About the Anthropology Master’s Program
Decisions on the program of study, specific courses, and thesis topics are made through consultation with the graduate advisor and other faculty members as appropriate on the basis of the student’s background, interests, and objectives.
Coursework. The anthropology curriculum requires 9 hours of core courses in the following three subfields: archaeology, physical anthropology, and ethnology. Students are required to take ANTH 5305 (ethnology core), ANTH 5341 (archaeology core), and either ANTH 5311 or ANTH 5312 (physical core). Thirty-six total hours of graduate credit are required, including 21 hours of elective courses. The elective courses may include a 6-hour minor or courses outside of anthropology. Students, in consultation with the graduate advisor, will also elect the thesis or non-thesis option for 6 hours of graduate credit. A grade of B or better is required to receive graduate credit for a course. Coursework is planned in consultation with the graduate advisor or thesis director soon after admission to the graduate program.
Thesis Option. Students in the anthropology program are strongly encouraged to write a thesis, particularly if they plan to continue their studies in a doctoral program. Students choosing this option are required to take 30 hours of coursework (including 9 core hours and 21 elective hours, which may include 6 hours outside of anthropology) plus 6 hours of thesis credit. The thesis is based on original research done in consultation with the thesis advisor. Students must submit a thesis prospectus prior to initiating their research and must defend the completed thesis to the department before the thesis may be submitted to the Graduate School.
Non-Thesis Option. Students choosing the non-thesis option are required to take 36 hours of coursework (including 9 core hours and 27 elective hours, which may include 6 hours outside of anthropology). In addition to the coursework requirement, students must choose a three-person committee (two of these faculty must be in the anthropology program) to administer a three-day exit examination in their final semester.
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