What Major Is Needed to Become an Archaeologist?

Archaeologists study the history of civilizations.

If your goal is to become an archaeologist, there are several paths you can take to get there. Aside from the choice of an archaeology major, many archaeologists choose other degrees to start their career. Selecting which major is right for you is a personal challenge that depends on your own future career objectives and interests. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you can get an entry-level position with a bachelor’s degree but will need a master’s or doctorate for most high-level positions such as lead scientist on a project.

Archaeology

The clearest choice of majors leading to a career as an archaeologist is archaeology. With an archaeology degree, you learn how to dig up old ruins and artifacts and how to interpret and study those ruins and artifacts. According to the Education-Portal website, colleges offering a degree in archaeology and have the largest total number of students enrolled include the University of Minnesota in Twin Cities, the University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, New York University and University of California, Los Angeles.

Anthropology

Archaeology and anthropology are two disciplines that have much of the same coursework. Anthropology focuses on how groups of people live together and change over time. Some areas of study that both anthropology and archaeology have in common are fieldwork involving observation of cultures and anthropological research and linguistics. According to CollegeMatchmaker.com, some of the largest colleges that offer an anthropology major are Arizona State University, University of Central Florida, The Ohio State University, Texas A&M University and Penn State University Park.

History

History is a field that covers specific topics including anthropology and archaeology. The top colleges in the nation for a history degree as reported by Education-Portal.com are Princeton University, University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia. In fact, the history program at University of California, Los Angeles, is one of the largest in the nation with roughly 1,500 students when undergraduate and graduate studies are combined. History students study a combination of topics including the history of various cultures and ancient civilizations, both areas that relate closely to archaeology and anthropology.

Sociology

The study of sociology focuses on interpersonal relations and the various roles that people play in society. This can be similar to anthropology in that anthropology studies similar topics that occurred in the past. If you want to tie the past and the present together in your studies, then pairing sociology with archaeology or anthropology is one way to accomplish that. According to CollegeBoard.com, some of the largest colleges offering degrees in sociology include Arizona State University, University of Central Florida, University of Texas Austin, Michigan State University and Texas A&M University.

References

• Archaeological Institute of America: Jane C. Waldbaum Archaeological Field School Scholarship
• Education-Portal: Archaeology Colleges and Universities in the U.S.
• Education-Portal: Anthropology Degree Program Information
• CollegeBoard: Search
• Education-Portal: Top Colleges for a History Major in the U.S.
• CollegeBoard: Major Sociology
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Social Scientists, Other
• CollegeBoard: Major Archaeology

Resources

• Archaeological Institute of America