Graduate Program

Graduate Advisors
Inquire in department office for names and telephone numbers of current graduate advisors.


Degrees Offered

  • Master of Arts in Anthropology (M.A.)
    Concentrations: Archaeology, Ethnology, Evolutionary Anthropology, Public Archaeology.
  • Master of Science in Anthropology (M.S.)
    Concentrations: Archaeology, Ethnology, Evolutionary Anthropology, Public Archaeology.
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (Ph.D.)
    Concentrations: Archaeology, Ethnology, Evolutionary Anthropology.

Application Information

The Anthropology Graduate Application Committee begins reviewing complete graduate applications on the first Friday of January and does not accept any files or additional information after that date. It is up to the student to allow adequate time (6 to 8 weeks prior to the department deadline) for processing and electronic delivery of the application through the Graduate Studies office. The department does not accept faxed or Xeroxed copies of any information. No exceptions are made.

The following materials must be included to complete the application file: three letters of recommendation, a letter of intent, official transcripts, GRE scores, the University of New Mexico electronic graduate school application, and application fee.

Applicants to the graduate program in anthropology must identify their particular area of interest and their academic and professional goals in a letter of intent directed to the department’s Graduate Studies Committee. GRE scores (verbal/ analytical/quantitative) and three letters of recommendation also are required as part of the application which is reviewed by the department’s Graduate Studies Committee. Acceptance into the program depends upon: the number of openings available for new graduate students; the applicant’s potential as indicated by the materials submitted with the application; and agreement by an appropriate faculty person to act as advisor to the student. No student is accepted into the program unless he or she can be placed under the direction of a faculty advisor who helps to plan the student’s program. Students admitted to the program may change their advisor, subject to prior approval by the new advisor. Students are admitted to a specific area of concentration and must petition the appropriate concentration faculty for acceptance into another concentration. Continuation in the program requires progress at a rate deemed satisfactory by the appropriate concentration faculty, which reviews progress each year.

Within the anthropology graduate program, there are both general departmental requirements and requirements specific to a student’s concentration. The student must consult with the appropriate graduate advisor for information on concentration requirements before registering. General departmental requirements and concentration are described below.


Master of Arts and Master of Science in Anthropology

The Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Science (M.S.) in Anthropology is offered under Plan I (thesis), subject to prior approval by a Committee of Studies in the appropriate concentration and Plan II (non-thesis) according to the general requirements as specified in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog. No more than 8 credit hours of problems courses and no more than 6 credit hours of field courses may be applied toward the degree under Plan II.

Students desiring an interdisciplinary program may elect a minor or distributed minor, under Plan I or II, subject to the prior approval of an advisor in the appropriate area. A terminal master’s program in Anthropology is also offered for students who want specific training in a particular concentration.

There are no general departmental technical skills or foreign language requirements for the M.A. or M.S. degrees. However, students intending to pursue doctoral research should attempt to obtain such skills, whenever possible, during their master’s program.

All students are required to complete a master’s examination. For students who do not intend to continue in anthropology beyond the master’s degree, the examination focuses on the content of their coursework and its relations to anthropology as a whole. For students wishing to enter the doctoral program in anthropology, this examination also serves as a Ph.D. qualifying exam; its form and content depends upon the anthropological concentration appropriate to the student's research interests. Further details about the master’s examination can be obtained from the department office.

Concentration Requirements

Archaeology

Credit
Hours
a.    Core Requirements
  STAT 527 Advanced Data Analysis I 3
ANTH 570 Adv T: Science in Archaeology 3
  ANTH 574 History and Theory of Archaeology 3
  ANTH 579 Current Debates in Archaeology 3
Subtotal 12
b.   Laboratory courses (select one):
ANTH 570 Adv T: Lithic Analysis 3
ANTH 570 Adv T: Zooarcheaology 3
  ANTH 573L Archaeological Measurement and Laboratory Analysis 3
  ANTH 580 Ceramic Analysis 3
Subtotal 3


All other coursework consists of electives. On the advice of their Thesis Advisor, Plan I students may petition the faculty to modify the number of course requirements for the Master’s degree. The M.S. degree requires at least 6 additional graduate credit hours in sciences such as Chemistry, Biology, Geology, and Mathematics.

Ethnology

A two-semester sequence in socio-cultural anthropology and a seminar in linguistic anthropology are required in preparation for the Master’s (Comprehensive) Examination:

  • ANTH 510 T: Linguistic Pro-seminar
  • ANTH 546 Theory in Ethnology I (Fall)
  • ANTH 547 Theory in Ethnology II (Spring)

One methods course, such as:

  • ANTH 530 T: Discourse Analysis
  • ANTH 530 T: Visual Anthropology
  • ANTH 540 T: Autobiography and Life History in Anthropology
  • ANTH 541 Problems and Practice in Ethnography

Four additional seminars in Ethnology with at least a 3.0 GPA. If more than four are taken, the four with the highest grades fulfill this requirement.

In consultation with their faculty advisor, Master’s students should choose elective courses and seminars according to their particular focus.

The successful completion of the M.A. requires passing the Master’s comprehensive exam, completing the Second-Year Master’s Paper, and the Second-Year Graduate Plan of Study. Further details can be obtained from the department office.

Evolutionary Anthropology

The Evolutionary Anthropology concentration is not available for Plan I. In consultation with their faculty advisor, students should construct a program of courses within Evolutionary Anthropology, the Department of Anthropology, and other Departments to provide a breadth of training to best prepare them for their research. The core requirements introduce students to the substance and theory of genetics, paleoanthropology, human biology/physiology, behavioral ecology, primates, and human life history.

Core Requirements
ANTH 555 Anthropological Genetics
ANTH 562 Human Life History
One of the following:
ANTH 550 T: Human Behavioral Evolution
ANTH 557 Paleoanthropology
One of the following: 
ANTH 550 T: Human Growth and Development
ANTH 550 T: Primate Endocrinology and Behavior
ANTH 554 Human Paleopathology
One of the following: 
ANTH 560 Adv T: Evolutionary Medicine
ANTH 661 Behavioral Ecology and Biology of Sex Roles
One of the following:
ANTH 563 Primate Social Behavior
ANTH 662 Great Apes: Mind and Behavior


All Evolutionary Anthropology students must complete STAT 527 and STAT 528 Advanced Data Analysis I and II prior to taking the Comprehensive Exam. The other coursework consists of electives. Students interested in osteology should take ANTH *351L Anthropology of the Skeleton their first semester if they have not yet had a similar course. Students interested in behavioral ecology are encouraged to take a seminar in Evolutionary Psychology and ANTH 560 Adv T: PIBBS Seminar. The M.S. degree requires at least 6 additional graduate credit hours in sciences such as Biology, Chemistry, Geology, and Mathematics.

Public Archaeology

The concentration in Public Archaeology for the M.A. in Anthropology requires 36 credit hours. The concentration Public Archaeology for the M.S. in Anthropology requires at least 6 additional credit hours in sciences such as Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Mathematics. The Public Archeology concentration is only offered under Plan II for either degree. The final examination consists of an internship and a Master’s paper, culminating with an oral exam based upon the two activities. Students earning the Public Archaeology concentration under either degree and who wish to earn a Ph.D. in Anthropology at the University of New Mexico must apply for and gain admission to the doctoral concentration in Archaeology.

a.   Core Requirements
Group I
ANTH 570 Adv T: Science in Archaeology
  ANTH 574 History and Theory of Archaeology
  ANTH 579 Current Debates in Archaeology
  Group II
  ANTH 592 Managing Cultural Resources
  Group III
  ANTH 581 The Anthropology of Heritage
b.   Thematic Electives (12 credit hours)
  Group I (3-9 credit hours)
  ANTH 522 Lithic Analysis
  ANTH 523 Quantitative Analysis in Archaeology
  ANTH 580 Ceramic Analysis
  ANTH 582L  Geoarchaeology
  ANTH 584 Zooarchaeology
  Group II (3-6 credit hours)
  ANTH 501 Native American Art I
  ANTH 503 Native American Art II
  ANTH 509 Seminar in Native American Art
  ANTH 521 Southwest Archaeology
  ANTH 576 Seminar: Southwestern Archaeology
  ANTH 585 Seminar in Museum Methods
  ANTH 586 Practicum: Museum Methods
Appropriate courses from Anthropology or other departments may be substituted for Thematic Electives with the approval of the advisor.
c.     Internship/Practicum
  ANTH 597 Problems
  ANTH 598 Advanced Research


Note: ANTH 523 Quantitative Analysis in Archaeology (or an equivalent) is required of students who do not have a satisfactory statistics background as indicated by previous academic coursework.


Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Anthropology is offered according to the general requirements as specified in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog. No more than 12 credit hours of problems courses and no more than 9 credit hours of field courses may be applied toward the 48 credit hours required for the degree.

Admission to the Ph.D. program from the master’s program depends upon the student’s performance in the master’s comprehensive/Ph.D. qualifying examination and on the student’s ability to form a committee on studies in fields appropriate to the student’s research interests. The committee, which assists in planning the student’s program of study, must include one professor from outside the department and outside of Anthropology (not the committee chairperson). Since the Anthropology Department cannot supervise research in all areas of anthropology, students who cannot form such a committee are not accepted into the doctoral program. Students entering the graduate program with an M.A., or its equivalent, in Anthropology must pass the qualifying exam in the appropriate subfield. Students entering with an M.A. or M.S. in another discipline must pass the qualifying examination.

Prior to initiating major research for the dissertation, the student must:

  1. demonstrate proficiency in at least two foreign languages and/or other skills as determined by the student’s Committee on Studies;
  2. pass a Ph.D. comprehensive examination; and
  3. present the major topic of the proposed dissertation and explain the intended content.

Concentration Requirements

Archaeology

The initial Ph.D. degree coursework requirement consists of the following courses, which must be completed by the end of the student’s second year in residence:

Credit
Hours
a. Core Requirements
ANTH 523
-or-
STAT 527
Quantitative Analysis in Archaeology

Advanced Data Analysis I
3
ANTH 570 Adv T: Science in Archaeology 3
ANTH 574 History and Theory of Archaeology 3
ANTH 579 Current Debates in Archaeology 3
Subtotal 12
b. Laboratory courses (select one):
ANTH 522 Lithic Analysis 3
ANTH 573L Archaeological Measurement and Laboratory Analysis 4
ANTH 580 Ceramic Analysis 3
ANTH 582L Geoarchaeology 3
ANTH 584 Zooarchaeology 3
ANTH 651 Bioarchaeology 3
Subtotal 3-4
c. Groups Requirement (select one from each of the following groups, to be completed by the end of the second year, or fourth semester):
Foraging Societies
ANTH 525 Stone Age Europe 3
ANTH 527 African Prehistory 3
ANTH 570 Adv T: Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology 3
ANTH 577 Seminar: European Prehistory 3
ANTH 595 Paleoindians: Colonizing the Americas 3
Middle Range Societies
ANTH 521 Southwest Archaeology 3
ANTH 570 Adv T: Iron Age Europe 3
ANTH 576 Seminar: Southwestern Archaeology 3
Complex Societies
ANTH *420
-or-
ANTH 570
T: Medieval Archeology

Adv T: Medieval Archeology
3
ANTH 524 South American Archaeology 3
ANTH 528 Near Eastern Archaeology 3
ANTH 529 Archaeology of Complex Societies 3
ANTH 570 Adv T: Ancient Mexico 3
ANTH 570 Adv T: Maya Prehistory 3
Occasionally, other graduate-level topics courses (examples: Pleistocene Transition, Chaco Canyon Archaeology) may satisfy the groups requirement. Consult with the Graduate Advisor.
Subtotal 9
d. The student must take the independent readings course, ANTH 698, with their faculty advisor to define their research questions, outline their research design, and assemble their biographies. 
  ANTH 698 Advanced Research 3
Subtotal 3
e. After passing the Qualifying Examination or Evaluation, the student must take ANTH 675. This course will usually be taken in the Spring of the fourth year of study, but may be taken as early as the Spring of the third year of study.
  ANTH 675 Archaeological Research Proposals 3
Subtotal 3


Remaining coursework consists of electives defined by the student after consultation with the Archaeology Faculty, Graduate Advisor, and their committee. 

NOTE: All incoming students must meet with the Archaeology concentration Graduate Advisor to discuss program requirements. Students entering the program with an M.A. or M.S. in Anthropology with a concentration in Archaeology may petition the faculty to modify the number and content of requirements and electives based on their previous graduate coursework. Students entering the program with a degree in another field may have deficiencies in their background. If the Graduate Advisor identifies deficiencies, the student must take additional coursework in general Anthropology (i.e., ANTH 310, 320, 321/521, 330). The student may request an exception from these courses by petitioning the Archaeology faculty.

Ethnology

  • ANTH 510 T: Linguistic Pro-Seminar
  • ANTH 546 Theory in Ethnology I
  • ANTH 547 Theory in Ethnology II

One methods course such as: ANTH 530 T: Discourse Analysis; ANTH 530 T: Visual Anthropology; ANTH 540 T: Autobiography and Life History in Anthropology; ANTH 541 Problems and Practice in Ethnography.

Four additional seminars in Ethnology with at least a 3.67 GPA. If more than four are taken, the four with the highest grades fulfill this requirement.

Coursework completed for a previous master’s degree may be substituted for these required courses with the permission of the Ethnology Graduate Advisor. ANTH 530 T: Proposal Writing (can be taken only by post-M.A. students) is encouraged, but not required.

Evolutionary Anthropology

Evolutionary Anthropology students admitted to the Ph.D. program are required to follow the Plan II (non-thesis) option for their coursework prior to the Comprehensive Exam. Some Master's-level work can be accepted from transfer students when appropriate.

The additional coursework requirements for a Ph.D. include:

1.  One of the following: ANTH 663 Human Evolutionary Ecology Research Methods and Design; ANTH 675 Anthropological Research Proposals.
2.  A course in specialized, quantitative analyses suited for the student's research. Suitable courses include Survival Analysis, or an equivalent with the student's Advisor's permission.
3.  Completion of further training in skills should be determined by the student in consultation with the Graduate Advisor and other faculty if needed. These skills can be completed within or outside the department but must be appropriate to the student's dissertation project and career trajectory.

All other coursework consists of electives.


Courses

ANTH 101. Introduction to Anthropology. (3)



ANTH 110. Language, Culture and the Human Animal. (3)



ANTH 120. Archaeological Method and Theory. (3)



ANTH 122L. Archaeological Method and Theory Laboratory. (1)



ANTH 130. Cultures of the World. (3)



ANTH 150. Evolution and Human Emergence. (3)



ANTH 151L. Human Evolution Laboratory. (1)



ANTH 160. Human Life Course. (3)



ANTH 161L. Computer Laboratory in Human Evolutionary Ecology. (1)



ANTH 220. World Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 223. Music in Culture. (3)



ANTH 230. Topics in Current Anthropology. (3, no limit Δ)



ANTH 251. Forensic Anthropology. (3)



ANTH 304. Current Research in Anthropology. (1-3)



ANTH 310 [310 / 511]. Language and Culture. (3)



ANTH 317. Phonological Analysis. (3)



ANTH *318. Grammatical Analysis. (3)



ANTH 320. Strategy of Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 321 / 521. Southwest Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 324 / 524. South American Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 325 / 525. Stone Age Europe. (3)



ANTH 327 / 527. African Prehistory. (3)



ANTH 328 / 528. Near Eastern Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 330. Principles of Cultural Anthropology. (3)



ANTH 332 / 532. Indigenous Peoples of South America. (3)



ANTH 333 / 533. Ritual Symbols and Behavior. (3)



ANTH *337. Anthropology of New Mexico. (3, may be repeated twice Δ)



ANTH 339 / 539. Human Rights in Anthropology. (3)



ANTH 340 / 540. Topics in Cultural Anthropology. (3, no limit Δ)



ANTH *350. Human Biology. (3)



ANTH *351L. Anthropology of the Skeleton. (4)



ANTH 357. Human Origins. (3)



ANTH 360. Human Behavioral Ecology. (3)



ANTH 361 / 661. Behavioral Ecology and Biology of Sex Roles. (3)



ANTH 362 / 662. Great Apes: Mind and Behavior. (3)



ANTH 363 / 563. Primate Social Behavior. (3)



ANTH 364. Topics: Human Evolutionary Ecology. (3, no limit Δ)



ANTH *371. Pre-Columbian Cultures of Ancient Mexico. (3)



ANTH *373. Technical Studies in Archaeology. (3, may be repeated twice Δ)



ANTH 375 / 575. Archaeology Field Session. (2-6 to a maximum of 12 Δ)



ANTH *376. Maya Prehistory and Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 378 / 578. Indigenous Mexico. (3)



ANTH 381 / 581. The Anthropology of Heritage. (3)



ANTH 383 / 583. Ethnology Field School. (3)



ANTH 395 / 595. Paleoindians: Colonizing the Americas [The First Americans]. (3)



ANTH 399. Introduction to Field and Laboratory Research. (1-6 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



ANTH 401 / 501. Native American Art I. (3)



ANTH 403 / 503. Native American Art II. (3)



ANTH 410 / 510. Topics in Linguistic Anthropology. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



ANTH *420. Topics in Archaeology. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



ANTH 445 / 545. Country Music and Cultural Politics. (3)



ANTH 448 / 548. The Anthropology of Music and Sound. (3)



ANTH *450. Topics in Biological Anthropology. (3-4 to a maximum of 15 Δ)



ANTH 451 / 651. Bioarcheology. (3)



ANTH 452 / 552. Primate Evolution. (3)



ANTH 453L / 553L. Paleoecology Lab. (3)



ANTH 454 / 554. Human Paleopathology. (4)



ANTH 455 / 555. Anthropological Genetics. (3)



ANTH 457 / 557. Paleoanthropology. (3)



ANTH 458 / 558 [458]. Dental Anthropology. (4)



ANTH 459. Advanced Osteology. (3)



ANTH 464 / 564. Human Behavioral Evolution. (3)



ANTH 468 / 568. Navajo Expressive Culture. (3)



ANTH 473L / 573L. Archaeological Measurement and Laboratory Analysis. (4)



ANTH 480 / 580. Ceramic Analysis. (3)



ANTH 482L / 582L. Geoarchaeology. (3)



ANTH 484 / 584. Zooarchaeology. (3)



ANTH 485 / 585. Seminar in Museum Methods. (3, no limit Δ)



ANTH 486 / 586. Practicum: Museum Methods. (1-3, no limit Δ)



ANTH 491 / 591. Population Genetics. (3)



ANTH 497. Individual Study. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



ANTH 498. Honors Seminar. (3)



ANTH *499. Field Research. (2-6 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



ANTH 501 / 401. Native American Art I. (3)



ANTH 503 / 403. Native American Art II. (3)



ANTH 509. Seminar in Native American Art. (3, no limit Δ)



ANTH 510 / 410. Topics in Linguistic Anthropology. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



ANTH 514. Seminar: Linguistic Theory. (3, no limit Δ)



ANTH 521 / 321. Southwest Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 522. Lithic Analysis. (3)



ANTH 523. Quantitative Analysis in Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 524 / 324. South American Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 525 / 325. Stone Age Europe. (3)



ANTH 527 / 327. African Prehistory. (3)



ANTH 528 / 328. Near Eastern Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 529. Archaeology of Complex Societies. (3)



ANTH 530. Topics in Ethnology. (3, no limit Δ)



ANTH 532 / 332. Indigenous Peoples of South America. (3)



ANTH 533 / 333. Ritual Symbols and Behavior. (3)



ANTH 537. Seminar: Southwestern Ethnology. (3)



ANTH 539 / 339. Human Rights in Anthropology. (3)



ANTH 540 / 340. Topics in Cultural Anthropology. (3, no limit Δ)



ANTH 541. Problems and Practice in Ethnography. (3)



ANTH 545 / 445. Country Music and Cultural Politics. (3)



ANTH 546. Theory in Ethnology I. (3)



ANTH 547. Theory in Ethnology II. (3)



ANTH 548 / 448. The Anthropology of Music and Sound. (3)



ANTH 550. Topics in Biological Anthropology. (3-4 to a maximum of 15 Δ)



ANTH 552 / 452. Primate Evolution. (3)



ANTH 553L / 453L. Paleoecology Lab. (3)



ANTH 554 / 454. Human Paleopathology. (4)



ANTH 555 / 455. Anthropological Genetics. (3)



ANTH 557 / 457. Paleoanthropology. (3)



ANTH 558 / 458. Dental Anthropology. (4)



ANTH 560. Advanced Topics in Evolutionary Anthropology. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



ANTH 562. Human Life History. (3)



ANTH 563 / 363. Primate Social Behavior. (3)



ANTH 564 / 464. Human Behavioral Evolution. (3)



ANTH 568 / 468. Navajo Expressive Culture. (3)



ANTH 570. Advanced Topics in Archaeology. (3, may be repeated four times Δ)



ANTH 573. Topics in Advanced Technical Studies in Archaeology. (3, may be repeated three times Δ)



ANTH 573L / 473L. Archaeological Measurement and Laboratory Analysis. (4)



ANTH 574. History and Theory of Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 575 / 375. Archaeology Field Session. (2-6 to a maximum of 12 Δ)



ANTH 576. Seminar: Southwestern Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 577. Seminar: European Prehistory. (3, may be repeated twice Δ)



ANTH 578 / 378. Indigenous Mexico. (3)



ANTH 579. Current Debates in Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 580 / 480. Ceramic Analysis. (3)



ANTH 581 / 381. The Anthropology of Heritage. (3)



ANTH 582L / 482L. Geoarchaeology. (3)



ANTH 583 / 383. Ethnology Field School. (3)



ANTH 584 / 484. Zooarchaeology. (3)



ANTH 585 / 485. Seminar in Museum Methods. (3, no limit Δ)



ANTH 586 / 486. Practicum: Museum Methods. (1-3, no limit Δ)



ANTH 591 / 491. Population Genetics. (3)



ANTH 592. Managing Cultural Resources. (3)



ANTH 593. Cultural Resource Management Archaeology. (3)



ANTH 595 / 395. Paleoindians: Colonizing the Americas [The First Americans]. (3)



ANTH 597. Problems. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



ANTH 598. Advanced Research. (3, no limit Δ)



ANTH 599. Master's Thesis. (1-6, no limit Δ)



ANTH 620. Topics in Interdisciplinary Biological and Biomedical Sciences. (3, no limit Δ)



ANTH 651 / 451. Bioarcheology. (3)



ANTH 661 / 361. Behavioral Ecology and Biology of Sex Roles. (3)



ANTH 662 / 362. Great Apes: Mind and Behavior. (3)



ANTH 663. Human Evolutionary Ecology Research Methods and Design. (3)



ANTH 675. Anthropological Research Proposals. (3)



ANTH 697. Problems. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



ANTH 698. Advanced Research. (3, no limit Δ)



ANTH 699. Dissertation. (3-12, no limit Δ)



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1 University of New Mexico
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Phone: (505) 277-8900
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