Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures
Department Head: Dr. Jimmy Hardin
Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Molly Zuckerman
208 Cobb Institute of Archaeology
Box AR
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Telephone: 662-325-7524
E-mail: grad@anthro.msstate.edu
Graduate study leading to a Master of Arts degree in Applied Anthropology is offered by the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures.
Admission Criteria
- A complete application for graduate study at MSU
- Official transcripts showing credits earned at institutions of higher education
- A 3.00 GPA on the last 60 hours of baccalaureate work
- A statement of purpose explaining why the applicant wishes to study anthropology at MSU
- Three letters of recommendation from people who know the applicant’s academic ability and potential
A student who is admitted to the program without a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and who has not completed the following will be required to take:
| AN 1103 | Introduction to Anthropology | 3 |
| AN 1344 | Biological Anthropology: The Making of Us | 4 |
| AN 1143 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
These courses are not offered for graduate credit. A student who has not taken AN 6123 or its equivalent must take it for graduate credit.
A student enters the graduate program in the fall or spring semester. To be considered for admission, all application materials must be received by February 15 (fall admission) or October 15 (spring admission).
A request to waive the internship requirement must be provided in writing to the anthropology graduate coordinator by the graduate student. The request must give details of previous jobs and experience in applied settings, including length of each, employer, supervisor, and kinds of anthropology-related tasks performed. The student must arrange for submission of a letter from each agency or firm for which the student claims paid or volunteer work. Such letters must detail the kinds of work performed, the anthropological knowledge required, and must attest to the student’s satisfactory performance of the work. This material will become part of the student’s file. The waiver request will be considered by the anthropology graduate coordinator in consultation with other Anthropology faculty. If the request is granted, a signed copy of the waiver agreement will be placed in the student’s file. Credit will not be awarded for waived internships.
Provisional Admission
An applicant who has not fully met the GPA requirements stipulated by the University and the Anthropology program for admission may be granted admission as a degree-seeking graduate student with provisional status. Such students must have as their initial objective advancement to regular status. Provisional students must receive a 3.00 GPA on the first 9 hours of graduate-level courses on their program of study taken at Mississippi State University (with no grade lower than a C) to gain regular admission status. Courses with an S grade, transfer credits, or credits earned while in Unclassified status cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student will be dismissed from graduate study. While in the provisional status, students are not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.
Assistantships
Applications for assistantships must be completed separately from admission applications and be submitted directly to the Anthropology Graduate Coordinator. Assistantship applications may be obtained from the coordinator (contact information below). An academic writing sample is required as part of the assistantship application. Assistantship application deadlines are February 15 (for fall semester) and October 15 (for spring semester).
Academic Performance
Unsatisfactory performance in the program will result in dismissal. Unsatisfactory performance is defined as the failure to maintain a B average in graduate courses attempted after admission to the program, a grade of U, D, or F in two courses, failure of the oral thesis defense, an evaluation of unsatisfactory on the thesis, or any other failure of a required component of the program of study. Evaluation of graduate grade point averages will occur following the first two regular semesters of coursework and every semester thereafter.
Accelerated Program
The goal of the accelerated B.A./M.A. program in Applied Anthropology (APAN) in the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures (AMEC) is to enable highly qualified Anthropology students to earn up to 12 hours of graduate course credit during their final year of undergraduate studies. Students will complete graduate-level courses (6000-level) and receive dual credit for the equivalent undergraduate course (4000-level). Application to this program may be made as early as the junior year. The student must have completed 60 or more hours of graded undergraduate courses and achieved a 3.50 GPA for all undergraduate coursework at the time of application. Students must apply and be admitted to the accelerated program prior to enrolling in graduate courses. Interested students should contact the graduate coordinator, Dr. Molly Zuckerman, for additional details.
Information
For additional information, contact the Anthropology Graduate Coordinator.
Program of Study
A student may elect to specialize either in applied archaeology/bioarchaeology or in applied cultural anthropology. The program exposes students to proposal writing, consulting practices, and ethics.
The program focuses on preparing students for placement in the public and private sectors as cultural resource specialists, applied skeletal biologists, applied health scientists, and community and sustainable development practitioners, as well as preparing them for further graduate study.
Master of Arts in Applied Anthropology, Applied Archaeology/Bioarchaeology Emphasis
| Archaeology field school 1 | ||
| Required courses | ||
| AN 6123 | Anthropological Theory | 3 |
| AN 6523 | Public Archaeology | 3 |
| AN 8011 | Professionalization in Applied Anthropology | 1 |
| AN 8013 | Quantitative Methods in Anthropology | 3 |
| AN 8533 | Readings in Archaeology: Theory | 3 |
| Technical elective graduate courses | 6-7 | |
| Additional 8000-level coursework | 6 | |
| Research | 6 | |
AN 8000 | ||
| Internship | 5 | |
| One-semester- or one-summer-long internship | ||
| Total Hours | 36-37 | |
- 1
AN 2516 Archaeological Field Methods: Survey: 1-6 hours, or AN 3516 Archaeological Field Methods: Excavation: 1-6 hours, or AN 3540 Archaeological Travel and Participation Program: 1-6 hours must be completed if the student has not had equivalent courses or field experience. Courses do not count for graduate credit.
An oral exam and thesis are required.
The emphasis in applied archaeology/ bioarchaeology focuses on cultural resource management. Specialty areas include the following:
- archaeological surface survey and excavation methods
- artifact analysis
- settlement pattern and spatial analysis
- environmental archaeology
- osteoarchaeology
- forensics
Master of Arts in Applied Anthropology, Applied Cultural Anthropology Emphasis
| Required courses | ||
| AN 6123 | Anthropological Theory 1 | 3 |
| AN 8011 | Professionalization in Applied Anthropology | 1 |
| AN 8013 | Quantitative Methods in Anthropology | 3 |
| Elective graduate courses | 9 | |
| Additional 8000-level coursework | 9 | |
| Research | 6 | |
AN 8000 | ||
| Internship | 5 | |
One-semester- or one-summer-long internship | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
- 1
Must be completed if the student has not had equivalent courses or field experience.
An oral exam and thesis are required.
The applied cultural anthropology specialization emphasizes medical anthropology; environmental anthropology; business and economic anthropology; mediating the impacts of development; urban anthropology; and communication in multi-cultural settings. Ethnographic and qualitative research methods, as practiced in applied settings, are stressed.
Graduate Anthropology Minor
The department offers a graduate minor in anthropology consisting of 12 graduate hours including AN 6123. The minor is flexible in content and designed to complement the student’s work in other fields. Courses taken for a graduate minor in anthropology must be taught by anthropology faculty. A student selecting this minor must include a minor committee member on his/her graduate committee.
AN 6123 Anthropological Theory: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: AN 1103 or its equivalent or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. A history of the development of anthropological theory; an analysis of contemporary theoretical formulations and approaches
AN 6133 Medical Anthropology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: AN 1103 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. The cross-cultural study of health, sickness, and medicine from a holistic perspective emphasizing interactions between culture and biology and between bio-medicine and local healing traditions
AN 6143 Ethnographic Methods: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: AN 1103 or AN 1143 or consent of instructor.) Three hours lecture. An overview of methods and techniques for conducting ethnographic research
AN 6153 Seminar in Cultural Anthropology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.) Three hours seminar. The study of contemporary problems and approaches in cultural anthropology
AN 6163 Anthropology of International Development: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Senior standing or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. Role of anthropology in international development including origins of the Third World, development theory, current issues in international development, case studies
AN 6173 Environment and Society: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: AN 1103, SO 1003 consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. A study of the interaction between human society and the environment including the social aspects of environmental problems. (Same as SO 4173/6173)
AN 6303 Human Variation and Origins: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. An examination of human origins, genetics, and other principal factors that contribute to physical variation within and between human populations
AN 6313 Human Osteology: 3 hours.
Two hours lecture and two hours laboratory. Identification of each human bone both complete and fragmentary. Study of skeletal and dental development, sex differences, age changes, hard tissue histology, trauma analysis, and paleopathology. Guest lectures in advanced laboratory methods
AN 6323 Plagues and People: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Discussion of the impact of epidemic infectious diseases, such as the Black Death, syphilis, and HIV/AIDS, on human societies throughout history
AN 6333 Anthropology of Violence: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Cross-cultural anthropological analysis of group-level violence. Examination of modern ethnography, and archaeological and bioarchaeological data
AN 6343 Anthropology of Death: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Cross-cultural anthropological analysis of mortuary processes and behaviors. Examination of modern ethnography, archaeological and bioarchaeological data
AN 6353 Biology and Culture: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Exploration and translation into public educational materials of relationships between human biology and culture and their impacts on diet; reproduction; aging; infectious and non-communicable disease; intersectional experiences of race, gender, racism, and prejudice; mental health; sleep; resilience; trauma and violence. Same as AAS 4353/6353
AN 6363 Advanced Methods in Forensic Anthropology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: AN 3343 and AN 4313, or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. Advanced hands-on experience and training in the methods used for identification of unknown human skeletal remains. Includes in-depth discussion of the biological profile, taphonomy, and pathology
AN 6373 Death and American Culture: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Survey of burial and body disposal patterns and how they exemplify political and cultural identity throughout US history with an anthropological focus on material culture
AN 6383 Seminar in Biological Anthropology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: consent of instructor) Three hours seminar. The study of contemporary problems and approaches in Biological Anthropology
AN 6393 Skeletal Mechanics in Biological Anthropology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: AN 4313) Three hours lecture. In-depth study of the mechanical behavior of living bone. This course discusses the morphology and function of bone tissue, the mechanical behavior of cortical and trabecular bone, the fatigue behavior of bone, and the response of living bone to mechanical loading
AN 6403 Introduction to Linguistics: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. The descriptive and historical study of language; linguistic analysis and comparison; language classification; language in its social and cultural setting. (Same as EN 4403/6403)
AN 6523 Public Archaeology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: AN 1543 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. Survey of cultural resource management practices, Federal and State historic preservation laws, research proposal design, significance assessments, professional ethics, employee/client relationships, and public education
AN 6543 The Ancient Near East: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Completion of any 1000-level history course). Three hours lecture. A study of the origins and development of civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Syria-Palestine from prehistoric times to the end of the Persian period (Same as MEC/REL/HI 4403/6403)
AN 6553 Historical Archaeology: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. A study of the development of the modern world through integrating the study of archaeological remains with historical sources
AN 6563 Seminar in Archaeology: 3 hours.
Three hours seminar. Study of contemporary problems and topics of current interest within Archaeology
AN 6623 Language and Culture: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Examination of language as a part of culture, a source of knowledge about other aspects of culture, and a social behavior. (Same as EN 4623/6623 and SO 4623/6623)
AN 6633 Language and Society: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Examination of relationship between language and society, and how, when, and why people in speech communities use language varieties. (Same as EN 4633/6633 and SO 4633/6633)
AN 6990 Special Topics in Anthropology: 1-9 hours.
Credit and title to be arranged. This course is to be used on a limited basis to offer developing subject matter areas not covered in existing courses. (Courses limited to two offerings under one title within two academic years)
AN 7000 Directed Individual Study in Anthropology: 1-6 hours.
Hours and credits to be arranged
AN 8011 Professionalization in Applied Anthropology: 1 hour.
One hour seminar. Students are introduced to norms of professional behavior in Applied Anthropology, with focus on success in graduate school and preparation for the job market
AN 8013 Quantitative Methods in Anthropology: 3 hours.
Students are introduced to quantitative methods utilized in anthropological research. Students will examine anthropological research design, sampling strategies, probability theory, and various statistical approaches
AN 8103 Applied Cultural Anthropology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: AN 1103 or AN 1143 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. An overview of the application of anthropological theory and method of contemporary social problems
AN 8123 Environmental Anthropology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: None). Three hours seminar. Study of anthropological approaches to analyzing the relationship between humans and the environment
AN 8183 Culture, Place and Space: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. This course investigates the relationship between culture, space, and place, introducing key ways social scientists approach these concerns. A central focus is the relationship between modes of social difference—particularly race, gender, and class—and cultural meaning in spatial power relations. (Same as GR 8183)
AN 8193 Current Cultural Theory: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: None). Three hours seminar. The study of contemporary theoretical perspectives and problems in cultural anthropology
AN 8215 Internship in Applied Anthropology: 5 hours.
A minimum of nine wkked of supervised professional anthropology experience in an appropriate setting
AN 8303 Seminar in Bio-archaeology: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Overview of applications in bioarchaeology, including paleodemography, paleopathology, and paleonutrition
AN 8313 Paleopathology: Ancient Disease: 3 hours.
Three hours seminar. Seminar on theory and methods for reconstructing the history of human health and disease from skeletal, archaeological, biomolecular, and historical material
AN 8513 Southeastern Archaeology: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Prehistory of Southeastern U.S. from entry of first people to European contact. Changes in technology, settlement, subsistence, demography, and environment examined using archaeological evidence
AN 8523 Environmental Archaeology: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Coverage of method and theory in environmental archaeology, including elements of palynology, geoarchaeology, floral and faunal analysis, landscape ecology, historical ecology, cultural ecology, and taphonomy
AN 8533 Readings in Archaeology: Theory: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Archaeological theory and its implications for practice, focusing on evolutionary archaeology but also including culture history, processual, reconstructionist, and post-processual approaches
AN 8543 Household Archaeology: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Explores inner-workings of societies through the archaeological investigation of households globally. Reviews household universality, composition, function and variation. Considers theoretical, methodological, and substantive issues
AN 8553 Readings in Archaeology: Applications: 3 hours.
Three hours lecture. Review of literature related to materials science in archaeology, including thin-sectioning and petrography, raw material sourcing, organic residues, dating techniques, and preservation technnology
AN 8990 Special Topics in Anthropology: 1-9 hours.
Credit and title to be arranged. This course is to be used on a limited basis to offer developing subject matter areas not covered in existing courses. (Courses limited to two offerings under one title within two academic years)
AN 9000 Research in Anthropology: 1-13 hours.
Hours and credits to be arranged
MEC 6403 The Ancient Near East: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Completion of any 1000-level history course). Three hours lecture. A study of the origins and development of civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Syria-Palestine from prehistoric times to the end of the Persian period (Same as REL/HI 4403/6403/ AN 4543/6543)