Sociology and Anthropology
Anthropology Beyond Bowdoin
Careers in Anthropology
Where do I begin?
Think anthropology is only about digging up Egyptian ruins or living in a distant society? Think again! The field of anthropology is the study of all aspects of human beings--behavior, material culture, language, biology--and is applicable to many professions. It just takes a little creativity to shape your education into a career that is right for you. Here are some ideas:
Specialities within anthropology
- Cultural anthropology is the study of living human society in all forms, including the modern U.S.
- Applied anthropology uses anthropological knowledge for public policy, conservation, etc.
- Biological anthropology consists of human variation, health and nutrition in the past and present, forensic medicine, human evolution, primatology, and more.
- Archaeology is the study of past societies, artifact conservation, historic preservation, underwater archaeology, etc.
- Museum studies is administration, artifact conservation, exhibit preparation, public outreach, etc.
- Anthropological linguistics is the origins of language.
What can I do with a BA in anthropology?
- A BA in anthropology is excellent preparation for future graduate work in anthropology in order to become a professor, researcher, archaeologist, applied anthropologist, etc.
- The undergraduate degree provides a strong liberal arts preparation for entry level positions throughout the business, social service, and government worlds. Employers look for people with the skills that an undergraduate education in anthropology provides.
- Anthropology offers valuable preparation for careers in journalism, education, public relations, business, or public administration--fields that involve investigative skills and working with diverse groups.
- Consider combining anthropology with other fields, such as: Education, Journalism, Documentary Filmmaking, Business Management, Law and Public Policy, Environmental Studies, History, Foreign Languages, Human Resources, Art History, Government, Historic Preservation, Holistic Medicine, International Studies, Computer Science, Geology, and more!
Where do I go for more information?
Non-internet resources:
- One of the best sources of information here at Bowdoin is the Anthropology faculty! Schedule a time to talk and plan questions to ask about careers, graduate schools, and creative ways to use anthropology.
- Talk with Anthropology majors to see what ideas they have about applying their degrees.
- Visit the Career Planning Center in Moulton Union.
- Get involved in an internship or field school for direct experience.
- Research the area you intend to live for job possibilities and call for information and job listings in such areas as museums, nonprofit organizations, businesses, publishers--the list is endless!
Internet resources:
General Career Information
- Check out the Career Planning Center website.
- The Princeton Review has excellent career and job-hunting strategies.
Anthropology Career Information
- Have more questions? Check out Anthropologists at Work: Responses to Student Questions About Anthropology Careers.
- The American Anthropological Association, www.aaanet.org, is a great place to start the search. This page includes links to many relevant web pages on all fields of anthropology and includes a short discussion of careers.
- The Applied Anthropology homepage, anthap.oakland.edu, has a well-developed section on careers in anthropology (particularly applied) and includes a section on frequently asked questions about careers
- The Society for American Archaeology, www.saa.org, is the central resource for archaeologists in academic, business, government, and museum careers.
- The Society for Historical Archaeology website, www.sha.org, answers questions about jobs in historical archaeology.
- Check out the Careers in Anthropology page, sponsored by Northern Kentucky University, at http://www.nku.edu/~anthro/careers.html.
- Interested in non-governmental, non-profit, and social work jobs? Check out the Non-Governmental, Non-Profit, and Social Work Resources page!
- For a sample listing of jobs and relevant websites, see the Sample Listing of Jobs in Anthropology and Sociology page.
Academic Careers
Graduate degrees allow you to teach at the college level and direct research projects, which brings us to...
Graduate School
Stay tuned! This portion of the site will be updated shortly.