Eastern is offering a new major in Anthropology starting this fall 2020 semester. Approved by the Board of Regents earlier this year, the new program features two concentrations-- Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology—aimed at helping students understand the diverse past and present cultures of the world.

 “Anthropology has long been recognized as a leading discipline in the development of concepts and knowledge regarding culture, prehistory, evolution and linguistics,” explained Ricardo Perez, program coordinator for the new major. “Anthropology is an excellent background for students who want to pursue careers or plan on attending graduate school in policy, development, teaching or other service professions.”

Eastern has long offered a popular minor in anthropology for students from other majors. The Anthropology major also can be used as a second major for students majoring in History, Psychology, Political Science and Sociology.

The major offers two concentrations: Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology. Cultural anthropologists examine social relationships and cultures in living communities, using ethnographic interviews, participant observation and other research strategies to explore human existence and help solve social problems in the United States and abroad.

Public health, climate change and economic inequity are all issues that can be examined from the lens of a cultural anthropologist. Archaeologists explore cultures of the past using fieldwork and laboratory analysis to uncover and evaluate artifacts and other remaining evidence of past societies.

In addition to the courses in the two concentrations, students in the major will gain a strong foundation in biological anthropology and linguistic anthropology. The major will build on the five learning outcomes of the Liberal Arts Core curriculum that all Eastern students take, including Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Communication, Creativity and Quantitative Literacy.

Faculty teaching in the new major include experts in Latin American, Caribbean, Canadian and Native American studies. Applied learning opportunities are embedded in the program’s required field courses, which can include internships at local museums, archaeological field work at sites in New England and the Midwest and study trips to other countries.

The job market for people with anthropology degrees is expanding, with a projected eight percent growth in total jobs over the next 10 years. The national median salary in 2017 was $62,000. In Connecticut, there were more than 13,000 jobs in 2018 linked to anthropology.