Anthropology

College of Liberal Arts
Department of Anthropology
(907) 474-7288
www.uaf.edu/anthro/

B.A., B.S., M.A., Ph.D. Degrees

Minimum Requirements for Degrees: M.A.: 30 credits; Ph.D.: 18 thesis credits

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The anthropology program offers a balanced and flexible program of academic courses and research opportunities in cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeology and biological anthropology. Anthropology contributes to an understanding of the complex problems of human behavior, biology, language, cultural and social organization, and the relationship of humans to their environments. Research carried out in the field, laboratory and library emphasizes past and present modes of living and the origins and distribution of peoples and cultures throughout the world, with special attention to the circumpolar North.

The graduate program emphasizes general preparation in the field of anthropology. Such preparation enables graduates of the master's program to pursue more advanced training leading to the Ph.D. in anthropology, prepares them to teach anthropology within secondary education and/or undergraduate levels of higher education or prepares students for career positions with various levels of government in which some anthropological background and/or expertise is beneficial. Field research in Alaska is a common experience for graduate students in anthropology. All students must have fieldwork and laboratory experience appropriate to the discipline or subdiscipline.

The primary focus of the Ph.D. program is on the circumpolar North, although graduate students and faculty also conduct research elsewhere, in particular Africa and North Merited Ph.D. is available with an emphasis in any of the four subfields of anthropology.

Graduate Program--M.A. Degree

  1. Complete the admission process including the following:
    1. Submit GRE scores
  2. Complete the general university requirements.
  3. Complete the master's degree requirements.
  4. Complete the following:
    ANTH 629--Structures of Anthropological Argument 3 credits
    ANTH 652--Research Design and Professional Development Seminar 3 credits
  5. Complete 18 credits established by the advisory committee, or complete the following requirements for a linguistic anthropology master's degree:
    1. Complete at least 4 semesters of an appropriate language (requirement may be met by previous language study or demonstrated competence).
    2. Complete the following courses as part of the 18 credits required by the advisory committee (noted in part 5):
      ANTH 631--Language and Culture Seminar 3 credits
      ANTH/LING 632--Field Methods in Descriptive Linguistics 3 credits
  6. Complete 1 of the following:
    ANTH 698--Research (6)
    or ANTH 699--Thesis (6) 6 credits
  7. Minimum credits required 30-36

    Note: At least 24 credits must be regular course work (not research or thesis) with 21 of these credits at the 600-level.

Graduate Program--Ph.D.

  1. Complete the admission process including the following:
    1. Submit GRE scores.
  2. Complete the general university requirements.
  3. Complete the Ph.D. degree requirements.
  4. Complete course work in anthropology and related disciplines as determined by the advisory committee.
  5. Complete 1 foreign language and a research tool, or 2 foreign languages.
  6. Minimum credits required 18