Program Description
The university offers the Master of Arts degree in Anthropology. Anthropology is the multifaceted study of humanity from an evolutionary, historical and global perspective. Students in anthropology learn about their own culture as well as those of other peoples as they are shaped by biological evolution, ecological constraints, political history, and sociological conditioning. The Department of Anthropology offers ethnographic, theoretical and methodological courses in five sub-disciplines: biological anthropology, prehistory and archaeology, anthropological linguistics, socio-cultural anthropology, and applied anthropology. The department has faculty with expertise in the heritage cultures of North and South America and Asia. Although there are no separate options in the program, students are expected to focus their interests in any two academic sub-fields of the discipline: socio-cultural, archaeological, biological, or linguistic anthropology. The department fosters a learning experience across applied and academic domains.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with an M.A. in Anthropology from Cal State East Bay will be able to:
- summarize the history of anthropology; explain how and why the four fields of anthropology intersect; and characterize and critique current debates in the discipline;
- compare and appraise the major theoretical approaches in one or two subfields of anthropology;
- identify appropriate uses of anthropological methods and content in real-world problems, and use these to form the basis of intellectual argumentation;
- design or develop and implement ethnographic, archaeological or osteological research protocols, and
- communicate findings by composing high-quality reports or papers on their own.
Career Opportunities
- Community College Teacher
- Anthropologist
- Archaeologist
- Artifacts Conservator
- Curator
- Ethnologist
- Foreign Service Officer
- Immigration Service Officer
- International Business
- Multicultural Education Instructor
- Museum Curator
- Park Ranger
- Park Service Official
- Professor/Teacher
- Researcher
- Social Science Teacher
- Travel Consultant
- Urban Planner
Research Facilities
The Clarence E. Smith Museum of Anthropology houses a sizable collection of archaeological artifacts recovered in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, as well as collections of culture groups throughout the world. The public museum is administered by the department and is also used as an instructional facility. Students have an opportunity for “hands-on” experience in museum work and gallery exhibits, and through related courses in museology and cross-cultural art. The museum, housed in Meiklejohn Hall, is open to the public. For information, call (510) 885-3168 or (510) 885-3104.
Research Support and Teaching Opportunities
There are a small number of teaching and teaching-related opportunities, in both classroom and online instruction, available within the department for qualified students, including positions as Teaching Assistants, Readers, and Graduate Writing Instructors. Cal State East Bay offers opportunities for practical training and a few paid internships through its Cooperative Education Program. In the past, anthropology graduate students have obtained internships at places in the Bay Area and as far away as the Smithsonian Institution.
Admission to the Program
To be admitted to the program with “Conditionally Classified Graduate” status, the student must: (1) meet all Cal State East Bay requirements for admission to the university as a post-baccalaureate student; (2) have a grade point average of at least 2.50 in his or her last 90 quarter (60 semester) units; (3) file a written application with the department (in addition to the official application filed with the Admissions Office); and (4) submit two letters of recommendation for admission to the program from current or former professors.
Classification in the Program
“Classified Graduate” status implies that the student has demonstrated adequate preparation to pursue graduate work leading to the M.A. degree in Anthropology. Credit can be granted for necessary courses taken with graduate standing at other institutions; deficiencies, if any, can be corrected while registered as a “Conditionally Classified Graduate” student in the program. It should be noted that not more than 15 units of graduate level course work (6000 series) in Anthropology taken as a “Conditionally Classified Graduate” student will be applicable to M.A. degree requirements. To attain “Classified Graduate” status, either at the time of admission or thereafter, a student must: (1) have completed a baccalaureate degree with a major in Anthropology which includes the following anthropology courses or their equivalents: ANTH 3100 or ANTH 3101 , ANTH 3200 , ANTH 3400 , ANTH 3800 or 3810, ANTH 4250 or ANTH 4310 , ANTH 4910 ; (2) satisfy the University Writing Skills requirement.
Advancement to Candidacy
Advancement to Candidacy implies that the student has demonstrated the capacity to complete satisfactorily the program leading to an M.A. degree in Anthropology. To be Advanced to Candidacy, a student must file with the department (normally upon completion of 23 course units) an approved program of study to include relevant courses satisfactorily completed, those in progress, and those yet to be taken; and then be recommended for Advancement to Candidacy by the department.
Maintenance of “Classified Graduate” Standing
To maintain “Classified Graduate” standing a grade point average of 3.0 or higher must be achieved in all courses taken in the approved program of study, whether at Cal State East Bay or at any other college or university. If a “Classified Graduate” student’s GPA falls below 3.0, s(he) shall be dropped from candidacy, if previously attained, and placed in “Conditionally Classified Graduate” status until all deficiencies have been remedied and the student is recommended by the department for reinstatement to “Classified Graduate” status (and candidacy when applicable). Failure by a student to return to “Classified Graduate” status following completion of 16 additional quarter units shall result in his or her dismissal from the program.
