Choosing a Track
Each graduate student should specify a major field of study among the four fields of anthropology. In addition, each must choose one of three tracks:
- the specialized track in which a student focuses on one field of anthropology
- the multifield track in which a student combines two fields
- the interdisciplinary track in which a student adds study in a second discipline to anthropology.
All of these tracks are appropriate for the thesis and non-thesis options. The choice of track impacts the membership of the supervisory committee and course requirements.
Students on the multifield track formally identify a second field within anthropology, combining the two (e.g., biological and archaeological anthropology as bioarchaeology, biological and cultural anthropology as biocultural anthropology, archaeological and cultural anthropology as ethnoarchaeology). At least one faculty member from the second field must sit on the student’s supervisory committee, and appropriate coursework in the second field will be monitored by the supervisory committee.
Students on the interdisciplinary track formally select a discipline or program outside the anthropology department and take at least 9 credits from that department or program for the MA degree and 18 credits total for the Ph.D. A faculty member from that department or program must sit on the student’s supervisory committee (as the “interdisciplinary member”). Courses in other departments taught by anthropologists do not count for the interdisciplinary track.
