Careers with Anthropology

To say that you can do anything with a degree in anthropology is trite but true. 

A survey of our alumni shows that they hold a variety of positions in a wide range of fields and careers. You can learn more about the different careers of our alumni and other anthropologists by reading our alumni profiles.

Our alumni are pursuing careers in / with anthropology. Careers in anthropology refers to conventional anthropological careers in academia, museums, cultural resource management, while careers with anthropology are all the other careers in which alumni use their anthropological skill set.

Anthropologist brushing dust off pottery in a field

What Can You Do With a Degree in Anthropology?

Alumni with careers in anthropology work in:

  • Museums
  • Cultural resource management
  • Academia
  • Forensics

While most of our alumni are pursuing careers within anthropology, alumni often find work as:

  • Lawyers
  • Teachers
  • Managers
  • Engineers
  • Technicians
  • Researchers
  • Legal professionals
  • Financial professionals
  • Graphic designers

In addition to pursuing careers right out of college, our majors provide excellent preparation for advanced study in a variety of graduate programs and professional schools including:

  • Law school
  • Medical school
  • Public health
  • Business school 

More information about careers can be found at the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology (NAPA). Also, the US News report ranks anthropology at #5 in Best Science Jobs.

The department, college, and university offer many services and resources to prepare students for careers and life beyond the degree. Below is a list of some of the resources we offer.

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The Department of Anthropology offers the course ANTHROP 3005: Careers with Anthropology, which prepares students from all sub-fields of anthropology for life beyond the degree. 

Students conduct exercises to discover what they are looking for in work and careers, they learn how to translate and communicate their anthropological and other skills to employers and clients, and they learn how to research their career communities using informational interviewing and other networking strategies.