Anthropology B.A.

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Department of Studies in Justice, Culture, & Social Change
TTY/TTD
Program Type
Major
Degree
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Studies in Justice, Culture, & Social Change
College:
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

About this Program

If you are interested in why people think and behave the ways they do, anthropology is a discipline you will find intriguing and useful for your life. Anthropology focuses on the holistic study of diverse peoples and cultures with a central focus on what it means to be human and how humans make shared meaning (cosmologies). In today’s complex and climate-imperiled world, learning how to understand ourselves and other human societies in all their rich diversity is essential. Many of our courses involve hands-on work in community settings where students apply their talents to modern societal challenges.

Our courses provide exciting opportunities in the areas of digital ethnography, archaeological lab methods, legal anthropology, medical anthropology, sustainability, the environment and energy, equitable governance of shared resources, and more. We also provide our majors with a Careers in Anthropology course to help plan for post-college careers. We offer internships, field schools, and other professionalization opportunities that provide immersive learning. Our curriculum throughout emphasizes the development and refinement of writing, communication, and participatory media skills necessary in today’s world.

Explore our Program Website - Anthropology for more information about our faculty, our classes, and our project opportunities.

Acquired Skills

Areas of knowledge and skills our program delivers:

  • Grounding in specific archaeological and ethnographic areas such as Middle, Central and South America, the Middle East, Europe, and North America (including U.S. culture).
  • The ability to work individually and in cross-disciplinary teams on complex political, cultural, social, and environmental issues in modern society. 
  • Hands-on community engagement and participatory culture projects via archaeology lab work, the Participatory Media Lab, and the Center for Social Research.
  • Understanding of historical and current theoretical perspectives which allows students to apply creative thinking to contemporary challenges.

Program Learning Outcomes

Career Possibilities

Anthropology graduates go into a wide variety of employment areas including education, business, nonprofit work, medical settings, and government positions. Some go on to graduate or law school, and some into the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps. All are prepared to lead productive lives as articulate citizens in their respective communities. Anthropological methods are useful wherever humans are a part of a problem or a solution.

Our students are drawn to a variety of career paths so our program provides essential skills in critical thinking, effective cultural analysis, articulate oral and written communication, proficient project management, and creative problem solving. 

Our courses focus directly on helping our students to understand the professional opportunities available to them as liberal arts graduates trained in a social science. Our majors are prepared to work across disciplines on teams that include artists, engineers, computer scientists, educators, and people working in medical, financial and business areas.

Recent UMD Graduates Job Placement Data

Admissions and Scholarships

The Anthropology Program gives an award annually to a major who has performed exemplary work and community engagement.

CAHSS is proud to offer over 90 alumni and donor scholarships to our students. The college awards over $190,000 to CAHSS majors and minors each year. We facilitate the process for specific scholarships and encourage Anthropology majors and minors to apply for available CAHSS-wide scholarships.

Student Clubs

Anthropology Club