Master of Arts in Anthropology

Wayne State's Master of Arts program provides students with a solid foundation in cultural, linguistic, biological and archaeological anthropology. It offers in-depth training in a number of specializations, including historical archaeology, museum studies, business/organizational anthropology, medical anthropology, urban anthropology, paleo-diet, foodways, design, social entrepreneurship and land-use studies.

Why Wayne State's anthropology graduate program?

Our teaching brings students to think critically and analytically within and about these subjects in a range of classroom experiences that include equally rigorous commitments to developing theoretical and methodological expertise through student-developed research.

• Using anthropological skills and theory to address human and environmental issues ranging from climate change, health and illness and aging to understanding how cultural values and practices structure and inform the user experience.
• Understanding how we produce goods and power, make kinship and gender, decide what is right and wrong, build and destroy environments and work in interdisciplinary teams to sustain our world.
• Studying language and other forms of communication, such as new media, technology, mathematics and the arts.
• Through archaeological excavations, examining big-picture changes in society, culture and biology over time from the deep human past to the realities of lives unfolding today and in the recent past.
• Investigating the evolution of human and non-human primates through the study of adaptation, behavior and ecology confronting the contours and limits of human uniqueness.

Master of Arts in Anthropology program requirements and curriculum

The anthropology master's degree requires students to satisfy the graduate program requirements and overall anthropology program requirements.

Concentrations

• Archaeology: Investigating ancient societies through material culture and fieldwork methods.
• Biological Anthropology: Examining human evolution, genetics and primatology.
• Business and Organizational Anthropology: Applies the theories and methods of anthropology to problem-solving in both private and public sectors.
• Cultural anthropology: Understanding social structures, belief systems and cultural practices.
• Linguistic Anthropology: Exploring language as a cultural tool and its role in human interaction.
• Medical Anthropology: Examining how cultural, social and biological factors influence health, illness and healthcare practices across different societies.

Students gain hands-on experience and theoretical insights, enabling them to tackle global challenges with a nuanced understanding of humanity.

Courses

As a graduate student in anthropology, you'll embark on an in-depth exploration of human cultures, societies and biological diversity across time and space. Our curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, research and applied skills to prepare students for diverse professional paths and advanced studies.

Explore anthropology courses