The San Diego State University 1997-98 Graduate Bulletin the World-Wide Web cannot be considered the official publication for the University. Please refer to the printed Graduate Bulletin

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Anthropology

In the College of Arts and Letters

Office: Storm Hall 143B
Telephone: (619) 594-5527
Fax: (619) 594-1150
Email: anthro@mail.sdsu.edu

Faculty

Associateships

General Information

Admission to Graduate Study

Advancement to Candidacy

Specific Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree
(Major Code: 22021)

Courses Acceptable on Master's Degree Programs in Anthropology

Faculty

Ronald S. Himes, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology, Chair of Department

Joseph W. Ball, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology

Philip J. Greenfeld, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology

Edward O. Henry, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology

Larry L. Leach, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology (Undergraduate Adviser)

Lois K. Lippold, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology

Wade C. Pendleton, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology

Vivian J. Rohrl, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology

Dan Whitney, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology

Mary Jane Moore, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anthropology (Graduate Adviser)

Alexander Sonek, Jr., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anthropology

Associateships

Sources of financial assistance available to qualified graduate students in anthropology each academic year include two Norton Allen Scholarships, the Paul Ezell Internship in Archaeology and occasional graduate teaching associateships. Application forms and additional information may be obtained from the chair of the department.

General Information

The Department of Anthropology, in the College of Arts and Letters, offers graduate study leading to the Master of Arts degree in anthropology. The Master of Arts degree in anthropology provides systematic training through two specializations; (1) general anthropology specialization, with a strong theoretical component, for students who anticipate additional work leading to the doctoral degree in anthropology, or direct placement in an academic setting; (2) an applied anthropology specialization primarily for those who plan to seek employment in the nonacademic sector. This specialization is concerned with the application of anthropological method and theory to practical problems in business, government, and other settings.

Research and special instructional facilities provided by the Department of Anthropology include laboratories for archaeology, ethnology, linguistics, physical anthropology, and world prehistory. Additional facilities available in the community include the Museum of Man, the San Diego Zoo, and various internship sites for applied research.

Admission to Graduate Study

All students must satisfy the general requirements for admission to the University with classified graduate standing, as described in Part Two of this bulletin. In addition, students seeking the Master of Arts degree in anthropology must have completed or complete at least 15 upper division units including Anthropology 301, 302, 303, and 304, or the equivalent to those required for an undergraduate major in anthropology at San Diego State University. Students receiving a bachelor's degree in anthropology from San Diego State University must have at least a B average (3.0 grade point average) in the four 300-level core courses (Anthropology 301, 302, 303, and 304). Applicants from other undergraduate programs must have a B average in the courses equivalent to Anthropology 301, 302, 303, and 304. The student must also have an overall 3.0 (B) grade point average in all undergraduate courses or consent of the department.

Copies of transcripts and GRE General Test scores are to be sent to the Office of Admissions and Records. In addition to these documents and the University admission forms, students applying to the department are asked to submit (1) at least three letters of recommendation from persons in a position to judge academic ability; and (2) at least one typewritten example of their previous work (e.g., a term paper or an original experiment). Materials should be submitted by November 1 for admission for spring semester and April 1 for the fall semester.

Advancement to Candidacy

All students must satisfy the general requirements for advancement to candidacy as described in Part Two of this bulletin. In addition, students completing the General Anthropology specialization must: (1) satisfactorily complete all four core seminars (601, 602, 603, and 604) with a minimum grade point average of 3.0, and no less than a B- grade in each of the four core seminars, and (2) according to the specific recommendation of the Department of Anthropology, pass either an examination demonstrating working knowledge of an appropriate foreign language, or complete a sequence of at least one lower division and one upper division course (with a grade point average of 2.0 or better) in either:

(a) Foreign language recommended by the department, or

(b) Anthropology 580 (Anthropological Data Analysis) or one of the following sequences in statistics: Biology 215 and 597B; Psychology 270 and 472; Sociology 201 and 406 or 407; Statistics 250 and 350A.

Those students who choose the Applied Anthropology specialization must: (1) satisfactorily complete three core seminars (601, 602, 603, or 604) selected with the approval of the graduate coordinator with a minimum grade point average of 3.0, and no less than a B- grade in each of the three core seminars; (2) satisfactorily complete Anthropology 620 or 621; and (3) satisfactorily complete a lower division course in quantitative methods (Biology 215, Psychology 270, Sociology 201, or Statistics 250) and Anthropology 580 (Anthropological Data Analysis) with no less than a B- in each course. After having been advanced to candidacy, students in either the General Anthropology or Applied Anthropology specializations must submit a thesis proposal for approval by the departmental graduate advisory committee.

Specific Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree

(Major Code: 22021)

In addition to meeting the basic requirements for the Master of Arts degree as described in Part Two of this bulletin, students selecting the General Anthropology specialization must complete a graduate program of at least 30 units of which at least 21 units must be in 600- and 700-numbered courses in anthropology, to include:

1. Anthropology 601, 602, 603, and 604 (with a minimum grade point average of 3.0, and no less than a B- grade in each of these core seminars);

2. Anthropology 797, Research (3) (to be taken after advancement to candidacy);

3. Anthropology 799A, Thesis (3).

Students selecting the Applied Anthropology specialization must complete a graduate program of at least 30 units, of which at least 21 units must be in the 600- and 700-numbered courses in anthropology, or with the approval of the graduate coordinator, in related disciplines. The coursework for this specialization must include:

1. Nine units of core seminars chosen from Anthropology 601, 602, 603, or 604 with the approval of the graduate coordinator (with a minimum grade point average of 3.0, and no less than a B- grade in each of these core seminars);

2. Anthropology 580 (3) and Anthropology 620 (3) or 621 (3) (courses to be taken prior to advancement to candidacy and prior to internship placement);

3. Anthropology 795 (6) (to be taken after advancement to candidacy);

4. Anthropology 799A, Thesis (3).

All graduate students must take a final oral examination on the general field of the thesis which must be passed as a requirement for the degree. Only Plan A, requiring the thesis, is permitted for the Master of Arts degree in anthropology.

Courses Acceptable on Master's Degree Programs in Anthropology

UPPER DIVISION COURSES

500. Primate Social Behavior (3)

Two lectures and three hours of laboratory.

Prerequisite: Anthropology 101.

Analysis of modes of primate socialization and development of social behavior with emphases on communication, group structure, aggression, and sex. Various methods of analysis and observation practiced utilizing primate collection at the San Diego Zoo.

501. Paleoanthropology (3)

Prerequisite: Anthropology 101. Recommended: Anthropology 301.

Fossil evidence for human evolution. Comparative and functional anatomy of fossil human and infrahuman primates; geochronology, paleoecology, and cultural associations; taxonomic implications.

503. Human Variation (3)

Prerequisite: Anthropology 101.

Morphological, physiological and genetic aspects of human variability. Significance of this diversity in the biological adaptations of human populations.

504. Primate Anatomy (3)

Two lectures and three hours of laboratory.

Prerequisite: Anthropology 101.

Primate anatomy both regional and systemic, including skeletal, cardiovascular and digestive systems; the integument and otolaryngology of primates.

505. Human Osteology (3)

Two lectures and three hours of laboratory.

Prerequisite: Anthropology 101. Recommended: Anthropology 301 and/or Biology 212.

Identification of individual bones and teeth; sex, age, and racial variation; stature reconstruction; continuous and discontinuous morphological variations; paleopathology. Training in observations, measurements, and analyses.

507. Genetic Markers and Anthropology (3)

Two lectures and three hours of laboratory.

Prerequisite: Anthropology 101.

Use of genetic markers in the study of human populations. Biology of blood groups, serum proteins, enzymes, etc., and analyses of gene frequencies. Significance of genetic markers in evolutionary studies.

508. Medical Anthropology (3)

Prerequisite: Anthropology 101 or 102.

Evolution and ecology of disease, medical beliefs and practices in non-Western cultures, and complexities of health care delivery in pluralistic societies.

509. Culture and Biological Aging (3)

Prerequisite: Anthropology 101 or 102.

Do different populations age at different rates? Theories of biological aging, genetics of longevity and cultural influences on biological aging. Process of aging and role of the aged in various cultures.

560. Advanced Archaeological Field Methods (3)

One lecture and six hours of laboratory.

Prerequisite: Anthropology 312.

Advanced projects in excavation and stabilization of ruins, archaeological surveys, laboratory analysis and preparation of reports.

561. Archaeological Laboratory Methods (3)

Two lectures and three hours of laboratory.

Prerequisite: Anthropology 560.

Application of palynology, paleontology and relevant technologies. Individual laboratory research project required.

580. Anthropological Data Analysis (3)

Two lectures and three hours of laboratory.

Prerequisites: Anthropology 101 or 102 and a statistics course. Recommended: Psychology 270 or Sociology 201.

Computer oriented data analysis class utilizing anthropological data sets. Special section of the SPSS computer workshop is required.

582. Regional Anthropology (3)

Prerequisite: Anthropology 102.

Study of societies in a major geographical region of the world such as Africa, the Arctic, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, Oceania, or South Asia. See Class Schedule for specific content. May be repeated with new content. Maximum credit six units.

583. Topical Anthropology (3)

Prerequisite: Anthropology 102.

Study of a major subdiscipline such as political anthropology, economic anthropology, social anthropology, psychological anthropology, cultural ecology, applied anthropology, anthropological genetics, or environmental archaeology. See Class Schedule for specific content. May be repeated with new content. Maximum credit six units.