I want to be an anthropologist. What are the steps i should take towards that goal?

Question

I want to be an anthropologist. What are the steps i should take towards that goal?

Answer 1

A university degree in anthropology would be an excellent start. If you are in high school make sure you take Biology, math and as much English and other languages as you can.

Good luck

Answer 2

In the United States there are only four recognized subfields of anthropology: Physical, Linguistics, Archaeology and Cultural (folklore studies is part of Cultural Anthropology, however some institutions do count Applied Anthropology as an unofficial fifth subdiscipline).  If you are thinking about majoring in Anthropology you seriously need to consider the fact that there are not a whole lot of jobs out there at just the BA level.  Not that I am trying to discourage you from majoring in it, it is a great major.  However, professors tend to be disconnected from the real world when they are wooing students to major in Anthropology.  If you want to major in Anthropology with the goal of making a career out of the major, the best thing to do is getting a graduate degree in Anthropology (MA).   At the MA level you are qualified for most jobs using Anthro in the public and private sector.  If your goal is to do strictly academics, then obtaining a PhD is vital.  It really just depends on what you want to do, as in what subfield you would like to concentrate in, and the drive you have inside of you.  Good luck!

Answer 3

You don't say what kind of anthropologist you want to be, so it's hard to determine the specific steps. But getting good grades and making sure you can write in complete, grammatically correct sentences free of text-speak are both mandatory. All anthropologists must be able to write well and communicate clearly in a professional manner.

Yes, there are only four subfields in anthropology in the US (archaeology, cultural, biological, linguistics). I am an employed cultural anthroplogist. You can't do anything in anthropology without an MA--an MA is not just recommended, it's mandatory. For your BA, your program should require you to take classes in all four subfields so you get exposure to the entire discipline, and so you can more closely define what aspect of anthropology you want to pursue for your MA studies. Your MA is a lot of fun, though, because you'll be able to hone your skills and really get into the field, which is the best career imaginable.

As far as jobs are concerned, it's not as jobless a career as it was in the past. Many corporations are hiring anthropologists to conduct research (this is applied or design anthropology, which are subdisciplines of cultural anthropology), and archaeology has jobs in Cultural Resources Management and also work at the federal level. Biological anthropologists can combine their degrees with a Master's in Public Health, and work for government agencies on health policy and other public health research endeavors. Linguists have the toughest time in the anthro job market--generally these folks need PhDs and end up conducting research on endangered languages or language evolution at the University level.

Answer 4

Get good grades in High School.  Score well on college entrance exams.  Go to a good college with an anthropology major.  Get involved with work study type opportunities where you can get real world experience.  The following link lists some US schools with anthropology departments.  Good luck.  You can do it!

http://www.uscollegesearch.org/anthropol...

Answer 5

Its a great Major.  There are 5 different types of Anthropologist.  Biological, Linguistics, Cultural, Folk Studies and Archaeology.  You need to enrole in a University or College that offers Anthropology.  You will have to take one class in all areas of Anthropology.  This will give you an idea of what you would like to specialize in and go from there.  I recommend that you take Cultural Anth first because this will actually give you a good idea in what you would like to do.  Mine is in Biological Anth, however I enjoy Cultural too.  You could also go to a Community College first to get your Gen. Ed classes over with.  Its cheaper too.  In most places if you complete the first two years at a community college the whole block transfers to a major university.