Master of Arts in Anthropology

Plans of Study for the Master's Degree

In addition to completing the course work outlined in the requirements, you must satisfy the requirements for one of the following three plans of study. Your selection of the plan of study must be made in consultation with your M.A. Committee and your faculty advisor.

Thesis Option: 

Thirty (30) hours of non-thesis course work, successful completion of the comprehensive examinations, plus a master's thesis. A student electing this plan of study will be required to conceive and execute a research project under the direction of his or her M.A. committee. You should present a research project plan to the committee before twenty hours of course work have been completed. Your advisor will convene the committee as necessary to discuss, refine, and approve this plan. After twenty hours of course work are completed, the student may enroll in ANTH 699 (Thesis Research). The purpose of this coursework is to provide a structure for supervised contact hours with the student’s faculty advisor. Such coursework, including the decision as to the number of contact hours required, must be pre-arranged in consultation with the faculty advisor. Hours completed in ANTH 699 must be over and above the 30-hour minimum.

• In preparing a thesis, you should consult the booklet: A Manual for Students Preparing Theses and Dissertations, available from the Graduate School.
• Students who take the thesis option will present a departmental colloquium based on the results of their research in the final semester in residence. You should consult your faculty advisor and the director of graduate studies in scheduling and posting advance notice of your colloquium.

Non-thesis Research Project Option: Thirty-six (36) hours of non-thesis course work plus successful completion of one of the following:
•         Presentation of a research paper at a national meeting which has been approved in advance by your M.A. Committee;
•         Acceptance for publication of a research paper submitted to a refereed journal which has been approved in advance by your M.A. Committee.

In either case, it will be the responsibility of your committee to approve a written draft of the research paper. Approval of the paper will be conveyed in writing to the director of graduate studies and to the department chairman by your advisor. Final approval of the research project requirement is at the discretion of the M.A. committee.
Students who elect the thesis option will be required to defend their thesis before a departmental committee in the final semester of residence.

Non-thesis Option by Examination: Thirty-six (36) hours of non-thesis course work and successful completion of written and oral examinations.