ObjectivesThe objectives of the proposed specialization include exposing students to classroom situations that deal with legal and technical aspects of compliance. In addition, students will complete an internship that will expose them to real-life aspects of cultural resource management. Finally, students will complete a thesis to demonstrate their ability to design and execute research that is contextually situated, addresses important issues in the evolving literature, and is well written. All of these experiences are framed by a holistic anthropological approach.
Entry requirementsStudents interested in this program should have a good foundation in Anthropology and basic archaeological field methods. Students are required to complete a minimum 36 credit hour course of study that includes an Archaeology Core (18 credit hours), a thesis (6 credit hours), an internship (3 credit hours), a comprehensive Anthropology course (3 credit hours), and other disciplinary courses (6 hours). Depending on the level of the student's training in Anthropology, we may advise the student to take the Anthropology core courses in Human Variation and Social Structure to ensure they are knowledgeable about the role of archaeology in the discipline of Anthropology in general.
Course descriptionThe goal of the MA program in Professional Archaeology is to prepare students to move immediately into positions of responsibility in the area of heritage or cultural resources management.
Prerequisites
BA/BS in Anthropology or equivalent
At least one season of archaeological field experience
Advanced coursework in Cultural/Social Anthropology and Biological/Physical Anthropology
Highly recommended: statistics, GIS, coursework in archaeological material analysis
Requirements (36 hours) Archaeology (18 credit hours)
Core Archaeology (9 credit hours)
Anth 832 Archaeological Method and Theory or Anth 882 Historical Archaeology
Anth 835 Heritage Management Archaeology
Anth 935 Seminar in Archaeology
Regional overview (3 credit hours)
Anth 833 North American Archaeology (required for Federal employment)
Anth 834 Great Plains Archaeology
Anth 836 Ancient Maya
Anth 838 Topics in Old World Archaeology
Archaeology methods and skills (6 credit hours)
Anth 882 Landscape archaeology
Anth 884 Quantitative Methods in Anthropology
Anth 887A Archaeological Materials - Ceramics
Anth 887B Analysis of Archaeological Materials - Lithics
Anth 887D Analysis of Archaeological Materials - Archaofauna
Anth 887E Analysis of Archaeological Materials - Historic Material Culture
Anthropology (3 credit hours)
Anth 817 History of Anthropological Theory, or
Anth 888 Contentious Issues in Anthropology
Thesis (6 credit hours)
Anth 899 Thesis
Internship (3 credit hours)
Anth 890 Internship in Archaeology
Disciplinary Courses (6 credit hours preferably in same department) in Anthropology, Art and Art History, Community and Regional Planning, Education, Geography, or Geosciences.
Anthropology
812 Social Structure (3 cr)
842 Human Variation (3 cr)
851 Indians of Contemporary North America (3 cr)
872 Belief Systems in Anthropological Perspective (3 cr)
873 Ecological Anthropology (3 cr)
874 Applied and Development Anthropology (3 cr)
875 Primitive Technology (3 cr)
877 Hunters-Gatherers (3 cr)
Art and Art History
311 Greek Art and Archaeology (can arranged to be taken at the 800 level; 3 cr)
313 Roman Art and Archaeology (can be arranged to be taken at the 800 level; 3 cr)
Community and Regional Planning
895T Historic Preservation Planning (3 cr)
Education
830 Introduction to Philosophy of Education (3 cr)
Geography
812 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (4 cr)
818 Introduction to Remote Sensing (4 cr)
819 Remote Sensing II - Non-Photographic Sensors (4 cr)
820 Remote Sensing III - Digital Image Analysis (4 cr)
822 Advanced Techniques in Geographic Information Systems (4 cr)
Geosciences
823 Quaternary Ecology and Climate (3 cr)
850 Surficial Processes and Landscape Evolution (3 cr)
Program Personnel and Organization
The Archeology program faculty at UNL includes Effie Athanassopoulos, Peter Bleed, Paul Demers, Carleen Sanchez, Doug Scott, LuAnn Wandsnider; Nebraska State Museum Adjunct Professor Alan Osborn; and, Midwest Archaeological Adjuncts Professors William Hunt, Mark Lynott, and Vergil Noble and Nebraska State Historical Society Adjunct Professor J. Rob Bozell. All of these faculty members are involved in offering the core courses in archaeology. Additional support is provided by Michael Hoff (Art and Art History).
Admission
Students will apply through the Graduate Committee of the Anthropology Program in Anthropology and Geography during the regular graduate admission period (typically, early spring semester), specifying this specialization. Student presently admitted to the Anthropology Graduate program may submit a letter indicating their preference to follow the Professional Archaeology specialization curriculum no later than one semester into their graduate work at UNL. If the applicants meet the prerequisites and if faculty resources and internship opportunities are available, they will be admitted. Students are assigned a first-year advisor and, for their second year, may select any of the archaeology program faculty as a thesis or internship advisor.