Master of Arts in Anthropology students learn the history of critical inquiry in the discipline of anthropology and how to approach and develop a topic of research. Students are trained in fieldwork and ethnographic methods appropriate for their goals and are guided through the research and writing methods central to completion of a thesis or project. In the process, students learn about the ethics of conducting research. Students may focus on cultural anthropology or bioarchaeology. The program prepares students for careers in government, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, museums, and numerous other fields, or to pursue a doctorate in the field.
Admissions
Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Admissions. For specific information, see Application Requirements and Deadlines.
Policies
For policies governing all graduate degrees, see Graduate Policies.
Satisfactory Progress
According to university policy, students may be terminated if they fail to achieve satisfactory progress toward their degree. Students in the program are judged as having failed to achieve satisfactory progress toward their degree for the following reasons:
- two consecutive semesters in which academic warnings appear on their transcript
- failure to successfully complete ANTH 535 Anthropology and the Human Condition: Seminar I, ANTH 536 Anthropology and the Human Condition: Seminar II, and ANTH 650 Methods in Anthropology within 4 semesters of first enrolling as degree-seeking students in the MA in Anthropology program
- failure to enroll in graduate coursework in anthropology for 2 consecutive semesters, unless there are compelling reasons for not having done so
Like all academic policies, these provisions take effect with the publication of this catalog and apply to all graduate students in the MA in Anthropology program regardless of their catalog year.
Degree Requirements
Total credits: 30
Students should be aware of the specific policies associated with this program, located on the Admissions & Policies tab.
Core Courses
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ANTH 535 | Anthropology and the Human Condition: Seminar I | 3 |
ANTH 536 | Anthropology and the Human Condition: Seminar II | 3 |
ANTH 586 | Quantitative Methods in Anthropology | 3 |
or ANTH 650 | Methods in Anthropology | |
ANTH 798 | Thesis or Project Proposal | 3 |
Total Credits | 12 |
Electives
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select 15 credits from advanced courses in anthropology chosen in consultation with an advisor | 15 | |
Total Credits | 15 |
Students can choose to focus their electives around an emphasis in these four areas: advanced training in sociocultural anthropology; culture, health and bioethics; museums and anthropology; or transnational and global issues. Up to six credits may be from other disciplines with the prior written approval of the graduate director.
Students may take ANTH 690 Internship as elective credit. An internship can serve as a primary field research site for the thesis.
Thesis or Research Project
Students should be aware of the policies governing theses. They must follow the thesis enrollment policy of the university and, once enrolled in ANTH 799, maintain continuous enrollment.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Three credits from one of the following: | 3 | |
Master's Research Project | ||
Master's Thesis | ||
Total Credits | 3 |
Anthropology, BA/Anthropology, Accelerated MA
Overview
Highly-qualified undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a BA in Anthropology and a MA in Anthropology in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 138 credits. Students with both a BA and MA have a competitive advantage when applying to PhD programs in anthropology.
See AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees for policies related to this program.
Students in an accelerated degree program must fulfill all university requirements for the master's degree. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.
BAM Pathway Admission Requirements
Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree policies. For information specific to the accelerated MA in Anthropology, see Application Requirements and Deadlines.
Students will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of a minimum of 60 credits and additional unit-specific criteria.
Students who are accepted into the BAM Pathway will be allowed to register for graduate level courses after successful completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits.
Accelerated Master's Admission Requirements
Students already admitted in the BAM pathway will be admitted to the MA Anthropology, if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition form:
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Minimum overall GPA of 3.25
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Completion of ANTH 490 History of Anthropological Theory (Mason Core)
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Successfully meeting Mason's requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation) and completing the application for graduation.
Accelerated Pathway Requirements
To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:
Advanced Standing courses (up to 12 credits)
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ANTH 531 | Refugees in the Contemporary World | 3 |
ANTH 535 | Anthropology and the Human Condition: Seminar I | 3 |
ANTH 536 | Anthropology and the Human Condition: Seminar II | 3 |
ANTH 555 | Policy and Culture | 3 |
ANTH 556 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
ANTH 557 | Human Origins | 3 |
ANTH 570 | Andean Archaeology | 3 |
ANTH 577 | Mortuary Archaeology | 3 |
ANTH 580 | Environmental Anthropology | 3 |
ANTH 582 | Human Osteology | 3 |
ANTH 583 | Human Osteology Lab | 1 |
ANTH 584 | Paleopathology | 3 |
ANTH 585 | Bioarchaeology | 3 |
ANTH 586 | Quantitative Methods in Anthropology | 3 |
ANTH 587 | Zooarchaeology | 4 |
ANTH 590 | Forensic Anthropology | 3 |
ANTH 591 | Forensic Anthropology Lab | 2 |
ANTH 599 | Contemporary Issues in Anthropology | 3 |
ANTH 616 | Anthropology of the City | 3 |
ANTH 635 | Regional Ethnography | 3 |
ANTH 640 | Applied Anthropology | 3 |
ANTH 650 | Methods in Anthropology | 3 |
ANTH 684 | Independent Study in Sociocultural Anthropology | 1-6 |
ANTH 687 | Medical Anthropology | 3 |
Reserve Graduate Credit courses (up to 6 credits) taken while an undergraduate and will only count for the graduate degree program
All courses listed as advanced standing credit can be used for reserve graduate credit.
For more detailed information on coursework and timeline requirements see AP.6.7 Bachelor's Accelerated Master's Degree policies.
Program Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate the ability to synthesize appropriate anthropological theory in the analysis of a research question or problem.
- Students will develop an original research question or problem that is situated within the appropriate theoretical paradigm.
- Students will demonstrate familiarity with appropriate methods for anthropological data collection and analysis and apply them to an original research question or problem.
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Students will summarize theoretical and ethical debates related to their area of study in anthropology and synthesize their own work within the context of those debates.
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Students will effectively communicate the results and interpretations of their research in writing, in a manner appropriate to a professional audience.