Matt W.

I was wondering what the general perceptions are for getting all three degrees from the same school, but in different departments (and therefore different faculty and methodologies). My rundown is thus: I got my BA in one department, left for a year to pursue something else, then returned to the same school in a related, but entirely separate, discipline. I am currently faced with the option of continuing on at the same school for the PhD in the same program as my MA, but I am concerned about the stigma of "academic inbreeding" and what effects this may have. I know this is an issue for the same degree, but I don't know what the perception is for going to the same school but for two separate disciplines. Any thoughts would be welcome.

Of the schools you've listed, you actually have some very competitive programs there. University of Arizona has the 5th ranked Anthro program, and Colorado and New Mexico are also very good (though I don't know their precise rankings) as are most of the Anthro programs in the Southwest (for various reasons). If you want to study Southwest Archaeology, however, these are some of the best you can look at. I would also consider Utah. Best of luck to you!