Emory University

What you'll study

Students take core courses that establish foundational anthropological knowledge and research skills, then select electives and practical experiences that build expertise in organisational analysis.

• Core principles: introductory cultural anthropology, theory in anthropology, and methods courses that cover ethnography, interviewing and qualitative analysis.
• Ethnographic methods and practicum: participant observation, field methods, data coding, and projects that emphasise workplace and institutional settings.
• Organisational anthropology topics: courses or modules on organisational culture, kinship and corporate networks, power and bureaucracy, leadership, and the anthropology of work and professions.
• Complementary disciplines: opportunities to take classes in management, sociology, psychology, communication, public health or information studies to support applied organisational work.
• Research and capstone: supervised independent research projects, internships with local organisations, and a senior capstone or thesis that demonstrates applied research on an organisational problem.
• Laboratory and archival methods: where relevant, training in quantitative analysis, archival research, material culture or digital ethnography to broaden methodological toolkits.

Entry requirements

Applicants must submit a complete undergraduate application through the university's admissions process, including academic transcripts and the required personal statement(s). Admission is based on the overall strength of secondary school performance and the academic record, evidence of readiness for a liberal arts curriculum, and supporting materials such as teacher or counsellor recommendations. International applicants should provide documentation of secondary education and evidence of English proficiency where required. Prospective students are encouraged to highlight any prior research, workplace experience or community engagement that demonstrates interest in organisational and social analysis.

Career prospects

Graduates with a background in organisational anthropology are well placed for roles that value qualitative insight into people, culture and institutions. Common career paths include:

• Human resources, organisational development and change management
• User experience (UX) research and design
• Management and strategy consulting with an emphasis on culture and people
• Market and consumer research, brand strategy and ethnographically informed marketing
• Corporate social responsibility, sustainability and public affairs
• Program design and evaluation for NGOs and government agencies
• Graduate study in anthropology, business, public policy, public health or related fields

Why study at Emory University

Emory’s location in Atlanta gives students access to a large and diverse organisational landscape for internships and fieldwork, from corporate headquarters and start-ups to healthcare and non-profit institutions. The Department of Anthropology emphasises small seminars, close faculty mentorship and opportunities for cross-school collaboration, notably with business, public health and information faculties. Students benefit from research centres, funding support for undergraduate projects and the university’s career services to connect applied anthropology training to practicum placements and employment. The programme’s balance of rigorous anthropological theory and applied methods prepares graduates to translate cultural insight into practical solutions for organisations and communities.