Career Pathways

"My [anthropology] major has helped my career in two main ways: it awakened me to the cultural terrain that must be navigated in any office, in any industry; and it gave me the tools to always nurture my own inner life."    
—Stephanie Amon '11.

As the American Anthropological Association explains:

"Job opportunities are generally forged by the individual, not by the program which one follows in college. The best college program encourages the performance skills that anthropology excels in molding in its students. The prudent undergraduate will take a well-rounded course of study, with a few practical career-skill courses interwoven in her or his overall program. In addition to imparting invaluable core knowledge about the human-animal and its cultural and biological history, anthropology lends itself flexibly as a tool to refine whatever other interests one brings to the higher-educational process."

Anthropology majors can pursue a wide array of careers. In cultural anthropology, they may work in community development or public policy. Biological anthropologists might engage in health research or forensic analysis. Archaeologists often find roles in heritage management or excavation. Linguistic anthropologists may work in language preservation or education. Overall, anthropology graduates can excel in roles such as museum curators, non-profit consultants, educators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and policy-makers, leveraging their unique skills to make an impact in various sectors.

According to the Hamilton Project, the most commonly held jobs by anthropology graduates at age 25–34 are college instructors (5.7%), elementary and middle school teachers (3.9%), lawyers, judges, magistrates, and other judicial officials (3.4%), and managers (3.4%). Notably, these top four professions account for less than 20% of all types of professions held by anthropology graduates. 

The UMass anthropology department is dedicated to helping you achieve your career and civic goals through engaging coursework, personalized advising, and practical experiences. Students build crucial skills such as critical thinking, writing, presentation, and collaboration. Our program offers a range of opportunities, including internships, research projects, independent studies, and close interactions with faculty. Additionally, our “Career Workshops” provide valuable support for job searching, resume building, cover letter writing, and interview preparation.

 "The UMass anthropology department provided a rigorous and theoretically rich intellectual foundation, giving me the opportunity and the skills to critically and self-reflexively examine social problems while cultivating a deep love of research and writing. My experience there taught me what my mind was for, and gave me the tools to use it." 
—Adina Gianelli '05, writer, educator, and executive director of Bike Walk Connecticut. 

The medical field is evolving, and today’s health professionals need to understand how cultural perspectives, evolutionary theory, and varying medical practices impact health. Anthropology offers a biological and cross-cultural approach to these issues. Experts agree that anthropological skills—such as management and cultural understanding—are crucial in modern medicine.

In Nature Magazine, Nils Daulaire, President of the Global Health Council states that "the skills in demand are management, cultural understanding, and an anthropological viewpoint".

In the same essay, Harold Jaffe, a public-health expert at the University of Oxford, UK, states that behavioral scientists, economists, and anthropologists can "play a role equally important to medical doctors."

“Pre-med students with an Anthropology background are looked at very favorably in their applications to medical school and other health professions”.

–UMass Professor and Pre-Med/Pre-Health Advisor Wilmore Wembley