Anthropology
Master of Arts
Dig into the past and uncover the present
This program provides the advanced graduate training and research experiences you need to pursue a professional career in the field of anthropology, whether you want to study people who lived long ago or contemporary cultures.
As a student in this program, you will complete coursework, seminars and directed studies in anthropological ethics and theory, as well as the subfields of archaeology, biological anthropology and cultural anthropology. You will also conduct independent research and complete a thesis or applied project.
Department research specialties include historical archaeology, public archaeology, archaeological collections management, Asian American archaeology, Plateau Indian ethnography, contemporary American culture, bioarchaeology forensic anthropology and Indigenous peoples of North America.
Graduate students have opportunities to work alongside faculty members in the field and in the university’s Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory of Anthropology and Asian American Comparative Collection on projects involving archaeological digs, archival and collections-based research, ethnographic research and forensic analysis.
Overview
Related Topics
Advance the study of human culture
Application information
Applicants for the M.A. in anthropology program must meet the following degree-specific admission requirements:
- Education level: Bachelor’s
- GPA: 3.0
- GRE: No
- TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo: 79/6.5/115 (for applicants whose education was completed in countries where English is not an official language)
- Number of references: Three
- Other requirements: Writing sample (prior anthropology course)
Program availability
- Concentration: thesis and non-thesis
- Semester intake: Fall and Spring
- Eligible for Expedited admission for U of I undergraduates
- Eligible for WRGP award
- Eligible for international admission
- Deadlines: general application deadlines
Visit Graduate Admissions to learn more and start your application.
Contact information
Culture, Society and Justice contact:
Katharine Kolpan
kkolpan@uidaho.edu
Graduate Admissions contact:
graduateadmissions@uidaho.edu
208-885-4001
Find Department of Culture, Society and Justice faculty advisors.
Costs, funding and research
To learn how you can fund your graduate degree, check out the Graduate Funding page.
Visit Financial Aid to find detailed information about the cost of attendance.
Graduate funding opportunities
- Donald E. Crabtree Lithic Technology Scholarship
- Lawrence Aripa Anthropology Scholarship
- Jeff Markos Memorial Scholarship
- Roderick Sprague Endowment in Anthropology
- John Calhoun Smith Memorial Fund
There are also a limited number of TA positions awarded through the department.
Degree fit
This program could be a good fit if you:
- Are interested in how people live today and in the past.
- Aspire for a career in anthropology.
- Enjoy conducting research.
- Hold a bachelor’s degree in anthropology or an associated field such as history, ethnic studies or sociology from an accredited university.
- Are interested in the study of American Indians or the archaeological history of the American West and more specifically Pacific Northwest.
Hands-on learning
As a graduate student in the anthropology program you’ll work on faculty research projects, volunteer at the Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory of Anthropology or the Asian American Comparative Collection (AACC) and work at field schools.
Career outcomes
Current job openings
1,166 in ID, WA, OR, MT and HIPotential careers and mid-career salaries
- Park Naturalists
$76,552 - Environmental Restoration Planners
$85,591 - Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
$109,581 - Forensic Science Technicians
$74,153 - Postsecondary Anthropology and Archeology Teachers • Postsecondary Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers
$82,694
* Career data provided by Lightcast.