Anthropology Careers

Anthropology can be defined in basic terms as the study of humankind. It incorporates the findings of many other fields such as biology, sociology, history and economics. Since the study of humankind is so broad, anthropology is divided into four major fields which are Cultural, Archeology, Physical and Linguistic. I have found that each of these fields has many specialized areas or subfields that can open the doors to a wide-variety of fascinating, interesting and even unexpected careers.

Cultural or social anthropology studies human behaviors. Two major subfields among many are urban and medical. Cultural anthropologists can be employed in healthcare centers, will all government and international agencies, research institutes, marketing firms as science analysts and research directors and many can be found working with nonprofit associations. Although the professional cultural anthropologists are required to have an M.A., M.S. or Ph.D. many people still find great jobs with only a B.S. or B.A. degree. Because cultural anthropology involves the study of human behavior in any form it may take, a B.A or B.S. in anthropology can be beneficial for any line of work that requires an understanding of human cultural behavior. I found a position that I would be interested in, it is in New York in child protective services. It requires a Bachelors Degree with 12 credits in one discipline; cultural anthropology is an option: http://www.socialservice.com/jobdetails.cfm?jid=19514&RequestTimeout=500

Archeology studies life ways and cultures of humans who lived in the past. It is the study of the artifacts that were left behind. Subfields of this field are: historic and contract. Archaeologists can be employed in environmental projects, resource management and even in human-impact assessment. A B.A. or B.S. degree with a major in anthropology or archaeology and previous field experience is the minimal educational requirement to work as a field archaeologist. Field experience can usually be obtained by spending a summer in an archaeological field school or participating as a volunteer. To move into a supervisory position, one must obtain an M.A., M.S. or a Ph.D. If a graduate is looking to work outside the United Stated, foreign governments will only issue excavation permits to archaeologists with a Ph.D. There are many positions available for a person who has a M.A., M.S. or Ph.D. in Archeology. This is not a career path that I would choose, but I found a position in Ohio as a Senior Archaeologist: http://www.eculturalresources.com/job/819.html

Physical or biological anthropology studies human biology within evolution. This field has many subfields such as: paleoanthropology, molecular, primate paleontology and forensic anthropology. Biological anthropologists can work in private genetics laboratories biomedical research, human engineering and with pharmaceutical firms. All of which require an M.A., M.S. or Ph.D. It seems that there are a vast amount of biological anthropologists who teach and do research at universities and colleges around the country. They can be found in departments of anthropology, anatomy, zoology, biological sciences, biology, and in medical school departments. Academic institutions in the U.S. require a Ph.D. faculty positions at colleges and universities and a M.A. or M.S. is required for community college positions. Although I am currently on the way to becoming an educator, my lifelong dream would be to become a forensic scientist. The American Academy of Forensic Sciences has a fantastic website and many careers listed throughout the U.S. I would, at this point, look in to the entry-level forensic scientist position in Oregon which requires a B.A. in a natural science:

http://aafs.org/default.asp?section_id=employment&page_id=current_openings#2/2Trainee

Linguistic anthropology studies the human language. Linguists concentrate on how we communicate. They concentrate on human anatomy,