Coterminal M.A. Degree in Anthropology
The Coterminal Master's program in Anthropology is for current Stanford undergraduates seeking to obtain a Master's degree while completing their bachelor's degree in Anthropology or in a different department.
Stanford University undergraduate majors are eligible to apply for the Coterminal M.A. degree program if they have a 3.4 GPA in their department major, a 3.0 GPA in overall course work, and have no more than one “Incomplete” listed on the transcript at the time of application. Successful applicants to the Coterminal M.A. program may enter only in the following Autumn Quarter. However, the department may consider a request for early deferral of admission in the Spring Quarter by petition. Coterminal M.A. degree applicants are not required to submit their Graduate Record Examination scores.
Fields of Study
Our graduate students may choose from the following Department tracks: 1) Archaeology; 2) Culture and Society. Students work closely with faculty members who are engaged in research informed by a wide array of theoretical perspectives from political to spiritual. Subfields in Archeology include: cities, gender and sexuality, and materiality. Students interested in Culture and Society can focus on a wide range of issues such as: linguistic anthropology, culture and mind, medical anthropology, and global political economy. Explore each Research Area and its faculty.
Further information about Stanford’s Coterminal degree programs, along with application instructions, can be found in the student services website.
The Graduate Application opens in mid-September
Deadline is Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Degree Requirements
Requirements for the Coterminal M.A. degree program include the following:
At least 23 of the 45 units must be taken at the 200/300 level.
- Of the 45 units,
- no more than 15 units may be approved from related areas of study or overseas studies.
- no more than 10 units of directed reading-style course work may be counted towards the degree.
- no more than 5 units may be taken for a satisfactory/no credit grade.
A minimum grade of 'B' in one graduate-level ANTHRO Theory course from the chosen track.
Please note that ANTHRO theory courses are usually considered as department review courses.
A minimum grade of 'B' in one graduate-level ANTHRO Methods course from the chosen track.
Please note that ANTHRO methods courses are not considered as department review courses. [Student's seeking to fulfill the Department's requirement for methods training may petition the graduate committee for an alternate way (i.e. other course or training) to fulfill the Department methods requirement].
A self-designed plan of study chosen from one of the following Anthropology tracks; the tracks are not declarable in Axess:
- Archaeology
- Culture and Society
Submission of an approved M.A. plan of study form and an approved M.A. graduate report of degree progress form, inclusive of a field research, laboratory research or library-based paper proposal, by the last day of the first quarter of the Master's degree
Submission of an approved Program proposal for a Masters degree form by the last day of the first quarter of the Master's degree program.
Enrollment in ANTHRO441, Master's Project, in the final quarter of the M.A. degree program and earn a grade of 'B', or better.
Submission of the Master's paper is reviewed by two faculty members (advisor and reader). For the Culture and Society track, the paper can be a field research or library-based research paper. For the Archaeology track, the paper can also be a laboratory research paper.