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:

demonstrate proficiency in at least two foreign languages and/or other skills as determined by the student’s Committee on Studies;
pass a Ph.D. comprehensive examination; and
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.

Keys and Symbols Reference