Anthropology

Why choose anthropology at North Central College?

You won’t simply explore the diversity of world cultures in the classroom—you’ll witness them first-hand. You’ll have the chance to travel virtually anywhere in the world through our robust study abroad program. And closer to home, you can research or intern at The Field Museum in Chicago, which is just a short train ride from campus. No matter how you build your anthropological expertise, you’ll do it with the personal attention and close collaboration of our outstanding faculty.

You can also:

Apply for a Richter Independent Study Fellowship grant to fund your research anywhere in the world.
Travel to Guatemala during the College's D-Term with Enactus to study that country's culture and coffee production process.
Apply for the Mironda K. Heston Scholarship for Public Service, which funds international human service projects.
Intern at The Field Museum in Chicago with a North Central alumna.
Pair your interest in anthropology with sociology and complete a single combined major in those two fields.

North Central students at ceramics shop in Totonicapn, Guatemala

April 16 screening of “Con los Brazos Abiertos” documentary

North Central College faculty and students present free screening of collaborative documentary project about sustainable tourism in Guatemala.

Asssociate Professors Jennifer Keys and Mara Berkland

Keys and Berkland give presentation based on their research

North Central College Associate Professors Jennifer Keys and Mara Berkland give talk about college survival guides at community event for college-bound girls.

Students are featured presenters in symposium

Five North Central College students give presentations based on international studies, coursework at College’s annual symposium on global human rights.

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Internships

The Field Museum, Chicago
Pyramid Lake Museum and Visitor Center in Nevada
International service trip coordinator, North Central’s Office of Ministry and Service
Foster care caseworker, Evangelical Family & Child Services, Wheaton, IL

Graduate Schools

Recent graduates in anthropology have been accepted at:

University of Illinois, Graduate School of Library and Information Science

Careers

Recent graduates in anthropology include:

Library assistant, University of Chicago
National Archives employee, Great Lakes Branch, Chicago
After-school children’s club coordinator for refugee children, World Relief, Aurora, IL

Callie Clay

Anthropology major

“My first class in anthropology was fascinating. The more I took, the more I fell in love with the subject,” says Callie.

Archaeology, she soon discovered, was her niche. “As an anthropology major, you choose from four areas of focus—archaeological, biological, linguistic and cultural. Archaeology is a perfect fit with my interest in science and geology.”

The coolest thing about anthropology, says Callie, is the internships that are open to North Central students at The Field Museum in Chicago. “My work there confirmed I want to pursue a master’s degree and my dream to go to a field school in Israel or Jordan and do research at an archaeological dig.”

During her internship, Callie helped...

Cydney Stasiulis

Anthropology major

A world traveler before she came to North Central, Cydney was always interested in studying other cultures. "I knew I wanted to pursue anthropology because studying other cultures helps you understand the world better," she says. "North Central offered an anthropology major as well as lots of one-on-one attention, so it was a great fit."

Cydney completed a 12-week internship at The Field Museum in Chicago, where she learned about cataloging and housing artifacts. She also spent four weeks at the British archaeology summer school at Cambridge University’s Corpus Christi College. The program covered archaeological methods and theory and included extensive guided tours of archaeological sites and museums in...

Kayleigh Holland

Anthropology major

“I chose North Central College because I could combine my interests and discover what I wanted to study.”

And that’s just what Kayleigh did. Interested in Japanese culture and language, she chose majors in anthropology and East Asian studies, a minor in Japanese and studied abroad in China and Japan. She even landed a job at a museum near campus where, she says, “I helped people learn about things from the perspective of an anthropologist. It was great!”

“The professors have such a range of knowledge and experiences, so they’re able to help you with research, graduate school options and defining your interests. There isn’t a better group of people to learn from.” With faculty support, Kayleigh was...

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