The Request to Establish an M.A. in Anthropology

Date: January 31, 2011
To: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
From: Office of Academic Affairs
Approved On: January 27, 2011
Approved by: Graduate Council
Implementation Date: Fall 2011

Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.

Catalog Copy

Anthropology

M.A. in Anthropology

Department of Anthropology

225 Barnard
704-687-3203
anth-grad@charlotte.edu
http://anthropology.uncc.edu/

Coordinator
Dr. Janet E. Levy

Graduate Faculty

Diane Brockman, Associate Professor

Catherine Fuentes, Lecturer

Jonathan Marks, Professor

Dennis Ogburn, Assistant Professor

Nicole Peterson, Assistant Professor

Dena Shenk, Professor

Gregory Starrett, Professor

Coral Wayland, Associate Professor

MASTER OF ARTS IN ANTHROPOLOGY

Anthropology is an integrative and comparative field of scholarship devoted to discovering and analyzing the range of human biological and cultural variation, as well as to understanding the historical, ecological, and sociopolitical contexts in which human diversities and commonalities develop. The field encompasses and integrates cultural anthropology (the study of living communities), linguistic anthropology (the study of the human use of language), biological anthropology (the study of humans’ primate relatives, human evolution, and modern biological variation), and archaeology (the study of the culture of past communities). The Master of Arts in Anthropology degree program will provide students with the theoretical and methodological skills to gather, record, analyze, and communicate about human activity patterns in the past and present, and at local and global levels.

The M.A. in Anthropology is designed to meet the needs of two kinds of students: those seeking to prepare for doctoral education in anthropology or other fields and those seeking post-baccalaureate skills for employment in a wide range of occupations in our increasingly inter-cultural and international world: education, government, program planning and evaluation, healthcare, media, the non-profit sector, and business. Coursework in the program will build skills in data collection, analysis, and interpretation, and the application of anthropological perspectives to both theoretical and applied problems.

The M.A. in Anthropology has the following educational objectives:

  • to provide opportunities for post-baccalaureate study about the human species from evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives;
  • to provide training for the application of anthropological techniques and perspectives to contemporary social problems;
  • to expand cross-cultural understanding within regional and national communities and institutions;
  • to expand understanding of the complex interconnections between local communities and global environments, both natural and social;
  • to emphasize the importance of cross-disciplinary, biocultural approaches to research on the human species;

Additional Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the University’s graduate admission requirements, all prospective students must submit at least three letters of reference of which at least two are from academic sources; a B.A. in Anthropology or a related field, such as Area Studies, History, Biology, Sociology, etc.; a GPA of at least 3.0 in the student’s undergraduate degree; an academic writing sample; and GRE scores.

Degree Requirements

The M.A. in Anthropology requires the completion of a minimum of 33 hours of approved graduate work with a GPA of 3.0 or better. The successful completion of a Thesis or an Internship with a research report is also required.

Curriculum

Required Core Courses

  • ANTH 6601 History of Anthropology
  • ANTH 6602 Interdisciplinary Study in Anthropology

Any two of the following:

  • ANTH 6603 Theory in Cultural Anthropology
  • ANTH 6604 Archaeological Theory and Practice
  • ANTH 6605 Evolutionary Theory

One of the following:

  • ANTH 5122 Ethnographic Methods
  • ANTH 5140 Field Biology of the Primates
  • ANTH 5453 Field Project in Archaeology

Additional Requirements for students in the Thesis track:

  • 4 elective courses
  • ANTH 6910 Thesis Tutorial
  • ANTH 6920 Masters Thesis

Additional Requirements for students in the Practicum track:

  • 4 elective courses
  • ANTH 6611 Seminar in Applied Anthropology
  • ANTH 6400 Anthropology Practicum

Students in both tracks may earn up to six hours in programs outside of the Department of Anthropology, with approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Admission to Candidacy

An Admission to Candidacy form must be filed with the Graduate School no later than the semester before the student plans to complete the degree requirements. The Candidacy form and the calendar for submission are available on the Graduate School web page: http://graduateschool.uncc.edu/graduation/information.html.

Advising

The Director of Graduate Studies will appoint an advisor for each graduate student from among the Anthropology Graduate Faculty.

Language Requirement

There is no specific language requirement, but students in the thesis track are encouraged to pursue appropriate language study.

Committees

Each student will form a committee of three faculty with the advice of the Director of Graduate Studies. One of these committee members may come from another department.

Thesis/Practicum Research

Students in the Thesis Track will complete a research-based thesis while taking ANTH 6910 and 6920. Students in the Practicum Track will complete a research-based report as part of an internship (ANTH 6400) with an organization, institution, or agency.

Application for Degree

Each student is responsible for filing the on-line Application for Degree by the deadlines specified in the University Academic Calendar. See: http://graduateschool.uncc.edu/graduation/information.html.

Assistantships

The Department offers a limited number of graduate assistantships. Awards are made on a competitive basis after acceptance to the program. Interested students should complete the Graduate Assistantship Application at: http://graduateschool.uncc.edu/images/stories/Funding/AsstAppl.pdf.

COURSES IN ANTHROPOLOGY

Complete descriptions were not ready when this edition of the catalog was finalized. Please consult with the Department of Anthropology for more information: 704-687-3203 or anth-grad@charlotte.edu.

Existing Courses

ANTH 5090. Topics in Anthropology. (3) Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Intensive treatment of a topic in anthropology or survey of related topics. Examples: Religion, Art, and Archaeology; Islam and Globalism. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (On demand)

ANTH 5120. Intercultural Communications. (3) Prerequisite: ANTH 1101 or permission of instructor. Learning to cope with cultural differences; contrasting value systems; cross-cultural communication styles; nonverbal communication; cultural relativity; culture and business; ethnocentrism; cultural shock. (Alternate years)

ANTH 6132. Culture, Health and Aging. (3) Exploration of the interaction between culture and the aging experience, with a particular emphasis on issues of health and the health care system. (On demand)

New Courses

ANTH 5122

ANTH 5140. Field Biology of the Primates. (3) The theory and methods utilized in the study of nonhuman primate behavior. This applied behavioral primatology course entails original research projects done at an appropriate zoological venue in North and South Carolina.

ANTH 5453, 5622, 5615, 5616, 5617, 5640, 6090, 6400, 6401, 6601, 6602, 6603, 6604, 6605, 6611, 6642, 6650, 6800, 6910, 6920