Should I major in Anthropology or Biochemistry?

Question

Currently I'm in the process of deciding on what college I might want to apply to and I'm trying to decide on the basis of the what I want to major in. I know for sure that I want to have a double major with one of my majors being Psychology; however, I can't decide whether I want to have my other major in Biochemistry or Anthropology. I've only had a little bit of biochemistry in my AP biology class, but I've had zero anthropology, except for the ocasional overlaps in history, english, and psychology. What little I've had of both I've liked: the labs and chemistry in biochemistry; the myths, social theories, and evolutionary origins in anthropology. Could anyone share their experiences with these subjects?

Answer 1

i would recommend biochemestry, if you have the patience for it becuase it is hard and time consuming. becuase there are more jobs available for that. But anthropology would be good for you becuase of psychology, which slightly relates, but there are not that many jobs for that and the pay is not as good as biochemestry. your call.

Answer 2

I have a B.A. in Anthropology and i would probably agree with the above people. All joking aside, if you want to make money and have time with your friends, I would choose Biochem. In Anthropology there are different areas of study (Forensics, Cultural and Archaeology to name a few). I was an archaeologist. As an archaeologist you spend most of your time on-site (wherever the dig is). Therefore you have no social life. Additionally, you dont make any money. As a staff archaeologist, I didnt make enough money to pay for the loans that i needed to get the degree that was required for the job. Lastly, dont let the movies fool you. Archaeology isnt that exciting. You will not be chased by primitive people for stealing their sacred golden idol. Rather, I liken it to being a landscaper. You dig holes every 15 ft and rather than planting something you fill the holes back in. And thats if you dont find anything. Of you do, guess what, more holes. All, I really got out of my degree is a nice tan and an interesting story to tell people that I have just met.

Answer 3

considering you want to get an advanced degree from a forensics perspective--

i suggest doing biochemistry. sometimes biochemistry

programs even offer a forensics focus (which is presumably what you would be doing?), whereas very few people manage to successfully make a career in forensics through anthropology (often those used by law enforcement agencies are actually academics that do forensics on the side).

admittedly though, it depends somewhat on what precisely you'd like to do forensics-wise. if you specifically want to look at human remains determining age/s*x, trauma, diseases, etc., go with anthro. if you want to do things like fingerprinting, dna analysis, blood splatter analysis, ballistics, etc. then go with biochemistry.

regarding anthropology specifically:

in anthropology, you normally take a few classes, or at least one introductory course, in each subfield (cultural, physical, archaeology, linguistic). however, the area you wish to seek an advanced degree in (in your case, forensics) is what most of your undergrad coursework will have to have an emphasis on, not so much the other things you're interested in such as myths, social theories, and evolutionary origins. not that you can't take courses in those things as well, of course. but, it shouldn't be the bulk of your anthropology background. otherwise you won't be able to get into a graduate school for forensic anthropology, which is quite competitive. for this reason, if you do go with the anthropology, make sure you choose a school that has a department offering relevant courses with your interest area! it can vary a lot from school to school, especially with smaller departments.

also, and i hate saying this, but it's true: anthropology is not recognized as a hard science the way biology or chemistry is, even physical/biological anthropology. i feel the anthropological research i do is very scientific (i make a hypothesis, test it, etc), but the truth is the biochemistry is going to look better on paper if you're trying to do forensics stuff. it will be perceived as a more solid background on your part.  

i'd also suggest talking to department undergraduate advisors or faculty members (in each of the three majors you're interested in) about your career goals and considering any suggestions they have.

in addition to schools that offer a forensics focus for biochem majors, some actually have undergrad degrees in 'forensic science' outright, if you want to look into that. if you are in the us, and looking at out-of-state schools, i'd suggest also checking out some in canada as well, the costs are about the same as going out-of-state.

once again, i really would recommend the biochemistry! you can always take anthro classes that interest you as electives. (you could even minor in it, there are people who do pull off double-majors with minors.)

good luck with your college applications! :)

Answer 4

This is going to be a very short answer, but could you not combine your two interests and go for a degree like Natural Sciences? In England and the university that I go to a friend of mine is doing aspects of both biochemistry and anthropology in his Natural Sciences course...

Answer 5

well, honestly i think itd be better to have a major in biochemistry. if you're already going to double major in psyc, no need to do anthro, the subjects are closely enough related, so if you want to have a broader base of knowledge do the two different things. also if you want to go into forensics or something biochemistry would definately be better.