Students who complete the Masters of Science program in Anthropology at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU), are competitive either for the applied professional career market or for admission to nationally recognized doctoral degree programs. Graduate work at MSU offers students a generalist, holistic foundation in the discipline and one of the three subfield of Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, or Cultural Anthropology. The program includes a series of core seminars in Anthropological theory, research methods, and applied anthropology. A key component of each applied specialization is a semester long field intensive internship. Electives are chosen from within the department or fin cognate field relevant to the student's professional goals.
Chair: Paul Brown, Ph.D.
Graduate Coordinator: Susan Schalge, Ph. D
Kathleen Blue, Ph.D.; Ronald Schirmer, Ph.D.; Wayne Allen, Ph.D. (Ethnic Studies); Kathryn Elliott, Ph.D. (Gerontology)
The GRE is required. Prospective students should submit the application provided by the MSU College of Graduate Studies and Research. For the Department of Anthropology, students need to provide three letters of recommendation and write a personal statement which describes their previous training in Anthropology and reasons for pursing a graduate degree. Submit these materials to the Anthropology Graduate Coordinator. Anthropology attracts people from a wide variety of backgrounds, so we welcome applicants from any field. Students who do not have the equivalent of at least an undergraduate minor in Anthropology may need to take some undergraduate core courses before taking the Master's seminars.
For more about admission go to the Applying to MSU page.
We are able to offer some financial support to all of our students at some point in their training. Graduate teaching and research assistantships are granted each year, on a competitive basis. The Andreas Graduate Scholarships in Anthropology are also awarded annually. Some scholarships and assistantships are available for incoming students. Advanced students can also apply for adjunct teaching positions. To apply for financial assistance, submit a statement about your financial needs and relevant experience (if you have taught or done research, etc.) with the other materials that you send to the Department of Anthropology. You can apply for other types of financial aid (such as Federal work-study or loans) through the Office of Financial Aid.
The oral defense of the student's thesis proposal and the successful completion of all core seminars serve as the comprehensive exam. More information will follow soon.
Students are required to complete a thesis as part of the degree program. The Department of Anthropology follows the basis guidelines found in the Minnesota State University, Mankato Graduate Studies Bulletin. Prior to commencing work on the thesis a student must present a thesis proposal first to the examining committee and then to the College of Graduate Studies and Research. This proposal should be complete and presented to the student's committee no later than the end of the eighth week of the semester prior to commencing the thesis project. The student will present an oral defense of the thesis to the examining committee at least two weeks prior to the end of fall or spring semester. No thesis defense can be scheduled during the summer.
