Majors & Minors
Anthropology
Major, Minor
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Anthropology (from the Greek anthropos, for human, and loggia, for science) is the study of the diversity of human behavior across cultures.
At Union, you will combine fascinating course work in cultural anthropology with valuable practical training, guided by dedicated faculty who are experts in their fields. You will learn to observe, interview, record and describe complex social behavior as it happens. You will enjoy small classes, real-world research, and enriching study abroad and internship opportunities.
Program highlights
Courses
Our courses cover language and culture, urban anthropology, environmentalism, human rights, gender and society, medical anthropology, law and order, technology, family and kinship, religion, tourism and media studies.
Research
Anthropology Department faculty are excited to share their fieldwork experiences in their classes and, wherever possible, engage in the Union tradition of involving students in first-hand research. Our faculty actively conduct research in societies in Latin America, Asia and the South Pacific.
Study abroad, internships
Exciting opportunities abound in two terms abroad sponsored by the department: in Palau, Fiji, and Jaipur, India, where students design and work on unique individual projects. Both programs offer internships.
After Union
Some students go on to become professors and professional anthropologists. Anthropology majors also take positions in business, advertising, market research, public relations, banking, health, medicine, journalism, law and management consulting. They are ideally suited to such governmental positions as foreign service officers, urban planners and counselors. And because this is 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.What some of our recent graduates are doing:
- Deputy director of training and development, Central Coast Children's Fund
- Master of Philosophy candidate in education, globalization and international development, University of Cambridge
- Program supervisor, C.O.C.O.A. House
- Project assistant, Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Public health associate, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Public relations associate, RF Binder
- Researcher, Mexican Institute for Competitiveness
- U.S. Fulbright Scholar, Athens, Greece
