Facing the Future of the Field: Northern Arizona University’s Graduate Program in Applied Anthropology

Emily Brelsford, Lyle Balenquah, Diane Bushley, Brendon Clark, Marissa Dominguez-Karchut, Amanda Johnson, and Tracy Meerwarth

Applied anthropology’s focus on the practical applications of anthropological knowledge challenges anthropologists to observe and interact with the diversity of modern human existence. Accordingly, the discipline’s education and training curricula should reflect the changing focus and scope of anthropological inquiry. This paper highlights an applied anthropology program that acknowledges and actively encourages the dynamics and diversity of applied anthropology. Seven graduates of the applied anthropology internship-track M.A. program at Northern Arizona University detail their experiences – from the investigation of corporate alliances to the preservation of cultural heritage – illustrating the benefits of integrating academic with practical education in anthropology.

<Get PDF>