Anthropology Major Map

Learn: What foundational courses should I be taking? 

• Anthropology 101, 201, 202
• Learn about concentrations in anthropology
• Meet with anthropology faculty to discuss your plans
• Find out about 300/400 level courses next year

Engage: What kinds of activities and organizations can I explore?

• Join Talent Gateway - UM-Dearborn’s online community where you can complete challenges, earn points, and connect experiences with courses and professional goals

• Join the anthropology student club

Network: What are important topics in my field?

• Visit your professor’s office hours to introduce yourself 
• Visit Mardigian Library to explore endless resources and librarian support
• Visit the American Anthropological Association (AAA) website
• Explore the sub-fields through their respective websites (via the AAA site) 

Transform: What are the challenges and the strengths in my community?

• Find out about the Institute for Local Government

• Attend a local meeting of your community board

• Subscribe to a local newspaper or public radio station (such as WDET)
• Seek out an internship

Prepare: What are the career options for people with my major?

• Explore career options in your field to learn about requirements and expectations
• Visit the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships to learn about different types of financial aid, including many scholarships
• Familiarize yourself with career options from the AAA website 
• Explore jobs for anthropologists.  Ask you professors for information and links to informal websites

Learn: How do I build on  foundational courses?

• Anthropology 331
• Begin thinking about DDC requirements
• Consider an independent study with a faculty member
• Begin taking anthropology electives
• Begin thinking about cognates that would make sense for you
• Choose a faculty mentor

Engage: What activities and organizations will help me develop professional skills? 

• Sign up for MLK Day of Service or Alternative Spring Break

• Deepen your involvement in the anthropology student club

• Consider joining other clubs or campus organizations, like Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL) 

Network: How do I connect with faculty and students with similar interests?

• Submit one of your best papers or projects to the Meeting of Minds Undergraduate Conference

• Attend department colloquium and other research talks on campus

• Attend research talks at UM-Ann Arbor, Wayne State, or Oakland University
• Consider attending a local or regional anthropology conference

Transform: What are the challenges and strengths of the Detroit Metro area?

• Contribute to a community project through the Office of Metropolitan Impact (OMI), become a Diversity Ambassador or participate in a Conversation on Race
• Consider taking Anthropology 376
• Talk to your community about anthropology

Prepare: What resources are available on campus to help me develop the professional skills I will need?

• Develop your “academic toolkit” through numerous Seeds of Success workshops through the Office of Student Life
• Meet with your professors to discuss your skills and possible career options
• Visit the Campus Writing Center
• Consider a field, lab, or ASL course to engage with primary research and your community

Learn: How do I gain expertise in my major?

• Begin taking your cognate courses
• Consider an independent study (or even a second one) with an anthropology professor
• Continue taking electives and upper level courses (with different professors)
• Meet with your mentor and possibly other faculty to discuss your final year and career plans

Engage: How can I grow as a leader on campus?

• Consider running for Student Government or a leadership position in a campus organization
• Check out options through the Office of Student Life's Leadership Development webpage
• Consider running for a leadership role in the anthropology student club

Network: How can I broaden my professional relationships?

• Connect with alumni through the 30-Minute Mentor Program
• Submit your best paper or research to an undergraduate student journal
• Attend a professional conference and get to know people in the field
• Conduct informal interviews with professors to identify career interests and how to reach those goals

Transform: How can I prepare to effectively solve local and global challenges?

• Visit the Office of International Affairs to plan and register for a Study Abroad course
• Diversify your perspective by taking a course outside your major
• Consider a minor or certificate program that complements your anthropology major

Prepare: What practical things should I do to further my career options?

• Start creating your CV/resume (professors can help with this)
• Register for LSAT, MCAT, GRE if you plan on law, medical or graduate school in the future
• Apply for an anthropology field school scholarship
• Schedule an “Informational Interview” with someone in the career you are interested in

Learn: How do I finish strong?

• Take the capstone course
• Meet with faculty to discuss your career
• Schedule a senior audit with a CASL advisor
• Request any letters of recommendation you may need from faculty

Engage: How can I mentor others to be leaders on campus?

• Become a peer tutor in the CASL Writing Center
• Consider becoming a student instructor 

Network: How can I demonstrate my readiness for the next steps?

• Submit your best paper for the Campus Writing Center Awards
• Make sure your applications for graduate or professional schools are complete with a writing sample and personal essay
• Do targeted networking with alumni working in careers of interest and ask questions about job opportunities and the interview process

Transform: How can I add to the strengths of my community, the region, and the world?

• Contribute to global learning initiatives on campus or volunteer at a government agency or non-profit

• Meet with faculty to discuss issues you see as important

• Take an anthropology course that emphasizes social issues and change (e.g. 312, 376, 430, 415, etc.)

Prepare: How do I make the best use of university resources to launch my professional next steps?

• Apply to jobs or future education, or make plans for other adventures
• Visit Career Services for advice with job searching and interviewing, resumes, and graduate school applications
• Conduct additional "Informational Interviews” with professors or others to solidify your career goals and to construct a clear plan of action to reach those goals

Anthropology prepares students with the skills necessary in the modern workplace. You’ll learn cultural awareness and the empathy to understand those from very different back-grounds, and improve your teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking, and organizational skills.

A major or minor in anthropology opens doors to many fields, including law, medicine, public health, education, social work, business, criminal justice, international development, diplomacy, communications, management, museum work, and various types of non-profit work.

Anthropology is truly unique and can give you an advantage in the workplace that other disciplines cannot. First, anthropology is a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) field, which introduces students to multiple perspectives on the scientific method, improves scientific literacy, and develops critical thinking.

Anthropology is also a humanistic, interpretive endeavor in which the human experience is understood through multiple forms of evidence.  The whole field is interdisciplinary, which allows anthropologists to be involved in a wide array of research topics and students to apply anthropological ideas in many fields.