Anthropology Degrees

The Advantages To Earning An Anthropology Degree

Earning an anthropology degree offers students a versatile liberal arts degree necessary to qualify for a variety of occupations. Anthropology programs offer students a broad understanding of human origins, society, relationships, and cultures. Students also may specialize their studies with concentrations in psychology, education, or biology to gain more expanded knowledge of humanity’s origins, history, and development. As a social science, the discipline of anthropology offers students a broad educational background vital to understanding societies and prevalent social issues.

Many colleges and universities have developed online programs in response to the increasing demand of providing education to students unable to attend on campus instruction due to work or family responsibilities. Online programs offer virtually the same educational experiences as their traditional, on campus equivalents with several added benefits. Most online courses have small classes, with groups of 25 students or less. Course materials and information is also more readily available, with 24 hour access for students, and students often have increase interactions with instructors and other students through Internet chats. Online classes frequently provide students with a more personalized and affordable degree experience. Many students find online programs one of the most convenient paths to expanding education necessary for personal and professional success.

What Students Learn Within An Anthropology Degree Program

Students enrolled in anthropology degree programs gain the skills and knowledge necessary to advance to a number of career and educational opportunities. Many students begin studies in the discipline of anthropology within two year programs. Courses at an associate level include: human biological evolution; cultural anthropology; principles of archaeology: reconstructing the human past; human language and communication; gender, sex, and culture; introduction to biology; human biology; introduction to forensic anthropology; anthropology of religion, magic, and witchcraft; native peoples of North America; introduction to western civilization; general psychology; introduction to sociology; American social problems; the human environment: physical processes; the human environment: biological process; physical geography; introduction to computers and their use; statistics; deductive logic; symbolic logic; physical geology; English composition; introduction to psychology; introduction to philosophy; college Algebra; introduction to cultural anthropology and linguistics; the nature of language; introduction to geology; and a clinical experience. Students who complete associate degree programs generally advance to employment or higher degree programs.

Bachelor degree programs offer students the ability to expand knowledge and skills in the field of anthropology. Course within a bachelor degree program include: introduction to anthropology; human biocultural evolution; the study of culture; biological anthropology; archaeology; cultural anthropology; linguistic anthropology; native North Americans; native South Americans; cultures of Africa; cultures of Oceania; Ethiopia; peoples and cultures of Mesoamerica; Caribbean soces; native peoples of the Southwest; area studies in Archaeology; area studies in anthropology; advanced studies in African cultures; advanced area studies; frauds, myths, and mysteries in archaeology; culture and society; human variation; environment and disease; biological anthropology; forensic anthropology; primate evolution; advanced topics in human evolution; human epidemiology; stones and bones: unearthing the past; real archaeology; development of ancient civilizations; anthropology of religion; culture and ecology; gender and culture; anthropology of nature; psychological anthropology; medical anthropology; archaeological research methods; research methods in cultural/social anthropology; laboratory methods; and an internship experience. Graduates who complete bachelor degree programs often advance to employment or continue studies at a master’s or doctoral level.

Master’s degree programs offer students the ability to specialize training and expand education within archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, or intersectional anthropology concentrations. Courses within a master’s degree program in the field of cultural anthropology include: fundamentals of cultural anthropology; archaeological method and theory; evolutionary method and theory in anthropology and archaeology; advanced studies in culture theory; historical ethnography; descriptive linguistics; field methods in cultural anthropology; indigenous peoples and international development; advanced studies in culture theory; international development and human resources; historical ethnography; seminar ethnography; quantitative methods in anthropology; evolutionary cultural anthropology; cultural psychiatry and psychology; biocultural psychiatry and psychology; biocultural and social approaches to child care; seminar in medical anthropology; master’s research, thesis, and exam; and a clinical experience. Graduates with master’s degrees may advance to employment or continue studies within doctoral degree programs.

Doctoral degree programs qualify students as experts in the field. Courses within a doctoral program include: foundations of social and cultural anthropology; foundations of archaeology; discourse, text, and voice; doctoral dissertation seminar; contemporary theory: culture, power, and history; race, gender, and social justice; topics in archaeology: archaeology and politics; changing culture; ethnicity and nationalism; topics in language and culture: language, culture, and education; anthropology and state policy; reinventing applied anthropology; topics in public anthropology: environmental justice; topics in public anthropology: human rights; discourse, text, and voice; current issues in anthropology; internship in anthropology; doctoral dissertation seminar; publishing and professional communication; quantitative methods; and a dissertation. Graduates who complete doctoral degrees advance to various employment opportunities as lead researchers, instructors, and professionals.

Prospective Jobs For Graduates With Anthropology Degrees

Graduates who complete anthropology degrees gain the educational basis for a career in a variety of scientific research, developmental, consulting, and educational organizations. Many graduates work within the public or private sectors. Most gain employment within schools, colleges, universities, historical sites, and museums. Many graduates also gain employment within federal, state, or local governments. Employment opportunities are based upon several factors including: education level, area of speciality, and geographic location. Most graduates with associate’s degrees work within entry level positions as assistants and technicians for more qualified professionals within research facilities, museums, and other organizations. Some may even work as entry level travel consultants.

Graduates with a bachelor degree often work as field technicians for archeology departments within educational, governmental, or preservation organizations; assistants in scientific, technical, or management firms; or with additional training, work as teachers in secondary schools. Graduates with master’s degrees work as researchers, teachers, and advocates for public institutions or as consultants within private businesses. Graduates with doctoral degrees often work as anthropologists, geographers, historians, archaeologists, or professors within colleges, universities, research facilities, museums, and other organizations. Some graduates who gain adequate funding and acquire relevant work experience advance to consulting positions within self operated businesses and firms.

Salary Range For Anthropology Degree Graduates

Anthropology degree graduates have earnings which vary and are based upon factors like level of education, area of specialty, work experience, and organization of employment. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports average earnings for anthropologists ranges from $39,200 to $70,980 annually. Graduates who work for governmental agencies and who live in geographic areas with greater entry level salaries generally have higher earnings in comparison to graduates employed within private organizations and in other geographic regions. Graduates with associate’s degrees who work as technicians generally earn $28,030 to $49,170 annually. Gradautes who complete bachelor degrees who work as assistants in scientific, technical, or management firms generally earn $41,550 to $64,120 annually. Graduates with master’s degrees who work as teachers within high school or sometimes vocational schools generally earn $42,670 to $67,210 annually. Graduates who complete doctoral degree programs and gain employment as university instructors generally earn $41,600 to $83,960 annually. Graduates who advance training through continued education and work experiences generally have higher earnings in comparison to graduates with less education and experience.

Career Outlook And Advancement Opportunities For Anthropology Degree Graduates

Graduates who compete anthropology degree programs are expected to find ample job opportunities within management, scientific, technical and consulting organizations. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports job growth for anthropologists to increase by 22 percent through 2018 at a much faster than average rate in comparison to other occupations. Anthropology graduates may expect high competition for employment due to the volume of qualified applicants in relation to the number of available jobs. Graduates who complete master’s or doctoral degree programs, display skills in quantitative research methods, and possess excellent writing and communication skills are expected to be preferred candidates within scientific, management, or technical consulting firms.

Graduates with educational and work related experience in management, scientific, technical, and consulting fields will find increased employability. Additionally, Federal agencies, like the U.S. Department of Defense, are expected to increase demands for qualified anthropologists to assess the “cultural terrain,” regional customs, and other factors of specific regions of the world. Employment growth will also be affected by economic factors and the construction industry to maintain the preservation of historical sites and other locations while ensuring Federal laws are followed. Graduates with associate’s or bachelor degrees who begin employment within entry level positions often gradually advance to more complicated assignments upon gaining adequate educational training and related work experience. Graduates with advanced degrees often begin employment within upper level positions of vocational schools, research facilities, and other organizations and advance to instructor positions within colleges and universities. Many graduates frequently advance to consulting positions within self operated business upon gaining relevant experience and adequate funding.

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