Ph.D. Career Opportunities

Applied anthropologists work across industries: for public agencies at local, state and federal levels; in the business sector; for nonprofits and community-based organizations; and in academia.

Business-focused anthropology consultants help companies understand how people relate to each other, to products and services, and to organizations. They use their knowledge of human behavior to build successful businesses.

Federal and state agencies rely on anthropologists to interpret human cultures. They may be legislative specialists, natural resource managers, defense and security staff, or much more.

Anthropologists working in public health and medicine use their skills to help communities lead healthy lives. Viewing health as part of a larger culture allows these specialists to create strategies, inform policymakers and serve as advocates.

In museums, anthropologists work as curators, exhibit writers or consultants, educators and archivists. They share their knowledge of human culture in order to inform the public.

Anthropologists in cultural resource and environmental companies ensure that valuable heritage is protected. They manage projects, survey sites, navigate legal compliance and create solutions that preserve history and special places.

Anthropologists working for national and international nonprofits assess and serve human needs. They work in humanitarian efforts, international development, cross-cultural communication and more.

Medical examiners and related staff use forensic science to assist law enforcement. They determine causes of death, identify unknown remains and investigate crime scenes.

Job titles for anthropologists include:

  • Archivist
  • Community Health Program Manager
  • Consumer Researcher
  • Cultural Anthropologist
  • Cultural Resources Investigator
  • Curator
  • Development Officer
  • Diversity Officer
  • DNA Specialist
  • Ethnographer
  • Exhibit Planner
  • Field Project Director
  • Forensic Anthropologist
  • GIS Analyst
  • Historical Archaeologist
  • International Development Officer
  • Laboratory Manager
  • Lecturer
  • Museum Director
  • Osteologist
  • Principal Investigator
  • Product Designer
  • Program Director
  • Professor
  • Program Administrator
  • Program Evaluator
  • Project Manager
  • Proposal Writer
  • Public Health Researcher
  • Statistician
  • Taphonomist
  • User Experience Lead

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