University of Maryland
Graduate Catalog Fall 2009

Anthropology (ANTH)

Faculty

Chair
Shackel, Paul A.,

Professor
Chambers, Erve, Chernela, Janet, Jackson, Fatimah L.C., Leone, Mark P., Shackel, Paul A., Whitehead, Tony L.,

Professor Emerita
Gonzalez, Nancie L.,

Professor Emeritus
Agar, Michael,

Associate Professor
Freidenberg, Judith N., Paolisso, Michael J.,

Assistant Professor
Brighton, Stephen, Stuart, William T.,

Affiliate Professor
Bolles, A. Lynn, Caughey, John L., Harrison, Regina, Linebaugh, Donald, Robertson, Carol E.,

Affiliate Associate Professor
Kim, Seung-Kyung,

Abstract

The Department of Anthropology offers graduate study leading to the Master of Applied Anthropology (MAA) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. Both degrees reflect the department's special interest and expertise in the applications of anthropology. Current faculty members represent the four traditional subfields of the discipline (archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural and social anthropology, and anthropological linguistics). Drawing their intellectual and applied orientations from training and application of the above four subdisciplines, the department's faculty also recognize the need to identify topics or problems where the expertise of individual faculty members can be applied in a manner that integrates the subdisciplines. In this ongoing effort, the faculty has identified three areas of research concentration: Anthropology of Health, Anthropology of Environment, and Anthropology of Heritage. The areas can be thought to contain and generate research problems of interest to the faculty's experience and expertise within the subdisciplines. These problems can be addressed individually through cultural and social anthropology, biological anthropology, anthropological linguistics and archaeology. However, the anthropological contribution to addressing these problems is enhanced by collaboration across subdiscipline interests and expertise. The Master of Applied Anthropology (MAA) is a program designed both for students interested in an anthropology career outside of academia and for those who plan on continuing to a Ph.D. The program has been offered at the University of Maryland since 1984, and graduates have successfully secured employment or pursued doctoral work in a variety of fields, such as working in the areas of medical and health practice, urban and regional planning and development, community development, conservation and heritage resource development, cultural resource management, historical archaeology and anthropological genetic and ancestry reconstruction. The focus of the MAA program has been to participate in the building of anthropological practice. A major focus of the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program is to direct research scholarship and to encourage theoretical and methodological advancement in such a way as to reflect upon the specific practices of anthropology, with the aim of improving those practices and thereby increasing the value and usefulness of the discipline. Doctoral students are typically prepared for research and development careers outside of academic settings, as well as for academic careers in anthropology departments and other disciplinary settings.

Admissions Information

Students are required to submit Graduate Record Examination scores and fulfill the Graduate School admission requirements. Application deadline for all applicants, domestic and international, is December 15th.

Application Deadlines

 

Fall

Spring
Domestic Applicants:
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

Domestic Applicant Deadlines


All international and domestic applications must be received by December 15 .


This program does not accept applications for this semester.

 


International Applicants:
Applicants from Outside the U.S. or U.S. Citizens / Permanent Residents with Non-U.S. Credentials

IMPORTANT:   International Applicants and U.S. Applicants with Non-U.S. Credentials must follow the domestic deadlines above if they are earlier than the deadlines listed below.   

Applicants seeking admission under F (Student) or J (Exchange Visitor) visas

February 1
If Domestic Deadline is after Feb. 1

June 1
If Domestic Deadline is after Jun. 1

Applicants seeking admission under A, E, G, H, I, and L visas and immigrants

May 1
If Domestic Deadline is after May 1

October 1
If Domestic Deadline is after Jun. 1

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents with foreign credentials

May 15
If Domestic Deadline is after May 15

October 31
If Domestic Deadline is after Oct.31
 

Application Requirements

  1. Graduate School requirements
  2. GRE General
  3. Statement of Intent and Experience
  4. Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
  5. Writing sample (Ph.D. only)

Degree Requirements

Master of Applied Anthropology (M.A.A.)
The program requires 42 credit hours of coursework, including a core sequence (18 credit hours), an internship sequence (12 semester hours), and a sequence of individually approved courses that are related to a chosen domain of application (12 semester hours). MAA students must satisfactorily complete an internship proposal review with their advisory committee before beginning the internship, which is normally completed during the summer term between the first and second years of the program. Students are also required to present the results of their internship in a departmental colloquium prior to graduation. There is no thesis requirement.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)
Students entering the Ph.D. from a Bachelor's degree must normally complete all the requirements for the MAA degree indicated above, although the internship sequence can be substituted with additional coursework under approved circumstances. An additional minimum of 30 credit hours of advanced coursework is required, to include at least 12 credit hours of dissertation research. For students entering the Ph.D. program from the MAA, an additional minimum of 30 credit hours of advanced coursework is required, to include at least 12 credit hours of dissertation research. Students entering the Ph.D. program with a master's degree from another institution are minimally required to complete the 18 credit-hour core sequence of the MAA program and an additional minimum of 30 credit hours of advanced coursework, to include at least 12 credit hours of dissertation research. These students are not normally required to complete the internship sequence, although in some cases their doctoral committee may decide that an internship may be appropriate to enhance a student's professional experience prior to graduation. Additional supportive coursework may be required on a case-by-case basis depending on the qualifications of the student. In such cases, these expectations will be specified upon admission to the Ph.D. program. Substitutions for courses in the MAA core sequence are rarely permitted and must be approved by the Graduate Committee and the Department Chair. Students admitted to the Ph.D. program advance to candidacy upon completion of a written comprehensive examination and an oral defense of their dissertation proposal. An oral defense upon completion of the dissertation is also required.

Facilities and Special Resources

The Department of Anthropology has four laboratory spaces: the Archaeological Heritage Lab; a lab related to the Archaeology in Annapolis project; a lab related to Irish Rural Lifeways; and a Biological Anthropology lab with HPLC, DNA sequencing, phytochemical quantification, and in-vitro testing capabilities. Additional research facilities include the Cultural Systems Analysis Group (CuSAG), which focuses on applied research in health and community development issues, and the Center for Heritage Resource Studies (CHRS), which conducts and supports basic and applied research in heritage resource studies.

Financial Assistance

A limited number of Departmental Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships are available to qualified graduate students. Part-time employment related to department research is occasionally available.

Contact Information

For additional information please contact:

Dr. Michael Paolisso, Graduate Director
1111 Woods Hall
College Park
MD  20742
Telephone: 301-405-1433
Fax: 301-314-8305
mpaolisso@anth.umd.edu

http://www.bsos.umd.edu/anth

current URL: http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/programs/printable.cfm?CODE=13

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