Careers in Anthropology

For the last decade or more, the traditional liberal arts programs, such as Anthropology, have been overshadowed by the growth of business, engineering and other vocational fields of study in Canadian universities. While it remains difficult to predict the next cycle, indications are that university students and marketplace employers may be reacting against the narrow training which vocationally-oriented university study entails. Surveys demonstrate that corporations are increasingly interested in hiring liberal arts graduates and that enrolment in such programs continues to rise.

Any university undergraduate degree assures future employers that you have polished verbal and written communication skills, that you can organize your time effectively, and that you are adaptable and able to learn new skills. Generally speaking, a degree in anthropology is good training for any occupation that requires a scientific knowledge of human behaviour and human relationships. The foundation has been laid for employment as a researcher, analyst, administrator, and for working in private and public sectors such as health, social services, communications, sales, counseling, justice and human resources, to name the most common fields of employment.

Please click on links below to access various career opportunities in Anthropology.

American Anthropological Association

Canada's Higher Education and Career Guide

What Can I do with an Undergraduate Degree in Anthropology?

Career Profiles

Primatology

Anthropology on the Web

Social and Cultural Anthropologists

A (graduate) degree in anthropology does not bring any guarantee of a job in anthropology. However, anthropologists develop many skills for which there is an increasing demand. Career opportunities in anthropology exist in all sectors; industry, government and education. As these fields face pressures to adapt in response to a rapidly changing society, they find that the tools anthropologists have developed are invaluable in identifying and solving problems. A holistic approach, keen observational skill, and cross-cultural sensitivity, combined with knowledge of the interplay of social institutions and interpersonal relationships, enable anthropologists to identify the difference between what people (or corporations) think they are doing and what is actually happening. Observational and interactional skills once applied to small-scale societies are now often used to help big corporations improve their service, boost employee morale, and speed implementation of new technologies.

Anthropological skills are proving especially important in international business. Anthropologists can teach people already involved in international business how to be more culturally sensitive to the different customs of other countries on subjects ranging from simple etiquette to negotiation styles.

As environmental concerns begin to dominate the social agenda, we see greater opportunities for our students in animal conservation and environmental planning. Socio-cultural anthropologists are increasingly being employed to carry out environmental or social impact assessments.

Careers in diplomacy and the foreign services will benefit from anthropological training. The justice system has also consulted anthropologists in cases that involve aboriginal land claims or development impact studies. Anthropologists are participating in formulating guidelines for self-rule among Canadian First Nations peoples.

Primatologists

Research on primate behavior and behavioral ecology is burgeoning. Primatologists, because they often work on endangered primate populations, are also usually involved in conservation efforts. Further, there is great public interest in primate behavior, as is clear from the amount of time that television devotes to primate behavior films and the amount of money that people spend on related books. Students graduating with a B.Sc. in Anthropology with a focus in Primatology may thus consider careers in all aspects of the production and consumption of popular materials, as well as in environment and resource management, animal care and welfare, education, zoos, museums, research, and conservation. The B.Sc. in Anthropology degree is the precursor to an MA and Ph.D., for a possible career in academia.

While all of these suggestions emphasize the specific knowledge gained in the process of completing a B.Sc. in primatology, there are also career possibilities based on the communication, writing, planning, teamwork, analysis, and research skills acquired in the process. In this way, a degree in primatology is as valuable than any other social science degree, since in all social sciences students acquire critical market skills valued by employers. Studying in an area where one has true interest and aptitude should be reflected in a higher graduating GPA, which will translate into scholarships and admission to graduate and professional schools.