Master of Arts in Anthropology

Program Overview

The masters in anthropology at the University of Kansas is a research-intensive, interdisciplinary program that offers graduate students the opportunity to explore the breadth and depth of human experience—past and present. As one of the region’s established anthropology graduate programs, it is grounded in the four-field tradition of cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and biological anthropology. This master of anthropology degree emphasizes rigorous scholarship, methodological training, and professional development, preparing students to think critically, conduct original research, and contribute meaningfully to academic and applied settings.

The masters in anthropology is offered in three concentrations:

• Archaeology: The archaeology concentration prepares students to study the human past through material culture, combining theoretical training with hands-on fieldwork and laboratory research. Students develop expertise in topical and geographical areas ranging from the Great Plains to Mesoamerica and beyond.
• Biological Anthropology: The biological anthropology concentration focuses on human evolution, variation, and genetics, drawing on methods from both anthropology and the biological sciences. Students work closely with faculty in KU’s research laboratories, gaining experience in cutting-edge genetic and evolutionary research.
• Sociocultural Anthropology: The sociocultural anthropology concentration examines how humans organize their lives and create meaning across diverse cultural and global contexts, with ethnography as its primary research method. Students develop expertise in a specific theoretical focus and geographic region, along with competency in a relevant second language.

Students in the masters in anthropology program engage with pressing questions about cultural identity, social inequality, evolution, heritage preservation, environmental change, and globalization. Through advanced coursework, immersive fieldwork, and close faculty mentorship, students develop both theoretical grounding and practical research skills relevant to doctoral study and professional careers. Unlike many anthropology masters programs that focus narrowly on a single concentration, this program supports cross-subfield training while allowing students to develop specialized expertise. These anthropology graduate programs foster interdisciplinary collaboration and promote research that spans continents and centuries.

Whether your interest lies in applied anthropology, heritage conservation, Indigenous studies, medical anthropology, archaeological science, or human evolutionary biology, the masters in anthropology offers flexible pathways that allow you to tailor your experience to your intellectual and professional goals. Graduates of anthropology masters programs often pursue doctoral study or enter sectors where anthropological insight informs policy, health, education, and cultural resource management.

The masters in anthropology equips graduates with advanced analytical tools, qualitative and quantitative research competencies, and cross-cultural understanding necessary for work in academia, nonprofit organizations, museums, healthcare systems, consulting firms, and government agencies. As an anthropology degree at the graduate level, it emphasizes ethical inquiry, culturally informed research design, and professional communication. Students leave prepared for diverse anthropology masters jobs across academic and applied sectors.