Master of Arts (MA) in Applied Cultural Anthropology in Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and Asia

Designed to train the next generation of practicing anthropologists who seek to employ the theories, methods, and analysis of cultural anthropology in service to local and Indigenous communities in Hawai‘i, the Pacific, and Asia. Our program is unique in its geographical and cultural focus, as well as in its commitment to Indigenous peoples.

Applied anthropologists find employment with community initiatives, charitable trusts, private businesses, governmental institutions, and non-governmental organizations. Throughout Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and Asia, applied anthropologists advocate for–and help uphold and promote–the cultural values, practices, resources, and interactions of people in close relationship with their environment. It is the need for community sustainability in the broadest sense that has led to the creation of these new engagement-based fields of employment.

Program Details

Having attained the MA degree in Anthropology with a focus on Applied Cultural Anthropology, the student will be able to:

  1. Identify significant cultural resources of a community
  2. Conduct meaningful interviews with key members of a community; make interviews available for public dissemination, whether as transcriptions or archived digital resources
  3. Establish and maintain positive relationships with community organizations and institutions
  4. Identify community organizational goals and strategize their implementation
  5. Assess the place of cultural values, ethos, norms in terms of community needs
  6. Conduct relevant archival research for the purposes of a community organization’s goals
  7. Develop appropriate verbal and written communication skills that can assist a community organization’s goals
  8. Apply ethnographic skills of observation, interaction, guided participation, and analysis toward the solution of community goals
  9. Recognize and maintain a strongly ethical position in all interactions with community organizations

Students must be enrolled at the University of Hawai‘i full-time (8 credit minimum) for at least 2 semesters while completing the degree. Graduate students must maintain at least a B (3.00) average. All courses taken for degree credit must be taken for a letter grade (A-F). Credit/No Credit courses do not count toward degree credit. A minimum 30 credit hours of coursework is required, of which 18 credit hours must be graduate courses (600-level and above) and the rest must be upper division (300- or 400-level), including:

1) Required Core Courses (15 credits):

  • ANTH 601: Ethnology or ANTH 611 Contemporary Anthropological Theory (courses alternate each fall)
  • ANTH 681: Applied Cultural Anthropology
  • ANTH 682: Applied Cultural Anthropology Practicum (capstone)
  • ANTH 710: Seminar in Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology (offered every fall)
  • ANTH 711: Seminar in Research Design and Proposal Writing (offered every spring)

2) Area Course

Students must take 1 of the following (3 credits):

  • ANTH 350: Pacific Island Cultures
  • ANTH 446: Southeast Asian Cultures
  • ANTH 449: Anthropology of Melanesia
  • ANTH 483: Japanese Culture and Behavior
  • ANTH 484: Japanese Popular Culture
  • ANTH 486: Peoples of Hawai‘i
  • ANTH 487: Anthropology of Okinawa and Its Diaspora
  • NTH 488: Chinese Culture: Ethnography
  • ANTH 750: (Alpha): D – Hawaiian Ethnography: Theory and Practice
  • Alternative area course as approved by advisor and graduate chair

3) Methods Courses

Students must take 2 of the following (6 credits):

  • ANTH 410: Ethics in Anthropology
  • ANTH 419: Indigenous Anthropology
  • ANTH 493: Oral History: Theory and Practice
  • ANTH 645: Historic Preservation
  • HWST 602: Hawaiian Archival Research
  • AMST 474: Preservation: Hawaiʻi, Asia, and the Pacific
  • WS 440: Feminist Methods and Research
  • WGSS 623 – Topics in Feminist Social Policy Research (3 credits)
  • Alternative methods course as approved by advisor and graduate chair

Elective Courses

  • ANTH 300: Contemporary Problems
  • ANTH 301: Culture and Health
  • ANTH 313: Visual Anthropology
  • ANTH 427: Food, Health, and Society
  • ANTH 440: Agriculture of Identity
  • ANTH 482: Anthropology and the Environment
  • ANTH 663: Anthropology of Global Aid

Other courses depending on specific interest of student in consultation with advisor.

Students may want to check upper-division and graduate courses in the following departments:

  • American Studies (310, 319, 353, 373, 418, *620)
  • Ethnic Studies (*of particular interest; most upper division courses are applicable)
  • Geography (302, 330, 380, 385, 387, 388, 409, 412, 421, 422, 423, 424, 426, 489, 639, 728)
  • Hawaiian Studies (307, 390, 396, 445, 457, 458, 459, 461, 485)
  • History (481, 482, 483, 484, 485)
  • Peace Studies (PACE; 310, 340, 345, 373, 420, 477, 668)
  • Political Science (301, 302, 304, 309, 344, 396, *620, *642, 684, *720, *776)
  • Sociology (401, 411, 419, 431, 445, 446, 454, 456, 475, 476, 492, 613, 615)
  • Urban and Regional Planning (600, 610, 616, 618, 619, 632, 639, 641, 653, 670)
  • Women’s Studies (305, *306, 318, 360, 361, 390, 435, 436, 437, 438, 452, 492, 620, 623)

* Course with Indigenous studies emphasis

Note

Course credits from a student’s undergraduate degree cannot be counted toward completion of the MA degree

Students should have an initial meeting with their interim advisor to discuss their study plans. This should be done soon after they arrive at the Department, generally before the start of their first semester.

The Candidacy Conference is the first meeting of the student’s three-member MA committee, comprised of a chair and two other members; at least one must be full-time Anthropology faculty. This should be scheduled by the end of the student’s second semester (March-April).

Students should bring the following materials to the meeting:

  • updated Annual Progress Report (obtained from Graduate Specialist in Saunders 346C)
  • a typed Proposed Program of Study, including a list of courses the student plans to take, a proposed schedule for completion of the MA degree, and a list of committee members (with contact information)

Students should have their committee chair sign and date a copy of the Proposed Program of Study, after which students should give it to the Graduate Specialist to be entered into their academic file.

The Post-Candidacy Conference form (from the Department of Anthropology) must be filled out by all students (MA and PhD) and signed by committee members after the student has held the first candidacy conference (usually after the first year of residency).

Student must complete a report on original research, developed through field work/internship/practicum as a capstone activity (see ANTH 682). The report should be submitted to all committee members two weeks prior to the final meeting.

When students have completed all required coursework and submitted their report, they should schedule their final committee meeting. Students should bring to the meeting the departmental form offered below. At the end of the meeting, students should have this form signed by their committee members and submit it to the Graduate Specialist.

Having attained an MA degree in Anthropology with a focus on Applied Cultural Anthropology, the student will be able to:

  1. Identify significant cultural resources of a community.
  2. Conduct meaningful interviews with key members of a community organization’s goals.
  3. Conduct relevant archival research toward community organization’s goals.
  4. Apply ethnographic skills of observation and analysis toward community goals.
  5. Develop appropriate communication skills that can assist community goals.
  6. Maintain ethical, kuleana-based relationship with community.

MA Applied Anthropology Rubric

For students interested in careers outside academia. Applied (engaged, practicing, or public) anthropologists employ the theories and methods of anthropology in governmental, non-governmental, community, and commercial settings to help resolve contemporary societal problems.

The curriculum requirements above are effective for students who enter the program in Fall 2015.

Note: This is a terminal degree. Successful graduates must re-apply to the graduate program if they desire to seek admission to the PhD program.

ANTH Courses

Next Steps

Interested in the MA in Applied Cultural Anthropology in Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and Asia and want to learn more? Contact Program Coordinator Ty P. Kāwika Tengan.

Ready to apply? Visit Applications and Admissions.