Anthropology

Program Description

Anthropology is the study of the biological and cultural foundation of humankind. It is concerned with peoples, cultures and societies on a worldwide scale and throughout time. Anthropology provides a holistic framework, and is interested in discovering the interconnections between culture, society, human biology, and environment. The anthropology faculty at The University of Montana is dedicated to the study of questions of general relevancy to anthropology as well as issues significant to specific groups. In the process, we study language, texts, artifacts, and biological evidence. Specific areas of excellence include cultural heritage issues, forensic studies of human skeletal materials, the preservation of Native American and other indigenous languages, applied anthropology, medical anthropology, cultural and political studies of Central Asia, the archaeology, medical anthropology, cultural and political studies of Central Asia, the archaeology of hunter-gatherers, and the historical archaeology of the Western frontier. Although the faculty carries out important research agendas worldwide, the program has thrived on the cultural diversity and research opportunities within the northern Rockies region. We frequently involve graduate students in these studies.

Our rigorous graduate programs prepare students to serve effectively in a variety of applied professional positions in government and nongovernmental agencies. Our graduate program is unified by excellent teaching, supportive faculty, and a curriculum that bridges the ethical, theoretical, analytical, and practical issues that all anthropologist face. The two-year M.A. program provides applied specializations in Linguistics, Forensic Anthropology, and Cultural Heritage. Alternatively, the M.A. General Option allows students to tailor a program to a special interest, such as medical anthropology, or to gain a solid foundation in basic and advanced knowledge of the field; the last approach is particularly useful for students who have earned a bachelor's degrees in another discipline, but who now wish to pursue anthropology. Our M.A. program allows these students to establish themselves in the field of anthropology before applying to a competitive Ph.D. program.

On the Doctorate level, our Ph.D. program specialized in Cultural Heritage and Applied Anthropology. Students in this program focus not only on cutting-edge research, but also the application of anthropology to one or more central issues of the 21st century. These include the preservation of heritage and traditions, whether objects, landscapes, or language; international social issues, particularly global development and health delivery; or achievement of independent professional-level scholarship demonstrated by completion of a major research project presented to the faculty as a dissertation. This comprehensive yet individualized program provides seasoned professionals and recent B.A. and M.A. graduates alike an opportunity to earn a Doctorate in Anthropology.

 

Program	Degree Offered
Anthropology	M.A.
Anthropology (Cultural Heritage Option)	M.A.
Anthropology (Forensic Anthropology Option)	M.A.
Anthropology (Linguistics Option)	M.A.
Anthropology (Cultural Heritage and Applied Anthropology Option)	Ph.D.

Degrees Offered

M.A. Anthropology

 
Also offered are options in: 

• Cultural Heritage
• Forensic Anthropology
• Linguistics

Requirements

• The thesis/professional project plan requires the student complete 30 credits of course work and write and defend a thesis or professional project which will be archived by the library. (Please note, however, in cases where the information provided for the professional project is confidential, the project will not be archived by the library and will be spiral bound by the student for in-house use only.)
• The non-thesis plan requires the student complete 36 credits of course work, a significant original research work or collection of works that are not a thesis or professional project and a comprehensive examination. Students who complete the degree under the non-thesis plan will not normally be considered for admission to the Ph.D. program.

Ph.D. Anthropology

Option:
 Cultural Studies and Applied Anthropology 

 Admission

1. Application Materials and Deadline

• Fall - Priority will be given to complete application packets postmarked by January 15. Complete application packets received after this date will be considered on a space available basis.
• Spring - Applications will be considered on a space available basis.

Please contact the department to inquire about available space before filling out an application.
Instructions for applying to the Graduate School are in the Applying for Admission section on this web site.

 In addition to the application materials required by the Graduate School, the Department of Anthropology also requires:

• A letter of intent showing a clear goal.
• Three letters of recommendation (We prefer electronic submission through the Admission Application. If the electronic method is used there is no need to send paper copies of the letters to the department.)

2. Program Requirements for Admission

• A B.A. or B.S. degree.
• Grade point average of at least 3.0 for the M.A. degree and 3.2 for the doctorate on all college work.
• Satisfactory scores on a recent GRE (not more than 5 years old) are preferred. However, a student may petition the department to accept verifiable GRE scores more than 5 years old.
Provisional admission may be offered for promising students who do not meet the GPA standards. If the student's bachelors degree is not in Anthropology the student will work with their advisor to develop a course of instruction that includes developing a background in the four fields of Anthropology.

3. Assistantship Application

Application information is available at http://www.cas.umt.edu/anthro/graduate_programs/default.php . If you have further questions, contact the Graduate Program Coordinator (see below).

4. International Students

• The TOEFL, IELTS or MELAB exam can substitute for the GRE.
• See information in the International Admission section on this web site.

Financial Assistance

For additional information about financial assistance, see the Financial Information section on this web site.

 Teaching Assistantships

A small number of teaching assistantships are normally awarded for one semester to students who have completed part of the program. One or more teaching assistantships are normally available for American Indian students. All assistantships are competitive and awarded on the basis of demonstrated excellence in coursework, research and service. Teaching assistants are expected to work 15 hours per week for 15 weeks. Depending on the class or classes to which they are assigned, their duties may include helping course instructors with student contact, exam preparation and scoring, maintaining records of student performance, lecturing and leading laboratory or discussion sections. In addition to their salaries, teaching assistants receive a tuition fee waiver (in-state or out-of-state) and a waiver of the registration fee. Other fees charged by the University are not included in the TA fee waiver package. Teaching assistants are required to register for 9 credits each semester.

Anthropology


 
 
Department website



Campus Location
Social Science Bldg., Room 203

Federal Express Delivery - Street Address
32 Campus Drive #5112
Missoula, MT 59812-5112

(406) 243-2693
Fax: (406) 243-4918

Graduate Program Coordinator
Douglas MacDonald, Ph.D.
(406) 243-5814
douglas.macdonald@umontana.edu

Apply Online 

Program information last updated 1/13