Graduate Studies

Master's Program

Students wishing to enter the Master of Arts degree program with a major in Anthropology should have an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 in the major, 3.3 overall, and hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited university with a major in Anthropology. Applicants with a major in a related field (biology, sociology, geology,classics, or geography) will be considered only if they have a formal minor in Anthropology or its equivalent (at least five upper division Anthropology courses).

Application

All prospective MA students must make formal application to The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Graduate School. Copies of the application form, transcripts, and GRE scores that are sent to The Graduate School should also be sent directly to the Department of Anthropology. In addition, the department requires a letter of intent from the applicant indicating career goals and reasons for selecting the University of Tennessee, three letters of recommendation, and a sample of the prospective student's written work (a class paper or research report); these materials should be sent directly to the Graduate Secretary, Department of Anthropology, 250 South Stadium Hall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0720.

Graduate applications are considered once a year by the Graduate Committee. All application materials must be received in the department by January 15 for admission the following Fall. Because of the structure of first-year studies, MA students should plan to begin their studies in the Fall semester. Please Note: If all application materials are not in the department for consideration by January 15, the application will be denied. We will notify you of the completeness of your application in mid-December. Please be sure we have an address to which this notification can be sent. Completion of your application is your responsibility.

Application Questions? Contact: Donna L. Griffin, Principal Secretary

Financial Aid

Financial Aid is limited. The departmental graduate assistantship deadline is February 1. The Department of Anthropology encourages prospective students to pursue financial support from other University, local, and national funding sources available to UTK graduate students:

• Anthropology Graduate Assistantship Application
• UT Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships
• UT Graduate School Financial Support & Fellowship Information
• UT College of Arts and Sciences

M.A. Requirements

The program leading to the M.A. is a general curriculum that allows for concentration after completion of a core course sequence. Formal requirements include:

1. SELECTION OF AN ADVISOR. This should be done as soon as possible in the student's program but must be done no later than the and of the first semester in residence. The department graduate secretary must be informed in writing of each student's advisor.
   
   
2. A MINIMUM OF 30 CREDIT HOURS in graduate courses. Twenty-four hours must be in coursework graded A-F. Coursework must include three core classes taken in the first year:
   
   
   1. Anth 510 Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology
   2. Anth 560 Theory in Archaeology
   3. Anth 590 Method and Theory in Biological Anthropology
   
   Additional coursework should be selected in consultation with the student's advisor and must include one additional course from two anthropology concentrations other than the student's primary concentration. At least 20 hours of coursework must be at the 500 level or higher.
   
   
3. During the first year, COMPREHENSIVE GRADUATE EVALUATION EXAMINATIONS (GEEs) are required of all M.A. students and are based on the content of the core courses. These examinations are given as the final examination in each core class (during regularly-scheduled final periods) and are graded by all faculty within the appropriate subdiscipline for each course. At the end of the first year, all MA students will be evaluated by the entire faculty and will either be retained or dropped from the program based on their first year's performance and GEE scores.
   
   
4. All M.A. students must attend the graduate section of the VISITING LECTURE PROGRAM. To insure compliance with this requirement, each student is required to register for one credit hour of Anthropology 550 in the Fall semester of each year and fulfill all requirements for the course defined by the instructor. Materials covered by visiting lecturers may appear on the GEE.
   
   
5. A graduate level introductory STATISTICS course, usually Statistics 537.
   
   
6. In the second year of the program, students pursue their CONCENTRATION AREA and undertake THESIS RESEARCH. Coursework will be determined through consultation with the student's advisor and committee, (composed of the advisor and at least one other member of the Anthropology faculty along with other mutually-agreed upon members).
   
   
7. Successful completion of the THESIS and final oral examination. Normally, students will complete and defend their theses during the Spring semester of their second year.
   
   
8. TWO COPIES OF THE THESIS are required by The Graduate School. In addition, bound copies of the thesis are to be provided to the department and to all members of the student's M.A. committee. In addition to the requirements listed above, M.A. students have the option of completing a minor in statistics. The statistics minor requires 9 hours of coursework, normally Statistics 537 and 538 plus one additional course from an approved list.

Contact Information

250 South Stadium Hall
Knoxville, Tennessee
37996-0720

Phone: 865-974-4408
Fax: 865-974-2686