Whether you hope to
remain in
the discipline or are planning to work in an allied field, anthropology
offers a number of career advantages. It provides a way of "seeing" and
"reading" the world that, given our rapidly changing times, is in great
demand. It helps you develop the intellectual judgment to become a
professional, teaching you to ask questions, apply more than one
explanatory model, and adopt a broad perspective. It trains you in
sensitivity toward human cultures, helps you develop social ease in
unfamiliar surroundings, and the wisdom to listen to different voices.
It also instructs you in the value of teamwork, notably by assembling
interdisciplinary researchers who bring different backgrounds and
approaches to a question.
Anthropology
students acquire a range of social, behavioral, biological,
archaeological, and other scientific research skills, including:
Participant
observation
Interviewing
techniques
Action research
Statistical analysis
Field methods
(surveying, recordkeeping, etc.)
Laboratory methods
Digital data
collection and analysis (such as use of GIS, transcription and
conversation analysis)
Visual and auditory
documentation, including use of photography and film
Oral and
written expression, including ethnographic, report, and grant writing
Given
their rich set of skills and varied interests, it is not surprising
that anthropologists are found doing different kinds of work around the
world. Some still conduct classic ethnographicfieldwork in cities and
rural areas. They also join multidisciplinary reams on archaeological
digs, organize collaborative research in laboratories. Many
anthropologists also teach and, at the university level, combine
teaching with research and writing.
Most
anthropologists are in applied positions. They work as planners and
managers in government, corporations, the media, NGOs, museums, and
zoos. They serve on corporate teams; a common instance would be market
research, where anthropologists lead focus groups on consumer
preferences. They also design and implement programs in community
health and economic development. Forensic archaeologists - who have
been popularized in novels and on television - work not only with
police departments to identify remains but also in universities and
museums. Anthropologists work as education officers, curators, and
videographers in parks, zoos, and museums. Physical anthropologists
work with primates in zoos. The list is almost endless.
Choosing
a Degree for Your Career
Perhaps
the most important consideration in planning a career is the level of
education you will need. Some careers, such as university professors,
require a doctorate, while careers in research or clinical practice may
require a master's degree or an MD. Our graduates have an excellent
track record of being accepted by medical and dentistry schools as well
as by graduate programs in public health, education, psychology,
biology, international studies, and social work. If you are interested
in pursuing graduate studies, you may wish to download our information
packet "So
You're Thinking About Graduate School in Anthropology".
There
are certainly many opportunities for students who hold a BA. One area
of growth at the state and federal levels is contract archaeology,
which is research and excavation undertaken to preserve cultural
resources that are in danger of being destroyed. There are also
openings for anthropology BAs in museums, laboratories, social science
research, the media, community organizations, and government. For more
information on the exciting careers QC Anthropology students pursue
after graduating, please check out our Alumni News page.