Home » Students » Graduate Student Admissions

In addition to the Graduate Council requirements, requirements for the Master of Arts degree with a major in anthropology, in the appropriate sequence of completion, are as follows. 

MA Program

Admission

Students applying for the MA program must: 

  • Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a major in anthropology. Applicants with a major in a related field (such as biology, sociology, geology, classics, history, historic preservation, or geography) will be considered only if they have a formal minor in anthropology or its equivalent. 
  • Have an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 in the major, 3.3 overall. 
  • Have completed appropriate undergraduate courses in archaeology or anthropology, with an anthropology minor preferred, if applying to the concentration in Mediterranean archaeology. 
  • Make formal online application to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Office of Graduate Admissions. Transcripts and GRE scores should be sent directly to Graduate Admissions. Instructions for submitting three letters of recommendation, which are required, can be found in the online application. In addition, the prospective student should upload a letter of intent indicating career goals and reasons for selecting the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and one sample of his or her written work (a class paper or research report). Applications for admission must be submitted complete by 1 December for consideration for admission the following year. 
  • Specify that they are applying for admission to the MA program, and state the concentration (archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, Mediterranean archaeology, zooarchaeology) they will pursue. 

Detailed information about the MA program and application procedures may be found at the department website.

Requirements

The program leading to the Master of Arts degree is a general curriculum that allows for concentration after completion of a core course sequence. Formal requirements include the following. 

  • Because of the structure of first-year studies, MA students must plan to begin their studies in the fall semester. A minimum of 30 credit hours in graduate courses, at least 20 credit hours at the 500-level or higher, and 24 credit hours in course work graded A-F. Course work must include three core classes taken in the first year. 
    • Anthropology 510 Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology
    • Anthropology 560 Theory in Archaeology
    • Anthropology 590 Method and Theory in Biological Anthropology
  • One additional course from two anthropology concentrations besides the student’s primary concentration. 
  • Students concentrating in Mediterranean archaeology should select their additional 18 credit hours from courses offered in the Anthropology, History, or Classics departments. 
  • During the first year, comprehensive Graduate Evaluation Examinations (GEEs) are required of all MA students and are based on the content of the core courses. 
  • All MA students must attend the graduate section of the visiting lecturer program (Anthropology 550). 
  • A graduate-level introductory statistics course, usually Statistics 537 or Anthropology 504. With permission of the department head an equivalent graduate-level course may be substituted. 
  • A formal performance review of each MA graduate student’s progress will take place each year. 
  • An MA thesis proposal. 
  • Successful completion of the thesis and final oral presentation and examination. 

PhD Program

Admission

Students applying for the Doctor of Philosophy degree with a major in anthropology must: 

  • Have a BA or MA degree in anthropology or a minor in anthropology and a degree in a related field such as biology, sociology, geology, classics, history, historic preservation, or geography. 
  • Have a GPA above 3.30 overall in undergraduate or graduate work. 
  • Furnish the department and Graduate School the same materials as applicants for the MA program (see Admission under Master of Arts). The online application must specify that the applicant is applying for admission to the PhD program, and state the concentration (archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, zooarchaeology) the student will pursue. 
  • Master’s thesis candidates in anthropology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who apply and are conditionally accepted into the PhD program can enroll as doctoral students the semester following conferral of the MA. 
  • All other students with a BA or MA must apply by December 1 for admission the following fall and, due to the requirements of the program, must begin their studies in the fall semester. 

Detailed information about the PhD program and application procedures may be found at the department website.

In addition to the Graduate Council requirements, requirements for the PhD with a major in anthropology, in the appropriate sequence of completion, are as follows. 

Requirements

  • Every potential PhD candidate must complete two consecutive semesters of full-time residence prior to taking the doctoral comprehensive examination. The student must complete the minimum course work requirements of the Graduate Council (48 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, or 24 credit hours beyond the master’s degree), including at least 9 credit hours of 500- or 600-level courses outside of anthropology, distributed as appropriate to the individual’s program of study. A minimum of 12 of the 24, or 30 of the 48 credit hours of coursework must be graded A-F. Coursework must include the three core classes taken in the first year, Anthropology 510 Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology; Anthropology 560 Theory in Archaeology; and Anthropology 590 Method and Theory in Biological Anthropology. 
  • All PhD students must attend the graduate section of the visiting lecturer program (Anthropology 550) each year until they are admitted to candidacy. 
  • A formal performance review of each PhD graduate student’s progress will take place each year. 
  • Two graduate courses in statistics, usually Statistics 537 and Statistics 538 or Anthropology 504 and Anthropology 604. Courses in research methods, information technology or GIS may be substituted for these requirements, as approved by the student’s doctoral committee and the department head. 
  • Pass a comprehensive oral and written examination designed to test for adequate knowledge in those areas essential to the student’s research program, upon which the student is admitted to candidacy. 

Dissertation Research 

Twenty four credit hours of dissertation are required. A formal dissertation proposal or equivalent publication or document must be orally defended, followed by the successful completion and final oral presentation and defense of a dissertation.