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Graduate Programs

Anthropology seeks to understand the forms and processes of social and cultural production and the nature and origins of human biological variability through systematic exploration and scientific examination of human groups and their artifacts and lifeways, past and present. 

Anthropology's traditional emphasis is on the study of small-scale societies, but practical and theoretical concerns have broadened the scope of anthropological research to include the entire range of globally interdependent societies of the world. Ecological, physiological, psychological, historical, economic, artistic, technological and political phenomena all fall within the current purview of anthropology. The discipline thus draws freely on various fields of study in the humanities, physical and natural sciences, and various social sciences in its exploration of the patterns of human social life and adaptation.

There are four traditionally recognized subfields of the discipline: archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology and sociocultural anthropology. Binghamton University's faculty represent the four subfields, and this coverage is key to the training of its students. However, departmental research and graduate training is also structured around four domains of research and theory that cross-cut the subdisciplines. These approaches are:

• Ecological and biobehavioral anthropology, an approach that employs ecological, biomedical, evolutionary and population paradigms in conjunction with natural science and sociocultural perspectives;
• Political economy, which seeks to understand the ways that forces at the state and suprastate levels interact with local-level institutions and practices; 
• Materialism and Semiotics, which encompass analyses of the body, objects, languages, as well as other species. These analyses share an interest in critically reassessing, and in some cases challenging, our assumptions about the physical and/or non-human; and
• Critical anthropology, which attempts to analyze the influence of culturally-instituted power in the structuring of social science practices, including methodologies and theory building.

The programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology contain a requirement of study in all four of the subfields. The exceptions to these four subfield requirements are the Master of Arts in the Public Archaeology (MAPA) track and the MS in biomedical anthropology.

A central objective of graduate training in anthropology is the ability to develop and communicate original thought and research. To this end, all recipients of graduate degrees submit original written work in demonstration of their ability to apply appropriate findings, concepts and analytical techniques of anthropology to a problem identified by the individual student.

Master of Arts in Anthropology

The Master of Arts (MA) in Anthropology is awarded to students who demonstrate a substantial command of the subject matter of the discipline and an ability to engage in the professional pursuits of anthropologists, as defined above.

Admission

A bachelor's degree — not necessarily in anthropology — from an accredited college or university is required for admission. All applicants must submit a statement of career goals. Students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States or an anglophone country must also submit proof of English proficiency (such as TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE Academic scores). International students who have received a college or university degree from an institution in the United States or another anglophone country are not required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE Academic scores. Additionally, all international students must provide immigration forms guaranteeing financial support.

Course Requirements

A total of 30 credits is the minimum required for the degree, but this minimum is often exceeded upon the recommendation of the student's principal advisor.

Core Courses:

• One four-credit course in each subdiscipline, as designated by each subdisciplinary caucus, that includes history and theory of the subdiscipline.

Course electives (exclusive of ANTH 580, 590 and 591), which may include no more than four credits of ANTH 597 and/or ANTH 599.

At least six credits of electives are to be chosen with the advice of the student's principal advisor. No more than eight credits taken outside of anthropology may be applied.

Subfields Requirement:

Four courses (16 credits), one from each subfield, which are updated annually, all passed with a grade of B- or better.

Courses taken to meet the 30-credit minimum must be passed with a B average (3.0).

It should be stressed that the above is a minimum credit requirement. Individual students may be required to complete courses in excess of the 30-credit minimum to acquire master's-level command of the subject matter of the discipline and to meet the needs of their master's degree research. Subfields may have specific course requirements within these credits.

Foreign Language

Students must demonstrate an ability to read research literature in a major language of scholarship in addition to their native language. This requirement may be fulfilled in a variety of ways. Some international students may be able to use their English proficiency to satisfy this requirement. Students should consult with their graduate advisor or the director of graduate studies early in their careers to discuss arrangements for the satisfaction of this requirement. MAPA students are not required to fulfill the foreign language requirement.

Teaching

Students planning a career in teaching may want to complete the requirements for the Certificate of Completion in College/University Teaching. For details, see the Graduate School website. Students may also gain practical experience in teaching as part of their graduate training, through a teaching assistantship in the department and through ANTH 580 Issues in Teaching College Anthropology or ANTH 591 Practicum in College Teaching.

Master's Colloquium

Each student must present a colloquium to their advisor and reader in the third semester of full-time registration on the student's thesis topic or the topics of the two-paper option.

Thesis or Two-Paper Option

Each student must either write a thesis, or — with the approval of the original seminar instructors — two revised seminar papers of publishable quality in lieu of a thesis. In either case, the thesis or revised seminar papers must each be read and approved by the student's principal advisor and one other member of the department faculty. Students may count up to four credits of ANTH 599 Thesis toward the minimum total credit requirement for the master's degree if they have not already used four credits of ANTH 597 Independent Study.

Master of Arts in Anthropology, Public Archaeology Track (MAPA)

The Master of Arts (MA) in Anthropology with the Public Archaeology track (MAPA) is a 20-month program of coursework and practical training designed to prepare students for a range of professional positions. The degree is offered through the Anthropology Department and in conjunction with the Public Archaeology Facility (PAF), a research center on the ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ campus specializing in cultural resource management. The focus of the program is the intersection between archaeology and the many organizations that have a stake in the management, protection, study and conservation of the archaeological record. As such, graduates can expect to find careers in private environmental, engineering, energy and architectural firms, and in governmental sectors, such as federal, state, tribal and local agencies. With training from the MAPA program, students can also prepare themselves for careers in agencies that define policies for educational initiatives, heritage organizations that work directly with descendant communities, institutions that award and administer grants, and museums that are both privately and publicly funded.

This track requires students to take five core courses, five electives, an internship and a writing course. During their first year, MAPA students take courses that provide a foundation in archaeological practices, heritage issues, relevant laws and policies, and the current state of the discipline. Students are encouraged to take additional classes outside of archaeology, including geology, remote sensing, forensics and GIS. Students plan and conduct a research project during the summer after the first year of coursework, typically based on an internship with an appropriate institution. Upon returning to Binghamton for the second year of the program, students are dedicated to completing a master's thesis based on their summer internship, with courses focused on professional development, writing skills and publication practices.

Students must have completed an archaeological field school of at least five weeks in duration or the equivalent to be admitted to this track. The choice of field school must be approved by the admissions committee.

For the public archaeology track in the master's degree in anthropology, a student must complete with a GPA of 3.0 or better and satisfy the following requirements:

• Pass, with a B- or better, each of these four-credit courses: ANTH 551 Strategies in Archaeology, ANTH 554G Heritage and Communities, ANTH 585 Heritage Resource Management - Policy and Procedures, and ANTH 555 The Practice of Public Archaeology.
• Enroll for four credits of ANTH 595 Internship, and complete a summer internship in public archaeology.
• Present a colloquium based on the student's summer internship experience and proposed MA thesis.
• Complete four to five elective courses, at least two on methodological practica (ANTH 583), and the others may be practica or an area (ANTH 576) course. 
• Completion of a master's thesis, which will be facilitated by two classes: ANTH 590 Writing Skills and Publication and ANTH 599 Thesis.

Note: MAPA students are not required to fulfill the foreign language requirement. 

Master of Science in Biomedical Anthropology

The Master of Science (MS) in Biomedical Anthropology is a two-year program that prepares students for careers in a variety of health- and forensics-related professions. The MS is an applied program geared toward the development of versatile professionals, and it emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the dynamic interactions among biological, biomedical, cultural and behavioral factors that shape health outcomes. Students interested in becoming applied professionals, as well as those preparing for doctoral-level training, will find this program of interest. The program's research and training facilities include state-of-the-art wet and dry laboratories, as well as fieldwork opportunities in local, national and international settings.

Individuals holding a baccalaureate degree in anthropology, biology, nursing, pre-medicine, public and global health, psychology and related fields are invited to apply. All applicants must submit a statement of career goals. International students, particularly those in the medical and public health professions, will find this program of benefit. Students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States or other anglophone countries must also submit proof of English proficiency (such as TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE Academic scores). International students who have received a college or university degree from an institution in the United States or another anglophone country are not required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE Academic scores. Additionally, all international students must provide immigration forms guaranteeing financial support.

Degree Requirements

For the Master of Science in Biomedical Anthropology, a student must complete a minimum of 43 credits as follows:

• Pass ANTH 501 History of Anthropology with a grade of B- or better;
• Pass with a grade of B- or better 38 additional course credits, choosing among the 28 specified by the program;
• Satisfactorily complete an approved 320-hour summer internship (one additional credit), and give a formal summary presentation in the department; and
• Successfully complete an oral examination administered by program faculty at the completion of the second year of study. 

Required Courses

• ANTH 501 History of Anthropology
• ANTH 540 Human Skeletal Biology OR ANTH 572J Stress Chronobiology and Health
• ANTH 543 Human Biological Variation OR ANTH 515 Evolutionary Theory
• ANTH 544 Forensic Anthropology OR ANTH 550 Coevolution of Humans and Pathogens OR ANTH 572V Virtual Anthropology OR ANTH 572T Evolutionary Medicine
• ANTH 572K Global Health in Anthropology OR ANTH 572R Epidemiology OR
• ANTH 572G Migration and Disease
• ANTH 572L Laboratory Practicum OR other approved lab course
• ANTH 559 Molecular Anthropology OR ANTH 547 Anthropological Genetics OR ANTH 572B Methods in Biomedical Anthropology
• ANTH 572S Advanced Multivariate Statistics OR other approved advanced statistics course

Foreign Language Requirement: There is no foreign language requirement for the MS degree.

Thesis Requirement: There is no thesis requirement for the MS degree. Because this is an applied program, the internship and presentation are in lieu of the thesis.

Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology

The Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology is awarded to students who have shown mastery of the general materials of anthropology and a substantial command of the specialized subject matter of one or more of the four subfields (archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology or sociocultural anthropology) and who have successfully carried out and formally presented research judged to constitute an original contribution to the discipline.

Funding is limited, however all students who apply by the fall deadline (January) are automatically considered for funding as a teaching or research assistant. Funding covers tuition for the required graduate credits plus a stipend. Students who are eligible for the Clark Fellowship should submit this application at the same time.

It is highly recommended that students contact faculty members they are most interested in working with before applying. Applicants are not required to have an MA or MS before admission, though some faculty prefer to admit students with an MA or MS. Students who enter with an MA or MS are required to demonstrate that they have fulfilled all of Binghamton's MA requirements, either in their previous institution or here, before they can advance to candidacy.

Admission

A bachelor's degree, not necessarily in anthropology, from an accredited college or university is required for admission. All applicants must submit a statement of career goals. Students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States or an anglophone country must also submit proof of English proficiency (such as TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE Academic scores). International students who have received a college or university degree from an institution in the United States, or another anglophone country are not required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE Academic scores. Additionally, all international students must provide immigration forms guaranteeing financial support.

Admission to Candidacy

To be admitted to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology, a student must have satisfied at least the minimal course credit requirement (exclusive of courses graded below B-, with a GPA of 3.5 or better), and all MA requirements. In addition, a student must:

• pass a written examination covering three literature areas (one of which may be a regional competency examination)
• propose a dissertation research project in colloquium before the department
• pass an oral examination administered by the guidance committee in which questions address both the written exam and the colloquium
• Submit a dissertation prospectus approved by the student's doctoral committee. 

Degree conferral

• Minimum credits satisfying master's requirements (subfields and electives): 30
• Electives (exclusive of ANTH 591, 599, 698, 699, and including no more than eight credits of ANTH 597, and not more than eight credits of course work outside of anthropology) to be chosen with the advice of the student's guidance committee and the approval of its chair: 26
• ANTH 699 Dissertation, as required to maintain registration after admission to candidacy
• Total minimum credit hours: 56

Students who have completed an MA at another university or in another discipline may request credit for up to 30 credit hours toward the PhD, and they may request exemption from one or more of the subfield distribution or discipline-specific requirements on the basis of previous graduate coursework in the relevant area. Students should address such requests to the director of graduate studies.

Each doctoral candidate must demonstrate the ability to complete an original research project and submit the findings in a dissertation acceptable to the student's dissertation committee. Upon approval by this committee, the dissertation must be defended in a public defense attended by the candidate's committee, an outside examiner appointed by and representing the dean of the Graduate School, and any others who wish to attend. A successful defense and submission of the dissertation to the Graduate School completes the requirements for awarding the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology.

List of Faculty

Addendum: Removed ANTH 501 as a requirement from the MA Anthropology program course requirements, 12/1/2023