Mission Statement
UAF's graduate program in Anthropology offers study in the four subfields of anthropology: social/cultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology.
The UAF Department of Anthropology is committed to scholarship and research in anthropology with a general geographic focus on the circumpolar regions of the north as well as research and instruction covering a variety of world areas and topical subjects. The teaching and research activities in the department cover the four sub-fields of the discipline: archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistic and social/cultural anthropology. The graduate program offers students the opportunity to concentrate study in one of the four sub-fields, to gain research experience and training in the field and in the laboratory, and emphasizes empirical and applied studies.
The core of any student’s program is his/her advising committee and the Graduate Study Plan s/he develops with them. This plan outlines subject areas on which the student needs to concentrate, language(s) and research tools and a timeline for completion. The Graduate Study Plan is filed with Graduate School and in Department files. Both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees require that a written research proposal be approved by the student’s Advisory Committee. Ph.D. prospectuses are presented publicly.
New Deadline for Graduate Applications
Our internal department deadline for admission to the graduate program is January 15 of each year for students who wish to be simultaneously considered for both Fall admission and teaching asssistantships. We do not offer teaching assistantships to mid-year applicants.
MA Program
The Master's degree program prepares students to: (1) pursue more advanced training leading to a PhD in anthropology, (2) teach anthropology within secondary education and/or undergraduate levels of higher education, or (3) pursue career positions in various levels of government and business in which anthropological training and/or expertise is beneficial.
M.A. students will acquire a comprehensive understanding of their subfield of concentration including its history, current theoretical perspectives, and research methodologies. They will furthermore be able to write fundable research proposals and produce professional reports andlor publishable papers and/or museum projects. Students will be able to independently design and conduct archival, laboratory and/or field research.
PhD Program
The primary focus of the PhD program is study of the prehistory, history and contemporary world of the people and cultures of the circumpolar North. Students may concentrate on any of the four subfields of anthropology (some research in biological anthropology does not focus on the North).
Ph.D. students will further develop and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of their subfield of concentration including its history, current theoretical perspectives, and research methodologies, as well as an in-depth understanding of topics directly related to their planned research project. They will furthermore be able to write fundable research proposals and produce professional reports, publishable papers, and books. Students will be able to independently design and conduct archival, laboratory and/or field research.
For more information on graduate studies in anthropology at UAF, please contact the Graduate Studies Director, Dr. David Koester (dckoester @ alaska.edu). Current and prospective anthropology graduate students should also directly contact a member of the faculty that would potentially serve as a thesis advisor.