Public Anthropology (MA)

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Offered by the Department of Anthropology , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program

Applicants must meet the minimum university requirements for admission to graduate study. Admission is based on academic record, two academic letters of reference, and an example of the applicant’s work, e.g., a term paper.

Degree Requirements

33 credit hours of approved graduate work
- No more than 12 credit hours earned in a graduate certificate program may be transferred to the Public Anthropology (MA)
Concentrations: Archaeology; Cultural/Social Anthropology
Capstone Experience: Complete one of the following:
- Nonthesis Option: The substantial research project must be approved by a committee of two members, one of whom must be a member of the American University faculty. Completion must be approved by the graduate program director
- Thesis Option: Must be approved by a committee including at least two members from the American University faculty

Course Requirements

Core (12 credit hours)

Methods (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

ANTH-560 Summer Field School: Archaeology (1-9) (3 credit hours required) (topics)
ANTH-651 Ethnographic Field Methods (3)
ANTH-653 Advanced Methods: Ethnographic Writing (3)
SOCY-621 Introduction to Quantitative Research (3)

Concentrations (15 credit hours)

Complete one of the following concentrations:

Archaeology

Note: Students choosing the thesis option complete 3 credit hours of ANTH-797 Master’s Thesis Seminar (1-6) . Students may receive credit for no more than 3 credit hours of ANTH-691 Internship in Anthropology (1-6) ; and no more than 9 credit hours of ANTH-690 Independent Study Project in Anthropology (1-6) . Students with field archaeology experience are strongly encouraged to take ANTH-560 .

Required (3 credit hours)

ANTH-531 Topics in Archaeology (3)

Electives (12 credit hours)

Complete 12 credit hours from the following if not taken to fulfill Methods:

Cultural/Social Anthropology

Complete 15 credit hours from the following if not taken to fulfill Methods:

Capstone (3 credit hours)

Complete one of the following options:

Nonthesis Option

ANTH-698 Master’s Directed Research Seminar (3)

Thesis Option

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

ANTH-797 Master’s Thesis Seminar (1-6)