Anthropology (M.A.)

Anthropology is a comparative social science that seeks to uncover principles that govern human behavior. Anthropology includes the four fields of cultural, biological, archaeological, and linguistic anthropology. Departmental strengths include applied anthropology, medical anthropology, historical archaeology, museum studies, cultural resource management public archaeology, business organizational anthropology, language and cognition, urban anthropology, paleo-diet, foodways, environmental anthropology, land-use studies, global health, and social entrepreneurship.The Anthropology Department offers five different graduate degree options: Master of Arts (MA), Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (Ph.D), and two joint PhD programs in Social Work & Anthropology (SWAN), Anthropology and Urban Sustainability (T-RUST) and MD-PhD. Alumni from Wayne State’s Anthropology graduate programs are readily employed in a wide range of areas. Some work in traditional institutions such as colleges, universities, and museums, but many are employed in public and private settings. These include health, governmental, international, and social agencies, business and organizational settings, public policy, research and development, design, as well as in positions within government, non-profit, and cultural institutions that require environmental management, historic preservation, archaeology, cultural heritage, and museum-based skills. A master's degree in Anthropology can prepare students for advanced study in professions such as medicine or law. Accordingly, graduate programs in Anthropology are designed to accommodate a variety of specific student interests and objectives.