BA/MA in Anthropology
The dual Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Anthropology program allows students to complete the graduate degree on an accelerated timeline by completing 12 graduate credits as part of the undergraduate program. Full-time students are generally able to complete both degrees within five years.
Application Requirements
Students in the BA in Anthropology degree program may apply to the MA in Anthropology once they have accumulated 75 credits at GW and have consulted with anthropology advisors. Applicants must be declared anthropology, archaeology or biological anthropology majors with a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the major. Students must also fill out a Combined Degree Credit Form (PDF) specifying the double-counted courses they plan to take and submit it to the director of graduate studies. GRE scores are not required.
Eligible students will apply for formal admission into the BS/MS program, through the CCAS Combined Degree Application process. Students will be recommended for admission to the MS program on the same basis as other applicants for the MS degree, with the final decision being made by the CCAS graduate dean.
Degree Timeline
Combined degree students are admitted to the master's program with the understanding that during their undergraduate program, they will complete 12 credits of master's coursework, which also count toward the bachelor's degree.
This leaves 24 credits left to finish out their 36-credit master's degree. Most students complete six credits over the summer, nine credits in the fall semester and nine credits in the final spring semester, totaling one calendar year beyond the bachelor's degree. During that year, they are officially graduate students and eligible for consideration as teaching assistants or graders.
Sample BA/MA in Anthropology Schedule
- ANTH 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004 (13 hours)
- Language requirement, if needed (12 hours)
- General Education Curriculum (GPAC) courses
Fall (15 hours)
- Upper-level linguistics
- Upper-level biological anthropology
- Upper-level topics in sociocultural anthropology
- Two electives or GPAC courses
Spring (15 hours)
- Upper-level cultures (3700s). Can be earned in a study abroad program.
- Upper-level archaeology. Can be earned in a study abroad program.
- Two electives or GPAC courses
- ANTH 2008
- Apply to the BA/MA
Fall (15 hours)
- Graduate seminar
- Four electives, which may include a second graduate-level course or an upper-level undergraduate course taken for graduate credit
Spring (15 hours)
- Methods course
- Proseminar
- Three electives, which may include a graduate-level course or upper-level undergraduate course for graduate credit
Summer After Senior Year (three–six hours)
- Anth 6995, Research
Fall (nine hours)
- Proseminar — involving supervised fieldwork or reading and research in consultation with anthropology advisors
- Master’s exams
- Three electives (could include thesis research or internship)
Spring (nine–12 hours)
- Three electives (could include thesis research or internship)
- Hand in thesis or other culminating exercise
Course Requirements
Students take 12 graduate credits as part of their undergraduate program. All requirements for both the BA in Anthropology and the MA in Anthropology must be fulfilled.
BA Requirements
The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.
The following curriculum requirements:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite courses: | ||
| ANTH 1001 | Biological Anthropology | |
| ANTH 1002 | Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| ANTH 1003 | Archaeology | |
| ANTH 1004 | Language in Culture and Society | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required courses in other areas: | ||
| Two-year proficiency in a single foreign language, as demonstrated by completion of four semesters of college-level language study or the equivalent | ||
| 6–12 credits of coursework in related departments approved by the advisor. Recommended for sociocultural emphasis are courses in economics, history, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology; for archaeological emphasis, courses in American studies, art history, geography, geological sciences, and history; for emphasis in biological anthropology, courses in anatomy, biological sciences, chemistry, and physical geography; for emphasis in linguistic anthropology, courses in linguistics and in speech and hearing science. Courses in statistics are strongly recommended for all anthropology majors | ||
| Requirements for the major: | ||
| In addition to the four prerequisite courses, 24–36 credits in anthropology courses, including: | ||
| ANTH 2008 | Foundations of Anthropological Thought | |
| At least one course from three of the following four categories: | ||
| Sociocultural anthropology (ANTH 2500s, 2700s, 3500s, and 3700s) | ||
| Linguistics (ANTH/LING 3600s) | ||
| Biological anthropology (ANTH 2400s and 3400s) | ||
| Archaeology (ANTH 2800s and 3800s) | ||
| An approved methods course in any category, including but not limited to the courses listed below. (Methods courses can be double-counted as courses in their subject categories.) | ||
| ANTH 3406 | Advanced Human Osteology | |
| ANTH 3531 | Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| ANTH 3602 | Ethnographic Analysis of Speech | |
| ANTH 3832 | Paleoanthropological Field Program | |
| ANTH 3833 | Field Research: New World | |
| ANTH 3834 | Field Research: Old World | |
| ANTH 3835 | Historical Archaeology Field Program | |
| ANTH 3839 | Lab Research Methods in Archaeology | |
| ANTH 6806 | Technology | |
| In addition, a senior capstone experience is required; it may be met by taking ANTH 4008, ANTH 3995 (for 3 credits), or an approved 6000-level course. Qualified seniors may enroll in graduate-level courses with the permission of the instructor. | ||
MA in Anthropology Requirements
The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Programs.
A minimum of 36 credits in graduate coursework, including 9 credits in proseminars and 3 credits in an approved methods course. Students must also complete either a thesis (for which they must register for 3 to 6 credits of ANTH 6999 Thesis Research) or a culminating journal article. The remaining credits are fulfilled with electives and, if a concentration was selected, concentration courses. Students are encouraged to plan their programs with an advisor.
Foreign language—There is no language requirement for the MA degree. However, thesis projects that require language skills will only be approved by department advisors provided students show evidence of having language skills that are required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core requirements | ||
| Proseminars | ||
| At least three proseminars selected from the following: | ||
| ANTH 6101 | Proseminar in Biological Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6102 | Proseminar in Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6103 | Proseminar in Archaeology | |
| ANTH 6104 | Proseminar in Linguistic Anthropology | |
| Students with significant background in a field, as determined by evaluation of a petition to the proseminar instructor, may waive one proseminar. Those who are permitted to waive a proseminar must take one course from group A and one from Group B. | ||
| Group A | ||
| ANTH 6101 | Proseminar in Biological Anthropology | |
| or ANTH 6103 | Proseminar in Archaeology | |
| Group B | ||
| ANTH 6102 | Proseminar in Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| or ANTH 6104 | Proseminar in Linguistic Anthropology | |
| Methods | ||
| One approved 3-credit methods course. | ||
| Thesis or other culminating project | ||
| Students must write either a thesis or a culminating journal article. Students who choose to write a thesis must register for 3 to 6 credits of ANTH 6999 Thesis Research.. | ||
| Electives | ||
| 18 to 24 credits in elective courses, depending on the number of credits taken in core course requirements. Students may choose to pursue a concentration (below), in which case any credits remaining after core and concentration requirements have been met are taken in elective courses. | ||
| In addition, students can enrich their degree through courses in programs at GW's other research centers or through the DC- schools consortium. | ||
| Optional concentrations | ||
| In addition to completing all core requirements for the degree, students may choose to pursue a concentration as part of their program of study. All requirements for the concentration must be fulfilled. | ||
| Museum training concentration (12 credits) 1 | ||
| 12 credits in courses selected from the following. 6 of these credits may be in an internship. | ||
| ANTH 6200 | Museum Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6201 | Methods in Museum Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6203 | Preventive Conservation Concepts | |
| ANTH 6204 | Preventive Conservation Techniques | |
| ANTH 6205 | Problems in Conservation | |
| ANTH 6230 | Internship in Museum Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6291 | Special Topics in Museum Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6508 | Ethics and Cultural Property | |
| International development concentration (12 credits) | ||
| Required | ||
| ANTH 6301 | The Anthropology of Development | |
| Two courses selected from the following: | ||
| ANTH 6302 | Issues in Development | |
| ANTH 6330 | Internship in Development Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6391 | Anthropology and Contemporary Problems | |
| ANTH 6501 | Gender and Sexuality | |
| ANTH 6507 | Nationalism and Ethnicity | |
| One approved graduate-level course in quantitative analysis. | ||
| Health, science, and society (HSS) concentration focus options (12 or 15 credits) | ||
| The HSS concentration offers a choice of two focus areas: medical anthropology (15 credits) and science and technology studies (12 credits). Please consult with the advisor for each focus area. | ||
| HSS concentration—Science and technology studies focus (12 credits): | ||
| Required | ||
| ANTH 6504 | Social Study of Science and Technology (This cornerstone course should be taken in the first year of the program.) | |
| One approved 3-credit methods course | ||
| 6 credits in sociocultural anthropology coursework selected from the list below. For courses not directly focused on health, students should direct their learning toward health issues to the extent possible, e.g., by selecting a health-related term paper topic. With the concentration advisor's permission, other anthropology courses, including courses offered through the Consortium of University of the Washington Metropolitan Area, may be taken to fulfill this concentration requirement. | ||
| ANTH 3503 | Psychological Anthropology (for graduate credit) | |
| ANTH 3991 | Special Topics (Race and Policing (taken for graduate credit)) | |
| ANTH 6506 | Topics in Medical Anthropology (Culture and Psychiatry) | |
| ANTH 6591 | Topics in Sociocultural Anthropology (Either Materiality: The Anthropology of Things AND/OR Anthropology of Environmental Politics) | |
| AMST 2620 | Human Mind and Artificial Intelligence (taken for graduate credit) | |
| AMST 6610 | Constructing the Natural, Unnatural, and Artifactual | |
| HSS concentration—medical anthropology focus (15 credits): | ||
| Required | ||
| ANTH 6505 | Medical Anthropology (This graduate seminar is the required cornerstone class and should be taken in the fall of first year) | |
| 6 credits in research methods courses, which must include one course in qualitative methods and one course in quantitative methods, selected from the following: | ||
| Qualitative methods course options: | ||
| ANTH 6331 | Research Methods in Development Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6531 | Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| SOC 6232 | Qualitative Methods | |
| Quantitative methods course options: | ||
| PUBH 6003 | Principles and Practices of Epidemiology | |
| 6 credits in sociocultural anthropology coursework selected from the following courses. For courses not directly focused on health, students should direct their learning, as much as possible, toward health issues, for example, by selecting a health-related term paper topic. (With the concentration advisor's permission, other anthropology courses, including courses offered through the Consortium of University of the Washington Metropolitan Area, may be taken to fulfill this concentration requirement.) | ||
| ANTH 6301 | The Anthropology of Development | |
| ANTH 6302 | Issues in Development (Anthropology of Intervention) | |
| ANTH 6391 | Anthropology and Contemporary Problems (Anthropology of Security) | |
| ANTH 6501 | Gender and Sexuality | |
| ANTH 6504 | Social Study of Science and Technology | |
| ANTH 6505 | Medical Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6506 | Topics in Medical Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6591 | Topics in Sociocultural Anthropology (Displacement and Diaspora) | |
| ANTH 6707 | Issues in Middle East Anthropology (Anthropology of State and Government AND/ OR Anthropology of Citizenship and Displacement) | |
| IAFF 6138 | Special Topics in International Development Studies (Gender and Development or Indigenous People) | |
| Undergraduate courses and graduate internships may be taken for credit toward the HSS concentration—medical anthropology focus with the permission of the concentration advisor. Examples include, but are not limited to the following: | ||
| ANTH 3503 | Psychological Anthropology | |
| ANTH 6330 | Internship in Development Anthropology | |
1Students whose primary interest is in museum techniques, rather than anthropology, are advised to apply to the MA in museum studies program. (Note that an MA in teaching in the field of museum education is also available through the Graduate School of Education and Human Development.)