MA in Applied Archaeology in the Pacific and Asia

Designed to train the next generation of professional, non-academic archaeologists and others who seek to be effective advocates for the study and preservation of historic sites in Hawaiʻi, Oceania, and Asia. Our program is unique in its geographic and cultural focus.

Archaeological employment opportunities are increasing in Hawaiʻi. Many private firms and governmental agencies employ MA-level archaeologists to conduct cultural resource management (CRM) investigations, manage historic preservation projects and archaeological collections, and/or engage in community outreach and public education. Professional archaeology now surpasses the demand for academic archaeologists.

Coursework Requirements

A minimum 31 credit hours of course work is required for the MA in Anthropology track in Applied Archaeology. The average course is 3 credits. MA students must be enrolled at the University of Hawaiʻi full-time (8 credit minimum) for at least 2 semesters while completing the degree or the equivalent in credits (see Graduate Division residency program requirement). 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). It is an Anthropology program requirement that Credit/No Credit courses do not count toward degree credit.

Graduate Division requires that all Plan B students, including those enrolled in the MA in Anthropology track in Applied Archaeology, complete a minimum of 18 credits of 600-level or higher coursework. The 600- and 700-level courses on the following lists count toward this requirement.

1) Required: Students must take all of the following (16 credits total):

ANTH 471: Field Mapping (Cross-listed with GEOG 472)
ANTH 603: Archaeology
ANTH 645: Historic Preservation (Cross-listed with AMST 645)*
ANTH 666: Archaeological Data Analysis (4 credits)
ANTH 711: Seminar in Research Design and Proposal Writing

2) Area Course: Students must take 1 of the following (3 credits total):

ANTH 461: Southeast Asian Archaeology
ANTH 462: East Asian Archaeology
ANTH 464: Hawaiian Archaeology
ANTH 623: Advanced Pacific Archaeology

3) Methods Courses: Students must take 3 of the following (9 credits total):

ANTH 380: Archaeology Laboratory Techniques)
ANTH 384: Skeletal Biology & ANTH 384L (1-credit hour lab)
ANTH 458: Forensic Anthropology
ANTH 473: Lithic Artifact Assemblage Analysis
ANTH 475: Faunal Analysis in Archaeology
ANTH 477: Spatial Analysis in Archaeology
ANTH 668: Archaeology Field Methods (Variable 3-6 credits)
ANTH 670: Applied Archaeology Practicum (3 credits)
GEOG 488: Geographic Information Systems

4) Elective Course: Select 1 graduate course (3 credits) in anthropology (or a related discipline) with the approval of your adviser.

* AMST 676 (Recording Historic Resources) or AMST 677 (Community Preservation) may be taken in lieu of ANTH 645. Students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation program concurrently with the MA in Applied Archaeology Track may count ANTH 645 (or one of either AMST 676 or AMST 677) toward both programs’ requirements.

Notes

If a student has not completed an introductory undergraduate course in archaeology, they should remedy this deficiency in their first semester in the Applied Archaeology program by taking ANTH 210.
Course credits from a student’s undergraduate degree cannot be counted toward completion of the MA degree.

Advisory Meeting

Candidacy Conference

The Candidacy Conference should be scheduled by the end of the student’s second semester (March-April). 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.

Students should bring the following materials to the meeting:

Updated Annual Progress Report (obtained from Graduate Specialist in Saunders 346C)
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 this to the Graduate Specialist in room 346C 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).

Report

Final Meeting

When students have completed all required coursework and submitted their report or papers, 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.

Final Examination and Approval of Project (pdf)

Program Faculty

The curriculum requirements are effective for students who enter the program in Fall 2019.

Apply here to the Applied Archaeology Program.

James Bayman

Program Coordinator, Faculty
Email: jbayman@hawaii.edu

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.