An anthropology degree will set you apart from other liberal arts majors in several ways, however, which may be to your advantage. Perhaps the most important is that anthropology is about people, and most jobs have to do with people in one way or another. Anthropology is about the diversity of peoples, which is of great importance in our increasingly multicultural workplaces and society. Moreover, anthropology deals with people in the broadest sense--all the peoples of the world, at all times and places. This is particularly important now, as a truly global society takes shape.
Another advantage of anthropology is that it is the holistic study of people, including human biology, marriage and family, kinship, social organization, economics, psychology, politics, religion, and the arts. Indeed, the anthropologist could be seen as a generic social scientist.
There are many openings for anthropologists with expertise in archaeology, particularly in a field called cultural resource management. CRM archaeologists work for federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service, as well as state offices such as the Department of Transportation. More positions are available with private archaeological contracting firms.
One career avenue for those with an interest in cultural anthropology is the Peace Corps, which can be a stepping-stone to a career in community service or international development and is also an excellent preparation for graduate study in cultural and linguistic anthropology.
An advanced degree is generally necessary to work as a professional anthropologist. Master's degree programs are of two kinds, general programs to prepare for Ph.D. study and specialized or "applied" programs geared toward specific kinds of jobs. Job opportunities with a masters’ degree and a specialization in archaeology are good. There are also jobs for those with specialized master's degrees in applied anthropology, medical anthropology, museum studies, and international development.
The main purpose of a Ph.D. program is to train people in research. A Ph.D. is generally required to teach in a college or university, where research is a major responsibility in addition to teaching and public service. Job openings for new professors have been limited in recent decades but seem to be improving as "boomers" retire. Many new job opportunities for anthropologists have also developed in recent years, in research and administration with government agencies and with private businesses.
Our students have been admitted to graduate programs at many universities, including Chicago, Illinois, Indiana, Washington State, Washington U, Pennsylvania, Arizona State, UCLA, North Texas, Texas A & M, Northern Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, Tufts, Kentucky, Minnesota, Denver, Nevada, San Diego State, Colorado, Connecticut, Harvard, Michigan State, Arkansas, California State Los Angeles, Eastern New Mexico, and Tulsa.
Our graduates have taken jobs as archaeologists with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Choctaw nation, the U.S. Marine Corps, the National Park Service, the Missouri Department of Transportation, and the New Mexico Department of Transportation, as well as with private contractors. Other graduates include the president of a private archaeological contracting firm, a social worker, an epidemiologist, the director of an archaeology lab, A GIS trainer, a zookeeper, an editor for a publishing company, a university extension agent, a National Park ranger, a community organizer, and a Navy pilot. Two graduates are serving as linguists with the U.S. military.
Web Sites on Career Opportunities in Anthropology
- Anthropology: Education for the 21st Century (American Anthropological Association)
- An Essay on Careers in Anthropology
- Working with Your Anthropology Degree (CNN)
- Careers, Opportunities, and Jobs in Archaeology (Society for American Archaeology)
- Careers in Anthropology (University of Kansas)
- Careers in Physical/Biological Anthropology
- A Career in Biological Anthropology
- Medical Anthropology