Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Anthropology focuses on delivering advanced training and research opportunities in archaeology, biological anthropology, and sociocultural anthropology, with an emphasis on student professionalization. Students in the program may pursue a thesis or non-thesis program track. While the thesis track is best-suited to students planning to pursue more advanced graduate study (i.e. a Ph.D. program) after graduation and the non-thesis track targets students who are seeking applied careers in anthropology, students should pursue the track that best meets their needs and interests. Details of each of these tracks follow below.

The M.A. program is normally completed in two years, with the first year mainly dedicated to completing course requirements and the second dedicated to research (thesis, internship) or interdisciplinary coursework for completion of certificate requirements. During the first semester, the Director of Graduate Studies serves as a student’s advisor until the student has requested and been accepted by another full-time faculty member.

Course requirements will vary somewhat depending on the subfield and track that a student is pursuing. A minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate study are required for the M.A. (thesis or non-thesis track), at least 24 of which must be derived from formal course work (i.e., any course taken for graduate credit that receives a letter grade. Audited courses do not contribute to this total of 24 credits). Course requirements may be adjusted to take into account a student’s prior undergraduate coursework and the acquisition of specialized skills that are relevant to the program of study. To meet the full-time enrollment requirement (12 credits per semester) for students receiving funding, 1-2 hours of credit may be taken as MA thesis research hours with the approval of the DGS and primary advisor.

Course maps for each of the three tracks (thesis, internship, and certificate) can be found here.