Prospective Students

Majoring in Anthropology can take you where you want to go!

Anthropology is the study of humans in all their diversity, based on first-hand field experience, whether studying culture in a distant land, working on an archaeological dig, or observing non-human primates in the wild. Anthropologists study people of all regions of the world, past and present! The anthropology curriculum at Rutgers provides tools for observation, investigation and research, helping to foster the ability to formulate new hypotheses and communicate new discoveries. With around 100 majors and 45 minors, the program is large enough to offer students many learning opportunities, yet small enough to address individual needs. Students will find inspiration in lectures, develop skills in labs, and share knowledge in seminars.

The three choices of major or minor, in Cultural Anthropology, Evolutionary Anthropology or Anthropology (which combines cultural and evolutionary courses), offer students many options. The programs can lead students into career tracks such as research, teaching, forensics, media and film, conservation, museums, and mapmaking, and students acquire unique credentials which can enhance any career. The Certificate in Evolutionary Medicine provides additional opportunities. Students can increase their employability through work in the department’s five labs and participation in summer field schools, which offer credits toward the degree. The department encourages students to participate in internships, which also enhance the resume and often can be applied toward the degree. Many of our majors go on to masters and doctoral level graduate work.

Arts and Sciences in Action: A Discerning View of the World

    Anthony Bonini
    Class of 2018

Anthony Bonini got the most out of his Rutgers experience majoring in anthropology and mathematics, and minoring in classics with the School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers-New Brunswick, venturing overseas twice for Study Abroad, and participating in a number of academic, social, and community service endeavors.

One of the first things that drew Anthony Bonini to Rutgers was its size. Anthropology fascinated him, but so did mathematics and chemistry. “I knew that no matter what I decided to study, or switch to, I’d find it at Rutgers,” he says. In addition to academic pursuits, he served as an Aresty research assistant, working with Department of Anthropology Chair at the time, Craig Feibel, who investigates the geological context for evolution. “The opportunity to work in his lab was awesome,” Bonini says.

Bonini’s Study Abroad ventures included a six-week stint in Africa where he studied advanced methods of paleoarchaeology, focusing on fossils millions of years old. “You push yourself to your limit,” he says of his work at the Koobi Fora Field School in Kenya. “There’s no internet, little cell service, and you’re with people you don’t know. You exercise your self-discipline.”

All his Rutgers experiences—academic, social, and community service—helped Bonini realize that what he ultimately wanted to do was to teach mathematics. “I was always the kid people asked for help on their homework,” he says. “I realized at Rutgers that I was naturally drawn to teaching, to getting people excited about learning, and understanding why we should learn.

The Department of Anthropology is part of the School of Arts and Sciences

As an Anthropology major in the School of Arts and Sciences, you’ll have full access to a liberal arts education that spans 47 programs for undergraduates. You will acquire both the specialized knowledge of the field you choose to study in depth, and broad knowledge of the world from the renowned scholar-teachers at Rutgers. You’ll graduate ready to meet contemporary challenges in your workplace, in your hometown, and in the global community.

Visit Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences Website