Department of Anthropology
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Master's Degree
The Master’s degree program in anthropology is designed to provide the student with competence in general anthropology while at the same time fostering the development of special research interests. Anthropology remains a unified discipline in which anthropologists with varying specializations seek to remain conversant with each other in professional meetings, publications, research, and departmental training programs. Thus, anthropologists need to be knowledgeable in the four main sub-fields (sociocultural, archaeological, linguistic, and biological anthropology). Most professional anthropologists are, in one way or another, involved in educating others about anthropology. This may involve teaching any of the four sub-fields of anthropology in liberal arts programs of small colleges or teaching future teachers of anthropology. Most major graduate departments expect PhD candidates to have had such breadth of training before specializing, and some departments examine this general competence before students may embark on the PhD program.