Who has an Anthropology Degree?

Question

When i get an Anthropology Degree what exactly can i do with it. All i know is that i like to travel, love diffrent cultures and i love art/photography. What Job's Can i get with a Degree in Anthropology??

Help please

Answer 1

I have one, but I'm employed because of a different degree.

Anthropologists are mostly in the field of teaching anthropology. A lucky few get corporate positions.

Answer 2

I have a BA in Anthro with an emphasis in biological anthro (mostly skeletal morphology, primatology and evolution).

I work as a Forensic Scientist, doing latent finger print work. There are 2 other Anthro majors that I work with, one had a more cultural interest, but had enough science classes to get the job. The other was a bio-anthro freak like me!

Without a PhD there really isn't a lot of work or options. Honestly I went back and got a certificate just so I'd be qualified to work in a Forensic Lab or as a Death Investigator.

Looking back, I do wish I had double majored with something that was more useful.

Most Anthro majors seem to go back for more degrees and end up in academia.

I do know that you can work as a museum curator in most states with a Masters in Museum Science, which is usually a master program that Anthro students love! I knwo of a few cultural Anthro people who went this route, and now work in museums in the cultural and archaeological exhibit areas. So that would be a great option, if you didn't want to go the PhD route!

Best of luck! I'll be interested to see what others with the degree have done with themselves. I know I struggled for a long time trying to figure out what to do with myself, and I feel very fortunate to have found a job where my educational background is valued.

Answer 3

I currently have a BS in Anthropology and am completing a MS in Biological Anthropology.  My emphasis is Osteology, paleopathology, evolution, and forensics.  In addition to a GA position, I work for a state agency analyzing bones from both disturbed graves, odd finds, and Native |American collections.  All these items are returned for burial upon completion of report.

There are jobs available for those with a Bachelors, although not in academia.  With a Masters you could teach at a private University or Junior College.  For large 4-years a PhD is required.  

Since you seem to be leaning towards cultural anthro, your employment prospects are really good (again dependant on what you want to do).  There are always tons of postings for cultural anthros in all levels of academia.

I would talk to a career counselor at the school you are attending.  Also, check out the AAA web site for additional information and links for specific areas of Anthropology.

Answer 4

I have a B.A. in Anthropology and I kinda regret it.  I remember graduate students and students working on their Ph.D's shaking their heads and telling us to switch majors while we still had time.  It's really hard to get a job in the field unless you want to be a dirt jocky digging up artifacts under a professor or getting a job in a gift shop at a museum.

Answer 5

What you need to do is to get a research grant, do a ground breaking study, publish your paper, and then write a commercially viable book to explain your findings to the general public. Remember: "Those that don't publish, perish."

Then you live off the residuals from your book. The more you publish the more money you make.

Answer 6

Teach English in developing nations.  You don't need any languages, or certificates or anything, just a degree.

It basically amounts to a part time job that pays very little besides room and board, but gives you the freedom to live among any number of different cultures, as well as the free time to do art.  The job itself can be exhausting, but it is also rewarding, just as any teaching job can be.  Just be careful about who you sign up with...

In the long run you can make a career out of it, just get a bit of experience or learn a language.  In the short run, that is, if you have loans to pay, then you should probably get a real job, like entering data into a computer, selling coffee, or prostitution.