Graduate programs

Wayne State's Department of Anthropology is the intellectual home of over 60 graduate students. We welcome well-qualified students, including both those with a B.A. in Anthropology and those whose first degrees are in other fields.

Anthropology is a comparative social science that seeks to uncover principles that govern human behavior. Anthropology includes the four fields of linguistic, cultural, archaeological and biological anthropology. Our departmental strengths include applied anthropology, medical anthropology, historical archaeology, museum studies, cultural resource management/public archaeology, business/organizational anthropology, language and cognition, urban anthropology, paleo-diet, foodways, environmental anthropology, land-use studies, global health and social entrepreneurship.

Alumni from Wayne State's anthropology graduate programs are readily employed in a wide range of areas. Some work in traditional institutions such as colleges, universities and museums, but many are employed in public and private settings. These include health, governmental, international, and social agencies, business and organizational settings, public policy, research and development, design, as well as positions within government, non-profit, and cultural institutions that require environmental management, historic preservation, archaeology, cultural heritage and museum-based skills.

A master's degree in anthropology can prepare students for advanced study in professions such as medicine or law. Accordingly, graduate programs in anthropology are designed to accommodate a variety of specific student interests and objectives.

Learn more about our recent graduates

Graduate anthropology at Wayne State

Transformative Research in Urban Sustainability Training (T-RUST)

T-RUST is an innovative graduate training program at Wayne State University that integrates social and physical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in an effort to tackle complex challenges in urban sustainability.