Anthropology (MA)
Master of Arts in Anthropology (ANTHMA)
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (GA)
Department: Anthropology
Program Webpage: louisville.edu/anthropology/graduate
Program Information
The Master of Arts (MA) in Anthropology at the University of Louisville is designed to enhance student knowledge of and skills in dealing with contemporary social issues facing a globalizing community and world from an anthropological perspective and to be able to locate these in the long progression of human history and within the body of social science theory. We expect our graduates to enter professions as skilled administrators, researchers, and leaders. Although students may focus heavily on evolutionary anthropology, archaeology, or cultural anthropology, this is a general, comprehensive masters program.
Anthropology is the queen of multidisciplinary work, and we see our students taking courses from and pursuing collaborations with colleagues in Humanities, Sociology, History, Women and Gender Studies, Pan-African Studies, Political Science, Art History, Biology, and the Kent School of Social Work. Students with little or no academic background in anthropology will be required to take some preparatory courses determined in consultation with the Anthropology Graduate Coordinator.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must complete/submit:
- Online graduate application for admission.
- A statement of interests covering relevant experience and aspirations. This letter is absolutely critical to your successful application, as it helps us assess where you might find common interests among Department faculty.
- GRE scores. Recommended: successful applicants report GRE scores averaging greater than the 50th percentile.
- Official transcripts. As stipulated by the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies, the minimum GPA for acceptance into the program is 3.0.
- Three letters of reference addressing the candidate's readiness for graduate studies, academic abilities, and potential for success. One letter may be from an employer.
- Applicants may choose to submit a writing sample.
The Graduate Committee uses a holistic approach when evaluating graduate applications.
Program Requirements
The Master of Arts (MA) in Anthropology requires 30 credit hours at the graduate level. It comprises 24 credit hours of course work, plus 6 credit hours of thesis or internship. All students enrolled in the MA program are required to complete one of the following options:
In addition to the 9 credit hours of the 600-level core seminars, students take another 600-level course, 12 credit hours of topical electives at the 500 or 600 level, and 6 credit hours of thesis or internship hours.
Students may enroll in up to 9 credit hours in another department. Students may enroll in 500 level courses in another department with the permission of the Anthropology Director of Graduate Studies.
Courses taken at the 500 or 600 level as an undergraduate may be applied toward the MA in Anthropology on the condition that the student earned a grade of B or higher in the course and the course was taught at the graduate level. Graduate Coordinator approval is required. Coursework earned as undergraduate and used to meet the requirements for the undergraduate degree may not be used for graduate credit.
Thesis Option
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Seminars | 9 | |
| Topical Electives | 15 | |
| Thesis | 6 | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 30 | |
Thesis Option Coursework
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Seminars | ||
| ANTH 608 | Social and Cultural Theory | 3 |
| ANTH 612 | Seminar: Contemporary Issues in Anthropology | 3 |
| Students must select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Research Design: Archaeology | ||
| Research Design: Biological Anthropology | ||
| Research Design: Socio-Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Topical Electives | 15 | |
| Space, Place and Culture | ||
| Ecology, Politics and Culture | ||
| Archaeology as Practice | ||
| Animals and Humans | ||
| Zooarchaeology | ||
| Human Impacts on Past Environments | ||
| Anthropology of Water | ||
| Nutritional Anthropology | ||
| Health and Civilization | ||
| Special Topics in Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Special Topics in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Special Topics in Archaeology | ||
| Lithic Technology | ||
| Ceramic Analysis | ||
| Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
| Emergence of Human Culture | ||
| Anthropology of Violence | ||
| Black Cultural Traditions | ||
| Globalization, Transnationalism, and Anthropology | ||
| Food Justice | ||
| Political Economy and Culture | ||
| Linguistic Anthropology | ||
| Health and Disease: A Bio-Cultural Approach | ||
| Seminar in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Human Molecular Evolutionary Genetics | ||
| Special Topics in Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Special Topics in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Independent Study (Reading) | ||
| Independent Study (Research) | ||
| ANTH 672 | Thesis | 6 |
| Minimum Total Hours | 30 | |
Non-Thesis Option
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Seminars | 9 | |
| Topical Electives | 15 | |
| Internship | 6 | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 30 | |
Non-Thesis Option Coursework
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Seminars | ||
| ANTH 608 | Social and Cultural Theory | 3 |
| ANTH 612 | Seminar: Contemporary Issues in Anthropology | 3 |
| Students must select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Research Design: Archaeology | ||
| Research Design: Biological Anthropology | ||
| Research Design: Socio-Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Topical Electives | 15 | |
| Space, Place and Culture | ||
| Ecology, Politics and Culture | ||
| Archaeology as Practice | ||
| Animals and Humans | ||
| Zooarchaeology | ||
| Human Impacts on Past Environments | ||
| Anthropology of Water | ||
| Nutritional Anthropology | ||
| Health and Civilization | ||
| Special Topics in Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Special Topics in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Special Topics in Archaeology | ||
| Lithic Technology | ||
| Ceramic Analysis | ||
| Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
| Emergence of Human Culture | ||
| Anthropology of Violence | ||
| Black Cultural Traditions | ||
| Globalization, Transnationalism, and Anthropology | ||
| Food Justice | ||
| Political Economy and Culture | ||
| Linguistic Anthropology | ||
| Health and Disease: A Bio-Cultural Approach | ||
| Seminar in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Human Molecular Evolutionary Genetics | ||
| Special Topics in Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Special Topics in Biological Anthropology | ||
| Independent Study (Reading) | ||
| Independent Study (Research) | ||
| ANTH 673 | Internship | 6 |
| Minimum Total Hours | 30 | |
