The Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology prepares students for advanced degrees in anthropology, as well as for positions in the private and public sector. Social service, marketing research, museum work, health professions, cultural resources management, primate conservation and international development are some of the areas that offer many opportunities for anthropology graduates. The major in Anthropology is designed to prepare students for advanced degrees in Anthropology, as well as for positions in the private and public sector. Social service, marketing research, museum work, health professions, cultural resources management, primate conservation and international development are some of the areas that offer many opportunities for anthropology graduates.
Anthropology is the scientific and humanistic study of humans, our ancestors and our nonhuman primate relatives. Anthropologists are interested in a wide range of human activities, including communication and language, economics, political organization, religion, the arts, philosophy, education, health and nutritional practices, social organization, marriage, child rearing and development, science and technology. Anthropology fosters the study of people from all over the world as they live now, and in the prehistoric and historic past. A major goal of anthropology is to understand people living in relationship with their environment. Through an integrative analysis of evolution, adaptation and variation in terms of biology, culture, language and behavior, anthropologists understand the totality of the human experience. In our department, the four subfields of anthropology emphasize: application of evolutionary theory to understanding behavioral and physiological interaction with their ecological, social and cultural contexts, cultural practices and beliefs, development and use of language and symbols, and evidence regarding these areas from past times. Faculty also focus on areas such as primate conservation, cultural resource management and applied anthropology.