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

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 America. The Ph.D. is available with an emphasis in any of the four subfields of anthropology.

Graduate Program — M.A. Degree

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 F629—Structures of Anthropological Argument—3 credits
    ANTH F652—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 four 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 F631—Language and Culture Seminar—3 credits
      ANTH/LING F632—Field Methods in Descriptive Linguistics—3 credits
  6. Complete one of the following:
    ANTH F698—Research (6)
         or ANTH F699—Thesis (6)—6 credits
  7. Minimum credits required—30 – 36 credits

Note: At least 24 credits must be regular course work (not research or thesis) with 21 of these credits at the F600-level.

Graduate Program — Ph.D. Degree

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 one foreign language and a research tool, or two foreign languages.
  6. Minimum credits required—18 credits