Anthropology is the study of humankind throughout space and time; and as such, this field brings together humanities plus social and natural sciences in order to explore the full range of diversity in the human past, human biology, and in cultural lives and practices.

Normandale is one of a select group of community colleges in the nation that offers an associate’s degree in anthropology and in archaeology, and has a working excavation site where you can experience archeological field work. Earn your associate of arts degree with an emphasis in Anthropology in two years, or continue your education seamlessly as a transfer student at several Minnesota colleges. 

THERE ARE FOUR SUB-DISCIPLINES IN ANTHROPOLOGY:

• Archaeology
• Cultural Anthropology 
• Biological Anthropology 
• Linguistics

There is a vast array of fields and careers for working both within anthropology itself and also in many other areas such as:

• Academia – areas such as teaching, laboratory research – in history, sociology, nursing, as examples other than anthropology itself
• Archaeology – working within the field that evaluates our past/cultural and natural resource management
• Archival collections/museum curation
• Corporate and business positions in all areas of human interactions (marketing, for example)
• Environmental areas such as geology and geography/park ranging
• Forensic (legal) positions working with human remains
• Government careers in planning, research, and managerial areas
• Human Rights and community action and social justice groups/non-profit organizations
• Medical fields such as epidemiology/public health
• Primate studies and interactions (zoology as it pertains to human traits and interactions)

Find out what makes humans tick with an associate degree in anthropology, and use an evolutionary lens to learn about our biological, social, economic, and cultural world.

• Develop the analytical tools to study human behavior, culture, and evolution
• Build a nuanced understanding of cultural differences, start thinking more critically about the world around you, and gain the skills to work with underserved populations.
• Broaden your knowledge of people and cultural systems. Gain a thorough understanding of humanity's place in our natural world through a curriculum built on cultural relativism. Learn about:
• People and their cultures (past and present), and gain an awareness of social, political, economic, and environmental systems
• The similarities and differences that characterize human societies in the world, and key theoretical ideas that anthropologists use to study them
• The relationship between theory, research methods, and data
• Cultural differences, and how to identify gaps in services for organizations serving minority cultures
• Take advantage of optional, hands-on learning opportunities
• Enhance your overall learning experience by attending one of three in-person field schools during the summer