COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Arts (MA) in Anthropology at Wichita State University requires the completion of 36 graduate credit hours, with at least 22 credit hours (60 percent of the program) taken in courses numbered 700 or above. The curriculum is designed to provide advanced training in the major subfields of anthropology while allowing students to pursue specialized research, professional projects, or applied internship experiences. All students complete a core curriculum consisting of Advanced Studies in Archaeology and Ethnohistory, Advanced Studies in Cultural Anthropology, Advanced Studies in Biological Anthropology, and Research Design and Proposal Writing. In addition, students select two advanced seminars from archaeology, biological anthropology, or cultural anthropology to deepen their expertise in a chosen area of study. The program includes 15 credit hours of electives, and students interested in interdisciplinary learning may apply up to 9 graduate credit hours from other academic disciplines with committee approval. A key feature of the degree is the selection of one of three completion tracks. Track 1 is the Thesis Option, requiring students to complete a thesis proposal, conduct original research, write a thesis, and successfully defend it in an oral examination. Track 2 is the Advanced Project Option, where students develop a professional project, prepare a formal project document, and complete an oral defense. Track 3 is the Internship Option, which combines supervised professional field experience with a final internship report and oral defense. Regardless of the track selected, students must form a committee consisting of at least two anthropology graduate faculty members and one graduate faculty member from another department before or upon completing 18 credit hours. The committee oversees proposal approval, evaluates the final thesis, project, or internship report, and conducts the oral defense. Depending on the research topic, students may also be required to pass a world language examination. The program’s combination of advanced coursework, interdisciplinary opportunities, independent research, professional projects, and applied internships prepares graduates for careers in archaeology, cultural resource management, museums, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, research institutions, community development, and doctoral study in anthropology or related fields.