The most frequent question we get regarding our major is: what can I do with an anthropology major? Click here to find out more about specific careers in anthropology. Some of these are open to students with a BA, and some require graduate training.
Here at SUCO, we do not train professional anthropologists - that is the business of graduate universities. While we encourage and assist talented students in preparing for graduate school, the majority of our students are not interested in going beyond the BA degree in anthropology.
What kind of jobs are available for these students? A quick look at any newspaper shows few, if any, advertisements for anthropology majors. Of course, the same is also true of the majority of majors - you rarely see ads for majors in English, history, or other college majors. Many jobs simply require a general liberal arts degree.
A degree in anthropology does provide valuable background and skills that are useful in a variety of jobs. An anthropology major can be useful in careers dealing with cultural variation, including positions in local, state, and Federal agencies dealing with issues such as alcoholism, drug addiction, child abuse, and aging, to name only a few. For similar reasons, an anthropology background can be useful in business careers, such as advertising, market research, and sales. The focus of anthropology on both culture and biology is useful for careers in health professions. While a background in anthropology can be useful in a variety of careers, it is not usually thought of this way by many employers--you'll have to make the case for how your background fits a particular job.
The anthropology major consists of 30 semester hours (s.h.) in anthropology courses, including 12 s.h. in four required courses, 12 s.h. in electives from four fields of study, and 6 s.h. in unrestricted electives. Of course, students can take more than 30 s.h. if they wish; however, more than 45 s.h. in anthropology cannot count toward graduation credit.
1. Study within the Major Field: (4 required courses)
2. Fields of Study (3 s.h. from each of the four areas below, for a total of 12 s.h.)
Cultural Variation (3 s.h.) -- choose from:
Topics in Cultural Anthropology (3 s.h.) -- choose from:
Biocultural Anthropology (3 s.h.) -- choose from:
Methods/Experience in Anthropology (3 s.h.) -- choose from:
3. Unrestricted Electives in Anthropology (6 s.h.)
TOTAL = 30 s.h.
* ANTH 294 (Special Topics) may count toward any of the four areas, depending on the specific topic and with permission of the Department Chair.
** ANTH 345 counts for 6 s.h. If taken, 3 s.h. counts toward the Methods/Experience core and 3 s.h. counts towards the Cultural Variation core.
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