Anthropology, M.A.

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

Learn more about the Master of Arts in Anthropology.

About the Program

The M.A. program in Anthropology provides students with training that integrates the four traditional subfields of the discipline and organizes their engagement with anthropology around two thematic areas:

  • The first thematic area, Mobility and Global Inequality, emphasizes social processes and institutions that underlie the impact of peoples’ movement and the experiences they encounter in terms of social inequalities, resource distribution, and power inequities. It is marked by emphasis on ethnographic, linguistic, and visual data and analytical methods grounded in contemporary theory in the social sciences.
  • The second thematic area, Evolution and Human Environments, emphasizes the origins and development of all forms of human adaptations in the bio-social realm. It is marked by emphasis on ecological, geographic, and spatial-historical data, as well as quantitative analyses grounded in evolutionary theory.

All students in the program complete a set of core courses, which includes foundational courses in the thematic areas and history of the discipline. Additional core courses provide professional training in ethics and grant writing in the discipline. Students choose from a set of elective courses allowing them to specialize in the literature, theory, and unique subdisciplinary perspectives or to expand their training in anthropological methods. Faculty from the subfields of Anthropological Linguistics, Biological Anthropology, Medical Anthropology, Prehistoric and Historic Archaeology, Sociocultural Anthropology, and Visual Anthropology contribute to the program.

The M.A. is a terminal degree.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 3 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Full-time status is strongly encouraged, although some students may be able to complete the degree program on a part-time basis.

Interdisciplinary Study: Anthropology is an inherently interdisciplinary field of study.

Areas of Specialization: Faculty members specialize in such areas as anthropology of visual communication, archaeology of the eastern United States and tropical Americas, historical archaeology, human evolutionary biology, human genetic and physiological variation, language socialization, political economy of language, politics of cultural identity and difference, and sociocultural dynamics of globalization.

Job Prospects: The M.A. program supports student preparation for entry into doctoral programs, as well as careers in business, cultural resource management, government, museums, nonprofits, and other sectors.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Non-matriculated students are generally restricted to the following five courses:

ANTH 5396
History of Anthropological Theory
ANTH 8001
Mobility and Global Inequality
ANTH 8002
Evolution, Human Environments, and the Culture Niche
ANTH 8012
Ethical Considerations in Anthropology Research
ANTH 8330
Funding and Grant Writing in Anthropology

Taking coursework as a non-matriculated student does not ensure acceptance into the master's program if the student later applies for admission. If a non-matriculated student is later admitted into the master's program, a maximum of 9 credits of non-matriculated coursework may be applied toward the degree.

Financing Opportunities: Typically, the Department does not provide financial assistance to students at the master's level. Teaching and Research Assistantships are reserved for Ph.D. students.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: March 15

After the deadline, prospective applicants should contact the Director of Graduate Studies at christie.rockwell@temple.edu for consideration. It is recommended that before an applicant prepares and submits an application for admission, s/he should establish personal contact with the Director of Graduate Studies.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be requested from individuals who are well positioned to evaluate the applicant's academic abilities and accomplishments as well as her/his potential for graduate study. Letters must be on official letterhead and be signed by the recommender.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree (B.A./B.S.) is required, but it need not be a degree in Anthropology.

Statement of Goals: In approximately 750 words, address your main area(s) of scholarly interest; the experiences that have led you to graduate studies in Anthropology; the specific reasons for your interest in Temple's M.A. in Anthropology; and your career goals.

Standardized Test Scores:
GRE: Not required.

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

  • TOEFL iBT: 79
  • IELTS Academic: 6.5
  • PTE Academic: 53

Resume: Current resume required.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 30

Core Courses
ANTH 5396History of Anthropological Theory3
ANTH 8001Mobility and Global Inequality3
ANTH 8002Evolution, Human Environments, and the Culture Niche3
ANTH 8012Ethical Considerations in Anthropology Research3
ANTH 8330Funding and Grant Writing in Anthropology3
Methods Course
Select one from the following:3
ANTH 5006
Quantitative Analysis of Anthropological Data
ANTH 5170
Methods in Archaeology
ANTH 5189
Field Session in Archaeology
ANTH 5389
Fieldwork in Ethnography
ANTH 5444
Anthropological Problems in Visual Production
ANTH 5458
Anthropology of Public Culture
ANTH 5504
Language as Social Action
ANTH 5509
Language Socialization and Cultural Reproduction
ANTH 5510
Methods in Linguistic Anthropology
ANTH 5770
Methods in Physical Anthropology
ANTH 8011
Teaching of Anthropology
Electives 112
Total Credit Hours30

Culminating Event:
Comprehensive Examination:
At the end of the fourth academic term, students in the M.A. in Anthropology program take a comprehensive exam. This exam assesses the integrated knowledge gained in the five core courses. A committee of faculty who teach the five courses write the exam, and all members of a cohort take the same exam. There is no thesis option for this terminal master's program.

Courses

ANTH 5006. Quantitative Analysis of Anthropological Data. 3 Credit Hours.

The primary goal of this course is to provide students with a solid grounding in basic statistical techniques/methods as applied to anthropological data.  Such data is highly variable in form due, in part, to the diversity of research questions being asked and to the methods of collection.  The ultimate goal of this course is to bring together various data sets and methods so that students might better assess the results/interpretations presented in the anthropological literature.  New quantitative concepts will be presented each week along with examples/applications of the concepts and practice problems.  The problems associated with the main course text will be solved using a hand calculator; more complex data sets and problems will require the use of computer statistical software [i.e., SPSS (available on all University machines)].

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5170. Methods in Archaeology. 3 Credit Hours.

Methods and procedures used in the practice of archaeology with topical foci varying by semester. Semester long topics include: cultural resource management; sediments, soils, and geomorphology in archaeology; pottery analysis; and lithic analysis. As an example, the lithic analysis focus provides hands-on experience in analyzing lithic assemblages through experimental replication of stone tools, experimental use of stone tools, microscopic analysis of experimental and archaeological specimens, and classification of lithic assemblages. The first half of the course consists of laboratory exercises in making, using, and analyzing stone tools and flaking debris. The second half of the course is devoted to the conducting of independent research projects by class members on some aspect of lithic analysis.  Because topics change, 5170 may be taken more than once.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 5171. Comparative Early Civilizations. 3 Credit Hours.

This comparative analysis of the rise of early civilizations uses archaeological and historical information to examine the development of ancient societies. It focuses on problems of the Neolithic revolution and the autochthonous transformation of kin-based communities into stratified societies and the subsequent formation and development of archaic states.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5172. Seminar in Northeastern Prehistory. 3 Credit Hours.

The archaeology and prehistory of the native peoples of the Middle Atlantic Region are examined in detail, and in the broader context of cultural developments in the Northeast and Eastern Woodlands of the United States. Although the seminar employs cultural historical periods as a way to present information, cultural diversity across time and space are emphasized. Basic descriptive data dealing with prehistoric cultures are presented, as well as the variety of interpretations of native lifeways upon which they are based. Included in the course is information derived from cultural resource management studies, the results of which are infrequently published.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5177. Approaches to Historic Sites in Archaeology. 3 Credit Hours.

Students examine the central questions, values, and goals of historical archaeology, gaining a working knowledge of its basic concepts and methods. A material culture approach is used as archaeological objects are presented in sites where they express a series of concepts related to our understanding of status, wealth, self identity, consumerism, and symbolism. A holistic framework is used to present material evidence together with documentary, oral, and other data. A variety of sites will be examined in order to introduce many important subfields of historical archaeology such as landscape archaeology, urban archaeology, industrial archaeology, and underwater archaeology. The course also will demonstrate how such evidence illuminates the modern world and its relevance to our own time and place.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5180. Historic Sites in Archaeology. 3 Credit Hours.

A seminar on the archaeology of sites dating from the colonial period and later periods in American history. Topical focus varies; contact the instructor for details.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 5189. Field Session in Archaeology. 6 Credit Hours.

Techniques and concepts of field archaeology, including survey and excavation. Students will be expected to spend the greatest part of the session in the field during the excavation of a prehistoric or historic occupation site. The location of field projects shifts from year to year. Previous locations have included coastal Maryland, the New Jersey Pine Barrens, the Middle and Upper Delaware Valley, and Valley Forge.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 5310. Theories and Methods in Cultural Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

This course examines anthropological approaches to visual and material consumption in social life. Through readings in both classic social theory and contemporary theory and ethnography, we will investigate how images and things acquire meaning, organize social life, and constitute identities through different consumptive processes. Questions to be addressed include: How do people create social identities, hierarchies, or senses of collective belonging through consumption practices? How do images and objects acquire value or significance in different consumption contexts - from gift exchange to internet surfing to shopping? What is the relationship between images, objects, money, and morality in different societies? How can we understand the commodity form ethnographically? What can consumption reveal about processes of state formation and globalization - from the creation of imagined communities to the creation of inequalities? What are the differences between the consumption of visual media versus material objects?

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 5322. Anthropology and Development. 3 Credit Hours.

Economic Anthropology is the study of how economic systems articulate with culture on a variety of scales. This class examines basic paradigms of study in economic anthropology, theories of money and value, and ethnographies of exchange. We will look at how the commodification, production and/or sale of goods in formal, informal and black markets affect people in very different ways. We think through the role of the state, of religion, power struggles and advertising in shaping these markets.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5325. Culture, History, and Power. 3 Credit Hours.

This course examines how both western and non-western societies have defined the domain of "politics." While looking at a range of ethnographies on different forms of politics, we will also attempt to understand how anthropologists historically have studied politics, and how anthropological notions of politics have changed through time.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5326. Problems in the Anthropological Study of Religion. 3 Credit Hours.

This course examines some of the major themes, methods, and intellectual traditions of the study of religion in anthropology. Considered as a comparative study of religious practice, this course seeks to understand thought and behavior in worship, iconography, pilgrimage, domestic and congregational performance, mythology and cosmology, trance, dance, sacrifice, ritual experience and other dimensions of religious life as well as the way that these facets of religious culture interrelate. The study of religion in a historically complex circumstance will provide the means to examine the processes of accommodation and tension that exist in a multi-religious environment.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5328. Seminar in Social Organization. 3 Credit Hours.

This seminar focuses on anthropological analysis of social structures, including kinship, families and households, social networks, voluntary organizations, and bureaucracies

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5332. Medical Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

Examines biocultural and sociocultural approaches to the understanding of multiplex human experiences of health, disease, and affliction. Introduction to the major theoretical schools and critical issues of contemporary medical anthropology. Explores six topical areas: biocultural perspectives on disease and health; ethnomedicine; medical pluralism; medicine and social control; international health development; and the relationships between culture/ society and scientific biomedical representations.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5335. Anthropology and Social Policy. 3 Credit Hours.

Examines "applied" domain and different ways of "using" anthropological knowledge, ranging from critiques of international and federal social policies as products of the state and private interests to participative anthropology that moves toward political action and empowerment, to working for the state and private corporate centers as a way to make a living. Evaluates the efficacy of different types of work for progressive social change and examines the possibilities of how to make our research matter more in relation to major public issues.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5355. Anthropology of Sexuality and Gender. 3 Credit Hours.

Explores anthropological literature on gender as a means of exposing the hidden assumptions about power, language, and gender that inform anthropological theory. Theoretical critiques of this literature will be used to reassess anthropology and to generate a systematic approach to the study of gender. (Prior to fall 2015, the course title was Gender Theory.)

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5358. Race and Class in North America. 3 Credit Hours.

American Culture: Conformity and Diversity. This course focuses on North American ethnographies and their role in the development of North Americanist anthropology. This includes examining dominant debates about the cultural and structural intersection of race, class, gender, and other axes of difference. Other topics include the global spread of North American power, expertise in science and technology, and cultural forms in the twentieth century.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5366. Contemporary Perspectives in Urban Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

Examines the development of urban anthropology from the early debates of the 1970s to redefinitions in the 1980s. The emerging paradigm of intensive studies of local social processes within larger macrostructural contexts is the focus.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5389. Fieldwork in Ethnography. 3 Credit Hours.

This class encourages students to explore the world around them from an ethnographer's perspective; that is, to observe, hear and listen to people and the settings around them with attention to history and the social, political, economic, and ideological structures that provide the context for actors' agency. We will conduct short fieldwork exercises, write fieldnotes and an analytic paper, and conduct an oral history interview. We will also consider what ethical issues fieldworkers encounter as they pursue their research, read classic and more recent examples of ethnographic writing, and engage in debate about different forms of anthropological methods and writing.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5396. History of Anthropological Theory. 3 Credit Hours.

Clarifies various intellectual currents in contemporary anthropology, their relationships to intellectual and social developments, and debates in the broader society. Concerned with the development of anthropological thought as it has been shaped by Western society and the emergence of various intellectual tendencies. Surveys the antecedents of anthropology in the major intellectual currents of the early modern era and its crystallization during the Age of Revolution. Focuses in detail on what happened after the social sciences were professionalized in the late 19th century.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5428. Theory and Methods in Culture and Communication. 3 Credit Hours.

This course explores the history and development of visual culture. Considered are: the history of perception and how mechanical and digital reproduction have had an impact on the sensuousness of the gaze-in-culture; how various intellectual movements in the 20th century effected visual reproduction. The course provides a solid historical foundation with which students can enhance their comprehension of contemporary visual culture.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5434. Anthropology in Feature Films. 3 Credit Hours.

Students will critically review a series of feature films that include topics, themes, and subject matter often treated within anthropology and related human sciences. It is clear that American feature films usually thought of as 'Hollywood films' can be very influential in establishing or reinforcing social and cultural stereotypes of 'states of knowledge' about peoples living in various parts of the world. Viewership of these materials, either as films shown in movie theaters or as their videotape counterparts seen on home television screens, certainly exceeds the size of audiences in introductory anthropology courses in the U.S. The potential for influence and false senses of familiarity is enormous.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5438. Anthropology of Mass Media. 3 Credit Hours.

This course examines the relationships between various types of media (film, radio, television, Internet, newspaper, telephone, performance) and power relations, control, and cultural representation. We will look at reception studies, and social construction of "news watching," the construction of "others" and the maintenance of "otherness" in media, as well as the international politics of media messages and the power of media in influencing our opinions about the world.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5439. Anthropology and Photography. 3 Credit Hours.

A critical examination of an anthropological approach to photography. Special attention will be given to a socio-cultural history of photography in the U.S. Examples from documentary, fine art, and commercial photographic genres will be shown, discussed, and compared to ethnographic studies. Field methods, models of analysis, and ethical issues will also be included. Required readings, active class participation. No exams. Students keep a journal and write several short essays. Note: Knowledge of camera technology and darkroom procedures is helpful but not required.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5444. Anthropological Problems in Visual Production. 3 Credit Hours.

The introduction of visual recording techniques to a sample of problems in the anthropology of visual communication. Discussions will include ways anthropologists construct problems, develop observational strategies, select appropriate image-making technology, work in field conditions, among others. Strategies of representation connected to the integration of cultural and film theories will be explored in conjunction with a wide range of film examples. Students will be introduced to the department's production facilities and do short exercises in image making, viewing, and interpretation.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5458. Anthropology of Public Culture. 3 Credit Hours.

Explores museums, exhibitions, galleries, and festivals as a form of public culture. Activities include critical reading of relevant literature and an examination of films, CD-ROM's, Internet web sites as well as field trips to local institutions.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5501. Language, Power, and Agency. 3 Credit Hours.

This seminar examines the varied ways in which individuals and groups use language in constituting, maintaining, resisting, challenging, subverting, and transforming power relations. These issues are considered at multiple levels of analysis, from face-to-face interactions to performances to the production and circulation of media at national and global levels. A central goal is to develop critical perspectives on the place of language and communicative practice in contemporary social theory.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5504. Language as Social Action. 3 Credit Hours.

This seminar examines language use and other communicative practices as forms of action through which individuals and groups create, sustain, and transform their lifeworlds. Drawing largely on ethnographic materials, it considers a broad range of the semiotically, culturally, politically, ideologically, and discursively mediated activities that, taken together, constitute human sociality. The seminar emphasizes the collection, analysis, and presentation of original ethnographic data. Toward these ends, each seminar participant develops an independent research project involving participant observation and naturalistic audio-video recording of communicative practices (both verbal and non-verbal) in local settings.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5509. Language Socialization and Cultural Reproduction. 3 Credit Hours.

Language socialization research is concerned with the processes whereby children and other novices, through interactions with older or otherwise more experienced persons, acquire the knowledge, orientations, skills, and practices that enable them to function as (and crucially, to be regarded as) competent members of their communities. This seminar examines language socialization and cultural reproduction as both universal and culturally specific phenomena. Topics explored include theoretical and methodological approaches to socialization; cross-cultural variations in ways of teaching and learning; socialization of children and of other novices; the agency of learners; the socialization of identities, roles, and statuses; and socialization processes as a site of innovation and change. Using the resources of the Linguistic Anthropology Teaching Laboratory, seminar participants collect, analyze, and present ethnographic audio-video data from various local settings (schools, churches, community organizations, workplaces, etc.) in which socialization can be observed.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5510. Methods in Linguistic Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

Survey of methods and problems in linguistic anthropology.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 5770. Methods in Physical Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

Methodological training for graduate students in physical anthropology and the Biocultural adaptation program. Topics include population genetics and demography, osteology, energy flow models, and human physiology.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 5796. Biocultural Adaptation of Human Populations. 3 Credit Hours.

This course explores the manner in which the adaptation concept has been used in cultural and biological anthropology. Evaluations of optimization models, thermodynamic models, evolutionary stable strategy theory, cultural materialism and selection models are conducted in a seminar format. Discussions will focus on the extent to which the behavioral and biological characteristics of human populations can be explained in an "adaptive" context. Students will critique specific models and the way they have been applied to groups living in stressful environments.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5797. Reproductive Biology of Human Populations. 3 Credit Hours.

A survey of physiological and biochemical variability in human populations examined as a function of environmental adaptation. Emphasis on the responses of different populations to discernible environmental stresses.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 5798. Seminar in Evolutionary Biology. 3 Credit Hours.

In-depth review of the synthetic theory of evolution, and special topics in evolutionary theory. Emphasis placed on the history of evolutionary thinking, the sources of variation in human populations, evolutionary processes, behavioral ecology, the levels of selection and problems in phylogenetic reconstruction. Anthropologically relevant models will be used throughout the course.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8001. Mobility and Global Inequality. 3 Credit Hours.

Mobility and inequality endure as fundamental realities of human life, and underlie myriad social processes and institutions through which, on the one hand, people organize and make sense of the world around them and, on the other hand, seek to change the conditions and circumstances of their lives. They are at once complementary and oppositional, and examining some of the dynamics between them provides perspective into a variety of anthropological questions both old and new: how do people negotiate unevenly distributed resources? why do people move to new places? in what circumstances is social egalitarianism possible, and in which do hierarchy or even tyranny prevail? as people move, what is lost and what is retained? what effects will large-scale human migration have on prevailing political and economic systems? is radical social change possible under capitalism? Such questions lead us inevitably towards the problem of power and governance, both in today's world and the series of regimes and orders that have preceded and shaped it. How and why people move, or are forced to move, is always bound up with projects of control, exploitation, rebellion, oppression, allegiance, and resistance. This course focuses on mobility and inequality as grounded, embodied processes and experiences, by focusing on ethnographic descriptions of people who are both stuck and on the move, subjugated and liberated, in order to introduce students to a range of foundational concepts and questions.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8002. Evolution, Human Environments, and the Culture Niche. 3 Credit Hours.

Contemporary research in anthropology has become increasingly interdisciplinary and integrative across the 4 traditional subfields. This reflects both expanded theory and emerging themes of inquiry. One important perspective on the human condition is to recall our evolutionary history and the unusual, biologically-based capacity of humans to create our own socioecological niche. The expansion of evolutionary theory in recent years to embrace the importance and relevance of niche construction is a central question in the discipline. This course begins by examining the paleontological and primatological evidence for human uniqueness, particularly the capacity for language and the importance of social learning. Then, through the lens of Evolutionary Biology we introduce, critique and consider the value of an adaptationist perspective to explain Culture. Anthropology has long appealed to the concept of bio-cultural evolution and to the idea that Culture is an adaptation (in the evolutionary sense of the word). This course builds on that history to explore the nature, impact and importance of the culture niche. Several influential approaches to understanding variation in cultural practices and human behaviors are compared: Optimality Theory, Human Behavioral Ecology, Evolutionary Ethnobiology, Cultural Ecology, Dual-Inheritance Theory. The course concludes with a series of Case Studies and consideration of the Culture Niche concept in Applied Anthropology.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8003. Approaches in Cultural Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

Examination of the major theoretical debates that have informed cultural anthropology by analyzing how these perspectives have shaped the development of the ethnographic form. Topics include: structural-functionalism, professional and symbolic approaches, political economy, gender theory and post-structuralism.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8004. Approaches in Linguistic Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

Linguistic anthropology is concerned with the dynamic inter-relationships among language, culture, and society. This course provides an overview of theoretical and methodological approaches through which language can be studied in its social and cultural contexts as a means of communication as well as a medium of power, a means of production, and a commodity of value. Language is regarded as a cultural resource, and communicative practices are treated as forms of social action that vary significantly from one place and time to another. The role of language in sociocultural processes of reproduction and change are examined, revealing that communicative practices and their social organization are not just reflections of pre-existing social structures and cultural patterns, but are in fact constitutive of society and culture.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8005. Approaches in Physical Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

Survey of theories and methodologies used in physical anthropology. Development of physical anthropological theory and practice, genetics, hominid evolution, human population variation, primate history and ethnology, ecology, demography, and physiological anthropology.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8006. Approaches in Archaeology. 3 Credit Hours.

Examines the methods and theories used in archaeological research and provides an overview of human history that has been revealed by archaeological research. Topics covered include the historical development of archaeology, the nature of archaeological evidence, measuring and organizing time, analyzing spatial relationships, interpreting material culture, explanations in archaeology, hunter-gatherers in prehistory, agricultural origins, origins of complex societies, historical archaeology, and current trends in archaeology.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8011. Teaching of Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is a workshop on issues in the teaching of anthropology in general and, more specifically, on the teaching of introductory courses in Temple's Department of Anthropology. Weekly meetings will cover general pedagogical issues such as writing a syllabus, evaluating student writing, constructing class assignments, grading and similar matters. Sample syllabi will be collected and reviewed, along with the textbooks that have been used for various introductory classes. Students will interview those who have experience in teaching introductory courses and will create a syllabus of their own for a course relevant to their individual subfield in anthropology.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8012. Ethical Considerations in Anthropology Research. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed to introduce graduate students to a large variety of ethical considerations in the field of Anthropology. Because anthropologists work with various aspects of the study of humankind, significant time must be taken to protect all aspects of research including living people, deceased people, descendant communities, model animals, and representations of people, language, and material aspects of culture. This course will challenge graduate students to consider difficult circumstances in anthropological research and encourage them to develop personal, peer group, and professional understandings of their responsibilities as anthropology researchers.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8110. Problems in Archaeology. 3 Credit Hours.

Consideration of special theoretical and methodological problems in archaeology. Topical and area emphasis varies by semester.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 8310. Problems in Socio-Cultural Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

A seminar oriented to specific research issues. Topics vary from semester to semester.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 8315. Writing for Anthropologists. 3 Credit Hours.

Reading and analysis of key ethnographic texts. Major topics include: development of ethnography as a genre in the twentieth century; regional patterns in ethnographic data and their relation to theory formation; postmodern critiques of ethnography; the influence of ethnography on other disciplines; and the use of ethnographies in teaching anthropology.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8320. Problems in Ethnology. 3 Credit Hours.

Reading and analysis of key ethnographic texts. Major topics include: development of ethnography as a genre in the 20th-century; regional patterns in ethnographic data and their relation to theory formation; postmodern critiques of ethnography; the influence of ethnography on other disciplines; and the use of ethnographics in teaching anthropology.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 8330. Funding and Grant Writing in Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

A seminar in research design and grant writing for graduate students.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 8340. Advanced Seminar in Social Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

Oriented to specific research issues. Topics vary by semester.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 8344. Seminar in Expressive Culture. 3 Credit Hours.

This course explores the major anthropological approaches to the relationship between objects and social life, with a particular focus on art as especially illuminating. Using examples from Africa, the Middle East, Oceania, Europe, and the United States, the following themes are analyzed: how and why are objects categorized (e.g., as art objects, ritual objects, or ethnographic objects); the debate over the cross-cultural applicability of "art" and "aesthetics"; the ideologies of the "artist" in different societies; the ways that different objects are used to define groups of people (e.g., according to clan, race, gender, class, nationality); the relationship between the exchange/circulation of objects and social relations between different groups; the commoditization of objects; the international trade in tourist objects and art; and the role of museums and anthropologists in representing cultures through objects.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8366. Violence: An Anthropological Approach. 3 Credit Hours.

In this seminar we will establish a set of key concepts with which to better understand the phenomenon of violence historically and in modern times. We begin with experiences of violence recorded by men and women in the past, focusing first on slavery and then on war and terrorism. In subsequent weeks we consider how words, pictures, and physical harm make violence, how violence silences people, and how it creates unsafe spaces. We will be concerned, too, with why and how violence is structured and expressed at home, in courts, in prisons, and in "business."

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8408. Approaches in the Anthropology of Visual Communication I. 3 Credit Hours.

The course has a survey approach; the theoretical overview is grounded in a perspective that applies concepts of culture to processes of visual communication.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8409. Approaches in the Anthropology of Visual Communication II. 3 Credit Hours.

Examination of an anthropological approach to the study of the uses of the body, space, and the built environment, film, photographic, and television theories of construction and reception, art and aesthetics, cyberspace, and museums.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8429. Problems in the Anthropology of Visual Communication. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced seminar devoted to problematic aspects of visual media, research, fieldwork, production, exposition of issues central to relationships of anthropology, media, and visual communication. Topics vary by semester.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8435. Seminar in Visual Anthropology and the Arts. 3 Credit Hours.

A seminar oriented to specific research issues, with topics varying from semester to semester.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ANTH 8550. Current Issues in Linguistic Anthropology. 3 Credit Hours.

A themed seminar devoted to key areas of contemporary research in linguistic anthropology and allied fields of study. The seminar theme varies according to the instructor's areas of expertise, students' areas of interest, and curricular needs. Contact the instructor for details.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 9082. Independent Study. 1 to 12 Credit Hour.

Special study on a particular aspect of anthropology under the supervision of an appropriate faculty member. No more than six semester hours can be counted toward degree requirements.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 9982. Independent Study. 1 to 12 Credit Hour.

Specialized study and research under the supervision of a faculty member while in the coursework phase of the program.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 9994. Preliminary Examination Preparation. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.

Registration required each semester while preparing for the Preliminary examinations.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 9996. Master's Essay. 1 to 12 Credit Hour.

Students who are doing research and writing for their M.A. thesis should register for this class. Credit does not count toward either the 24 s.h. requirement for MA or the 48 s.h. requirement for the Ph.D.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 9998. Pre-Dissertation Research. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.

Intended for students who have completed their qualifying and comprehensive exams and are preparing the dissertation proposal.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ANTH 9999. Dissertation Research. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.

Only students elevated to candidacy and writing the dissertation should register for this course.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Dissertation Writing Student.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

Contacts

Program Web Address:

https://www.temple.edu/academics/degree-programs/anthropology-ma-la-anth-ma

Department Information:

Department of Anthropology

210 Gladfelter Hall

1115 W. Polett Walk

Philadelphia, PA 19122-6089

anthgapp@temple.edu

215-204-7577

Submission Address for Application Materials:

https://apply.temple.edu/CLA/Pages/Welcome.aspx

Department Contacts:

Admissions:

Yvonne Davis

yvonne.davis@temple.edu

215-204-7577

Director of Graduate Studies:

Dr. L. Christie Rockwell

lrockwel@temple.edu

215-204-7577

Chairperson:

Dr. Charles Weitz

weitz@temple.edu

215-204-1424