Concerned with the world’s diverse cultures, anthropology provides education and experience to help students understand the perspectives of peoples in other places, settings, and times. It develops critical and analytical skills and empathic understanding. Students can pursue a wide number of anthropological fields: social and cultural, archaeological, linguistic, and biological.
Cal Poly Humboldt’s unique setting in proximity to nine Native American tribes presents a rare opportunity for learning about the first Nations of North America and their contemporary relationships to other cultures of the U.S. Our region’s cultural richness includes immigrant communities and families as well as students and faculty of diverse nationalities at Humboldt. Combined with our department’s emphasis on international and applied experience, this context allows our students to obtain an academic and experiential education in the study of culture.
Anthropology provides an excellent liberal arts background, benefiting many careers. Wherever cross-cultural relations are present, or wherever culturally broad perspectives are valuable (education, social services, medicine, business, legal services, and journalism), anthropologists can make strong contributions.
Humboldt’s program provides a strong foundation for graduate study. Graduates have established careers in archaeology, linguistics, international development, foreign affairs, health services, multicultural education, environmental planning and research, biological and medical research, cultural resource management, and professional anthropology.
At the high school level, students can prepare for a major in Anthropology through the study of college preparatory courses, especially including second-language learning, social sciences, mathematics, and biology. At the university level we encourage students to continue with a carefully-planned breadth of education in these areas.
Learn more about our program on the Department of Anthropology website.
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