Graduate Studies

Anthropology (MA)

Options
Option in Museum Studies

Application Deadlines

  • Fall: January-10
  • Spring: No spring admission

Requirements
Two letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, curriculum vitae, and writing sample. GRE test no longer required.

Program Coordinator
Matthew O'Brien


Anthropology student in the field using a brush tool

Is the MA in anthropology for you?

Do any of the following describe you?

  • Unquenchable curiosity about human culture and its development in the past.
  • Like to apply knowledge in a scholarly way.
  • Interested in working in the forest, by the sea, in the dessert, in urban areas, in a lab, in an office.
  • Enjoy preparing reports and conference presentations.
  • Like to analyze data.
  • Interested in exploring a pathway to a PhD.

student in the lab looking at bones

Do these jobs sound interesting to you?

Our alumni are:

  • Archaeologist
  • Forensic anthropologist
  • Museum curator
  • Historical researcher
  • State, federal, tribal government specialist

Other possibilities are:

  • Urban planner
  • Market research anthropologist
  • Linguistic anthropologist
  • College instructor
  • International business consultant

Archaeology Anthropology members

Is this the kind of salary you are seeking?

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows the following outlook for Anthropologists and Archeologists(opens in new window):

Median Pay
$61,910 per year / $29.76 per hour

Job Outlook
6% (As fast as average)

Environment
Anthropologists and archeologists typically work in research organizations, government, and consulting firms. Although most work in offices, some analyze samples in laboratories or do fieldwork. Fieldwork may require travel for extended periods.


Kendall Hall in Fall

What if my bachelor’s isn’t in anthropology?

You can still pursue this degree if your undergraduate degree was in a different field. It may occasionally require some prerequisites to bring you up to speed. Talk to the program coordinator Matthew O'Brien for details.

Butte Hall exterior

How long will it take?

  • The MA in anthropology is a 30-unit program that can be completed in two years.
  • Our typical student takes three years, but this is by choice; they’re diving deep into research projects, interning for agencies, and working in the field.

What is it like to be an anthropology master's student?

student in lab with professor

Close Mentoring

  • Close mentoring by world-class faculty renowned in their fields.
  • Write top quality, outstanding theses.
  • Make award-winning documentary films.

student on lawn using measuring tape

Interesting Projects

  • Work on FBI case files.
  • Conceive, research, design, and install exhibits at the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology on Chico State’s campus.

archaeology students with professor out on a dig

Intern Opportunities

  • Many opportunities to intern and work in the field.
  • High completion and graduation rates.

Here's What Our Students are Doing

Jacqueline Coon

Graduate Studies Research & Conference Award

Jacqueline Coon received a Graduate Studies Research & Conference Award to fund travel to museums to conduct her thesis research on the use of interactive technologies, iPads, and augmented reality to update old natural history dioramas. She later won first prize for presenting this work at Chico State’s Annual Student Research Competition and went on to present at the statewide CSU competition.


student examining skull in the Human Identification Lab

Using the Human Identification Lab

Anthropology graduate students and alumni play important roles in running the professional Human Identification Lab at Chico State.


Jacqueline Galimany

Work Hands-on with Real Cases

Visiting Fulbright scholar Jacqueline Galimany chose Chico State from elite master’s programs from around the world due to its reputation as a close-knit department where graduate students work directly with faculty and work hands-on with real cases.


Derek Boyd

Outstanding Thesis Award Winner

Derek Boyd’s thesis, Putting Fracture Reduction on Repeat: An Analysis of the Long-Term Health Consequences of Differential Treatment in Industrialera London, was an Outstanding Thesis Award winner and part of what propelled him on to doctoral studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where his work focuses on northeastern England during the Bronze Age through Post-Medieval periods.