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  • Anthropology – Master of Arts

Contact the Department of Anthropology

Email:
anthropology​@nau.edu
Call:
928-523-3180

Join our graduate program!

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Student resources

Find out about our resources for information regarding advising, scholarships, & more tools that could help in obtaining your degree. Anthropology MA Handbook 2020-2021

Possible careers

See the wide variety of our careers alumni go into.


Anthropology, Master of Arts

This graduate degree coursework allows students to pursue independently designed research goals with the guidance of faculty mentors that culminate in the writing and successful defense of a thesis or applied project. Our department succeeds in mentoring graduate students with opportunities to further their professional and academic development in anthropology.

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Requirements Accordion Open

  • To receive a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. (Many master’s degree programs require more than 30 units.)

    You must additionally complete:

    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s). This may include a thesis.
    • All graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
    • All work toward the master’s degree must be completed within six consecutive years. The six years begins with the semester and year of admission to the program.
    Read the full policy.

     

Overview Accordion Closed

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.
Minimum Units for Completion37
Additional Admission RequirementsAdditional admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are recommended.
ThesisThesis is required.
Comprehensive ExamComprehensive Exam is required.
Oral DefenseOral Defense is required.
ResearchIndividualized research is required.
Progression Plan LinkView Program of Study

Purpose Statement
 
Anthropology integrates scientific and humanistic approaches to the study of people and culture informing our two goals:  

  • to support global citizenship through information, skills, and perspectives that build cross-cultural awareness and increase the ability to identify our own cultural assumptions, and
  • to promote an engaged anthropology that addresses the contemporary challenges of our local and global communities.

 
The scope of the program encompasses past, present, and future perspectives on the human condition, within the subfields of archaeology, socio-cultural, linguistic, and biological anthropology.
 
The content focuses on the range of human cultural and biological diversity through anthropology’s core concepts, theories, methods, and major debates. Skills developed include: critical thinking, research methods and analysis, effective writing, and constructive dialogue.
 
Student focused learning experiences include innovative coursework, research opportunities, community engagement, laboratory and field training, and internships.
 
The Sociocultural Concentration focuses on the range of human cultural diversity and anthropological perspectives, ethics, and theory. It covers the intersections of language and discourse, kinship, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, religion, economics, social inequality, politics, environment, culture change, and globalization. The skills developed included: critical reading and writing, effective communication skills, cross-cultural and holistic perspectives, analysis of culture, and ethical awareness.
 
The Archaeology Concentration focuses on the interdisciplinary understanding of past human lives through the scientific study of material culture and biological remains using applicable theories in archaeology within a broader framework of heritage management. Skills acquired in this emphasis are field, lab, and curatorial methods as they apply to archaeological questions, interpreting the appropriate regulatory context for archaeological projects, and evaluating ethical dilemmas in archaeology.

The program prepares students for a range of professional careers in government, private sector, non-profit, and community-based organizations in addition to graduate and professional degree programs.
 
The master’s program is best suited for students interested in careers in cultural resource and heritage management, human resources, health, development, and academia.
 

Student Learning Outcomes 
Upon completion of the Anthropology MA program, all students will be able to:
  • Examine and elucidate the major theories, research methods, and approaches to inquiry in their selected emphasis in anthropology (archaeology or sociocultural anthropology);
  • Synthesize and evaluate anthropological theories and methods, and apply them appropriately to their research or project;
  • Reflect upon the use of theory and practice to explore their research area or project, and through these reflections identify how to apply analytical skills to approach and resolve a variety of existing and emerging theoretical and social problems;
  • Identify the cultural assumptions, including their own, that influence the design, conduct, and interpretation of their research results;
  • Summarize and discuss ethics and the ethical codes employed in anthropology, and identify and reason through real-world examples of ethical dilemmas;
  • Articulate the ways in which the anthropological perspective can be applied to current issues in society;
  • Pursue, design, and complete original research or project that contributes to the field of anthropology;
  • Formally report on research or project in an appropriate format including but not limited to writing a professional thesis, developing a portfolio of work, or producing a work of visual anthropology with accompanying narrative that: 
    • Articulates a theoretical framework for the research or project (including conducting a literature review to assess the theoretical, substantive, and methodological contributions previously made to this area);
    • Identifies and defines appropriate design and quantitative and/or qualitative methods of data collection;
    • Analyzes, interprets, and explains findings; and
    • Evaluates the effectiveness of the research or project, its implications for communities, institutions, policy, and/or social issues, and its contribution to the field of anthropology.
  • Present original research to professional and non-professional audiences, including those who are participants or collaborators in the research or project or those who are impacted by the work, articulating coherent explanations summarizing the work;
  • Conduct a thesis defense to a community of anthropology faculty and peers;
  • Create a personal career development plan based on individual strengths and goals and incorporate the new perspectives gained
  • Effectively represent experience, skills and competencies through written (resume, cover letter, grant writing, application materials, social media, etc.) and verbal (interview skills, presentation skills, etc.) communication.

Details Accordion Closed

Additional Admission Requirements
  • Admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
    • NAU Graduate Online application is required for all programs. Details on admission requirements are included in the online application.
    • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution
    • Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A"), or the equivalent. 
    • Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.
    • Transcripts
    • For details on graduate admission policies, please visit the Graduate Admissions Policy
    • International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy 


    Individual program admission requirements include:

    • 2 letters of recommendation
    • Prerequisite
      • Statistics Course
      • Archaeological Field School (Archaeology students only)
    • Resume or curriculum vitae
    • Personal statement or essay 
Master's Requirements
  • This Master’s degree requires 37 units distributed as follows:

    • Anthropology Course Requirements: 13 units
    • Thesis: 6 units
    • Select a Concentration: 18 units
      • Archaeology
      • Sociocultural


    Take the following 37 units:


    Theory (3 units)
    • ANT 600

    Ethics (1 unit)
    • Select from: ANT 520, ANT 521, ANT 522 

    Pre-Thesis Seminar (2 units)
    • ANT 605

    Research Methods (6 units)
    • Select from: ANT 568, ANT 569, ANT 636 

    Writing Seminar (1 unit)
    • ANT 606


    Thesis (6 units)

    • ANT 699 for the research, writing, and oral defense of an approved thesis. Please note: you may count only 6 units of thesis credit toward your degree, however you may end up taking more than 6 thesis units, since you must register for it each semester while you are working on your thesis.

     

  • Concentration (Select One):
    • Archaeology (18 units)

      • ANT 635 (3 units)
      • Regional focus elective
      • Electives (12 units)
        • Secondary field elective chosen from a subfield (biological, linguistic, or sociocultural) other than your primary field (3 units)*.
        • Primary field electives chosen in consultation with your advisor (9 units)
       
      Sociocultural (18 units)
      • ANT 639 (3 units)
      • Electives (15 units)
        • Primary field electives chosen in consultation with your advisor (12 units)
        • Secondary field elective chosen from a subfield (archaeological, biological, or linguistic) other than your primary field (3 units)*.

      *Students entering with extensive undergraduate training in anthropology may petition to have this requirement waived.
Additional Information
  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also take. For prerequisite information click on the course or see your advisor.
     

Availability Accordion Closed

  • Flagstaff

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Jaime Jose Awe
Professor
Department of Anthropology
Jaime.Awe@nau.edu
+1 928 523-1434
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Chrissina C Burke
Assistant Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Associate Teaching Professor, Anthropology
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Chrissina.Burke@nau.edu
+1 928 523-7245
Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences , room 205
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Emily Dale
Associate Teaching Professor
Department of Anthropology
Emily.Dale@nau.edu
+1 928 523-1272
Social Behavioral Sciences (West) , room 241
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Emery Rose Eaves
Associate Professor
Department of Anthropology
Emery.Eaves@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6281
Social Behavioral Sciences (West) , room 210
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Lisa Jane Hardy
Professor
Department of Anthropology
Lisa.Hardy@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0735
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Kelley Ann Hays-Gilpin
Professor
Department of Anthropology
Kelley.Hays-Gilpin@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6564
Bilby Research Center , room 154
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Gavin Alexader Healey
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
Gavin.A.Healey@nau.edu
+1 928 523-2686
Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences , room 316
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Clinton Dean Humphrey
Associate Teaching Professor
Department of Anthropology
Clinton.Humphrey@nau.edu
+1 928 523-1477
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Corina M Kellner
Associate Professor
Department of Anthropology
Corina.Kellner@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6574
Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences , room 235
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Melissa A. Liebert
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
Melissa.Liebert@nau.edu
+1 928 523-2994
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Ora Marek-Martinez
Associate Vice President, Office of Native American Initiatives; Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Native American Initiatives
Ora.Marek-Martinez@nau.edu
+1 928 523-8532
Native American Cultural Center
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Sharon Kay Moses
Associate Professor
Department of Anthropology
Sharon.Moses@nau.edu
+1 928 523-1249
Raul H. Castro Social and Behavioral Sciences , room 339
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Leah Miriam Mundell
Associate Teaching Professor
Department of Anthropology
Leah.Mundell@nau.edu
+1 928 523-1570
Social Behavioral Sciences (West) , room 280
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Michelle Anne Parsons
Associate Professor
Department of Anthropology
Michelle.Parsons@nau.edu
+1 928 523-7067
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Kerry Frances Thompson
Chair, Anthropology; Associate Professor, Anthropology
Department of Anthropology
Kerry.Thompson@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0712

Application Deadline: January 15

Rolling Admissions: Through April 1

We do not distinguish between research anthropology and applied anthropology. Rather, we engage the anthropological perspective and the tools of research to collaborate with communities and students to address the local and global challenges of our time. Our faculty strive to integrate scientific and humanistic approaches to the study of people and culture to inform our two goals:
  1. To support global citizenship through information, skills, and perspectives that build cross-cultural awareness and increase the ability to identify our own cultural assumptions, and
  1. To promote an engaged anthropology that addresses the contemporary challenges of our local and global communities.
What kind of difference can we help you make?  
Department of Anthropology
Location
Room 228 Building 065
SBS - Raul H. Castro
5 E. McConnell Drive
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5200
Mailing Address
PO Box: 15200
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5200
Email
anthropology@nau.edu
Phone
928-523-3180
Social Media
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