Bachelor's + Master's in Anthropology

Students in the BA or BS Anthropology undergraduate program may be admitted directly into the parallel Anthropology master’s program (i.e., BA students for the MA, and BS students for the MS) and share up to 20 graduate-level credits (five 4-credit courses) between their bachelor and master’s degrees.

Any of our full-time faculty (Shelby Anderson, Michele Gamburd, Charles Klein, Jeremy Spoon, Mrinalini Tankha, and Natalie Vasey) can help you determine if you're a likely candidate for the B+M program. Through these conversations, you should identify two faculty members who support your admission to the program; these faculty can help you put your application packet together.

STEPS TO APPLY

Admissions Criteria

The following conditions must be met for an initial application to the B+M program:

Declared Anthropology major who has completed or is enrolled in the three, 300-level major core requirements: ANTH 304 or 305, ANTH 350, and ANTH 370 or ANTH 372.
3.5 GPA in Anthropology courses
3.3 PSU institutional GPA
Junior or senior standing at PSU

Initial Application

You must first submit an initial B+M application to the Anthropology Graduate Coordinator. Initial applications are accepted on a rolling basis with three annual deadlines:

November 15 for a Winter term start
February 15 for a Spring term start
May 15 for a Fall term start

What You'll Need to Apply:

Unofficial transcript demonstrating that you've met the admissions criteria
500-word personal statement outlining your career and educational goals
Names of two Anthropology faculty members who support the application

Apply

Formal Application

If the Anthropology Department approves the initial application, the Anthropology Graduate Coordinator will send the student an email inviting them to submit a formal application to the Graduate School for the MA/MS master’s degree in Anthropology.

Apply to Grad School

Program Continuation Requirements

All 500-level courses must be taken at PSU for a grade of B or better.
All undergraduate classes must receive a grade of C or better. No P/NP credit will be accepted for either program.
The departmental residency requirement for undergraduate credit prior to admission is 24 credits. The PSU institutional requirement for residency for the undergraduate program is that 45 of the last 60 credits must be taken in residence at PSU.

Students must maintain a GPA of 3.3 in 500-level courses and 3.5 in 400-level and below courses in order to maintain their status in the MA/MS program.

Degree Maps

Our B+M program offers three tracks: an internship track, a skills track, and a thesis track. Review the degree maps to help you develop a course plan.