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The Department of Anthropology

Info for Prospective Students

We appreciate your interest in the Anthropology program at The University of Montana - Missoula. For undergraduates, we offer a Minor and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Anthropology. The Department also administers two cross-disciplinary programs, which are open to all undergraduates: the Certificate in Forensic Science and the Minor in Central and Southwestern Asian Studies. For graduate students, there is a Master of Arts degree (M.A.) in Anthropology and the Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.). There are several options available in both the B.A. and the M.A.

"The Anthropology Department here is an ideal place to learn anthropology. The program exposes students to all four fields giving a strong grounding in anthropology, although the key benefit of study is the individual attention they receive from the faculty." —Graduate major

Strengths of our Program

"The faculty members are always willing to assist you with any problems on an individual basis. They are highly personable and always have an open door. There are opportunities for field work, hands-on experience in forensics, or working with the anthropological research collections. Overall, the department is great! There are wonderful learning opportunities." —Undergraduate major

Anthropology is the study of the biological and cultural background of humankind. It is concerned with people, cultures, and societies on a worldwide scale throughout time.
We take pride in offering a well rounded 4-field approach to Anthropology that is open to students with a variety of interests and educational levels. We have an extraordinary faculty, strong physical resources, and thoughtfully designed programs.

Our Faculty and Resources

"What first comes to mind when talking about the attributes of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Montana is the professors...Each professor has a vast amount of knowledge and experience...As a student, you are not just another anonymous face lost in the shuffle...This personal give-and-take among the professors and students creates an environment that is very conducive to learning."—Undergraduate major

The social/cultural anthropology faculty has a wide breadth of expertise in the cultures of North America, Asia, and Africa. Theoretical specializations include political anthropology, language and culture retention issues, medical anthropology, historical anthropology, applied anthropology, gender issues, and indigenous sovereignty issues. The Mansfield Library carries eHRAF for comprehensive access to the literature from key examples of the world’s cultures, and a variety of ethnic groups exist in the region, providing opportunities for graduate research.
The archaeology faculty has regional interests that include North America and Latin America. Theoretical specializations include archaeological methods, cultural resources management, evolutionary approaches to hunter-gatherers, historical archaeology, exchange, quantitative archaeology, and the analysis of ceramics and chipped stone. Physical resources include three well-equipped labs used by graduate and undergraduate students working on projects and collections from historic and prehistoric sites.
The focus within anthropological linguistics is on research on Native American regional languages and language preservation and retention. Opportunities exist for graduate students to conduct field work with speakers of Native American languages.
The focus within physical anthropology is on forensic anthropology, dental anthropology, paleoanthropology, and bioarchaeology. Laboratories, specialized equipment and computer programs, are available, as well as research material—from databases, bone casts, and   actual cases—are available for learning and research.
If you want to learn more about the Anthropology faculty, look to our individual pages; you can also read our description of the resources in the Department of Anthropology.

The B.A. Program in a Nutshell

Our B.A. is a popular undergraduate major that accommodates diverse students with diverse goals. The course of study is built around three axes: (1) all students need to understand the range of anthropological approaches: sociocultural anthropology, physical anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics; (2) students, after gaining the basic knowledge and insights of the field, need to have the opportunity to explore the intellectual framework at a deeper level, to apply some of these ideas to specific issues, to and know key methods from the discipline in an experiential way; (3) students must have the opportunity to determine what areas and topics they want to know, with the possibly of specializing in one area in preparation for a career. Go to our undergraduate degree page to see how we’ve turned this philosophy into a flexible program with five distinct options.

The M.A. Program in a Nutshell

We believe that our M.A. program, designed to be completed in two years by well-prepared, focused students, is well suited for:

  • Students who are pursuing a career as a professional anthropologist, and who plan to work for a government agency, museum, or a private sector cultural resources management company. Our “cultural heritage track” focuses on the applied aspects of cultural resources management, museology, or language retention.
  • Students interested in specializing in one of the other areas of strength in the Department, either through an options in anthropological linguistics and  forensic anthropology or as a concentration in the general track, especially in the areas of medical anthropology, Asian studies, or archaeology.
  •  Students who are changing fields, having earned a bachelor's degree in a discipline other than anthropology, but who now wish to pursue anthropology at a graduate level. The “general track” permits students to gain the knowledge and skills needed to conduct anthropological research before tackling a Ph.D. program.

Successful completion of the MA degree in anthropology requires the following three components:

  • Graduate seminars
  • Elective classes
  • A significant creative scholarly work that is appropriately defended to a committee of scholars. This may take the form of a thesis, professional paper, portfolio, or museum exhibit.

See our M.A. program page for details on requirements, applications, and available options.

The Ph.D. Program in a Nutshell

This comprehensive yet individualized program, open to B.A. and M.A. graduates, provides an opportunity to earn a Doctorate in Anthropology specializing in Cultural Heritage and Applied Anthropology. We believe that our Ph.D. program, designed to be completed in four to five years by well-prepared, focused students, is well suited for:

  • Students interested in areas of Cultural Heritage and Applied Anthropology, including Archaeology, Historical Anthropology, Curation, Language Retention, Medical Anthropology, Bioarchaeology, and Human Variation.  Our doctorate is focused on applied areas, and most of our students plan employment with Cultural Resource Management firms, governmental and nongovernmental agencies, or museums, but some also plan academic careers.
  • Practicing cultural resource managers who wish to earn the Ph.D.

This program requires extensive coursework and the achievement of independent professional-level scholarship. Successful completion of the Ph.D. degree in anthropology requires the following four components:

  • Graduate seminars
  • Elective classes
  • Passing a comprehensive examination that defends the theoretical and methodological basis of a proposed major research project to a committee of scholars
  • A dissertation, based on that original scholarly research,  appropriately defended to a committee of scholars

See our Ph.D. page for the program details and where to go for applications.

Financial Assistance

Most students with financial needs in Anthropology rely on the general University of Montana financial aid resources available for undergraduates and graduates.  In addition, there are a few prestigious, long-standing merit-based awards specific to the Anthropology Department for undergraduate and graduate students.

For graduate students, a small number of teaching and research assistantships is available. Most are awarded to students who have completed part of the program. One or more teaching assistantships may be available for enrolled Native American graduate students. All assistantships are competitive and awarded on the basis of merit. Teaching assistants generally assist with a class each semester and receive a stipend plus a partial waiver of fees