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geography and anthropology

What geography and anthropology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for geography and anthropology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that geography and anthropology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in geography and anthropology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a geography and anthropology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to geography and anthropology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, geography and anthropology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by geography and anthropology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
ESRI ArcView	Geographic information system	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for geography and anthropology graduates include:

• College Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Instructor
• Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Lecturer
• Compliance Director
• Transmission Superintendent
• House Manager
• Billiard Parlor Manager
• Auto Repair Shop Manager
• Winter Sports Manager
• Pharmacy Manager
• Dental Office Manager

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to geography and anthropology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	37.9%
Doctoral degree	30.3%
Master’s degree	10.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.4%
Post-master’s certificate	3.3%
Postsecondary certificate	2.8%
Some college courses	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.8%
First professional degree	0.7%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Social Sciences	45
Anthropology	45.02
Archeology	45.03
Criminology	45.04
Demography	45.05
Economics	45.06
Geography and Cartography	45.07
International Relations and National Security Studies	45.09
Political Science and Government	45.10
Rural Sociology	45.14
Social Sciences, General	45.01
Social Sciences, Other	45.99

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.