    ANTH 333 Forms of Folklore Units: 4
    ANTH 337 Anthropology of Warfare Units: 4
    ANTH 338g Food in Culture and Society Units: 4
    ANTH 340 Anthropology In and Of the Museum Units: 4
    ANTH 344 Social Memory Units: 4
    ANTH 360 Symbolic Anthropology Units: 4
    ANTH 372 Interpretation of Myth and Narrative Units: 4
    ANTH 377 Archaeological Interpretation of Complex Societies Units: 4
    CLAS 323 Aegean Archaeology Units: 4
    CLAS 324 Late Antique Art and Archaeology Units: 4
    CLAS 328 Archaeology of Religion in the Greco- Roman World Units: 4
    CLAS 338 Warfare, State, and Society in the Ancient World Units: 4
    CLAS 339 Ancient Science Units: 4
    CLAS 349g Ancient Empires Units: 4
    CLAS 371 From Alexander to Cleopatra: The Mediterranean in the Age of Expansion Units: 4
    EALC 382 Art and Cultural Heritage in East Asia Units: 4
    JS 370gp Digs and Disputes: Religion and Archaeology in Israel Units: 4
    JS 378 Jewish Magic in the Ancient World Units: 4
    MDES 316p The Great Muslim Empires of the Near East and India Units: 4
    REL 302 Religions of Ancient Egypt and the Near East Units: 4
    REL 317g The Bible in Its Ancient Context Units: 4
    REL 325g Religious Experience in the Greco-Roman World Units: 4
    REL 326gp Historical Jesus Units: 4
    REL 350 Drugs, Alcohol, Visions and Altered States in Religion Units: 4
    REL 394 Archaeology of Egypt and the Near East Units: 4
    REL 402 Cultural Heritage, Religion, and Politics in the Middle East Units: 4
    REL 475 Religion, Material Culture and the Senses Units: 4
    REL 485 Transnational Religion Units: 4
    REL 493 Art and Archaeology of Religion Units: 4


    Applied/Analytical

    ANTH 376 Scientific Analysis in Archaeology Units: 4
    ANTH 481L** GIS for Investigating the Past Units: 4
    ARCG 305Lg** Virtual and Digital Culture, Heritage and Archaeology Units: 2 & 4
    ARCG 490x Directed Research Units: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
    CHEM 300L Analytical Chemistry Units: 4
    ENST 320a Water and Soil Sustainability; Energy and Air Sustainability Units: 4
    ENST 320b Water and Soil Sustainability; Energy and Air Sustainability Units: 4
    GEOL 305L Introduction to Engineering Geology Units: 4
    GEOL 320L Surficial Processes and Stratigraphic Systems Units: 4
    GEOL 412 Oceans, Climate, and the Environment Units: 4
    HBIO 300 Evolution, Ecology, and Culture Units: 4
    HBIO 308 Origins and Evolution of Human Behavior Units: 4
    SSCI 301L Maps and Spatial Reasoning Units: 4
    SSCI 382L Principles of Geographic Information Science Units: 4
    SSCI 383L Geospatial Modeling and Customization Units: 4

    **ANTH 481L and ARCG 305Lg may not be double-counted toward the degree or minor in Archaeology.


    One Required Capstone (4 units):


    CLAS 465 Archaeology and Society Units: 4

Total Archaeology Major unit requirement is 9 courses (36 units)


Questions?  Email archaeology@usc.edu

Archaeology Program
archaeology@usc.edu