Master of Arts in Anthropology
Acquire the deep knowledge and skills to become a professional anthropologist
The MA in Anthropology at UMass Amherst strives to produce leading scholars, educators, and public intellectuals who are committed to respectful engagement with communities past and present.
Our flexible graduate program allows you to craft your own study in any of the subfields—archaeology or linguistic, cultural, or biological anthropology. We also encourage you to pursue your own innovative work that brings fresh perspectives to the field.
You’ll work closely with your advisors and committee members to choose courses and research directions. You’ll also complete an MA thesis to demonstrate your competency in critically examining an anthropologically interesting problem.
We offer a variety of funding opportunities through teaching and research assistantships. Graduate students are admitted for the fall semester only.
Graduates may move on 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.