Anthropology Major, MA

Concentrations (Required) and Options Available

Archaeology (Thesis)
Biological Anthropology (Thesis)
Cultural Anthropology (Thesis)
Mediterranean Archaeology (Thesis)

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a major in anthropology. Applicants with a major in a related field (such as biology, sociology, geology, classics, history, historic preservation, or geography) will be considered only if they have a formal minor in anthropology or its equivalent (introductory courses in archaeology, cultural anthropology, and biological anthropology plus 5 additional upper-division courses in Anthropology).
• Have an undergraduate GPA of 3.50 in the major, 3.30 overall.
• If applying to the concentration in Mediterranean archaeology, have completed appropriate undergraduate courses in archaeology or anthropology, with an anthropology minor preferred.
• Make formal online application to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Office of Graduate Admissions. Transcripts should be sent directly to Graduate Admissions. Instructions for submitting three letters of recommendation, which are required, can be found in the online application. In addition, the prospective student should upload a letter of intent indicating career goals and reasons for selecting the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and one sample of his or her written work (a class paper or research report).
  • Applications for admission must be submitted complete by 1 December for consideration for admission the following year.
• Specify that they are applying for admission to the MA program, and state the concentration (archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, Mediterranean archaeology) they will pursue.

Credit Hours Required

Minimum of 30 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

• Note: Because of the structure of first-year studies, MA students must plan to begin their studies in the fall semester.

   

  Of the minimum 30 graduate credit hours, must include:

• ANTH 500 - Thesis (minimum 6 credit hours)
• At least 20 credit hours at the 500-level or higher
• 24 graduate credit hours in coursework graded A-F

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  Coursework must include three core classes taken in the first year:

• ANTH 510 - Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology (3 credit hours)
• ANTH 560 - Theory in Archaeology (3 credit hours)
• ANTH 590 - Theory in Biological Anthropology (3 credit hours)

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  One additional course from two anthropology concentrations besides the student’s primary concentration, chosen in consultation with the major professor and/or guidance committee:

• Students in the Mediterranean Archaeology concentration may select courses offered in Anthropology (ANTH), Classics (CLAS), or History (HIST)

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  All MA students must attend the graduate section of the visiting lecturer program:

• ANTH 550 - Contemporary Issues in Anthropology

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  A graduate-level introductory statistics course, usually:

• STAT 537 - Statistics for Research I OR
• ANTH 504 - Quantitative Methods for Anthropology

• Note: With permission of the department head an equivalent graduate-level course may be substituted

Non-Course Requirements

• A formal performance review of each MA graduate student’s progress will take place each year.
• An MA thesis proposal.
• Successful completion of the thesis and final oral presentation and examination.