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2016-2017 Graduate Studies Bulletin (Archived Copy) 
    
 
  Apr 09, 2025
 
2016-2017 Graduate Studies Bulletin (Archived Copy) [Archived Catalog]

Anthropology, M.A.

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Learning Outcomes

  • Students will recognize and describe research themes and content area from all sub-fields, to generalize research findings and approaches across sub-fields, and to demonstrate competency in coursework in at least two sub-fields of anthropology.
  • Students will be able to describe and evaluate the historical development and contemporary expressions of anthropological theory.
  • Students will be able to conduct document-based and field research, to engage in professional-level scholarly dialogue, to lead classroom discussions, and to present scholarly papers. Students will be able to plan and complete an original piece of scholarly research.  Students will be able to identify and discuss important ethical issues in anthropology.
  • Students will be able to design, conduct, analyze, and report the results of a research project. They will be able to use a variety of information technology resources to gather, analyze and present information.

Admission

Applicants for the Masters degree must have a B.A. degree from an approved college of university. Applicants must meet all requirements of the Graduate School for admission and be recommended to the Graduate School for acceptance by the Department of Anthropology. In addition to the Graduate School’s admission requirements, the department requires a personal statement of the student’s interest and intent, a writing sample, at least two letters of recommendation, and the GRE as part of the application. A strong applicant should have GRE scores near 160 verbal and 148 quantitative and a 4.0 - 4.5 in analytical and 3.50 GPA. Practically speaking, an applicant intending to seek a MA should be supported by at least two faculty members willing to serve as mentors in order to be admitted into the program. The application and financial aid deadlines are December 15.

Degree Requirements (33 Hours)

Residence and other basic requirements for the degree in anthropology are set by The Graduate School. Students are required to complete a minimum of 27 hours of course work and a master’s thesis (6 hours) for a total of 33 hours. Of these, at least 14 hours must be courses at the 700 level, excluding the thesis hours (799). They must participate in supervised fieldwork and successfully pass a written comprehensive exam. Specific requirements for the M.A. in Anthropology are listed below:

1. Courses required for all M.A. students include:

2. Subfields are listed below:

Students must specialize in one of the following four subfields of anthropology and complete one or more *core courses* in theory and methodology from within that subfield.

Archaeology

Physical/Biocultural Anthropology

Cultural Anthropology

Linguistic Anthropology

3. Coursework within subfield

In this course work the student develops, in close consultation with their advisor, a specialty within anthropology. Coursework to build this strength will primarily be taken in Anthropology, but may include one or more courses from outside the Department.

4. Supervised Fieldwork

Students are required to undertake supervised fieldwork, usually during the summer between their first and second year. This requirement can be met through an approved field school or other supervised fieldwork either as a research assistant on field projects or in the course of collecting their own data. Archaeology students with no previous experience are encouraged to take the field school offered by this program or, when the student’s interests warrant it, at another institution with the approval of the student’s advisor.

5. Comprehensive Examination

Students must take and pass a comprehensive examination administered by the department.

6. Master’s Thesis

Students must complete a master’s thesis and six hours of thesis preparation.

7. Anthropological Breadth

Each student is required to take one *core course* outside their subfield from the following list:

Archaeology

Physical/ Biocultural Anthropology

Cultural Anthropology

Linguistic Anthropology

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