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.