Anthropology (from the Greek anthropos, for human, and loggia, for science) is the study of human behavior, from the dawn of time to present day. Today’s anthropologists do not work only in exotic locations; they can be found in corporations, government, educational institutions and non-profit associations at home and abroad. Anthropologists were there at Ground Zero and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, gathering crucial data.
Anthropology attracts people who want to understand why things happen and are eager to tackle big human problems, such as poverty, hunger, overpopulation and warfare. It is a field of study that is more relevant than ever.
As an Anthropology major at Union, you will combine fascinating course work along with valuable practical training. You will learn to observe, interview, record and describe complex social behavior as it happens. You may go on a term abroad in Palau (Pacific Rim), Australia or Tanzania, or pursue a mini-term in Senegal. Semester-long field schools in Tasmania and Fiji provide opportunities to do full-time, hands-on ethnographic research that is rare for undergraduate institutions. On the Fiji term, students do internships in such NGOs as Save the Children, and in schools and local businesses. In Tasmania, they have interned in national parks and with ecological groups.
Anthropology majors often take positions in business and government, lending their talents to such fields as advertising, market research, public relations, banking, merchandising, medicine, journalism and management consulting. They are also ideally suited to such governmental positions as foreign service officers, urban planners and counselors. As a discipline that focuses on cross-cultural understanding, you will find anthropologists working for agencies of the United Nations (such as UNESCO), the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the Peace Corps and the Agency for International Development.
