Department of Sociology/Anthropology/Justice Studies

University of Idaho

101 Phinney Hall

Moscow, ID 83844-1110

Telephone (208) 885-6751

Fax (208) 885-2034

Please retain our guide and refer to it during your graduate career.

The University of Idaho’s Department of Sociology/Anthropology/Justice Studies offers a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology. This program includes class work, seminars, directed studies, independent research, a thesis, and a combined final oral exam and thesis defense. The curriculum provides sound training in general anthropology, archaeology, physical anthropology, and ethnology. Department research specialities include historical archaeology; prehistoric Northwest archaeology; Plateau Indian ethnography; human evolution; and indigenous peoples of South America.

Applicants to our program must hold a Bachelor’s degree, with a 3.0 overall GPA, from an accredited college or university. An undergraduate major in Anthropology is not required, but students who otherwise meet eligibility requirements but who do not have sufficient background in anthropology will be required to complete additional undergraduate course work. The number of classes will vary with the degree of deficiency and the student’s demonstrated potential for academic work.

Students with marginal qualifications may be admitted on provisional status or may be advised to complete a year of undergraduate study in anthropology before being considered for the Master’s program. Students with an overall GPA between 2.81 and 2.99 will be considered for provisional status if their grades in upper division classes average a 3.0 or better. Students who do not have the required GPA but who have strong recommendations or acceptable professional experience will be considered for the program after completing 12 credit hours of post baccalaureate study in upper division graduate anthropology courses with A or B grades. Although the department does not require the Graduate Record Exam, applicants with marginal qualifications should take the GRE and submit their scores with the application.

Applications, along with a statement of purpose and three letters of recommendation, should be submitted to the University Admissions office at least four months before the intended starting date. Completed applications are reviewed by the anthropology faculty who evaluate the application and recommend that the College of Graduate Studies either admit or not admit an applicant to the program. Applications submitted late in the spring semester or during the summer months might not be considered until after the fall semester begins.

Obtain and read the most recent University of Idaho catalog. All of the steps and time elements are in one table. Students must apply for admission to the Graduate School. Post-baccalaureate work taken before admission to the Graduate School will not appear on the graduate transcript and does not have to be considered by the department as graduate work.

Candidates must fulfill the requirements of the College of Graduate Studies and of the Department of Sociology/Anthropology/Justice Studies. See the College of Graduate Studies section of part 2 for the general requirements applicable to each for the MA degree.

Only the thesis option for the MA degree inn anthropology is available. Course work will include either 30 credits plus a foreign language (or language other than the student’s native language) proficiency examination or 36 credits and no foreign language requirement. Students who as undergraduates did not take at least one course in each of the four subfields of anthropology and a course in statistics will be asked to do so (in consultation with an advisor) at the beginning of their graduate programs. No graduate credit will be awarded for courses taken to satisfy such deficiencies. Graduate students must demonstrate competence in each of the four subfields of anthropology. The MA core along with the expected undergraduate preparation (or courses taken as deficiencies as a graduate student) are designed for this purpose. The core of the MA program consists of Anthropology 510, 511, 521, and 530. Students who have already received credit for 410, 411, or 430 will substitute appropriate courses for 510, 511, or 530 with approval from the advisor. The remaining credits will be distributed among courses in supporting fields (at least 6 credits) and anthropology electives. Both the 30 and 36 credit MA program must include at least 6 but no more than 10 thesis credits, although more than 10 credits of thesis may be taken. A minimum of 18 credits must be at the 500 level. Anthropology courses must be at the 400 or 500 level, while supporting courses can include 300 level. No more than 12 credits can be transferred from other institutions and an official copy of the student’s transcripts from each institution must be on file in the Registrar’s Office. Such institutions must have a graduate program and the work taken for graduate credit.

New graduate students must meet with an advisor within the first two weeks of the first semester and at least once each semester thereafter to design a program and to ensure that course work is appropriate for the program. By the end of the first or second semester, students must choose a major professor and two other committee members. The major professor will then become the student’s advisor. In addition to the major professor, one member is chosen from the department (not necessarily anthropology but in the department of Sociology/Anthropology/Justice Studies or Washington State University’s department of Anthropology) and a third is chosen from a related field outside the department. The committee may include additional persons in or out of the department but all must approve the thesis, sign forms, attend the exam, etc.

Students must arrange a committee meeting early in the thesis preparation to 1) approve a study plan (to be obtained from the Graduate School), and 2) approve the thesis proposal. The proposal should include at least a thesis outline (table of contents), statement of the problem, research design, and selected references.

Students must obtain and complete the Graduate School "Application for Degree" form and file it within the first four weeks of the final semester (the first three weeks during summer school). The filing of all forms is the student’s responsibility.

Students will conduct thesis research under the direction of a thesis advisor but will keep committee members posted of any major changes in the direction or research methods.

If research involves human subjects, either on or off campus, students must secure clearance from the University Research Assurances Committee. Research involving members of American Indian tribes must be cleared with the appropriate tribal governing bodies and the anthropology faculty.

The thesis has a typed form requiring several signatures at different times. This "Authorization to Proceed with the Final Draft" (APFD) form must be sent around with the rough draft and signed by the committee members at that time. Please read both the Graduate School and the department style sheets.

Allow each committee member up to four weeks to review the final draft (multiple copies will speed this up to two weeks total). This final draft must include all figures, tables, etc., just as they will go to the Graduate School. You must obtain the signatures of the Chair of the Department and the Dean of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Science on the APFD form. The signature of the Dean can take several days to obtain and almost always results in changes. This form should be taken to the final exam.

Students must provide a copy of the thesis, in a binder or box, to the Department Secretary at least one week before the final oral exam. Two final copies of the thesis must be provided to the Graduate School. These two copies must be unbound, on thesis bond, printed on one side of the paper only, double-spaced (with exceptions), and all illustrations of high quality. Final copies must also be provided to committee members and the department. These need not be on thesis bond paper. The final department copy will be added to the archives of the Laboratory of Anthropology, and so must be bound in a spring-back binder or box, which can be purchased from the department. Because changes in the thesis (generally minor) might be required after the final oral exam, final copies for the Graduate School and Laboratory of Anthropology should not be made beforehand.

The final oral exam is scheduled with an APFD form after the thesis is approved, and no later than four weeks before the end of the semester (two weeks before the end of the summer session). The catalogue states that the major professor schedules the date, time, and place. In reality, you arrange the date and time with final approval by the major professor. The first hour of the two-hour exam will consist of a defense of the thesis, while the second hour will consist of: 1) socio-cultural anthropology, 2) archaeology, 3) anthropological linguistics, 4) physical/biological anthropology, 5) and graduate course work.

Following the exam, the delivery of appropriate forms to the Graduate School is the student’s responsibility. The change of IP grades in Thesis credit must by made by the major professor.

Attendance at spring graduation is a matter between the student and the Graduate School, though the department strongly encourages participation.

Continuous enrollment for at least one credit during all semesters (excluding summer) prior to and including the semester you take the final exam is a Department requirement. An absence of two years requires re-admission to the anthropology graduate program once degree work is resumed. Such re-admission is not a formality; it involves careful re-evaluation of all previous work and your continued suitability to be in the graduate program. Registration in person, via the web, or by telephone each semester is your responsibility.

Compliance with all of the above procedures is required regardless of physical logistics during thesis completion. This includes the submission of the completed thesis prior to obtaining an APFD form. Do not expect the major professor to obtain signatures and turn in correct forms.

Graduate students should keep in mind that no course completed more than eight years before the degree is granted can be counted toward fulfillment of any requirement (the limit is six years if you entered the graduate program before fall 1995). An extension of this time limit must be requested by petition, and it is usually granted for one academic year after the request is approved. Requests for further extension have generally not been approved by the Graduate Council.