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As reported by the American Anthropological
Association (AAA), demand for graduates with degrees in anthropology
is high. Anthropology
graduates find employment in the many fields in which research on humans
and their behavior is needed, including private corporations, nonprofit
organizations, and government agencies. Fields
in which anthropology majors commonly find employment include state
and federal governments, non-governmental and other international aid
organizations, education, business, human resources, social work, and,
increasingly, health care. Many
of our graduates find work in archaeology, especially historical and
contract archaeology. Others find employment in museums and with a
wide variety of international firms and non-government organizations. A
large percentage of our graduates choose to attend graduate school
and are accepted to prestigious institutions such as Princeton, Stanford,
and Tulane with tuition waivers and research assistantships.
The Association of American Medical Colleges
reports, in fact, that over fifty percent of Anthropology majors
are successful in their applications to attend medical school, a
rate far higher than any other social science. Several
business and technology leaders in Richmond have publicly stated
that they prefer hiring anthropology, international studies, and
English majors due to their greater understanding of the world and
their ability to write well.
Those anthropology majors who choose
to pursue graduate work in anthropology also have a wide variety
of professional options open to them. The
AAA notes that, “While the job market for academic anthropologists
is relatively steady, demand for anthropologists is increasing in
other areas, stimulated by a growing need for analysts and researchers
with sharp thinking skills who can manage, evaluate and interpret
the large volume of data on human behavior.” The
AAA concludes that “Most jobs filled by anthropologists don't
mention the word anthropologist in the job announcement; such positions
are broadly defined to attract researchers, evaluators and project
managers. Anthropologists'
unique training and perspective enable them to compete successfully
for these jobs. Whatever
anthropologists' titles, their research and analysis skills lead
to a wide variety of career options, ranging from the oddly fascinating
to the routinely bureaucratic.”
The anthropology faculty at VCU is committed
to preparing its students for the world’s future and for their
future. It strives to
prepare students for applied work in anthropology, for a professional
career, or for graduate work in the discipline. The
faculty has developed an exciting program that covers the four fields
of its discipline and which integrates methodological training and
orientation in current theoretical developments with courses that
focus on various aspects of applied anthropology, international and
area studies, and overseas programs. Within the framework of the School of
World Studies, the anthropology faculty is dedicated to cooperating
across disciplinary boundaries to secure its students the very best
orientation and training in line with the traditions of liberal arts
colleges.
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