Why KU Anthropology?

Anthropology gives you a critical edge in the global career marketplace

Study anthropology to learn more about the origin, history and future of the human species. Anthropology is the most comprehensive and flexible of all disciplines, covering perspectives from the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences:

• More than two-thirds of our students complete second majors, minors and certificates.
• The majority of our electives have enrollments of 20 or less.
• Students have studied abroad in over 30 countries and speak dozens of languages.
• Graduates find work in healthcare, law, business, museums, government and science labs.

As an anthropology student, you will learn about the varied cultures and peoples in the world, delve into the planet’s prehistory, and develop an understanding of the biological aspects of human existence.

As we encounter human diversity now more than ever before, anthropology provides students the skills they need to navigate an increasingly complex, multicultural and rapidly changing workforce.

• Gain valuable research experience in laboratories, field schools and independent projects.
• Take an informed stand on social issues where dignity, equality and solidarity are at stake.
• Acquire an international perspective on struggles over economic inequality and poverty.
• Explore how traits inherited from our evolutionary past help us address global epidemics.
• Study human histories of technologies, innovations and ideas.
• Recognize the ways language and material culture shape social interactions and identities.
• Give engaging public presentations and write research grants and publications.

What can I do with a degree in anthropology?

Anthropology students learn to have a highly flexible perspective toward the similarities and differences among peoples and cultures. A degree in anthropology will prepare you for graduate work or for employment in community services or the business sector.

KU anthropology graduates work at universities and museums across the nation and with such federal agencies as the National Park Service and the Peace Corps. Also, because anthropology is so diverse a discipline, it is excellent preparation for an advanced professional degree in such areas as business, medicine, or law. More and more, employers are seeking students with degrees in the liberal arts for management positions. They want people who can deal with concepts and abstractions, who are imaginative and creative - just the skills that studying anthropology will help you develop.

Anthropology at KU

The KU Department of Anthropology maintains a commitment to a holistic and integrative approach to studying human beings. See our statement on human remains research.  By inviting students to acquire a solid grounding in the evolution and preservation of human biological and cultural diversity, the department provides them with the broad training required to understand human interactions and human affairs in a world where long-standing boundary markers between countries, cultures, and races have been negated, blurred, or redefined.