The questions that everybody seems to have on their mind about anthropology are:

“What is it?”
“What can you do with it”?

Put simply, anthropologists try to “make sense” of how people “make sense” of the world and each other. Our department focuses on an applied approach to anthropology which means that we take this knowledge and use it to solve real world problems. Understanding the way people see things can be used in any career field that values social knowledge. So, what we do with anthropology cannot be limited by one career or job. The question then, really isn’t about “What career can you have with anthropology?” Instead, it is a question of “What can you do with anthropology in any career?”

Below, you will find career ready resources that will help you navigate career options by telling you how to translate and leverage your anthropological thinking into valuable transferable skills. You will also find examples of how our alumni are applying their anthropological training in jobs straight after graduation as well as in more established careers.

The Anthropology Career Readiness Network (ACRN)

ACRN is a volunteer organization comprised of anthropologists working in academia as well as industry. We are anthropologists who want to help support young anthropology students on their career journeys. It is the best “one stop shop” for resources on the kinds of careers anthropologists do, as well as tools and resources for how to leverage your skills into a successful and fulfilling job.

ACRN also has an amazing "World of Work" blog series that engages with the career questions that are on your mind, like this one:

Website: https://anthrocareerready.net/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anthrocareerready/about/

For Anthropology Students

In addition to taking advantage of the resources compiled by ACRN, there are steps and opportunities that UNT anthropology majors can begin taking right now, even before they graduate!

Coursework

The Department of Anthropology at UNT is one of the leading applied anthropology programs on both a national and global scale. Our undergraduate majors can begin to develop key transferable skills that will impact their career paths right in the classroom. Refer to the diagram below for detailed information on the transferable skills that are developed in our varied curriculum. Next, make a plan for the upcoming semester by reviewing our course offerings here.

Internships in Anthropology

The Department of Anthropology is happy to offer majors the opportunity to pursue internship experiences with academic credit towards their major requirements. We help our majors facilitate experiential learning opportunities with a vetted and invested pool of internship partners. Click here to learn more about the requirements and the process for securing an internship. If you would like us to keep you updated about upcoming info sessions and forthcoming application timelines, then submit an interest form here.

Faculty Mentored Research and Learning

The Department of Anthropology offers anthropology majors the opportunity to enroll in customized learning experiences with anthropology faculty. This learning opportunity counts for full advanced course credit and can be applied in one of two ways. 1) Students can request a "directed study" with a faculty member where they have a one-on-one class dedicated to a topic of their choice or 2) Students can apply to conduct their own undergraduate research project under a faculty member's mentorship. Either application is a wonderful opportunity for students to gain specialized knowledge and skills in terms of what is important to their own professional development. In addition, this is a fantastic way to establish a solid working relationship with a faculty member that can later translate into a strong and meaningful professional reference. To learn more about the process for conducting undergraduate research click here.

Memberships in Professional Student Organizations

Are you interested in being more involved in the Anthropology department? There are a variety of ways that you can connect with peers and faculty. As an undergraduate student you are able to join the Undergraduate Anthropology Student Association and/or the Lambda Alpha National Anthropology Honor Society. As a Department Services Program (DSP) partner, the Department of Anthropology is able to offer all of their undergraduate majors free membership into the American Anthropological Association (AAA), the premiere national professional organization for anthropologists. This complimentary membership, which is part of the AAAs Undergraduate Cohort Program, also includes a free subscription to the National Association of Student Anthropologists (NASA) and the AAA Annual Meeting registration. Contact the department at anthropology@unt.edu for information on how to register for your free membership.

The Padawan Society

The Padawan Society is a departmental initiative that pairs undergraduate Junior and Senior anthropology majors with graduate student mentors. The purpose of the Padawan Society is to provide support and guidance for undergraduate students who are curious about applying to graduate school. Click here for more information.

Student Leadership Roles

Serving in a student leadership role gives students the opportunity to develop valuable professional and transferable skills as well as the chance to work closely with departmental staff and faculty. The Department of Anthropology nominates two ambassadors to the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences to represent us amongst a college-wide body of student ambassadors. We also have two student leadership positions that are unique to our department: 1) Undergraduate Community Coordinator and 2) Student/Faculty Liaison. For more information on these roles and the students that are currently carrying them out, click here.

Practicing Anthropology

Below is a list of selected alumni who have graduated in the past 3 years with a BA in Anthropology from our program. They are immediately leveraging their anthropological training into positions that will set the pace for their longer career goals.

Tori Aldrich (2025): Peace Corps volunteer in Turkey
Ciara Hendricks (2025): Museum Experience Associate at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
Nel Klimas (2025): Intern at Ray Roberts Lake State Park
Logan King (2025): Client Services Representative at Heritage Auctions
Ellen Christensen (2024): Employed with the American Anthropological Association as an administrative assistant where she focuses on advocacy and education.
Lucille Gradillas (2023): Employed in the non-profit and government sectors having worked with AmeriCorps VISTA where she created a teen volunteer program for the S’edav Va’aki Museum in Phonix, Arizona and served as Program Director for Teen Volunteers, facilitating Title 1 participation in cultural institutions by building the Cholla Buds: Pen Pal Program. They are currently starting a job with the State of Arizona’s Department of Child Safety.
Tam Do (2022): Employed as a Cultural Steward with Montana State Parks Americorps.
Mia Rogers (2022): Legal intern with the Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services Pro Bono Team in Washington, DC
Jordan Mitchell (2022): Peace Corps volunteer in Turkey

Click on the Padawan Society page to view a sample of the graduate programs where our undergraduate alumni have been offered acceptance.

The following include a selected list of veteran alumni that have graduated from our undergraduate program and are continuing to apply their anthropological training in established careers. Check back often as we will periodically change our featured profile.

Anthony Defreece (2021): Archaeologist with the Forest Service in La Junta, Colorado on the Comanche National Grasslands
Sarah Richardson (2020): Development Associate at the Mid-America Arts Alliance, a federally funded non-profit organization
Danielle Quintanilla (2020): Sales Analytics Manager at 1Finity
Pax Spelce (2016): Grant Specialist, Highway Patrol
Karla Trevino (2013): Account Manager at RP Foods
Dr. Shari Esquenazi-Karonika (2014): Lecturer at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Dr. Joshua Aaron Roberson (1997): Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Memphis
April Kelly (2007): Founder of Conservation Wild, a non-profit focused on wildlife and community-based conservation.
Chris Ice (1997): Community Engagement Specialist Denton ISD, G.O.A.L. Founder, a non-profit student leadership initiative

Career Profile

Ryan Lorber

Ryan Lorber (2022): Career Coach for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, UNT

Contact Ryan: ryan.lorber@unt.edu

A group of us undergraduate student leaders sat down with Ryan Lorber, a UNT Anthropology alumnus, to talk about his past in the department and how anthropology has shaped his career. Ryan attended UNT from 2018 to 2022 as an undergraduate anthropology major and has now come back to work in the Career Center here on campus. Previously, Ryan worked with AmeriCorps, Dallas ISD, and Uplift, focusing on youth support. He stated that his last year in the department really influenced the kind of work he wanted to do. Specifically, he notes that doing three separate research projects on youth housing insecurity in North Texas shaped his professional aspirations. He also noted that taking Dr. Nelson’s Inequality, Social Justice and the City course and Dr. Doug Henry’s class Anthropology in Public Health helped him pursue his chosen career path. Since returning to his alma mater, he has noticed multiple changes to the department, from its location from Chilton Hall to Sycamore Hall, to the lively energy that the students bring. Currently, as anthropology's designated Career Coach, Ryan hopes to build relationships with undergrad anthropologists because he believes “career development and professional development is not like a check box” and instead is a skill you are always developing.

For more career stories on how our alumni are putting their anthropological thinking to work, check out our biennial Applied Anthropology EXPO event!

Career Impact

Practicing Anthropology

Career Profile