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How to become an Anthropologist
I have an extreme love of learning about different cultures, histories, religions, beliefs, and people. Mythology has also been something that I have enjoyed studying in my past time and I think Anthropology is a fit for me since I want to travel the world and learn as much as I can about different people and how they think. #travel #history #college #anthropology
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Marina’s Answer
My best friend from college is now studying for her PhD in Anthropology at Brown, with a focus in North American Archaeology. I'm not personally qualified to answer this question, but based on her experiences I would say the first step is to major in anthropology or a related study in undergrad. To be an anthropologist, it seems you need a PhD, so I would recommend getting research experience as an undergrad to distinguish yourself. It may also be helpful if your school offers to get a Bachelor's of Science instead of a Bachelor's of Arts if you are interested in medical anthropology or archaeology as you will need to be able to perform scientific analyses.
Take a variety of anth courses in the four disciplines. It sounds like you would be most interested in being a cultural anthropologist, but you won't know for sure until you start getting exposure to different sides of anthropology. There may also be study abroad opportunities you can take advantage of. Based on what I've seen, where you get your PhD impacts what kind of anthropology you will specialize in. For archaeology, most universities in the US will focus on North American archaeology or archaeology in the Americas, meaning you may need to go abroad for your PhD if you want to focus on other regions. However, this is not my field, so I can't say for sure.
Take a variety of anth courses in the four disciplines. It sounds like you would be most interested in being a cultural anthropologist, but you won't know for sure until you start getting exposure to different sides of anthropology. There may also be study abroad opportunities you can take advantage of. Based on what I've seen, where you get your PhD impacts what kind of anthropology you will specialize in. For archaeology, most universities in the US will focus on North American archaeology or archaeology in the Americas, meaning you may need to go abroad for your PhD if you want to focus on other regions. However, this is not my field, so I can't say for sure.
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Hilary’s Answer
The best step is to start at a community college or larger school and look into cultural anthropology. Eventually, taking these classes will allow you to narrow your focus to precisely what kind of anthropologist you want to be. I knew forensic anthropologists, Peace Corp anthropologists, and medical anthropology who started taking classes in cultural anthropology.