Anthropology students at CIIS come from all walks of life, and represent diverse professional, educational, ethnic, class, religious, national, and cultural backgrounds. There is also geographical diversity, with students hailing from all corners of the United States as well as the world.

Anthropology students have worked in various capacities and places in the United States, as well as Japan, India, Uganda, Nepal, Israel, Italy, China, Brazil, South Africa, and Holland. Students' interests cover a wide spectrum of issues, ranging from colonialism and globalization to identity politics and educational reform; from gay and lesbian rights movements to critical social thought; from ecological restoration and sustainability to mental health and problems of domestic violence.

Students have utilized the master's and doctoral degrees in a variety of ways. Some have become professional anthropologists working in applied and academic arenas. Those who were already professionals in the field were able to incorporate cross-cultural and multicultural perspectives into their lives and work. Most students found ways to make anthropology and anthropological knowledge relevant in understanding and responding to our world. Graduates have pursued careers as teachers, consultants, scholars, administrators, and project leaders in international development, human rights, intercultural communication, environmental management, community organizing, cultural preservation, cultural diversity training, and social organizational change efforts. Many M.A. students have gone on to CIIS doctoral programs as well as other schools, including the New School University and the University of California, Berkeley.