Career opportunities...anthropology major?

College Majors
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<p>A friend of mine was majoring in biology during her freshman year, but she ended up switching to anthropology in her sophomore year. It is the typical anthropology B.A. program offered by many state schools. She is still in the second semester of her sophomore year, but now she is worried about the career opportunities that await her. She does not believe she will be pursuing a PhD in the future, and she is not sure about an M.A. She has been asking me for advice, but I am not really sure what I should suggest.</p>

<p>I have read that anthropology graduates who work outside the field of anthropology (i.e. business) tend to make more than those who try to cling to their roots. Are such business positions easy to come by? Are there any majors with a positive outlook that she could switch to without delaying her graduation? I know she would be devastated if she had to graduate late, so the engineering/business majors at her school are pretty much ruled out. Should she still think about pursuing a B.S. in biology or what? I am not sure how far that would set her back.</p>

<p>It would be nice to be able to major in something you enjoy; however, bills ultimately have to be paid. I also know it is hard to give advice without knowing specifics about the school and its programs, but general suggestions are more than welcome.</p>

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<p>I know this post is a couple days old, but I was just searching for anthro-related posts out of boredom and curiosity. </p>

<p>There are quite a few things you can do with a bachelors in Anthro. You can get a <em>decent</em> paying job (~$35,000-60,000/yr), but if your friend is looking for a super lucrative job and a wealthy lifestyle, a bachelors or even a masters in Anthro probably isn’t the best route.</p>

<p>That being said, I’ll copy a few blips about anthro careers from various websites that I’ve recently visited and documented for reference:</p>

<p>Non-governmental organizations, such as international health organizations and development banks employ anthropologists to help design and implement a wide variety of programs, worldwide and nationwide. State and local governmental organizations use anthropologists in planning, research and managerial capacities. A corporate anthropologist working in market research might conduct targeted focus groups to examine consumer preference patterns not readily apparent through statistical or survey methods. Anthropologists fill the range of career niches occupied by other social scientists in corporations, government, nonprofit corporations, and various trade and business settings. </p>

<p>Here is a basic list of positions one could potentially do with a bachelors in anthropology:
Analyst, market researcher, communicator, multicultural program leader, community development specialist, Peace Corps volunteer, community service administrator, program assistant consultant, program coordinator, cross-cultural communicator program evaluator, ecotourism director, research assistant, editor, writer, sales person, fieldworker, teacher, information officer, lab assistant, travel consultant, liaison, writer, editor.</p>

<p>I am an anthro major myself and I’ve been considering going into the field of ecotourism after I graduate. I am also minoring in holistic health, which complements anthro very well. I just started the program so I am keeping options open and am considering potentially going for my masters to start a career in integrative health. </p>

<p>Hope that helps!</p>