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Graduate Studies in Anthropology at USU
Graduate Program Director: Steven R. Simms (435) 797-1277 Anthropology Program Director: Bonnie Pitblado Program Office: Main 224; (435) 797-2603
The Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology offers a structured, two year graduate curriculum leading to the Master of Science degree in Anthropology with a Specialization in Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management.
Cultural resource management (CRM) archaeology provides industry and government agencies with an evaluation of heritage resources that by law have to be “taken into account” prior to the alteration of our public landscapes. CRM is now an institutionalized element of the environmental management industry in the United States and many other countries. Archaeologists identify and record all prehistoric and historic cultural resources from ancient villages and camps, to pioneer cabins, 19 th century gold mines, and human skeletons. Archaeologists help industry and agencies find ways to protect what is of value by avoidance and occasionally by mitigation, and they facilitate land management. Federal and State laws and regulations govern the practice of archaeology by issuing permits, and a national Register of Professional Archaeologists certifies professional standards. The minimum degree requirement for the permits and the professional registry is a Master’s degree.
Senior archaeologists working in CRM realize the need for graduate training to be more than applied archaeology. In order to produce career-path archaeologists, graduate training needs to include adequate knowledge of the scientific research contexts of archaeology, and experience in the conduct of research to prepare students for careers, and not just as technicians in a transient labor force. The graduate program in Anthropology at Utah State University responds to the changing needs of archaeology and to recommendations of archaeologists in the CRM industry. The Master’s degree will also prepare students intending to pursue the Ph.D. at other institutions.
Following recommendations of the 2006 SAA forum on graduate training in CRM, the program has been designed around the following performance goals:
The Graduate Program in Anthropology has developed an MS Anthropology Program Handbook providing more details about the application process, financial assistance decisions, and graduation requirements. An electronic copy of this handbook will be posted on the Anthropology Program website in spring 2009 at: http://www.usu.edu/anthro/ms.htm
Application Requirements
The MS Program in Anthropology application has six main components:
1. A formal application form, available online at: http://www.usu.edu/graduateschool/ ;
2. Transcripts from the applicant’s undergraduate and graduate studies;
3. Letters of reference from faculty or scholars who can attest to the applicant’s abilities to succeed in graduate school;
4. A resume;
5. A letter of intent providing background about the applicant’s training, interests, and experiences, as well as an overview of the applicant’s career goals and specific reasons why graduate training in archaeology and cultural resource management is important to the applicant; and
6. Test scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for all applicants, and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of Spoken English (TSE) examinations for international students whose native language is not English.
TOEFL scores are required for international candidates, with a minimum score of 600 (paper test) or 250 computer-based test) deemed acceptable. The TSE examination is also strongly recommended, with a minimum score of 50 deemed acceptable. International applicants who are admitted without having taken the TSE will be required to take a test of spoken English fluency administered by the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) at Utah State University prior to beginning their first semester in the MS Program. Dependent upon the test results, the student may be required to complete a program of English language training during the first semester of residence in the MS Degree Program in Anthropology.
Applications are accepted for Fall Semester only. Important deadlines for your application to Utah State University. February 1. Applications to the School of Graduate Studies must be complete. On line application only at http://www.usu.edu/graduateschool/ The complete application file must include: application form, letter of intent, resume, three letters of reference, transcripts from colleges previously attended, GRE scores for verbal and quantitative. March 15. Initial notice provided to applicants of acceptance/nonacceptance, and decision on financial aid. For students not receiving an offer of financial aid, notice is given of their ranking on the list of students seeking financial aid. This way students can gauge the likelihood of aid should a higher ranking student not accept an offer. April 15. Final date for students to identify their intentions. All application materials should be sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies 0900 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan UT 84322-0900 Degree Requirements A minimum of 33 credits is required for the degree. Six credits for the Plan A Thesis or Plan B Professional Paper/CRM Report are included in the 33 minimum credits. A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 is required. Click here for in depth course descriptions. Follow this link to a course schedule 2009-2011. Core courses (26 credits): The core courses for the MS degree in Anthropology with a Specialization in Archaeology and CRM include: Anth. 6300 Archaeology Field School (Su)………………………………….3 May be replaced by Anth. 6700: Archaeology Internship ANTH 6310 Archaeology Lab (F,Sp,Su)……………….………………….1-3 ANTH 6340 Archaeology of the Western U.S. (F)......................................3 ANTH 6350 Archaeological Theory (F).......................................................3 ANTH 6360 Research Design and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (F)........3 ANTH 6370 GIS in Archaeology (Sp)..........................................................3 ANTH 6390 CRM Policy (F)……………………………………………………3 ANTH 6400 Collections Management (F)……………………………………2 ANTH 6410 Writing for Archaeologists (F)..................................................3 Electives ANTH 6250 QI Problems in Bioarchaeology (Sp).......................................3 ANTH 6320 Zooarchaeology (Sp)...............................................................3 ANTH 6330 Geoarchaeology (Sp)..............................................................3 ANTH 6380 Peopling of the New World (Sp)..............................................3 ANTH 6420 Lithic Analysis (F)………………………………………………...1 ANTH 6700 Archaeology Internship (may replace field school)(Su)..…….3 ANTH 6900 Independent Studies (F,Sp,Su)..……………………….….…1-3 GEOL 6120 Advanced Geomorphology (Sp)…………………………….….3 GEOL 6680 Paleoclimatology (Sp)…………………………………………...3 Thesis prep : Anth. 6970 (F,Sp,SU)...…………………………………….1-12 Museum Certificate Program An additional opportunity is available to students enrolled in the Master’s degree program. The Museum of Anthropology is a teaching unit under the Program’s umbrella that already offers a certificate in Museum Studies. The certificate program is unique among offerings at Utah’s public and private institutions in that a certificate can be earned as a complement to a Bachelor, Master, or Ph.D. degree in any field. The 24-credit certification program, which features supporting coursework from nearly two dozen departments and programs across the USU campus, educates students in museum administration, collections management and care, and interpretation and exhibition skills.
Financial Assistance Some financial assistance is available in the form of graduate assistantships. These funds are distributed through a competitive process, based on student qualifications, performance, and interests. In order to be considered for financial assistance for the next academic year, complete applications must be received no later than March 15, 2009 . Decisions on graduate student funding are usually based on an overall evaluation of all six components of the application.
Career Opportunities Nationwide the CRM industry is valued at several billion dollars per year. By the late 1990s “60-70 percent of the membership of the SAA (Society for American Archaeology), and the Society for Historical Archaeology are engaged in cultural resources management.” (SAA Bulletin 1997:20). An inventory of job listings on the Society for American Archaeology website in summer 2007 reveals that 82% of the advertised positions are in private or government sector CRM. In Utah there are over 50 private companies holding archaeological permits, with 18 firms maintaining offices in the state. The Utah Division of State History reports that over 1,700 archaeological field projects are conducted in the state each year. CRM is a thriving industry looking for qualified individuals, and the MS program in Anthropology at USU is specifically designed to provide the training and degree qualifications sought after by employers in both public and private sectors.
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