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Overview | Degree Requirements | Careers and Graduate School | Costs and Scholarships| Research and Engagement | Faculty
Overview
Cultural anthropology is the study of human cultures, beliefs, practices, values, ideas, economies, and social organization across the globe.
Our program prepares you to understand the rich diversity of human experience while developing critical skills. You'll explore topics including kinship and family systems, economic anthropology, religion and ritual, language and communication, medical anthropology, migration and globalization, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity and environmental anthropology.
You'll gain skills that employers value:
- qualitative research and analysis
- cross-cultural communication
- ethical reasoning
- critical thinking and problem-solving
- written and oral communication
- collaborative teamwork
Our graduates work in international development, public health, education, nonprofit management, social services, and many other fields. Many continue to graduate programs in anthropology, law, public policy, cultural preservation, or related disciplines.
The curriculum balances theoretical foundations with hands-on research experience. You'll learn participant observation, interviewing techniques, and qualitative analysis while engaging directly with communities and cultural practices. As an anthropology student at UMN Morris, you can conduct individual research projects, contribute to faculty-led projects, collaborate on community engagement and participate in study abroad experiences.
Degree Requirements
Graduation Requirements
If you’re interested in pursuing a degree in anthropology, there are certain requirements you must meet to ensure that you graduate. If minoring in anthropology, a different set of requirements apply.
Student Learning Outcomes
By completing a degree in anthropology, you will be able to
- think comparatively across sociocultural contexts and apply a culturally relative perspective pertaining to cultural diversity;
- apply anthropological insights to the workplace and contemporary world based on both past and present human biological, ethnic, and cultural variations;
- effectively communicate about qualitative and quantitative anthropological data, perform fieldwork, and develop an original research project;
- understand ethical principles of and how research findings apply to anthropological research and processes; and
- demonstrate a holistic knowledge of anthropology as a whole with the ability to articulate the central ideas from the subdisciplines.
General Education Requirements (Morris Core)
The University of Minnesota and its faculty are committed to providing an education that invites you to investigate the world from new perspectives, learn new ways of thinking, and grow as an active citizen and lifelong learner. The University’s general education requirements (Morris Core) are designed to be integrated throughout your four-year undergraduate experience. These courses provide you an opportunity to explore fields outside your major and complement your major curriculum with a multidisciplinary perspective.
Learn more about UMN Morris General Education Requirements (Morris Core)
Transferring Credit
Put your credits to work for you at UMN Morris, where you’ll earn a degree from a highly ranked public liberal arts university.
Careers and Graduate School
Careers
Upon earning your degree in anthropology, you’ll be ready to enter the private or public job sector or go on to advanced degree work.
Completing a major in anthropology opens the door to many professional fields, such as business, public health, law, social work, government and public policy, nonprofit work, advocacy, education, and human service. Careers may range from advertising to museum work to international business to community service. An anthropology degree is particularly suited to careers where you will be working in a multicultural environment in the United States or internationally.
Recent UMN Morris anthropology graduates have gone on to be a:
- User experience researcher
- Human-centered systems analyst
- Economic development specialist
- Community organizer
- Marketing strategist
- Human resources manager
- Nonprofit program manager
Graduate School
Continuing on to higher degree programs or advanced academic work with an anthropology degree can lead to teaching and research at the university level.
Costs and Scholarships
Costs at a Glance
The University of Minnesota Morris is a national public liberal arts college committed to making a high-quality education available to students from across the country. Expenses for housing, meals, books and supplies, transportation, loan fees, and personal expenditures can vary.
Use our net price calculator to estimate your cost of attendance
Anthropology Scholarships
Scholarships are a type of financial aid awarded to you and are often based on specific criteria, such as your major, GPA, or financial need.
Research and Engagement
Research
On-site research and fieldwork are vital components of the anthropology discipline. You may have the opportunity to join faculty on research trips to places like New Zealand, Portugal, and Mexico, to assist on archaeological excavations or perform ethnographic research. You’ll also have the opportunity to be involved in faculty-led research projects on or around campus. Examples of past projects include researching life in the rural mid-west, including immigrant experiences; conducting and transcribing interviews in Spanish with Mexican immigrant mothers; and collecting data with school teachers and personnel, support program volunteers, and civic leaders in the Morris area.
Developing and conducting your own research may be another option. Examples of past student projects involved talking circles about Native American student experiences at UMN Morris, housing availability and winter-readiness among immigrant families, a comparative history of European and Mexican immigrant settlement in the region, and the role of monuments in public memory.
Anthropology students at UMN Morris have access to a social science lab to gain experience with interview recording, project management, transcription, and qualitative data analysis.
Engagement Opportunities for Students
You are strongly encouraged to participate in study abroad opportunities. Many anthropologists specialize in one or more geographic areas of the world (such as Latin America, the West Indies, or Eastern Europe). Some far-reaching activities that UMN Morris anthropology students have been involved in include:
- Engaging with the Landless Workers’ Movement in Brazil
- Volunteering at a home for women who are victims of domestic violence in Guatemala
- Studying primates in Costa Rica and Uganda
- Working with political prisoners in Mexico
- Assisting with field research in Costa Rica
- Interning at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago
Some anthropology classes include field trips to the local public school or a dairy farm, and activities like cooking and sharing food. As an anthropology student, you’ll have the chance to work closely with the Clifford J. Benson Center For Community Partnerships on campus.
Research Opportunities for Students
The Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) offers students an opportunity to present research plus scholarly and creative work. Types of presentations include posters, oral presentations, and short or abbreviated theatrical, dance, or musical performances.
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) provides University of Minnesota undergraduates from every college, major, and discipline, the opportunity to partner with a faculty member on research or creative projects.
The University of Minnesota Morris offers the Morris Academic Partnership (MAP) program, in which faculty select academically talented, qualified second-year and third-year students to assist them in scholarly and creative projects. Selected MAP students undertake assignments intended to enhance their intellectual competence and increase their interest in graduate or professional study.
