The MA in anthropology at the University of Louisville is designed to enhance student knowledge of and skills in dealing with contemporary social issues facing a globalizing community and world from an anthropological perspective and to be able to locate these in the long progression of human history and within the body of social science theory. We expect our graduates to enter professions as skilled administrators, researchers, and leaders. Although students may focus heavily on evolutionary anthropology, archaeology, or cultural anthropology, this is a general, comprehensive masters program.

Anthropology is the queen of multidisciplinary work, and we see our students taking courses from and pursuing collaborations with colleagues in Humanities, Sociology, History, Women and Gender Studies, Pan-African Studies, Political Science, Art History, Biology, and the Kent School of Social Work. Students with little or no academic background in anthropology will be required to take some preparatory courses determined in consultation with the Anthropology Graduate Coordinator. 

Admission criteria include an undergraduate GPA of minimally 3.0 from an accredited college or university, a combined score of at least 1000 on the GRE verbal and quantitative sections.

The Master of Arts in Anthropology is a 30-hour program.  It comprises 24 hours of course work at the graduate level plus 6 hours of thesis or an internship.  At least 18 of the 24 hours must be in courses at the 600 level.

Students may enroll in 6 credit hours in another department; students may enroll in 500-level courses in another department with the permission of the Anthropology Graduate Coordinator.

Courses taken at the 500 or 600 level as an undergraduate may be applied toward the M.A. in Anthropology on the condition that the student earned a grade of B or higher in the course.  Graduate Coordinator approval is required. Coursework earned as undergraduate and used to meet the requirements for the undergraduate degree may not be used for graduate credit.

Degree Options
The Master of Arts in Anthropology requires 30 hours of academic work at the graduate level.  All students enrolled in the M.A. program are required to complete one of the following options:
 
Thesis (24 seminar hours plus 6 credit hours of thesis)

Non-Thesis (24 seminar hours plus 6 credit hours of internship)

Course Offerings
Core Seminars:
608 Social and Cultural Theory
612 Contemporary Issues in Anthropology

Students must select one of the following courses:
609 Research Design:  Archaeology
610 Research Design:  Biological Anthropology
611 Research Design:  Socio-Cultural Anthropology

Jennie Burnet, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Amanda Coleman
Lecturer

Fabian Crespo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Phil DiBlasi, M.S.
Staff Archaeologist

John Hale, Ph.D.
Professor (Adjunct)

Anita Harris, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Jonathan Haws, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Advising Coordinator

Frederic Hicks, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus

Yvonne Jones, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Lisa Markowitz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Chair

Kelly O'Connor, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer

Shawn Parkhurst, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Frances Purifoy, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer

Julie Peteet, Ph.D.
Professor

Russell Reid, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus

Edwin Segal, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus

Jay Stottman, M.A.
Lecturer

Christopher Tillquist, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies

Jeneen Wiche, M.A.
Lecturer

Jianhua Zhao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor