Anthropology is the comparative study of the cultural, material, biological, and social life of humans all over the world and throughout human history. The real-world application of theoretical inquiry and empirical research applied to contemporary issues is a hallmark of the Department of Anthropology at UBC. The Department offers honours, major, and minor undergraduate programs in Anthropology.
Get experience at UBC
Building your career takes more than attending academic lectures. Get involved with research and complement your studies with relevant research and applied experiences. Whether you choose one of the experiences listed below or one of the many other great opportunities available, you’ll learn new things, make new friends, network, and set yourself apart. It all counts.
Go Global
Imagine student life in Melbourne; passing by vibrant street art on your way to class in the morning, and watching the sunset on the beach with friends in the evening. Whether you end up studying Māori culture in New Zealand, take part in an archeological dig in China, or contribute to community-based research in Nguruma Village, Tanzania, you can immerse yourself in the languages and cultures of another part of the world all while finishing your degree. From exchange to internships and global seminars, check out the range of international experiences.
Our recommended exchange destinations for Anthropology students include, but are not limited to:
Asia |
Australia |
Europe |
UK |
Chinese University of Hong Kong Sophia University (Japan) Seoul National UniversityNationa University of Singapore |
Australian National University MacquarieUniversity University of Melbourne University of Auckland University of Canterbury University of Otago |
Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) University of Iceland Universiteit Leiden (Netherlands) Lunds Universitet (Sweden) Uppsala Universitet (Sweden) |
University of Aberdeen University of Birmingham University of Bristol University of Manchester University of Sussex University of Edinburgh |
Arts Co-op Program
Put your language skills and cultural knowledge to work for you. Gaining paid, full-time co-op experience will help you explore careers in non-profits and community organizations, arts organizations, education, government, and the private sector with employers across Canada and abroad. Graduate with career skills, experience, and a network of professional contacts that will give you a competitive edge after graduation.
Arts Internship Program
Build a career while you are studying through part-time, unpaid internships. Exciting internships are being created in local museums, galleries and culturally diverse non-profit and social service organizations like the Vancouver Rent Bank or the Chinese Cultural Centre. Apply your valuable intercultural understanding and language skills to the world of work and gain industry contacts along the way.
Community experience
Work and learn in community settings like non-profits and inner city schools. Take a course with a community-based experiential learning (CBEL) component and develop an understanding of community contexts and the systemic factors underlying community needs. Whether it’s a course or signing up for Trek & Reading Week placements, or a grant project in community, you’ll build skills in real-world settings and make invaluable connections with people in community.
Join a network
Join the Ten Thousand Coffees platform to find a mentor or meet with classmates. Connect with peers based on your interests to share ideas, insights and advice over a cup of coffee.
Student Directed Seminars
The Student Directed Seminars program provides upper-year undergraduate students (in 3rd year or later) the opportunity to propose, coordinate, and lead their own 3-credit seminar class with a small group of peers on a topic not currently offered at UBC-Vancouver. Each seminar brings together a group of highly-motivated students that explore and investigate a topic through learning activities including group discussions, research papers, presentations, guest lectures, applied problem-solving, and Community Service Learning. This is a fantastic opportunity for Arts students to share their passion for a topic, as well as build key skills in the areas of facilitation, time management, peer-to-peer learning, and more.
Field Schools
Choose from an urban ethnographic field school (ANTH 480) or an archaeological field school in either British Columbia or China (ANTH 306). Both courses offer hands-on learning experiences essential for training as an ethnographer or archaeologist.
Research-based courses
Students in anthropology courses have numerous opportunities to participate in and advance their own research with facilities, classroom-based courses, field courses, the honours program, and opportunities within and beyond the department.
Using your degree
Our students gain an in-depth understanding of human relationships in a variety of contexts, with access to outstanding resources and fieldwork opportunities. Working in teams and developing their own leadership skills, our students gain an understanding of cross-cultural issues, academic training in observation and research, and the ability to assess and organize information quickly, skills that are valued by government and industry.
Career possibilities
Cultural Resource Manager
Provides expertise in areas such as archaeological assessment & mitigation, heritage resource planning, cultural heritage conservation, site interpretation & development to provide information to governments or private organizations.
International Aid/Development Worker
International aid/development workers focus on meeting the needs of people and communities in the developing world. Many work on development projects in fields such as education, sanitation, health, agriculture and urban/rural/small business development.
Other Careers:
Anthropologist
Public Health / Disaster Planning
Environment & Natural Resources
Business Advocacy
Information Technology Manager
Organizational Development
Social Impact Assessment
International Development
Market Analyst
Policy Analyst
Museum/Gallery Assistant
Heritage Coordinator
Cultural Resource Manager
Archaeological Technician
Rural Development Officer
Art Conservator/Technician
Community Development Officer
Multiculturalism Educator
Cultural Artifact Specialist
Fundraiser / Philanthropy
Cultural/Ethnographic Researcher
Preservation/Restoration Specialist
Journals & Microforms Assistant
District Aboriginal Principal
Professor
Aboriginal Enhancement Support Worker
Spatial Information Analyst
Urban Planner
Communications Coordinator
Academic possibilities
An Anthropology degree prepares students for further study in a variety of fields including:
Anthropology
Art History
Curatorial or Archival Studies
Education
First Nations Studies
Human Development/Learning/Culture
Law
Planning
Social Work
Sociology
Alumni profiles
Vana Babic - BA 2005
Just three credits shy of completing her Political Science major Vana made the switch to CENES and learned a very important life lesson, which is to always follow your passion. Vana loved everything she learned from the Scandinavian plays, Italian movies to great German literature. The courses provided for a great balance between school and work-life. Today Vana is continuing to follow her passion by working in television for a NBC affiliate as an Account Executive. She is also writing a novel that will draw on what she learned during her studies in CENES at UBC.
Aisha Jamal - BA (Honours) 2002
Aisha Jamal graduated from UBC with a double major in German Studies and International Relations. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto’s Department of German Literature and Languages. During her studies, she produced and directed her first documentary entitled Dolls and Bombs, which premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival. Aisha is currently holding the position of Assistant Professor of German in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department of Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, as well as teaching Media Arts at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario.