Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of people of the past and present in their cultural, biological and material contexts. From human evolution to endangered languages, cultural diversity to health disparities, Anthropology seeks answers to some of today’s most complex questions. How are we alike?  What makes us different? Where are we headed? Our students and faculty are engaged in cutting-edge education and research to further our understanding of the world around us.

Undergraduate program options include a Bachelor's degree, a minor, and multiple certificates.

Welcome to the Anthropology Community

Anthropology examines the nature and significance of human diversity in its biological, historical, and cultural forms. This examination is both a scientific and a humanistic undertaking. Anthropology thus straddles the social sciences and human biology in its theories and methods and the interpretive traditions of the humanities as well. Anthropology challenges conventional views that regularly mystify, categorize, or essentialize human diversity by race, gender, language, nationality, and class. Inevitably, students of anthropology apply what they learn to understand and ameliorate social conditions here and elsewhere, and to preserve and to interpret cultural resources from the past. An anthropological perspective on human nature and human diversity is avidly comparative and cross-cultural, relying on assessing the full range of human diversity now and in the past before making generalizations about what it means to be and to act human. By contrast to various popular efforts to reduce human nature to what are perceived to be biological imperatives or constants, anthropology is skeptical of such claims and insists on examining and interpreting the interplay of culture, history, biology, and identity formation. The Department of Anthropology offers four overlapping subdivisions of anthropology: cultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology.

Featured Articles

Spring Break Skill Building, with SBS Careers

Spring break is around the corner.  Have you considered using some of that time to move forward on your job or internship search?

Your SBS Career team invites you to join us virtually for a structured, self-guided professional skill building …

By Carol Sharick
Carol Sharick Director of Career and Professional Development for Undergraduates, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Read more

Ansin Study Abroad Scholarship Award

Are you interested in studying abroad this summer or during the Fall semester? Are you concerned about the cost? The Ron Ansin scholarship is for students with financial need who are interested in exploring another part of the world through …

By Koni Denham
Koni Denham Director of Student Success - SBS
Read more

SBS Financial Aid Scholarship

The SBS Financial Aid Award is funded by multiple donors and supports SBS students who have demonstrated financial need as verified by the Financial Aid Office and who have good academic standing with a GPA of 2.0+.

The scholarship committee will review applications on a case …

By Koni Denham
Koni Denham Director of Student Success - SBS
Read more

Sidebar

Featured Alumni

Featured Resources

Skill-Building With Linkedin Learning Classes

See below for skill-building classes – visit LinkedIn Learning for more.

Digital Marketing Trends

Taught by Martin Waxman
Stay up to date on the latest trends in digital marketing. In this biweekly series, marketing and social media expert…

Photoshop 2022 Essential Training

Taught by Julieanne Kost
Whether you’re an experienced creative professional or just looking to make the most out of your new camera, learning how…

Marketing Tools: Digital Marketing Tools and Services (Hootsuite, Agorapulse, Buffer, Sprout Social)

Taught by Anson Alexander
As a modern marketer, you have a wealth of digital marketing solutions at your disposal. How do you determine which…

User Experience (UX) for Non-Designers

Taught by Tom Green
User experience (UX) design is more than just pushing pixels and adding interactivity. It’s a people-centric practice that involves many…

Photoshop 2020 Essential Training: The Basics

Taught by Julieanne Kost
Photoshop is the industry standard for creative visual expression. Whether you’re an experienced creative pro or just starting on your…

Learning Canva

Taught by Marley Jaxx
Canva is an easy way—without any graphic design experience—to create professional graphics for social media, presentations, newsletters, business cards, brochures,…

Learning Design Thinking: Lead Change in Your Organization

Taught by Turi McKinley
Design thinking is a user-centered way of solving problems. It involves extensive collaboration, using strategies such as mapping customer journeys,…

Relevant Courses

Research Opportunities

Explore Outcomes

The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans.  The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation.  Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students.  The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2022 was 70%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.

The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans.  The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation.  Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students.  The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2022 was 70%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.

  • First Destination
  • Top Employers
  • Starting Salary
  • Job Titles
  • Employment Locations
  • Top Universities
  • Degree Types
  • Fields of Study

First Destination

SBS graduates pursue a range of plans after graduation, including employment, continuing education, and volunteering/service, among others.  This graph depicts what recent SBS graduates tell us they are doing within six months after graduation.