THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA -- MISSOULA
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY

M.A. PROGRAM IN ANTHROPOLOGY
WITH OPTIONS IN
GENERAL ANTHROPOLOGY, CULTURAL HERITAGE, FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY, AND LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY

The Department of Anthropology offers a program of graduate study leading to a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology. While the program emphasizes all four fields of anthropology, students can specialize in General Anthropology, Cultural Heritage Forensic Anthropology, or Linguistic Anthropology.

We believe that our M.A. program is well suited for the following types of students.

• Students who are pursuing a career as a professional anthropologist, and who plan to work for a government agency, museum, or a private sector cultural resources management company. Our Cultural Heritage Option allows students to focus on the applied aspects of cultural resources management, museology, or language retention. Our Forensic Anthropology Option allows students the opportunity to gain and demonstrate competencies in the applied aspects of physical/biological anthropology.

• Students who are changing fields, having earned a bachelor's degree in a discipline other than anthropology, but who now wish to pursue anthropology. Our General Option allows students to gain a solid foundation in the basic and advanced knowledge of the field.

• Students who would like to earn a Ph.D. degree (at UM--Missoula or from another University) in order to pursue a career as an university professor, museum curator, or senior partner in a cultural resources management company, and who have the ability and drive to accomplish this, but who feel that they need a more solid grounding in general Anthropology before actually tackling a Ph.D. program. Our General Option is ideal for this purpose, as it allows students to build knowledge and critical skills.

   

  Admissions

  Admission to the anthropology M.A. program is competitive and open to students with a bachelors degree; a GPA of 3.0; GRE scores and/or TOEFL scores; positive letters of recommendation; and a statement of purpose that indicates professional goals. There is no minimum GRE score, and GRE scores are only one measure used to assess an applicant's suitability for the program. Provisional admission may be offered for promising students who do not meet the GPA standards. If the student's bachelors degree is not in Anthropology, the student will work with their advisor to develop a course of instruction that includes developing a background in the four fields of Anthropology.

  Students in an B.A./B.S. program (at The University of Montana or another institution) may apply for admission to the M.A. program up to one year before completing their degree, but their admission to the program will be provisional, contingent upon finishing their B.A./B.S. program.

  Graduate student applicants may apply online at http://www.umt.edu/grad/apply/default.htm

   

  Degree Requirements

  Successful completion of the M.A. degree in anthropology requires coursework, successful completion of a comprehensive evaluation, and significant original scholarly work. The anthropology faculty expects that students will complete the requirements for the M.A. degree within two years.

  Advisors. Upon admission to the program, the faculty will assign each M.A. student a first-year advisor based on the student’s goals and interest, and on the workload of each faculty member. The first-year advisor will guide the student in forming an education plan that includes appropriate courses and research experiences to accomplish the student’s desired educational outcomes. The first-year advisor will direct the student in formulating their M.A. project plan (see “project plan” below), with assistance from other faculty if necessary. Once the project plan is completed the student will seek to recruit an appropriate M.A. research committee to oversee the project described in the project plan. The student must report their finalized committee membership to the Department’s Administrative Assistant, who will convey it to the Graduate School. The members of the MA research committee will review the student’s progress to that point and the quality of the project plan. This review constitutes the first part of the student’s comprehensive evaluation (see comprehensive evaluation below), and the committee may recommend that the student continue working toward completion of the M.A. project, or may recommend remedial action if indicated.

  1. Options There are four ways to complete the requirements for the M.A. degree in Anthropology: the general option, the cultural heritage option, the forensic anthropology option, and the linguistic anthropology option. Each of these options offers a different emphasis, which is reflected in the seminars, elective classes, and scholarly work that is required. Students will graduate with the general option unless they complete the specific requirements of one of the other options.  

  2. Thesis/Professional Project and Non-Thesis Plans: All options may be completed by either of two plans:
     1. The thesis/professional project plan, in which the student completes and defends a thesis or professional project, which is archived by the library.

     2. The non-thesis plan in which the student completes additional coursework credits and a significant original research work, or collection of works, that is not a thesis or professional paper. Students who complete the degree under the non-thesis plan will not normally be considered for admission to the Ph.D. program.

  3. Core curriculum required for all options: Students must complete the following core requirements and the additional requirements of one of the options in order to earn the Master of Arts degree in Anthropology.
     1. Anthropology 500.

     2. A total of 1 to 10 credits (6 credits recommended) in ANTH 593, 597 and/or 599, consistent with Graduate School policy (sections C1.000). Students whose M.A. project plan includes a thesis should take ANTH 599, students whose M.A. project plan includes a professional paper should take ANTH 593, and students choosing the non-thesis plan should take ANTH 597. C.At least one methods class numbered 400 or higher.

  4. 4.Project plan. All students must complete a project plan for producing an original scholarly work, such as a thesis, professional paper, exhibit, or portfolio containing an assemblage of shorter works. This should be completed at least two weeks before the Graduate School’s deadline for submitting Applications for Graduation the semester before the student intends to complete their degree. The student’s first year advisor will guide the student in completing their project plan. At a minimum, the project plan should include:
     1. The goal of the scholarly work, such as the question(s) to be examined, hypothesis to be tested, unifying theme for a portfolio, or exhibit to be created;

     2. The materials and methods to be used;

     3. A significant bibiographic effort directed toward the scholarly work;

     4. If the project will involve working with living human subjects, a completed, but not submitted, University of Montana Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects in Research checklist form;

     5. A completed, but not submitted, Graduate School Application for Graduation.

  5. A significant original scholarly work. The student will be guided in this pursuit by an M.A. research committee consisting of three members. The advisor assigned to the student upon admission to the program will normally be the chair of the student’s M.A. research committee. The additional two members of the committee will be chosen by the student in consultation with their advisor and must be consistent with Graduate School policy (section C6.000), including one member who is a University of Montana -- Missoula faculty member from a department outside of Anthropology.

  6. Comprehensive evaluation. All students in the M.A. program must pass a comprehensive evaluation over the field of anthropology (Graduate School policy section C8.000) The comprehensive evaluation will be conducted by the student’s committee. If a student’s evaluation does not meet expectations, the student’s committee may prescribe remedial action.
     1. Thesis/Professional project plan. For students earning the M.A. degree by completion of a thesis or professional project the comprehensive evaluation will consist of two parts: (1) an evaluation of the student’s progress at the time they submite their project plan, and (2) a defense of the thesis or professional project consistent with Graduate School policy (section C7.000).

     2. Non-Thesis plan. For students earning the M.A. degree under the non-thesis plan the comprehensive evaluation will consist of three parts: (1) an evaluation of the student’s progress at the time they submit their project plan; (2) an examination ( which may be oral, written, or take-home) over the subject matter of the student’s field of interest; and (3) a final review and evaluation of the student’s scholarly work. An oral defense of the student’s work, consistent with Graduate School policy (section C7.000) may substitute for parts (2) and (3).

  7. Total credits commensurate with Graduate School policy (section C1.000).
     1. The thesis/professional project plan requires a total of 30 credits.

     2. The non-thesis plan requires 36 credits, including an additional 3 credits beyond those required for any of the M.A. options of 500 or 600 level classes in any discipline (excluding research, professional paper, or thesis credits).

     3. Only 6 credits in 300 level classes may be counted toward the total credits needed to complete the degree.

  8. M.A. Degree Options
     1. General Option. Most students will earn the general option, especially those who intend to continue their education toward the Ph.D. or who wish to demonstrate research competence by completing a M.A. thesis. This is the most flexible option and requires the following coursework in addition to the core curriculum:
        1. 9 additional credits in Anthropology seminars, or cooperative education experience (internship). Anthropology seminars are Anthropology courses numbered ANTH 500 through 589, 595, or 600 through 694. Cooperative education experience is ANTH 598.

     2. Cultural Heritage Option. This option requires a defended thesis, professional paper, or portfolio that is the outgrowth of a professional experience such as an internship or an intensive field school. In addition to the core curriculum, students must complete the following requirements:
        1. ANTH 601 and 602.

        2. A cooperative education (internship) experience or equivalent practical experience such as an intensive field school, chosen in consultation with their advisor.

     3. Forensic Anthropology Option. This option requires a thesis, a comprehensive case report, or a substantial portfolio of case reports and related documents in the concise style produced for law enforcement. In addition to the core curriculum students must complete the following requirements:
        1. ANTH 512.

        2. One of the following seminars: ANTH 510, 511, or 513.

        3. One additional 3-credit Anthropology seminar or cooperative education experience.

        4. One course in each of the following areas, or their equivalent from another institution: human variation (ANTH 310, 417, 418, or 510), forensic anthropology (ANTH 312), osteology (ANTH 412), archaeological field experience (ANTH 413, 466, or an archaeologically oriented 487), archaeology theory (ANTH 313, 450, 456, 513, 550, or 551), general forensic science (ANTH 286 or 488), and statistics (ANTH 401 or 402). Ideally, these courses will have been taken as an undergraduate, but if not must be taken before an M.A. degree with this option is awarded.

     4. Linguistic Anthropology Option. This option normally requires a defended thesis. In addition to the core curriculum students must complete the following requirements:
        1. ANTH 570.

        2. Two additional 3-credit Anthropology seminars.

        3. ANTH 470, 473; LING 471, 472, 474, and 475, or their equivalents.