Anthropology Graduate Program
Take me to the Anthropology Graduate Program website.
To be proficient, well-rounded professionals, graduate students in Anthropology must master specific subject matter and demonstrate originality and independent creativity in appropriate areas of research. Graduate students develop breadth as well as specialized depth in the field. They are expected to gain experience in teaching and other professional activities, including presenting and publishing their research. Students beginning graduate work are expected to be conversant with the field as evidenced by completion of introductory course work in at least three of the four subfields of anthropology, plus at least two advanced undergraduate courses in different subfields. Students admitted without this minimum must remove any deficiencies before being granted full graduate standing.
The Master’s Degree
The master’s degree is the first stage in the development of a professional career in anthropology. The MA may lead to admission to a PhD program, to a teaching career at the secondary or junior college level, or to other specialized employment, such as cultural resource management in archaeology or applied work in cultural anthropology in the public interest. Most students should complete the MA program within two years of full-time study. The MA program enables the student to acquire the intellectual foundation and the skills to pursue a career as a professional anthropologist. To do that the student needs to demonstrate the capabilities to complete a thesis. This includes the ability to formulate anthropologically interesting problems, the critical ability to apply an appropriate methodology in linking empirical observations with a theoretically informed generalization, a working familiarity with a body of data (e.g., population, cultural area or period), and the ability to demonstrate these competencies in writing.
The Doctoral Degree
Candidates must complete a minimum of 10 credits of Anthropology 899 (dissertation credits). There are no specific course or credit requirements beyond what may be mandated by the student’s guidance committee. There is no maximum on the cumulative number of dissertation credits that may be earned overall, although not more than 9 credits may be earned in any one semester. Candidates must fulfill the residency requirement, a minimum of two consecutive semesters (fall/spring, spring/fall) in residence at the university. The student must spend some part of each week physically on campus and may not be employed more than half-time.
The Department of Anthropology distributes its own guide to graduate admissions. To obtain a copy, write to the Director of Graduate Admissions at the Department of Anthropology. Inquiries about our graduate program may also be sent by email.
Further information may be found on the department’s website.
