About Anthropology's Graduate Programs
Small and intimate, our master’s in anthropology program offers ample opportunities for faculty-student research collaboration. This graduate degree program emphasizes a four-field approach in the tradition of American anthropology. Typically completed in two years, our master’s program in anthropology grants at least a semester of funding to all of our M.A. students, and we try to fund as many graduate students as we can.
Our doctoral degree program, typically completed in three years, is also small and
intimate, which creates a close-knit yet flexible academic environment to pursue your
career and research interests. Our strengths lie in hunter-gatherer archaeology, Paleoindian
archaeology and archaeology of the Rocky Mountain West and Plains.
We are deeply committed to both our Wyoming-based research and our international programs
— and often make strong connections between them.
The anthropology master’s program curriculum at UW includes basic coverage of archaeology,
biological anthropology, cultural anthropology and linguistic anthropology. The anthropology
Ph.D. program at UW focuses on hunter-gatherer, Paleoindian and plains archaeology.
These are just some of the classes you might take as a student in UW’s anthropology
graduate programs:
- Lithic Analysis
- Zooarchaeology, Geoarchaeology or Bioarchaeology
- GIS in Anthropology
View M.A. in anthropology degree program curriculum.
View Ph.D. in anthropology degree program curriculum.
What Can You Do With an anthropology graduate degree?
Many of our M.A. graduates go on to careers in anthropology and archaeology. Most commonly, they work in cultural resource management, government or higher education. 90% of our Ph.D. graduates work in anthropology, with the majority of them building successful careers as academic professionals, including tenure-track faculty members and postdoctoral fellows.
- Anthropologist
- Archaeologist
- Professor
- Professional Researcher
- Museum Archivist or Curator
- Collections Manager or Laboratory Manager
There are plenty of opportunities for hands-on fieldwork! For example, two of our faculty members conduct research in Peru, focusing on the archaeology and biological anthropology of Andean complex societies. We also maintain strong connections with archaeologists in state and federal agencies, which have led to valuable research and employment opportunities for our graduate students.
Our faculty specialize in diverse regions including Iceland, Peru, Croatia and Native North America, with particular strengths in Paleoindian and hunter-gatherer archaeology, Wyoming’s history and biological anthropology.
The job outlook for anthropologists is growing, especially for those with advanced degrees and applied skills. Our program prepares students for success through hands-on experience and professional opportunities.
UW Anthropology Making An Impact
Department of Anthropology Professor Todd Surovell received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to study how Clovis people lived at the La Prele Mammoth site near Douglas in Converse County, which will help answer questions about human adaptation to environments during the ice age.
“The advising and research opportunities I received while at UW were integral in my successfully landing a tenure-track position. Faculty in the UW Anthropology Department work closely with their students to ensure they are training strong scholars and future peers. Hands-on research experience, such as field and lab work opportunities, and practical job preparation through courses like the Professionalism class create a balanced approach to academics and made me feel ready to tackle a competitive job market."
- Heather Rockwell, ’14 University of Wyoming, Ph.D. in Anthropology | Assistant Professor, Salve Regina University
