Master of Arts
The Master of Arts in Anthropology degree is awarded as a stepping-stone to a Ph.D. degree in Anthropology. To be accepted into the Anthropology graduate program a student must be interested in continuing on to a doctoral degree. The department does not offer a terminal M.A. degree.
The Graduate School requires that a Master's degree program include a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework, including at least 6 hours in a related minor subject, and a thesis or a report that is approved by the department and the Graduate School. For students choosing the thesis option, 6 of the 30 hours are represented by the thesis. Students choosing the report option need 30 hours of regular coursework in addition to 3 hours for the report.
All M.A. programs must include at least 18 semester hours in Anthropology. Of these, at least 12 semester hours must consist of graduate level anthropology coursework, excluding ANT 398T (Supervised Teaching), archaeological field school, and thesis/report hours. There is also a 6-hour core course requirement (see below).
Master's degree with thesis--students choosing this option will normally have a program structured as follows:
- 6 hours anthropology core courses
- 12 hours other courses (including at least 6 graduate hours of anthropology, excluding courses listed above)
- 6 hours supporting work (minor)
- 6 hours thesis (ANT 698A & ANT 698B)
= 30 hours total
Master's degree with report--students choosing this option will normally have a program structured as follows:
- 6 hours anthropology core courses
- 12 hours additional anthropology courses (including at least 6 graduate hours, excluding the courses listed above)
- 6 hours supporting work (minor)
- 6 hours other courses
- 3 hours master's report (ANT 398R)
= 33 hours total
The M.A. curriculum in anthropology is designed to allow for considerable flexibility in the organization of an individual program. Students should be sure to work with their individual faculty advisers and the Graduate Advisor in tailoring their program of study to their individual needs and interests.
Core Course Requirement
Each student in the M.A. program must complete at least two departmental core courses, one of which must be in the student's primary sub-discipline. Core courses may not be taken on a Credit/No Credit basis, and students must receive a grade of B or better. Core courses serve as in introduction to advanced topics of study and students are urged to complete the core course requirement as early as possible in their program. The selection of core courses should be made in consultation with the student's faculty adviser.
The Department offers the following core courses:
- Introduction to Anthropology
- Introduction to Graduate Archaeology
- Introduction to Graduate Cultural Forms
- African Diaspora Anthropology
- Introduction to Graduate Linguistic Anthropology
- Mesoamerica and Borderlands
- Introduction to Graduate Biological Anthropology Pt.1: Primate Morphology and Evolution
- Introduction to Graduate Biological Anthropology Pt.2: Behavior, Genetics, and Variation
- Introduction to Graduate Social Anthropology
- Introduction to Graduate Feminist Anthropology
Students who have taken a course comparable to one of the core courses may petition the GSC for tranfer credit for the course. The petion must be accompanied by appropriate supporting materials and a letter of support from the student's adviser. If the GSC approves the request, the department will recommend to the Graduate Dean that credit be transferred. Students are responsible for obtaining all offical documentation required by the Graduate Dean for such a petition.
Supporting Work
The required minor consist of a minimum of six (6) hours in a suporting subject or subjects. Courses taught by anthropology faculty members that are cross-listed with other departments do not count as supporting work. Determination of which courses may count toward the supporting work requirement is at the discretion of the student's faculty adviser.
