Applied Anthropology, M.A.

The Applied Anthropology major, initiated in 1974, was the first in the country to focus on career training for the practice of Applied Anthropology. Faculty at USF specialize in various areas, including medical anthropology, biological anthropology, urban policy and community development, environmental anthropology, education, archaeology, cultural resource management (CRM), economic development, immigration, media, and issues pertaining to race, gender, and ethnicity. Geographic specializations emphasize the Caribbean, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and the United States. More than 240 graduates have received an education in anthropology and its practical uses, leading to employment in government and private sector agencies and organizations. For many, the MA is a terminal degree that qualifies them for professional careers in administration, program evaluation, planning, research, and cultural resource management. Others have gone on to earn doctoral degrees and have gained employment in academic or higher level nonacademic positions.

Students entering the Applied Anthropology major at USF choose from one of four tracks: Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, or Medical Anthropology. Although these four tracks share some common requirements, and are bound by general rules of the USF Office of Graduate Studies, they have different curricula and employment trajectories. Archaeology Track graduates typically enter careers in contract archaeology, or public and private agencies and museums responsible for managing archaeological resources. The Cultural Anthropology Track is designed to lead to employment in diverse areas that include education, urban planning, human services, private sector consulting and research, and non-governmental community organizations. Museum and heritage programming represent an area of overlap between the two emphases. Students who wish to pursue these kinds of specialties will develop curricula that draw from both applied and public archaeology requirements in consultation with their advisors. Biological Anthropology students are trained to work in law enforcement, private sector consulting and research, and non-governmental organizations. The Medical Anthropology track prepares students to conduct research, evaluation, and consulting in a variety of settings, including community-based organizations, county and state health departments, and non-governmental organizations. In addition to following the curriculum of a track, M.A. students can select elective courses to fulfill one of four concentrations in Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, Bio cultural Medical Anthropology, Cultural Resource Management, or Heritage Studies.

Our M.A. offers flexibility, depending on the student’s career plans. Students choose from one of three professional development options: research, internship, and internship-based research (a hybrid of the other two). All three options are expected to have an applied component, but differ in emphasis and setting.