Two of the top universities in the United States for the study of anthropology can be found in California. In the San Francisco bay Area, the University of California at Berkeley's Department of Anthropology has long been ranked as one of the top five programs in the U.S. Concentrating their students in one area, such as ancient people, can prove valuable when students seeking to continue in graduate studies. In the southern part of the state, University of California, Los Angeles, has been consistently rated among the top 10 anthropology departments nationwide. The Anthropology Program at UCLA offers studies in the different fields of anthropology, including archaeology, in which students use methods of discovery both in the laboratory and in the field. Faculty and student assistances conduct field research not only in California, but in Canada, Tibet, Mongolia, Peru, Bolivia, India, Chile and Mexico.
One California State University campus, California State University, Chico, offers forensic anthropology in connection with its Human Identification Lab. This speciality involves the application of scientific principles to the identification of human skeletons or bady decomposed bodies. The Human Identification Lab has assisted law enforcement personnel with the identification of bodies, thus aiding in criminal prosecutions.
Students seeking an entry into anthropology at a lower cost can first pursue an associate's degree through a two-year college such at one of many community colleges around the state. According to the website of Santa Barbara City College, many students who obtain their associate's degree there transfer to a university to pursue a bachelor's degree. Farther north in the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Rosa Junior College provides the same opportunity for two years at less cost, after which a student can transfer to a four-year university's anthropology program. Students taking this option should ensure that the two-year degree meets all the requirements of their intended university program. Many state universities in the California State University system offer bachelor's degrees in anthropology, including Cal Poly Pomona and Humboldt State University, to name a few.
Obtaining a doctorate in anthropology requires a strong commitment of time and money. Doctoral students seek careers in teaching or research. The University of California at Santa Cruz offers a graduate program leading to the awarding of a Ph.D. The program takes three years of coursework, one to two years of research, including fieldwork, and one year writing the dissertation based on the student's research. Students should expect to take six years to obtain the degree. Most students enter the program with the intent of obtaining the Ph.D. in cultural anthropology, although a few are admitted for anthropological archaeology. Recommendations for admission to the school include having a strong undergraduate background in anthropology and a second language.