A major declared by sophomore year
Dartmouth says students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year. The pages read describe no separate admission to Anthropology.
Undergraduate · Dartmouth College
Dartmouth Anthropology: ten courses across three subfields and a culminating seminar
Dartmouth lets students wait until sophomore year to declare a major. Anthropology there is a ten-course major spanning archaeology, cultural anthropology and biological anthropology: two introductory courses, seven others covering each subfield, and a culminating seminar. Students may focus on one subfield by taking at least four courses in it, and the department encourages a statistics course for anyone heading to independent research or graduate school.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Dartmouth says about Dartmouth Anthropology
Taken from the Dartmouth Anthropology Department's major page, Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages, read on 31 October 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Dartmouth's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Ten courses
Two introductory, seven other anthropology courses and a culminating seminar.
All three subfields
Courses must include archaeology, cultural and biological anthropology.
Statistics encouraged
Students planning independent research or graduate school should take a statistics course.
The SAT or ACT, or an international alternative
US high school students submit the SAT or ACT. Students outside the US can meet the requirement in one of five ways, including predicted or final A-level or IB results.
Official sources
- Dartmouth Admissions: Majors & Minorsadmissions.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Anthropology: Majoranthropology.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Admissions: Testing Policyadmissions.dartmouth.edu
Read on 2 November 2026 on the Dartmouth Anthropology Department's major page, Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Dartmouth's Organization, Regulations and Courses catalogue, the full requirement worksheet, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The major
What the department says the Anthropology major is
The department sets a ten-course major: two introductory courses from a list of six, seven other anthropology courses with at least one from each of archaeology, cultural and biological anthropology, and a culminating experience seminar in the 70s. Students may concentrate in one subfield through at least four courses. Honours adds ANTH 88 as an eleventh course. Every course in the major must be passed with a recorded letter grade.
Is it the right major?
Anthropology beside Linguistics and Sociology
Dartmouth lists these as separate majors, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Anthropology fits if
you want culture, material remains and human biology brought together in one major.
Linguistics fits if
you want language structure as the focus. Avandy's Dartmouth Linguistics guide covers it.
Sociology fits if
you want contemporary society studied with social-science methods. Avandy's Dartmouth Sociology guide covers it.
Admission and testing
A Dartmouth application, an SAT or ACT and A levels or the IB
Dartmouth requires students who attended high school in the United States to submit the SAT or ACT. Students who attended high school outside the United States may fulfil the requirement in one of five ways, which include predicted or final results from British A-Levels or the IB Diploma. The major is not a separate application. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Dartmouth's.
Which subfield would you concentrate in?
At least four courses in one subfield form a concentration.
Do you plan graduate study?
The department advises a statistics course for graduate study or independent research.
Which testing route would you use?
Students outside the US can meet Dartmouth's requirement in one of five ways, including predicted or final A-level or IB results.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Dartmouth's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Dartmouth's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 31 October 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Dartmouth has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Dartmouth for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the department's Anthropology page and decide which testing route you will use for Dartmouth.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Dartmouth College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Dartmouth College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Dartmouth Anthropology?
The pages read describe admission to Dartmouth. Students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year.
Must I study all three anthropology subfields?
Yes. The department says the courses must include at least one from each subfield: archaeology, cultural anthropology and biological anthropology.
How many courses does the major need?
Ten courses, with honours adding ANTH 88 as an eleventh.
Do A levels and the IB count for testing?
Dartmouth lists predicted or final British A-Level and IB Diploma results among five ways to meet the requirement for students who attended high school outside the United States.
Is the SAT or ACT required?
For students who attended high school in the United States, yes: they must submit either test.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Dartmouth's wording with no entry-year label. Check Dartmouth's pages again when Dartmouth publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Dartmouth Anthropology
Tell us about the student's curriculum, which subfield they would concentrate in, whether honours appeals and their testing route, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.