California State University, Bakersfield has a cataloged forensic anthropology course, but it does not offer a current forensic anthropology degree, certificate, concentration, or anthropology minor. The university discontinued its Anthropology program in 2026 and established a four-semester teach-out for existing majors.
This creates a potentially confusing situation. ANTH 4010 Forensic Anthropology and related courses remain in the 2026-2027 catalog, while the Anthropology BA is absent from the current degree inventory. Some older CSUB department pages still describe the BA and minor, but the current catalog and the university’s approved discontinuation resolution provide the more reliable picture: new applicants should not treat CSUB as a current forensic anthropology degree destination.
CSUB does retain several related academic routes. These include an upper-division forensic anthropology course, human osteology and bioarchaeology courses maintained during the teach-out, a Criminal Justice BA with investigation electives, two laboratory-intensive Chemistry BS options, introductory CSI chemistry courses, a Criminal Justice minor, and a Computer Science cybersecurity concentration with an elective in digital forensics. They lead toward different career functions and are not interchangeable.
CSUB forensic and investigation options at a glance
| CSUB offering | Credential type | Main academic focus | Relationship to forensic anthropology |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANTH 4010 Forensic Anthropology | Three-unit upper-division course | Human remains, biological profile estimation, forensic archaeology | Direct subject coverage, but not a degree or certificate |
| Former Anthropology BA | Discontinued bachelor’s degree in teach-out | Broad anthropology with optional biological anthropology electives | Previously allowed selection of Forensic Anthropology as one elective |
| Criminal Justice BA | Current bachelor’s degree | Justice systems, criminal investigation, evidence procedures, field exploration | Investigation-focused rather than skeletal or biological anthropology |
| Criminal Justice minor | Current undergraduate minor | Flexible criminal justice coursework | Can include Criminal Investigation, but that course is not required |
| Chemistry BS | Current bachelor’s degree | Analytical, organic, physical, instrumental, and laboratory chemistry | Laboratory-science route related to forensic chemistry, not anthropology |
| Chemistry BS, Certified by the American Chemical Society | Current bachelor’s degree option | Expanded upper-division chemistry, laboratories, and research | Deeper laboratory preparation related to forensic chemistry |
| CHEM 1009 and CHEM 1109 | General education lecture and laboratory | Introductory chemistry through CSI examples | Introductory exposure only; not part of the Chemistry major |
| Computer Science BS, Cybersecurity concentration | Current bachelor’s degree and concentration | Computing, security, networks, and digital evidence | Relevant to digital forensics, not human remains or crime-scene biology |
Students comparing CSUB with other institutions can browse additional California school profiles through the site’s California CSI and forensic science schools directory.
What ANTH 4010 Forensic Anthropology covers
ANTH 4010 Forensic Anthropology is the university’s direct match for the subject. It is a three-unit upper-division course focused on the recovery and identification of human remains for legal purposes.
The catalog description includes:
- Forensic archaeology
- Differentiating human remains from nonhuman remains
- Estimating age, sex, stature, and genetic ancestry
- Evaluating health status
- Recognizing anomalous skeletal features
- Applying skeletal analysis in legal contexts
The prerequisite is ANTH 3210 Human Osteology or instructor permission. Human Osteology examines skeletal growth, development, and alteration, along with methods used to assess age, sex, stature, genetic ancestry, disease, and cultural practices from skeletal remains. This prerequisite reflects the biological foundation of forensic anthropology more accurately than a general criminal justice or crime-scene course would.
Two other cataloged anthropology courses provide related context. ANTH 4170 Bioarchaeology covers skeletal evidence, pathology, biomechanical properties, isotopes, dental disease, and trauma. ANTH 4150 Advanced Lab Methods in Archaeology addresses archaeological laboratory methods. The catalog also retains internship and directed research courses in Anthropology.
These courses are not separate programs, and their continued listing occurs during the Anthropology teach-out. The current catalog does not specify a normal offering term, instructional format, dedicated laboratory component, field practicum, or future schedule for ANTH 4010. It was not identified in the reviewed Fall 2026 class schedule. Its catalog presence therefore documents the course and its content, but not regular access for newly admitted students.
A single survey course also has a narrower purpose than a complete forensic anthropology curriculum. ANTH 4010 introduces relevant methods, yet CSUB does not currently package it with an active anthropology major, a required osteology sequence, a forensic anthropology concentration, or a dedicated certificate.
The former Anthropology BA is in teach-out
CSUB previously offered a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. The archived 2025-2026 curriculum required 48 major units within a 120-unit bachelor’s degree.
It was a broad anthropology program covering cultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. ANTH 4010 Forensic Anthropology appeared as one selectable biological anthropology elective alongside options such as Bioarchaeology, Human Evolution, and Primate Ecology. It was not a required course, named concentration, or multi-course forensic sequence.
The university president approved discontinuation of Anthropology on April 1, 2026, following Academic Senate action in March. The resolution established a four-semester teach-out for students already in the major. The Anthropology MA, which had been on moratorium since 2016, was also part of the discontinuation process.
As a result, the current 2026-2027 catalog does not list:
- An Anthropology BA
- An Anthropology minor
- An Anthropology graduate program
- A forensic anthropology certificate
- A forensic anthropology concentration
Older department and advising pages may still refer to Anthropology credentials and concentrations. Those pages conflict with the current degree inventory and the approved discontinuation. The archived BA remains useful for understanding what CSUB formerly taught, but it is not a current application option.
Criminal Justice BA: field investigation rather than skeletal analysis
The current Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice is a 120-unit degree with a 57-unit major. It is the more relevant CSUB route for criminal investigation, crime-scene procedures, evidence handling, policing, and justice-system work.
Within the major, students complete two courses from a Forensics and Field Exploration category. Options include:
- Criminal Investigation
- Profiling Violence
- Community Service Learning
- Correctional Counseling
- Internship in Criminal Justice
CRJU 2500 Criminal Investigation has the clearest CSI connection. The course combines classroom instruction and fieldwork covering crime-scene security, evidence collection, photography, sketching, note-taking, interviews, interrogation, and presentation of evidence in court. These topics align with field investigation and crime-scene documentation rather than analysis of human skeletal remains.
The degree can also include CRJU 2460 Cybercrime through a separate Contemporary Issues category. CSUB’s catalog explicitly describes Cybercrime as a study of cybercrime as a criminological phenomenon, not as a computer-forensics primer.
The Criminal Justice BA is therefore better aligned with field CSI and investigative work than with forensic anthropology or laboratory criminalistics. Its curriculum does not supply the osteology, skeletal biology, bioarchaeology, anatomy, or advanced anthropological methods represented by the former Anthropology pathway. It also does not replace the chemistry and instrumental analysis expected in laboratory-centered forensic science education.
Applied experience varies with elective selection. CRJU 2500 includes fieldwork, while community service and internship courses can add practice in professional settings. The published degree structure does not make an internship universal for every Criminal Justice major.
Criminal Justice minor for students in another major
The Criminal Justice minor offers a smaller investigation-related option. It requires CRJU 1108 Introduction to Criminal Justice, or an approved equivalent, plus three upper-division Criminal Justice courses.
Because CRJU 2500 is an upper-division course, it can fit the minor’s elective structure. A student could use it to add crime-scene security, evidence collection, photography, sketching, and courtroom evidence presentation to another major. Criminal Investigation is available within the structure, but it is not mandatory.
This minor could complement study in chemistry, computer science, biology, or another discipline when the goal is to understand the justice-system side of evidence. It remains a criminal justice credential, not a forensic anthropology or forensic science minor. The minor itself does not publish a required internship, laboratory sequence, or fixed CSI practicum.
Chemistry degrees for forensic laboratory preparation
CSUB’s chemistry degrees have stronger relevance to forensic laboratory work than its introductory CSI chemistry courses. The university explicitly identifies forensic chemistry among the related fields for which its chemistry curriculum provides career or advanced-study preparation.
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
The standard Chemistry BS requires 120 total units, with 71 to 72 units governed by the program’s stated minimum GPA requirement. Supporting study includes calculus and physics, and students need grades of C or better in chemistry, cognate, and other major courses for progression.
Required scientific work includes:
- Quantitative chemical analysis
- Organic chemistry and organic laboratory work
- Physical chemistry
- Biological chemistry
- Chemical separations
- Instrumental analysis
- Instrumental-analysis laboratory work
- Research methods
- Senior seminar
This curriculum is substantially closer to laboratory criminalistics preparation than either the Criminal Justice BA or the non-major CSI chemistry sequence. Analytical measurements, chemical separations, organic chemistry, instrumentation, and repeated laboratory work are directly relevant to scientific evidence analysis.
The degree is still titled Chemistry, not forensic chemistry or forensic science. It does not include a named forensic concentration, and no FEPAC accreditation claim appears in the current catalog. Its strength lies in the underlying laboratory science.
Chemistry BS, Certified by the American Chemical Society
CSUB’s current catalog identifies a second option as the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Certified by the American Chemical Society. This option requires 120 total units, with 77 to 78 units subject to the program’s minimum GPA rule.
It shares the standard degree’s analytical, organic, physical, separations, and instrumental-analysis foundation. Additional requirements include advanced organic chemistry and laboratory work, biochemistry, quantum and statistical physical chemistry, Honors Research, and another upper-division elective.
The main tradeoff is a larger required science and research commitment. The ACS-certified option includes more advanced chemistry and required research than the standard BS. That added depth is useful preparation for science-intensive graduate study and laboratory employment, including work related to forensic chemistry.
Neither Chemistry BS is a route into forensic anthropology. Chemistry focuses on substances, reactions, measurement, and instrumentation. Forensic anthropology centers on human skeletal remains and draws from biological anthropology, osteology, archaeology, and anatomy. Applicants interested in crime laboratories rather than human remains should prioritize the chemistry sequence over an investigations-focused criminal justice degree.
Introductory CSI chemistry courses
CSUB also offers two courses designed to introduce forensic chemistry to non-science majors:
- CHEM 1009 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Chemistry
- CHEM 1109 Crime Scene Investigation Laboratory
CHEM 1009 is a three-unit general education course that teaches basic chemistry through forensic science and crime-scene examples. CHEM 1109 is a one-unit hands-on laboratory requiring prior or concurrent enrollment in CHEM 1009. The laboratory meets for 150 minutes per week according to the catalog description.
Both are typically offered in spring, and both carry course fees, although the current catalog evidence does not state the amounts. Neither course applies toward the Chemistry major or minor.
The pair can provide an accessible introduction to scientific evidence and laboratory practices. It is too limited for laboratory criminalist preparation, however. Students targeting scientific crime-lab work need the quantitative analysis, organic chemistry, instrumental methods, physics, calculus, and sustained laboratory experience found in a full science degree.
Digital forensics through computer science
The Computer Science BS with a Cybersecurity concentration is CSUB’s relevant pathway for digital evidence.
Students in the concentration choose 12 units of information-security electives. CMPS 3650 Digital Forensics is one approved option. Other available subjects include vulnerability analysis, network and computer security, cryptography, and artificial intelligence.
The broader degree requires substantial work in programming, mathematics, computer architecture, systems, databases, and networks. Practical elements include programming laboratories, an isolated network laboratory, and a two-course senior project sequence. Digital Forensics is elective rather than required for every student in the concentration.
This route addresses computers, networks, security incidents, and electronic evidence. It does not cover human osteology, forensic archaeology, biological anthropology, physical crime-scene processing, or forensic chemistry.
Admissions, cost, and accreditation
First-time undergraduate admission to CSUB follows California State University subject and eligibility requirements. Upper-division transfer applicants generally need at least 60 transferable semester units, a minimum 2.0 GPA, good academic standing, and completion of designated communication, critical-thinking, and quantitative-reasoning courses.
The removal of Anthropology from the current degree inventory means general admission to CSUB does not provide entry into that discontinued major. Transfer applicants interested in the Criminal Justice, Chemistry, or Computer Science pathways need to plan around each current program’s prerequisites and course sequence. Chemistry is especially sequential because calculus, physics, foundational chemistry, organic chemistry, analytical work, and advanced laboratories build on one another.
For 2026-2027, CSUB publishes the following annual charges for full-time California-resident undergraduates:
- Systemwide tuition: $6,838
- Mandatory campus fees: $2,105
- Tuition plus mandatory campus fees: $8,943
The $8,943 figure is not the complete cost of attendance. CSUB’s estimated resident budgets are $25,853 for commuters, $31,939 for students living on campus, and $37,213 for students living off campus. These estimates incorporate expenses such as housing, food, books, transportation, personal costs, and loan fees. Nonresident undergraduates have an additional estimated $11,304 in nonresident tuition based on enrollment in 12 units per semester.
CSUB is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. Institutional accreditation applies to the university as a whole.
The Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission, or FEPAC, accredits eligible degree programs in forensic science and qualifying natural or computer science programs with forensic science concentrations. It does not accredit individual anthropology, chemistry, or criminal justice courses. None of the CSUB offerings covered here should be described as FEPAC-accredited.
The current CSUB catalog calls one chemistry option “Certified by the American Chemical Society.” That designation is specific to the chemistry curriculum and is not forensic science accreditation.
Choosing the right CSUB pathway
CSUB’s best academic route depends on the type of evidence a student wants to study.
A student specifically seeking a degree in forensic anthropology will not find a current one at CSUB. ANTH 4010 provides direct subject exposure, supported by cataloged Human Osteology and Bioarchaeology coursework, but these courses now sit within an Anthropology teach-out rather than an active degree pathway. Their future scheduling is not established in the current catalog.
The Criminal Justice BA fits field investigation more closely. Its Criminal Investigation course covers scene security, evidence collection, photography, sketches, notes, interviews, and courtroom presentation. It is the relevant choice among CSUB’s current degrees for justice-system and investigative study, but it lacks the skeletal science required for forensic anthropology and the advanced chemistry required for laboratory criminalistics.
The Chemistry BS options provide the strongest laboratory-science foundation among the verified CSUB offerings. The standard degree includes quantitative analysis, separations, instrumentation, organic chemistry, and laboratory work. The catalog-designated ACS-certified option adds further advanced chemistry and required research. These degrees relate to forensic chemistry rather than forensic anthropology.
Students focused on computer evidence should look to the Cybersecurity concentration and select Digital Forensics within the available electives. Those interested only in introductory exposure can use the CSI chemistry lecture and laboratory, while students majoring elsewhere can add investigation coursework through the Criminal Justice minor.
The practical conclusion is direct: California State University, Bakersfield currently offers forensic anthropology coursework, not a forensic anthropology program. Its active degree options are more useful for criminal investigation, chemical laboratory science, or digital evidence than for a complete undergraduate pathway in skeletal identification and forensic anthropology.