The Archaeology Major at UNCG, which is housed in the Special Programs in Liberal Studies, introduces students to the ancient civilizations and cultures of the Old and New Worlds and to the analytical tools that archaeologists use to facilitate their study. The major is designed to develop both anthropological and historical perspectives in archaeological research, to encompass the range of prehistoric to early historic cultures in the Old and New Worlds, and to introduce the theoretical concepts and methodological techniques appropriate to archaeological research. The Program's faculty are actively involved in field work in Greece, Mexico, and North Carolina, and students are expected to participate in those or other field work projects in addition to meeting classroom requirements.
In general, archaeologists find jobs in one of four types of workplaces: in universities, in government, with private research firms, and with museums and historic sites. College and university archaeologists spend much of their time teaching students. They often organize and run field schools that help their students learn the proper methods of archaeological research. Archaeologists who work for national, state, and local governments help to enforce laws that protect archaeological sites and also educate the public about archaeology. For example, every state has a state archaeologist who supervises projects and deals with issues that affect their state's archaeological resources. Many archaeologists work for private consulting companies which are hired by businesses and government agencies that need archaeological services. Some companies are very specialized; for example, one Midwest firm analyzes the chemical content of soil samples from archaeological sites all over the country. The museums and historic sites that you and your friends visit and enjoy often hire archaeologists to curate, or take care of, their collections of artifacts and plan special events and exhibits.