Applicants for admission to this degree program are expected to have completed at least 15 undergraduate semester hours in anthropology. Students lacking this background will be required to take compensatory work during their graduate program.
Check departmental information for any additional requirements.
A minimum of one course taken for graduate credit from each of the four following subfields of anthropology (12)
Archaeology
Biological Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Linguistic Anthropology
Students shall choose either the thesis or non-thesis option.
Thesis Option
Students choosing the thesis option must take at least 18 additional semester hours, for a total of 30 semester hours. Twelve of the additional 18 semester hours must be in Anthropology. These additional 12 hours must include at least three and as many as six semester hours of credit in ANTH 699, Master’s Thesis (more than six hours may be taken but they will not be applied to the degree requirements).
Students choosing this option must satisfactorily complete the departmental qualifying examination in their primary subfield. Approval of a written preliminary thesis proposal is required before registration in ANTH 699. Although the student may seek approval of the preliminary thesis proposal at any time, successful completion of the qualifying examination in the student’s major subfield of Anthropology is a prerequisite to formal registration in ANTH 699.
Students choosing this option must successfully complete the comprehensive examination covering all four subfields of anthropology. The non-thesis track is appropriate for students who plan to seek employment in a variety of professional careers but is not recommended for students who plan to apply to doctoral programs.
Students choosing the non-thesis option must take at least 24 additional semester hours, for a total of 36 semester hours. Eighteen of the additional 24 semester hours must be in Anthropology.
Independent study courses may be substituted for required courses with the consent of the student’s advisor and the department chair.
Additional Requirements
Each student in the master’s degree program must demonstrate to the satisfaction of their faculty committee proficiency in either statistics or a foreign language useful for the student’s research.
