Master of Arts in Applied Anthropology

Graduate study leading to a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology, with an applied focus, is offered by the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures. Degree requirements include a thesis, a one-semester or one-summer long internship (5 hours credit), an oral exam, and 25 hours of graduate course work. Students may elect to specialize either in applied archaeology, including bioarchaeology, or in applied cultural anthropology.

The program in applied archaeology focuses on cultural resources management, including preparation in archaeological method and theory, proposal writing, consulting practices, and ethics. Specialty areas include archaeological surface survey and excavation methods, artifact analysis, settlement pattern analysis, environmental archaeology, and osteoarchaeology. The areal emphasis is the Southeastern U.S., although principles and methods are adaptable to application anywhere.

The applied cultural anthropology specialization emphasizes environmental anthropology, medical anthropology, development anthropology, economic anthropology, buisness anthropology, and urban anthropology. Faculty expertise spans the United States of America, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa, and students can choose to pursue thesis topics in the United States of America or internationally. Ethnographic research methods, as practiced in applied settings, are emphasized. The program focuses on preparing students for placement in the public and private sectors as professional anthropologists, as well as preparing them for further graduate study.

University requirements for admission to graduate studies include a minimum undergraduate grade-point average in the last two years of undergraduate academic work of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale and a 3.0 on all graduate work. A student applying for graduate admission to the Anthropology program will be evaluated on the basis of evidence which might indicate success in graduate study, including all transcripts of previous post-secondary academic work, the quality and strength of letters of recommendation, and the student's statement of purpose for seeking entry into graduate school.
Statement of purpose
The statement of purpose, or personal statement, should not exceed one single-spaced page, in a traditional font (11 or 12 point) with standard margins. The statement of purpose should introduce you, the applicant, as well as your academic and professional interests. It should also address your aims and expectations for a graduate degree, what you seek to accomplish with your graduate degree, and how you will add value to the graduate program.
Three letters of recommendation
Official transcript showing BA/BS degree or progress toward the degree.
Official transcript showing any work after BA/BS degree

A minimum TOEFL score of 79 iBT or IELTS score of 6.5 for admission
TOEFL score of 550 PBT