The Department of Anthropology offers Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees. The program provides you with graduate-level competence in biological anthropology, archaeology, and sociocultural anthropology, and the necessary skills to support a wide range of professional and academic career trajectories.
Our program is designed for students who hold an undergraduate degree in general anthropology or the equivalent in course coverage. For students with this preparation, the master’s degree may be completed in two to three years.
Graduate applicants who lack an undergraduate major in Anthropology may be admitted to the
program, but degree completion may take longer. Students without an adequate background in
anthropology may be required to take selected undergraduate courses to prepare themselves
for graduate-level studies. These courses normally do not offer graduate credit.
We offer you three tracks to choose from:
- Thesis Track: You'll conduct original research in an area of special interest and write a thesis based on this data. This track is excellent preparation for doctoral programs.
- Internship Track: You'll complete a supervised internship at a partner organization, and write a thesis that combines an internship deliverable to the organization and a final internship reflection paper. This track prepares students for work as a practicing anthropologist.
- Course-Only/Skills Track: You'll complete a curriculum tailored to their career objectives as an applied anthropologist. In your final quarter, you'll take comprehensive exams and submit a portfolio documenting the skills you've obtained during the program.
For more information on each track’s specific requirements, see the PSU Bulletin.