Applied Archaeology in the Pacific and Asia

Special MA Track in Anthropology

The MA track in Applied Archaeology at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa is designed to train the next generation of professional non-academic archaeologists who seek to be effective advocates for the study and preservation of historic sites. Although other institutions within the continental United States offer graduate training in applied archaeology, our program at UH Mānoa is unique in its geographic and cultural focus on Hawai'i, Asia, and Oceania.

We recognize the increasing importance of archaeological employment opportunities in our state through public and private sectors of cultural resource management (CRM) and historic preservation. In fact, compliance with state and federal legislation that pertain to archaeology and historic preservation underlies most public and private funding for professional archaeology today. Consequently, many private firms and governmental agencies employ MA level archaeologists to conduct CRM investigations, manage archaeological collections, and/or engage in community outreach and public education. These growing areas of professional archaeology now far surpass the demand for academic archaeologists.

We encourage practicing archaeologists in the community who seek an MA to apply to our new applied program. We also welcome practicing archaeologists in the community who do not have the time and other resources to complete an MA now, but who wish to expand their professional skills, to enroll in our Applied Archaeology MA courses. Such participation is possible by either enrolling as an unclassified graduate student, or through taking courses via the UH Mānoa Outreach College (our classes will be dual-listed with the Outreach College).

Admission to the Applied Archaeology Track

Please consult Departmental and Graduate College guidelines for application instructions. Applicants to our Applied Archaeology MA program (which is a Plan B program) should explicitly note in their statement of purpose and other correspondence that they are applying to the MA Track in Applied Archaeology. Students who are admitted to the applied program will be assigned an interim advisor upon their acceptance. By the end of the second semester, a student must select a committee of three anthropology faculty, one of whom will serve as her/his committee chair. A student must complete a report on original research, or three publishable papers.

Students who wish to enter the doctoral program, upon completion of the MA Track in Applied Archaeology, must re-apply for admission to the anthropology program.

Curriculum for Applied Archaeology MA Track - Plan B (Portfolio)

Please download and review this pdf document with steps for completing the MA track in Applied Archaeology

Required courses (9 credits [3 courses])

• ANTH 603 (Archaeology Core)
• ANTH 645 (Historic Preservation)¹
• ANTH 711 (Research Design)

Required area courses (3 credits [1 class])

• ANTH 323 (Pacific Archaeology)
• ANTH 464 (Hawaiian Archaeology)
• ANTH 461 (Southeast Asian Archaeology)
• ANTH 462 (East Asian Archaeology)

Methods courses (9 credits) (at least one ANTH class)

• ANTH 380 (Archaeology Laboratory Techniques)
• ANTH 384 (Skeletal Biology) & ANTH 384L (1-credit hour lab)
• ANTH 458 (Forensic Anthropology)
• ANTH 471 (Assemblage Analyses in Archaeology)
• ANTH 473 (Lithic Analysis)
• ANTH 474 (Geoarchaeology)
• ANTH 475 (Faunal Analysis)
• ANTH 476 (Paleobotanical Analysis)
• ANTH 477 (Intro to Geographic Information Systems for Anthropologists)
• ANTH 640E (Economic Archaeology)
• ANTH 668 (Archaeology Field Methods) (Variable credit)
• ANTH 750D (Hawaiian Ethnology: Theory and Practice)
• GEOG 370 (Map and Aerial Photo Interpretation)
• GEOG 470 (Remote Sensing)
• GEOG 472 (Field Mapping)
• GEOG 488 (Geographic Mapping Systems)

Elective courses (9 credits [3 classes] (at least one ANTH class])

• ANTH 640 series (640B, 640C, 640D, 640E, or 640F)
• ANTH 750 series (750B, 750D)
• HWST 650 (Hawaiian Natural Resource Management)
• HWST 602 (Hawaiian Archival Research)
• AMST 623, 625, 675, 676, 677, 679, 680, 681, 683, 684, 685
• ARCH 691, 692
• PLAN 600, 610, 616, 622, 625, 632, 640, 645, 741

TOTAL NUMBER OF CREDITS = 30

¹Students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation program concurrently with the MA Track in Applied Archaeology may instead take AMST 676 (Recording Historic Resources) or AMST 677 (Community Preservation).

NOTES

• Course credits from a student's undergraduate degree cannot be counted toward completion of the MA degree
• A single course cannot be used to fulfill two separate requirements
• With pre-approval, students in the MA Track in Applied Archaeology may receive credit for courses at other campuses in the UH system
• The above curriculum requirements are effective during the fall semester 2009

page last updated April 9, 2009