Master of Arts in Anthropology - Anthropological Archaeology

Anthropological archaeology and bioarchaeology investigate the human experience though documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material culture, human skeletal material, and the remains of plant and animal foods in order to gain insight on the behavior and biology of ancient people.

Dr. Matthew Hill and Dr. Andrew Somerville are primarily interested in pre-Hispanic hunter-gatherer and state-level societies in North and Middle America, respectively. Using evidence derived from field investigations, museum collections, and laboratory work, their current research revolves around several, longstanding big picture questions about the human experience in these locations. More specifically, Dr. Hill works at the intersection of archaeology, paleontology, and geology in the Upper Midwest to develop an understanding of how the late Ice Age settlers in the region organized labor, mobility, technology, and subsistence activities, under conditions of low population density and rapid environmental change. Dr. Somerville works in the more recent past in pre-Hispanic Mexico, with on-going projects in the Tehuacan Valley, the ancient city of Teotihuacan, and in southern Zacatecas. He aims to understand the health consequences of maize agriculture, the shift from hunting and gathering to village life, and the social-environmental factors associated with emergence, maintenance, and collapse of complex societies

Graduate College Requirements:
4 year Bachelor's degree (or equivalent)
Academic Records/Transcripts
Minimum 3.0 GPA (Program may alter requirement.)

Program Specific Requirements:
Program Requires GRE: No
Program Requires GMAT: No
Program Will Review Without TOEFL or IELTS: No
As with all graduate programs at ISU, applicants must submit a copy of their academic records (transcripts), GPA from previous undergraduate and graduate degrees, a statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation. The statement of purpose should briefly outline the applicant's research interests and mention current anthropology faculty with whom the student would like to work.

English Proficiency Minimum:
TOEFL Paper (PBT) - 550
TOEFL Internet (iBT) - 79
IELTS - 6.5