The study of humankind is branded as anthropology. Anthropology is deeply rooted in areas like science, social science and humanities. Anthropology is further dissected into physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, applied anthropology and archeology. All these branches are interconnected and so it tends to overlap at times. The main difference is in the techniques used for the study of Anthropology.

Qualifying Exam

Bachelor Courses in Anthropology

There are some universities that offer a B Sc and others that offer a B A in anthropology. There are universities that offer B Sc (Hons) too. The main papers that these course deal with are foundations of anthropology, biological/physical anthropology, social/cultural anthropology and Indian anthropology. Special courses are offered in fundamentals of human genetics and human growth, archeological anthropology, theories in social/cultural anthropology and research methodology. These papers are offered depending on the facilities available at the college. There are some universities that conduct practicals in biological anthropology and archeological anthropology. Other additional papers are anthropology of culture region, applications of anthropology, tribal cultures, etc. Some of the top universities that offer this course are University of Delhi, Jadavpur University, University of Kolkata, University of Hyderabad, University of Mumbai, University of Pune, etc.

Masters in Anthropology

Like the bachelors degree, universities offer MA or M Sc for anthropology. University of Hyderabad, University of Delhi, University of Pune, etc, offer these courses. These universities also offer the opportunity to do research in the subject.

Eligibility Criteria

For the bachelor’s courses, candidates need to pass the 12th std. For the master’s courses, candidates need to pass a bachelor’s degree in the subject. Few colleges accept candidates from other streams for the master’s course. Some colleges set a criterion on minimum marks too.

Most importantly, a candidate must have a genuine interest in the subject. He needs to understand that this field involves a lot of hard work. Good interpersonal skills and a lot of patience are required when dealing with people of different communities.

Anthropologists get job offers from museums, NGOs, UN, etc. They can also opt to teach the subject at colleges.