anthropology is a science of humankind. it studies all facets of society and culture. it studies tools, techniques, traditions, language, beliefs, kinships, values, social institutions, economic mechanisms, cravings for beauty and art, struggles for prestige. it describes the impact of humans on other humans. with the exception of the physical anthropology discipline, anthropology focuses on human characteristics generated and propagated by humans themselves.

anthropology students learn to have a highly flexible perspective toward the similarities and differences among peoples and cultures. a degree in anthropology will prepare them for graduate work or for employment in community services or the business sector. the university of kansas anthropology graduates work at universities and museums across the nation and with such federal agencies as the national park service and the peace corps. but as an anthropology major, students need not be limited to such work. because anthropology is so diverse as a discipline, it is excellent preparation for an advanced professional degree in such areas as business, medicine, or law. more and more, employers are seeking students with degrees in the liberal arts for management positions. they want people who can deal with concepts and abstractions, who are imaginative and creative - just the skills that studying anthropology will help them develop.

undergraduate anthropology majors can earn a bachelor of arts (b.a.) or a bachelor of general studies (b.g.s.) degree. both degrees require a generous sampling of courses in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. students earning a b.a. also will take courses in a foreign language. anthropology majors are encouraged to earn the b.a. degree because skill with a foreign language is an asset in a field that can take them anywhere in the world. as an anthropology major, students will take introductory courses in each of the four sub disciplines: archaeology, biological anthropology, sociocultural anthropology, and linguistics. they also will take specialized upper level courses, at least one of which will have a particular geographic focus.