What Anthropology Brings to the Table
Anthropology provides students with a firm grounding in the Liberal Arts, which graduates find invaluable once they embark upon the exciting career opportunities that await them. More importantly, Anthropology helps students discover more than just employment – it helps them establish fulfilling, people-oriented careers where they can make a meaningful difference in their lives and in their communities. At the undergraduate level we offer both BA and BS degrees, alongside our graduate level MA, MS, and PhD degrees. Our faculty and students are conducting research the world over, from Alaska to Argentina, from Texas to Tanzania, across land and sea, all united in a search to better understand humans, our living and fossil relatives, and our recent and distant past.
Since Anthropology draws on knowledge generated across the liberal arts, as well as the life and earth sciences, it is the most ‘meta’ of all of the social sciences. Anthropology graduates are known for being excellent writers and communicators who possess a deep appreciation of the cultural and biological diversity that characterizes the people and communities in our state, our nation, and the world. Anthropologists are capable of viewing even the most complex problems holistically, seeing how the diverse strands of cultural and technological uniqueness and innovation are intricately intertwined, making them highly sought after in education, museum and foundation settings, government, NGOs, non-profits, and the private sector.
The Department of Anthropology at Texas A&M University strives to make students’ educations affordable. Many of our courses either rely on open-access textbooks, or require no textbooks at all – in fact, in 2020 fully 53% of our courses had no additional expense (such as textbooks) associated with the course. We offer a variety of high-impact learning experiences that are of no cost to students or are partially paid for through our department, including volunteer opportunities, internships, field schools, and sometimes even paid laboratory work. Many of our faculty and students were or are first-generation college students, so we understand the challenges that go along with stepping into such an unfamiliar world as higher education.
Here in the Department of Anthropology at Texas A&M University we value diversity, and all the splendid variety that is humanity today. We value inclusive excellence, the notion that we all belong here, and that we should all have an equal opportunity to succeed, regardless of race, ethnicity, origin, identity, or family history. We value knowledge, and all the myriad ways in which it is generated. And, in these divided and politically charged times, we value each other, and all the diverse opinions, thoughts, and perspectives that characterize our nation today. Anthropology at Texas A&M University provides students with an academic home, and with a sense of belonging and community – our students are seen, valued, respected, and appreciated. Our goal is to provide just such a home for you: we hope that you will join us, and come to discover that Anthropology is where you belong!