Anthropology is the study of different societies around the world — their origins, development and cultural similarities and differences. The goal of anthropology is to advance knowledge of who and what we are, how we came to be and where we might be going in the future.
The Anthropology program focuses on the theories and methods of anthropology to explore how people in the world are subjected to, participate in and contest the processes of living in a world that is interconnected by new and powerful economic, cultural and technological forces.
We house one of the largest socio-cultural anthropology departments in Canada, offering comprehensive and engaging programs of study.
Our students think critically and productively about how concepts such as class, race, gender and ethnic identities are produced and expressed in shifting local and global contexts of power. These themes are explored in a wide variety of courses and engage such topics as:
- development and the environment
- media and popular culture
- health
- illness and disability
- gender and sexualities
- tourism
- religion and science
- diasporic communities and displaced peoples
- violence and conflict
- the colonial process
Other courses focus on processes of change in the prehistoric and historic past. Our overall goal is to prepare you to ask questions about contemporary, past and future social life and to provide you with the critical analytic tools to understand our place in the social and cultural diversity of the world, past and present.
Take courses that engage in topics such as development and the environment in local and global contexts; media and popular culture; health, illness and disability; gender and sexualities; violence and conflict; and religious movements.
Study with professors who have worked with national and international organizations including the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the World Health Organization.
Possible Career Paths
Explore what you can do with your degree- development officer
- foreign affairs worker
- educator
- human resources specialist
- market researcher
Internationalize your degree
The iBA degree program reflects York's commitment to internationalization and requires you to acquire an international language and to gain international experience on exchange at one of York University's partner institutions abroad. You will benefit from enhanced interdisciplinary and cross-cultural knowledge, which are important components of the department's academic focus. Visit the International program page for more information.
You are required to provide official evidence of academic achievement in secondary education. This can be demonstrated through:
- Final grades under the Ontario curriculum (obtained through correspondence, night school or through TVO)
- Credentials through other curricula, such as results from Advanced Placement (AP) or Advanced-level courses in the General Certificate of Education (GCE). (Students may register to sit for the AP and GCE examinations as private candidates.)
In the absence of final grades in courses:
- You must submit the results of standardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) with a minimum combined total of 1170 on the Critical Reading and Math components or a composite American College Testing (ACT) score of 24.
- Your application will be reviewed by an admissions sub-committee. If admitted, you will not be eligible for entrance scholarships. You will be considered for continuing student scholarships at the end of your first year of study, if you satisfy those criteria.
You may also be required to provide proof of language proficiency. You will be considered for entrance scholarships on the basis of your overall averages in the six 4U/4M (Ontario curriculum) or equivalent courses.
We are adding to our database of admission requirements by country. Please check back in October for additional admission requirements by country. General requirements are currently available by country — note that program-specific requirements may apply in addition to general requirements.