M.A. Degree Requirements
The M.A. program is a general curriculum for students who wish to earn an M.A. en route to the Ph.D. program in anthropology or who plan to pursue graduate studies only to the M.A. level.
Coursework
Completion of 30 credit hours of graduate work in anthropology and related disciplines is required. At least 50% of coursework for the master's degree must be at the 700 level or above. No more than 6 hours of independent research or thesis credits (ANTH 896, ANTH 897, ANTH 898, ANTH 899, ANTH 996) may count toward the 30 hour total.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| Proseminar I in Anthropology | |
| Proseminar II in Anthropology | |
| |
| Master's Thesis (Thesis Option) | |
| |
| Graduate Research (Research Paper & Other Research Project Options) | |
| Internship Research |
| Internship Analysis |
| Total Hours | 30 |
Core Competencies
In addition to the two required Proseminar courses, students must demonstrate competency in a set of Core Topics, including:
- Professionalism
- History/Theory in the Four Fields of Anthropology
- Knowledge in the Area of Specialization
- Stewardship/Engaged Research
- Research Methods
All courses must be selected in consultation with the student's faculty advisor.
Core Competencies may be fulfilled in two ways: through completion of relevant courses (with a grade of "B" or better in each), or the submission of research papers deemed satisfactory by their committees. The research paper option could include research papers written outside of regular coursework such as papers written for publication, papers written as a GRA, papers written while a graduate student at an outside institution, etc. The papers, collected in a portfolio, will be evaluated as part of the Master's Final Exam/Qualifying Exam.
Concentration Requirements
Archaeology
Coursework
Graduate students in archaeology are expected to demonstrate expertise in the substantive content, methodological framework, and theoretical orientations of both topical (e.g., lithic technology, ceramic technology, faunal analysis) and geographical areas (e.g., Great Plains of North America, Mesoamerica, Western, Central, Southeast Europe, etc.). This expertise is demonstrated through successful completion of coursework, relevant field and lab training, and the MA thesis/research paper/other research project.
Research Skills
Students develop critical research skills through formal coursework and informal apprenticeship-style training outside of classes during their first two years of study. Students may expect to participate in small research projects prior to beginning their dissertation research to gain experience; they can expect co-authorship on any papers emerging from projects to which they provide substantive contributions.
Grant Writing
To succeed in archaeology, students need to develop excellent grant writing skills. Each student is therefore required to write a research proposal and strongly encouraged to submit it to an external funding agency prior to advancement to candidacy. All eligible students are strongly encouraged to apply to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program during their first two years of graduate school.
Biological Anthropology
Coursework
Because biological anthropology, and in particular anthropological genetics, draws upon the methods and theory of multiple disciplines, it is generally expected that students take courses offered outside the department early in their training, particularly in the Division of Biological Sciences. Such courses generally include biometry and population genetics if students do not already have a background in these topics. As their research progresses, students may also take courses related to their specific research interests both within and outside the department, such as in geology, linguistics, archaeology, sociocultural/linguistic anthropology, and Indigenous Studies. Students will choose their course of study in consultation with their advisory committee.
Research Skills
Students develop critical research skills through formal coursework and informal apprenticeship-style training outside of classes during their first two years of study. Students may expect to participate in small research projects prior to beginning their dissertation research to gain experience; they can expect co-authorship on any papers emerging from projects to which they provide substantive contributions. Under the direction of the laboratory manager and other senior personnel, students who use the laboratory facilities are expected to assist in the maintenance and improvement of all shared facilities and resources, including the modern DNA laboratory, the ancient DNA laboratory, the Laboratory of Biological Anthropology, and all samples and reagents.
Grant Writing
To succeed in biological anthropology, students need to develop excellent grant writing skills. Each student is therefore required to write a research proposal and strongly encouraged to submit it to an external funding agency prior to the Oral Comprehensive Exam. All eligible students are strongly encouraged to apply to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program during their first two years of graduate school. Students are encouraged to further hone their grant writing skills through independent study with faculty via graduate research/readings (ANTH 996) or a similar course or workshop in grant writing. Students deficient in writing skills will be required to undergo additional training through the Writing Center or other workshops as recommended by their committees.
Meetings and Advising
All graduate students in biological anthropology are expected to meet regularly with their advisor to discuss progress in their research. Students can expect additional regular meetings with senior personnel on specific projects, and with the entire laboratory group. Because regular advising is crucial to making progress in genetics research, biological anthropology graduate students are encouraged to meet with their full advisory committees at least annually. Failure to meet regularly with their advisors and attend laboratory meetings over the course of a semester will result in students being placed on probation during the next evaluation period.
Sociocultural Anthropology
Coursework
In addition to the shared requirements for all students in the M.A. in Anthropology, students in the Sociocultural concentration also complete the following courses:
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| Current Cultural Anthropology | |
| Doing Ethnography | |
| |
| Total Hours | 23 |
Knowledge in Area of Research
Sociocultural anthropology students develop expertise in particular theoretical topics and the historical, social, and cultural background(s) of the countries or regions where they will conduct research. Students must either take courses that build topical and area expertise or complete literature reviews (e.g., in ANTH 896) for each topic under the supervision of their doctoral committee members. Literature reviews should follow the model of articles in The Annual Review of Anthropology. The courses and/or literature reviews are intended to be of direct use to students’ dissertations and serve as a foundation for their future research and publications.
Methodological Training
Ethnography is the hallmark of sociocultural anthropological research and the method used by the sociocultural anthropologists in this department. In addition to ANTH 783 Doing Ethnography, Sociocultural students are encouraged to acquire skills in qualitative and quantitative methods for methodological fluency.
Language Training
Graduate students in sociocultural anthropology must demonstrate either (a) a working spoken knowledge of a second language if it is necessary for their research, or (b) reading competency in a second language in which documents and publications relevant to their research specialization have been written. This may be achieved by taking courses up to an intermediate competency (equivalent to four semesters), through training abroad, or through another mechanism as directed and approved by their advisor and committee.
Meetings and Advising
Sociocultural anthropology students must meet with their advisor/committee chair at least once per semester, either in person or digitally.
Master's Final Exam
The M.A. degree will be awarded upon the successful completion of a Master's Final Exam. The Anthropology program offers three options for this exam, including a thesis, project defense, and a research paper. All defense options may result in a grade of Satisfactory, Honors, or Unsatisfactory. In cases of an unsatisfactory grade, the student may repeat the exam only with the approval of the Anthropology Graduate Committee. In no cases may an exam be taken three times.
A. Thesis Option. Students completing the thesis defense option must complete at least one and no more than six hours of ANTH 899 Thesis. The MA thesis proposal should be developed in consultation with the student’s principal advisor. A completed thesis should be submitted and defended no later than the sixth semester of enrollment. Conditional on approval by the student’s M.A. committee, students must schedule and successfully complete a thesis defense open to the University community and pass an oral defense of the thesis. The oral defense will consist of a presentation of research, open to the public, followed by a period of examination by the committee in closed session. This option is particularly recommended for students that do not intend to complete a Ph.D.
B. Research Paper Option. Students must complete at least one and no more than six independent research hours of Graduate Research (ANTH 896), Internship Research (ANTH 897), Internship Analysis (ANTH 898). Students may produce or be the primary contributor (e.g. first author) to an appropriate paper publishable by a peer-reviewed journal, The M.A. project proposal must be developed in consultation with the student’s principal advisor. The paper should be defended no later than the sixth semester of enrollment. Co-authorship is permitted if the student has primary responsibility for: 1) conceiving the project; 2) collecting new data or analyzing previously collected data; and 3) completing the finished project. Conditional on approval by the M.A. committee, students must schedule and successfully complete a defense open to the University community. The oral defense will consist of a presentation of the research paper, open to the public, followed by a period of examination by the committee in closed session.
C. Other Research Project. Students must complete at least one and no more than six independent research hours of Graduate Research (ANTH 896), Internship Research (ANTH 897), or Internship Analysis (ANTH 898). A project proposal should be developed in consultation with the student’s principal advisor. A completed project such as an edited book or monograph, or other scholarly product, such as an online resource, documentary film, or museum exhibition, should be submitted and defended no later than the sixth semester of enrollment. Conditional on approval by the M.A. committee, students must schedule and successfully complete a defense open to the University community. The oral defense will consist of a presentation of the project, open to the public, followed by a period of examination by the committee in closed session.
Continuation to the Ph.D.
Students who wish to continue in the doctoral program must complete a Qualifying Exam. The Qualifying Exam can be taken at the same time as their Master's Final Exam or on a separate occasion (see Ph.D. in Anthropology section of the catalog under the Qualifying Exam heading for additional details). Following deliberation of the student's qualifications, the master's committee will notify the student and Director of Graduate Studies of their recommendation regarding the student's continuation in Ph.D. level study.
