Anthropology - Master of Arts

The Anthropology M.A. program is designed for students who are interested in the traditional sub-disciplines of anthropology, as well as such related fields as cultural resource management, food studies, medical anthropology, and museum studies. The program is directed to both students planning to complete a professional M.A. degree and students planning to enter a Ph.D. program. In addition to the M.A. in Anthropology, our program offers graduate minors in anthropology, archaeology, and food studies, as well as Graduate Certificates in cultural resource management and museum studies. The faculty encourage all graduate students to develop graduate minors and certificates, enhancing their specialized training in anthropology.

Program Outcomes:

1. Develop and execute a problem-oriented anthropological study using appropriate theoretical and methodological perspectives in at least one sub-field of anthropology. The study may focus on applied/practicing work or standard academic research, and will report the results in the form of a master's thesis, professional internship report, or professional research project report. The final thesis or report must show substantive data analysis by the student, directed toward an explicit anthropological research question.
2. Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills in professional settings.
3. Demonstrate professional engagement with peers, faculty, staff, researchers, and other professionals in anthropology.

An undergraduate anthropology degree is not required for entry into the M.A. program. Applicants who lack the equivalent of ANTH 301, ANTH 315, and ANTH 355 may be required to take these courses or corresponding sections of ANTH 502. ANTH 350 or the equivalent is recommended. Applicants without an undergraduate degree in anthropology are encouraged to contact the Graduate Advisor before applying to the M.A. program in anthropology.

The M.A. Program in Anthropology at NMSU is enrolled as an eligible graduate program under the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP). WRGP allows master’s, graduate certificate, and doctoral students who are residents of Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) member states to enroll in graduate programs outside of their home state and pay in-state resident tuition. Residents of the following states and territories are eligible to attend the M.A. Program in Anthropology at NMSU for in-state tuition rates: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, U.S. Pacific Territories and Freely Associate States, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Interested graduate applicants should apply directly to the NMSU Graduate School and identify themselves as WICHE WRGP applicants. WRGP applicants must meet NMSU’s WRGP admission requirements and deadlines. If you have further questions about the WRGP program and your eligibility, please contact Kathryn Olszowy at kolszowy@nmsu.edu.

Admission Requirements

To apply to the Anthropology Masters Degree program the following materials are required:

• Graduate School application form and fees
• Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, with a 3.0 GPA minimum.
• A letter from the candidate addressing his or her interests and graduate school objectives
• Letters of recommendation from three persons familiar with the candidate’s academic record

All the above items should be submitted through the Graduate School’s central admission system at: https://gradschool.nmsu.edu/

NOTE: The GRE is not required.

NOTE: In addition to the above, international applicants also need to view the requirements of admission to the university and provide additional documentation online, at this page: https://isss.nmsu.edu/index-2/

NOTE: students may matriculate in either August or January. If a student wishes to be considered for a Graduate Assistantship, the application must be completed by February 15 for admission in the fall semester. Assistantships are not usually offered for students matriculating in January, but they may be considered in subsequent semesters for an award.

For more information about the Anthropology Graduate Program contact:

Dr. Kathryn Olszowy, Anthropology Graduate Advisor at: kolszowy@nmsu.edu

Dr. Lois Stanford, Anthropology Department Head at: lstanfor@nmsu.edu

The Anthropology M.A. program is designed for students who are interested in archaeology, cultural anthropology, and biological anthropology, as well as such related fields as cultural resource management (CRM), food studies, medical anthropology, and museum studies. The program is directed to both students planning to complete a professional M.A. degree and students planning to enter a Ph.D. program. 

An undergraduate anthropology degree is not required for entry into the M.A. program. Applicants who lack the equivalent of ANTH 301, ANTH 315, and ANTH 355 may be required to take these courses or corresponding sections of ANTH 502. ANTH 350 or the equivalent is recommended. Prospective applicants without undergraduate degrees in anthropology are encouraged to contact the Graduate Advisor before applying.

Program Requirements

Students selecting the thesis option must complete 30 hours of basic course work, plus 6 hours of thesis credit. Students selecting the non-thesis option must complete 36 hours of course work including an internship or special research project for 6 credits. The credits required for students selecting either the thesis or non-thesis options are distributed as follows:

¹

earning a grade of B or better 

A Suggested Plan of Study

The following road map is a guide for full-time students (9 or more credits/semester) to earn the Master of Anthropology degree within two years. We expect that each student will create a unique, customized degree plan in consultation with their graduate faculty committee.