Anthropology, MA
Join renowned faculty to better understand and positively contribute to the human condition. Our Anthropology MA program prepares you for advanced study across a range of concentrations with diverse approaches to methods of research in the field, both in terms of who does anthropology and how anthropology is done.
Program Overview
The Anthropology MA program trains students as researchers in one of four areas: archaeology, Mediterranean archaeology, cultural, or biological anthropology.
Whether you want to specialize in archeology or targeted areas of anthropology, our program equips you with research skills and methods to properly document and analyze anthropological events and artifacts. You’ll gain skills in ethnography, quantitative methods, and statistics, all while having exceptional opportunities to work in our many lab facilities and field schools, allowing you to gain practical, hands-on skills.
Our program prepares you for a variety of important careers, whether that’s in teaching and academia or completing excavation and anthropological research for museums and government agencies.
Concentrations
Whether you’re inspired by archaeology and its subdisciplines—historical or Mediterranean archaeology, paleoethnobotany, zooarchaeology, among others, want to explore human biological evolution, or expand your knowledge on humanitarianism and culture, our concentrations offer a pathway for you to pursue your individualized research interests.
Our current selection of concentrations includes:
- Archaeology
- Biological Anthropology
- Cultural Anthropology
- Mediterranean Archaeology
Why Study Anthropology?
At the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the Master of Arts in anthropology provides you with outstanding research opportunities that will help you hit the ground running.
With access to our state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Forensic Anthropology Laboratory, which gives students the space to conduct research through body donations and the Donated Skeletal Collection, you’ll gain direct experience collaborating and working alongside our world-renowned faculty. For those more interested in archaeology, our U.S. Southeast Archaeology Lab also gives you the space to conduct cultural studies on various communities in the Southeastern U.S.
Plus, with yearly opportunities to attend archeological field schools, like Coan Hall in Virginia, you’ll push the boundaries of your research and graduate equipped to lead and inspire.
Forensic Anthropology Center
Established in 1987, UT’s Forensic Anthropology Center (FAC) opened its state-of-the-art Laboratory on April 17, 2026, now the first accredited lab of its kind at a higher education institution by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). FAC has long provided unparalleled teaching and research opportunities for UT students.
What Can You Do with an MA in Anthropology After Graduation?
The Anthropology program at UT is a diverse program where students thrive in the study of the human experience through collaboration and research. Students learn through scientific and humanistic lenses, with multiple concentrations to choose from,. These specializations provide students with public outreach opportunities, interactive learning, access to research labs and centers, and more, all while being backed by supportive and active faculty. Graduates go on to work in many different disciplines in impacting our knowledge of the human experience, such as education, museum work, field research, government, and more.
At museums and archives, many graduates work as curators, records managers, archivists, or preservation specialists. In the field and more research-centered careers, other graduates become cultural resource managers, field technicians, site managers, or urban planners, working for historic preservation organizations, environmental firms, or archaeological consulting firms. In government, alumni go on to become program managers, policy analysts, or cultural affairs specialists, or epidemiology researchers. You could also work in business, in sales, customer service, or human resources, or in communications and media, as a journalist, publisher, or content creator for documentaries.
Education is another pathway, where you could work at colleges, universities, museums, or nature centers as an anthropology professor, researcher, information specialist, or program coordinator.
Featured Courses
ANTH 510 Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology
This course covers the development of primary theoretical orientations by cultural anthropologists; formulation of research problems and methods of collecting, organizing, and utilizing data.
ANTH 560 Theory in Archaeology
Students will learn the detailed consideration of theory in contemporary archaeology: models of scientific explanation, research design, archaeological formation processes, and methods of analysis and interpretation.
ANTH 604 Bayesian Data Analysis for Natural and Social Sciences
This course covers the fundamentals of Bayesian modeling and multivariate statistical modeling. Natural and social science applications are emphasized, along with skills in critical evaluation of research conducted using statistical methods in these fields. While exploratory data sets will be provided, students are encouraged to supply their own research data to facilitate learning.
ANTH 531 Ethnographic Research Methods
This course covers conceptual and practical exploration of methods and techniques cultural anthropologists use in fieldwork. Research design, ethical considerations, field safety, and qualitative data collection and analysis methods are addressed.
Complementary Majors, Minors, and Certificates
Looking to enhance your degree? Consider these programs as a complement to your primary major.
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