BA in Anthropology
As an anthropology B.A. major, you will take courses that examine humans from evolutionary, historical, and cultural perspectives and you will develop critical thinking in areas as diverse as globalization, biology, the state, the human body, politics, evolution, colonialism, race, language, health and illness, and cultural diversity. In order to gain the maximum benefit from Anthropology’s breadth of topical and critical perspectives, we encourage students to take courses in cultural, biological, archaeological, and linguistic anthropologies.
Major requirements include courses from the introductory to the advanced level, as well as a capstone experience. The Anthropology B.A. requires the completion of the equivalent of 4 semesters of any second language, a key element of your training as an anthropologist concerned with cultural and linguistic difference.
Students planning to continue to a graduate program in anthropology generally concentrate on a specialty within the field, such as medical anthropology, human evolution, or North American historical archaeology.
Is the BA or the BS Right for Me?
Interested in applying?
Review the major requirements and schedule a meeting with one of our advisors to declare your major.
Transfer Guide
There are two introductory courses required for the BA and the BS Anthropology majors:
- ANTH 1001 - Human Evolution
- ANTH 1003W - Understanding Cultures
While these courses are not required to declare the major, taking one of these courses early will introduce you to concepts within Anthropology and help you explore your interests.
BS Quantitative and Natural Science courses - For the BS Anthropology major, students must complete 6 or more course totaling 18-24 credits, with at least two upper division (3xxx-level or higher) courses, from the following categories: Math; Computer Science; Statistics; Geographic Information Sciences; Chemistry; Physics, Earth Sciences; Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior; Biochemistry; Neuroscience; Anatomy; Nursing; Physiology; Genetic, Cellular, & Developmental Biology; Microbial Biology. Go to the full requirements for the BS Anthropology major to see the complete lists of approved courses within each category.
Some of the approved courses have prerequisites. For example, MATH 1151 Precalculus II is an approved Math course for the major; however, depending on your math skills, you may need a prerequisite math course before you can take MATH 1151.
A grade of C- or better is required in all courses approved to satisfy major requirements.
See the catalog for all courses in the major.
Remember, when using Transferology to plan courses for the major, look for courses that transfer as direct equivalents to UMTC major courses.
In CLA, each department has a process to declare the major. This is a necessary step for the major to be added to the student record. New transfer students do not declare their majors until after they attend orientation.
To declare a major in Anthropology, you must meet with the Anthropology departmental advisor.
We recommend that you meet with the Anthropology departmental advisor during your first semester in CLA to discuss your interests and the declaration process. This allows you to begin working with the departmental advisor on your plans and learning about opportunities within the department, helping to ensure a smoother path to graduation.
You are not required to declare the major prior to taking upper division Anthropology courses. One exception is the Laboratory Techniques in Archaeology course, ANTH 4007, for which registration preference is given to declared Anthropology majors.
Lower division coursework – The BS and BS Anthropology majors require two 1xxx-level Anthropology courses, ANTH 1003W and ANTH 1001. All other ANTH courses in the major are upper division (3xxx-5xxx) courses.
Major residency requirement – Anthropology requires that at least fourteen upper division credits for the major must be taken at UMTC.
Other limits on the use of transfer credit:
The Anthropology major requires two introductory (1xxx-level) courses, one in sociocultural anthropology and one in human evolution/biological anthropology. Broad 1xxx-level courses spanning multiple subfields are also unlikely to fulfill either of the 1xxx-level requirements. In rare cases, a 1xxx- or 2xxx-level transfer course may be determined to be equivalent in content to an ANTH 3xxx- or 4xxx-level course. In such cases, the course will be counted for our elective or Subfield Foundations requirements.
Transfer courses are evaluated by the department for use towards the major. Check Transferology to see if an evaluation already exists for the courses you would like to use toward the major. If you find a course that has not been evaluated you can submit the course for review. A copy of the course syllabus is required.
Planning for a BA or a BS with a Anthropology major-
- If you are planning to complete a BA degree, consider completing or starting your second language before you transfer to CLA. Be sure to talk with a CLA transfer advisor about any questions you have about completing the CLA Second Language requirement.
- If you are planning to complete the BS Anthropology major, you should plan to start taking the courses or the appropriate prerequisites for the courses you intend to use towards the major Quantitative and Natural Science Courses requirement.
In general, it is best for students planning to transfer to avoid taking too many 1xxx-level Anthropology courses, as many of these are unlikely to count for our Anthropology major requirements.
Students planning to focus on archaeology are strongly encouraged (but not required) to take an archaeological field school, either through the Anthropology department here or through another reputable Anthropology department. This is not a requirement for admission to the Anthropology major, but is strongly recommended either before or after transferring for those students considering a career in archaeology.
Students interested in archaeology, paleoanthropology, or biological anthropology may also wish to consider taking courses in geology and/or univariate statistics.
Study abroad is encouraged for all Anthropology majors, even if it does not include Anthropology-specific coursework.
The Anthropology Undergraduate Program encourages prospective students to contact the departmental advisor and/or the Director of Undergraduate Studies with any questions.
Career Paths
All liberal arts degrees help CLA students develop their Core Career Competencies, and anthropology majors develop specific skills that are applicable to lots of different careers. These skills include strong cross-cultural knowledge and understanding, ability to conduct and explain anthropological and scientific research, ability to work well with diverse groups, and strong written and verbal communication skills.
Students who take the SuperStrong Interest Inventory receive a three-letter interest code, which identifies their top three areas of interest, work activities, potential skills, and personal values. The interest code "IRE" is often associated with this major, however, the SuperStrong assessment can help you understand how your interests connect to a variety of majors and career options. You can learn more about common employer types and occupations associated with this major. You can also see CLA specific examples of alumni careers below.
Internship & Job Search Websites
- Handshake
- EPIC Job Board
- American Anthropological Association
- American Association of Physical Anthropology
- Society for Applied Anthropology
- National Association for the Practice of Anthropology
- Minnesota Association of Museums
- Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
- Idealist (Nonprofit positions in the US and internationally)
- USA Jobs
- Public Service Careers (Check out “Why Public Service?”)
- Archaeology Fieldwork Resources
Student Groups
Professional Organizations
- American Association of Physical Anthropology
- Archaeological Institute of America
- EPIC-Advancing the Value of Ethnography in Industry
- Society for Applied Anthropology
- National Association for the Practice of Anthropology:
- National Association of Student Anthropologist
- Society for Historical Archeology
- Minnesota Association of Museums
- American Association of Museums
- National Emerging Museum Professionals Network
Graduate Programs in Anthropology & Related Fields
This is a small sample of programs alumni have gone onto, to find graduate programs in this field, search the American Anthropological Association: AnthroGuide.
- Master of Arts, Applied Linguistics. Postgrad job: English Language Teacher, International Institute of Minnesota
- Master of Science, Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology. Postgrad job: Operations Associate & Salesforce Adminsistor, Privia Health
Alumni Career Examples
Below is a small sampling of what alumni with this major have pursued, organized by the most common career fields they go into (although keep in mind that there are alumni in all eight of the career fields). You can also utilize LinkedIn's Alumni Tool and the Maroon and Gold Network to further explore alumni career pathways and connect directly with professionals. Meet some of our recent graduates.
Click to expand each accordion panel below for opportunities pursued by alumni in this major!
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- Refugee and Asylum Project Intern, Advocates for Human Rights
- International Justice Intern, The Advocates for Human Rights
- Intern, CLUES
- Research Assistant, Species 360
- Presidential Secretary, StoryTime
- Intern, Minnesota Aids Project
Entry-Level
- Program Coordinator, American Refugee Committee
- Youth Development Volunteer, Peace Corps
- Archeological Collections Associate, Science Museum of Minnesota
- Administrative Assistant, Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota
- Employment Specialist, Employment Action Center
- Research Assistant, Center for Homicide Research
- Assistant Administrator, Elysium Society
- Special Events Coordinator, March of Dimes
- Communication Specialist, National Wind
Experienced
- Programme Design Officer, World Food Programme
- Administrative Coordinator, Greenheart International
- Case Manager, Resource INC.
- English Instructor, Peace Corps
- School-Based Match Coordinator, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities
- Development & Events Coordinator, Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance
Graduate Programs
- Master of Arts, Public Administration and Nonprofit Management, Hamline University. Job post grad: Development & Events Manager, Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance
- Master of Arts Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management, School for International Training. Postgrad job: International Relations Manager, Greenheart International
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- Research Intern, Center for Integrative Leadership (UMN)
- Senior Mentor Program Intern, International Buddy Program (UMN)
- Education Intern, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
- Classroom Visit Intern, Learning Abroad Center (UMN)
Entry-Level
- Senior Secretary, The University of South Dakota
- English Teacher, Language and Cultural Assistants in Spain
- Coordinator for African American Recruitment and Admissions Counselor, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
- Field/Lab Technician, Great Lakes Archaeological Research Center (UW-Milwaukee)
- Bursar, Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Experienced
- Outreach Coordinator, Minneapolis Community and Technical College
- Manager of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving, Humphrey School of Public Affairs - University of Minnesota
Graduate Programs
- Master of Arts, Educational Leadership, Mankato State University. Job post grad: Enrollment Advisor/Cultural Liaison, Hennepin Technical College
- Master of Arts, Higher Education, Policy, and Administration. Job post grad: Academic Advisor, University of Minnesota
- Master of Education, Higher Education, University of Pennsylvania. Job post grad: College Support Manager, KIPP DC
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- Dinosaur Intern, Minnesota Zoo
- Curatorial Assistant, Bell Museum of Natural History
- Special Events and Marketing Intern, Science Museum of Minnesota
- Evaluation Intern, Minnesota Historical Society
- Archaeological Collections Management Intern, Minnesota Historical Society
- Intern, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
- Cultural Landscape Intern, Minnesota Historical Society
- American Indian Museum Fellowship Intern, Minnesota Historical Society
Entry-Level
- Education Specialist, The Bell Museum of Natural History
Graduate Programs
- Master of Arts, Museum Studies, Purdue University
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- Legislative Intern, Minnesota House of Representatives
- Virtual Student Foreign Services eIntern, U.S. Department of State
- Constituent Advocate Intern, Office of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
Entry-Level
- Naturalist, City of Minneapolis
- Human Service Representative, Hennepin County
- Claims Assistant, Department of Veteran Affairs
- Legal Assistant, Hoglund, Chwialkowski & Mrozic PLLC
Experienced
- Veterans Service Representative, United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Graduate Programs
- J.D., Law, New York University Law School. Post grad job: Litigation Associate, Debevoise & Plipton
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- Archeology Lab Intern, Minnesota Historical Society
- Research Intern, Masonic Cancer Research Intern (UMN)
- Research Intern, Programs in Health Disparities (UMN)
- 3D Scanning Intern, Anthropology Department (UMN)
- Student Research Assistant, Anthropology Department (UMN)
- Intern, Mountain States Regional Genetics Network
Experienced
- Operations Lead, University of Minnesota Physicians
- Human Resources Payroll Specialist, Fairview Health Services
Graduate Programs
- Nursing, University of Minnesota
- Global Health, Emory University
- Dental Surgery, University of Minnesota
- Master of Arts Healthcare Administration, Saint Mary's University. Postgrad job: Director of Clinical Operations, Family Tree Clinic
- Master of Science, Public Health, University of Minnesota
Note: *Asterisks denote that further education and/or training is often required
Internships
- Web Content & Business Liaison Intern, Sons of Norway
- Internal Communications Intern, Marvin Windows and Doors
- Digital Product and Web Marketing Intern, Architectural Antiques
Entry-Level
- Team Assistant, Pricewaterhouse Coopers
- Consumer Sales Contractor, Coloplast
- Executive Team Lead Human Resources, Target
- Team Lead of Administrative Staff, Logistics Health
- Business to Business Account Manager, Best Buy
- Inside Sales Account Manager, Cord-Sets Inc
- Communication Specialist, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
- Customer Care Analyst, The Hartford
- Cultural Coordinator, Sons of Norway
Experienced
- Social Media Community Manager, Sprint
- National Sales Manager, Cord-Sets Inc
- Bilingual Customer Service Manager, Enzacta International
- Communications & Events Coordinator, Cortina Productions
- Personal Banker, Lloyds Banking Group
- Web Developer & Marketing Specialist, Black Hills IP
Graduate Programs
- Human Resources (certificate), University of Minnesota
- MBA, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. Postgrad job: Business Analyst, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis