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.