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 alumna are using their anthropology straight out of their undergrad programs in diverse job settings as well profiles of how more established alumna have grown their 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.

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!

Internships & Undergraduate Research

The Department of Anthropology is happy to offer majors the opportunity to pursue internship experiences with academic credit towards their major requirements.

The following are requirements for students applying for consideration of academic credit:

Completion of ANTH 2300
Minimum UNT G.P.A. of 3.0
Junior Classification (60hrs.+)
15+ hours of ANTH Credit Completed
Declared Anthropology Major
Projected commitment of at least 100 total hours during the credit-earning semester

Students seeking course credit with an approved Spring internship will be enrolled in the Spring semester's ANTH 4920 Internship in Anthropology course seminar with Professor Nelson for 3 credit hours (NB! Homework Hotline interns will be mentored by Dr. Nuñez-Janes). Note that internship applications must be approved PRIOR to the Spring semester.

Students seeking an approved independent internship experience in Fall or Summer semesters are responsible for securing an anthropology faculty mentor on their own and reaching out to the Department of Anthropology.

The next "Internship in Anthropology" course seminar will be offered Spring 2026. Click here to complete an interest form so we can keep you updated with details about info sessions and the upcoming round of internship applications. Adding your name to this form only tells us that you are interested, it is neither a commitment to, nor guarantee of, an internship.

Special Problems

The department offers special problems (independent study) courses for students that requires a specific course in order to graduate, and that course is not being offered that semester, with instructor consent, students may sometimes be enrolled in a special problems course. This is a section created especially for one student, and it requires the instructor to work one-on-one with the student to make sure that they get the same materials and information that a student enrolled in a "regular" section would get, so this option is used only for emergencies. All the courses that the department requires for majors and minors are offered on a regular rotation, so with some planning on the part of the student, this option will rarely be necessary.

Memberships in Professional 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. Graduate students are encouraged to join the Graduate Anthropology Student Association. This student group is open to both on-campus and online cohorts!

The Padawan Society

A mentorship program for students interested in pursuing graduate programs (M.A. or Ph.D.)

Student Leadership Roles

Every year, two students are nominated to serve as our ambassadors to the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS). The role of the Ambassadors is to represent the Department of Anthropology to the greater college, university, and community. They embody who we are and our place in society as a community of anthropologists at UNT!

If you are interested in joining their recruitment and outreach efforts, you can reach out to our Ambassadors by emailing them at: anth-ambassador@unt.edu.

The Undergraduate Community Coordinator (UCC) is an upper-class anthropology major whose position it is to bridge our growing undergraduate initiatives/organizations. This is a vital role for holding fast the strong ties that bind our anthropology community together. If you are interested in getting more involved within our department, then reach out to the UCC at: anth-ucc@unt.edu.

Riley McDaniel is the Department of Anthropology's Student Faculty Liaison for the 2025-2026 school year. Riley is available to discuss any suggestions or concerns for the department and is available to address any questions and provide support. Email at: ANTH-liaison@unt.edu

How our students are using their anthropology right after graduation:

Below is a selected list of what next steps our graduates are taking with their BA in anthropology. We keep this list up to date with the graduates from the past 3 years.

Tori Aldrich (2025): Peace Corps
Ciara Hendricks (2025): Museums
Nel Klimas (2025): Parks
Adrian Jaramillo (2025): Internship Mexico
Ellen Christensen (2024): Employed with the American Anthropological Association as an administrative assistant where she focuses on advocacy and education. Linkedin:
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): Enrolled as a law student at Georgetown Law School.
Jordan Mitchell (2022): Peace Corps

How our alumna are building careers founded on anthropology:

Below you will find profiles on more established alumna, showcasing how they’ve grown long-term careers that began with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology here at UNT.

Anthony Defreece (2021): Archaeologist

Sarah Richardson (2020): Art & Non-Profits
Grant Spelce (2016): Grant Specialist, Highway Patrol

Karla Trevino (2013): Senior Manager

Kendra Hayes (2010): Librarian

Shari Karonika: Health Programs

Dr. Joshua Aaron Roberson (1997): Academic
April Kelly: Conservation Wild (find out graduation year)

Undergraduate Alumni