Program Contacts
Kenneth Hirth, Anthropology (kgh2@psu.edu)
Mark Munn, CAMS (markmunn@psu.edu)
The Department of Anthropology offers integrated undergraduate-graduate (IUG) degree programs (B.A./B.A./M.A. or B.A./B.S./M.A.) designed to allow academically superior students to obtain either a B.A. degree in Anthropology or a B.S. degree in Anthropological Science, a B.A. degree in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (CAMS), and an M.A. degree in Anthropology in five years of study.
Students must fulfill all requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree, subject to the double-counting of credits as outlined below. Degree requirements for the B.A. in Anthropology, B.A. in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, and B.S. in Anthropological Science are listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Degree requirements for the M.A. degree are listed below. Up to 12 credits may be double-counted towards the degree requirements for both the graduate and undergraduate degrees; a minimum of 50% of the double-counted courses must be at the 500 or 800 level. Credits associated with the culminating experience for the graduate degree cannot be double-counted. The courses that are eligible to double count for both degrees are: ANTH 560, ANTH 571, ANTH 572, ANTH 573, and ANTH 588.
The MA degree consists of 30 additional credits of 400-600 level archaeology courses beyond the undergraduate programs.
- ANTH 560, 571, 588, and 2 credits in ANTH 541
- 4 required credits in ANTH 494 or CAMS 494
- 9 required credits in ANTH 573, ANTH 596, ANTH 599, CAMS 592, CAMS 593, or CAMS 596
- A Master’s thesis, including 6 credits of ANTH 600 Thesis Research or scholarly paper, including 6 credits of ANTH 596
Students must sequence their courses so all undergraduate degree requirements are fulfilled before taking courses to count towards the graduate degree. If students accepted into the IUG program are unable to complete the M.A. degree, they are still eligible to receive their undergraduate degree if all the undergraduate degree requirements have been satisfied.
Anthropology-Only IUG via Petition through the Schreyer Honors College
Students who are a part of or plan on applying to the Schreyer Honors College (SHC) are invited to petition for an Anthropology-only IUG allowed through the SHC. Petitioning allows exceptional undergraduate students in Schreyer to complete Anthropology bachelor’s and master’s degrees simultaneously in five years without the need to obtain a bachelor of arts in Classic and Ancient Mediterranean Studies. Students may petition for this program in their 4th, 5th, or 6th semesters of study.
Prior to starting the petition process, students are expected to have identified a faculty member in Anthropology who will serve as their graduate mentor and to have discussed their plans with their proposed mentor and with the Department Honors Adviser. Petition materials must be submitted and reviewed by the Department of Anthropology prior to submission of the application packet to the SHC. To ensure a timely review of the petition prior to the SHC deadlines, students should submit the following materials to the Department of Anthropology no later than the first Friday of their 4th, 5th, or 6th semester of study:
- Online Graduate School Application
- Two letters of reference submitted via the online Graduate Application
- Personal statement
- Transcript and Degree Audit
- Current Resume or Curriculum Vita
- Honors Adviser Nomination letter
- Research Mentor Nomination letter
- Plan of Study (to be completed in consultation with Honors Adviser)
- Thesis Proposal Report (6th semester students only)
The requirements for the completion of either IUG program include maintaining a GPA of at least 3.40, submitting semester reports to the Graduate School each semester, successfully completing all required coursework at both undergraduate and graduate levels, completing the thesis by the end of the fifth year (following all Thesis Office deadlines). GRE scores are not required. Application materials will be reviewed by the whole faculty as part of the normal graduate admissions process.
For additional information, please refer to the Graduate Handbook and the Schreyer Honors College IUG page.