Online Anthropology Degree Programs

There are numerous career choices with an anthropology degree, both at the bachelor and masters degree level.

If you have graduated from an anthropology program, there are many types of careers to choose. Therefore, the focus will be on the interesting career as a museum technician. Before getting into this, let's briefly explain what anthropology means. Anthropology is the study of human beings, present and past. It covers cultures across human history and builds knowledge from biological, social, and physical sciences. The main focus of an anthropologist is to apply this knowledge in all types of environments, be it in the corporate sector, government, health care, entertainment, immigration, arts and culture, or social services sectors. Most anthropologists choose to specialize in a particular area for example sociocultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, biophysical anthropology, or physical anthropology.

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Anthropology Education and Training

Sociocultural anthropology looks at the customs of social groups. Linguistic anthropology looks at the role of language in different cultures. Biophysical anthropologists look at early human life and research the role of culture and biology in human development and on each other. Physical anthropologists study human remains from archeological digs and are often referred to as archeologists.

Anthropology degrees focus on the study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective. The anthropology degree program of study include instruction in ethnography, biological and physical anthropology, primatology, prehistoric archeology, human paleontology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnology, ethno-history, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods.

These anthropology courses are also examined in relation to areas of application in areas like international affairs, political science, medicine, forensic pathology, and museum studies.

Anthropology Careers

A museum is a complex facility that requires a number of professional people to ensure it runs effectively and efficiently. Museum technicians assist and advise curators on many matters. The maintenance and preparation of items and exhibits, and the collation of information pertaining to the displays. Therefore, an anthropologist will find this a challenging and rewarding career and one where his or her knowledge is well utilized.

Jobs with anthropology degree programs are varied. A museum technician also has a lot to do with employees to ensure that the exhibits are preserved and cleaned correctly. He or she will also do research to acquire new items for display. This involves much time on the Internet and even traveling to parts of the world to examine new discoveries.

While in the office, other duties include cataloguing records and artifacts, and restoring items. If this sounds interesting to you so far, there's more to come. You would also interact with the public who ask questions, plus you will oversee tourist groups and coordinate educational outreach programs.

While most technicians graduate in museum studies, research has shown that employers prefer candidates with anthropology degrees. The reason for this is that this qualification includes an extensive knowledge of all the sciences mentioned earlier. Once you are working in this capacity, there are other courses to study if you want to improve your portfolio and earning potential. These include art history, records management, artifact preservation, and public speaking.

Expected Salary and Projected Career Growth

Employment opportunities in the United States for museum technicians are expected to grow quicker than other professions. The anticipated rate is an impressive 26% by the year 2018. This growth is being driven by increasing interest by the public.

Additional openings will arise when existing staff retire, resign, or made redundant. The new breed of museum technician is vastly different because he or she is fully computer literate. Like any successful business today, computer literacy is essential for success.

As at January 2010, the average annual salary for a museum technician with an anthropology degree is $31,000. However, this varies according to the location, employer, benefits, and experience. This is an excellent career choice for someone who wants to do a variety of tasks and work with other professionals. Personal qualities required are patience, attention to detail, good organizational skills, a high level of concentration, as well as good communication and people skills. The ideal candidate should also be a person who can work effectively in a team.