Help!

[calikate]

Aloha,

I am a 31 year old archaeologist currently working in the private sector of cultural resource management in Hawaii. I received my BA in Anthropology from Berkeley with a very strong departmental GPA, not as strong overall GPA (I can't remember exact numbers off the top of my head as I graduated in 2006). I took the GRE a year and a half ago and received around 1430 combined (again, can't remember off the top of my head). I have been working in CRM for three and a half years now, and I have decided I really want to go back to school. I am still completely broke and paying off debt from the first round, but I am seriously considering an Ivy (likely UPenn, maybe Columbia?) so I don't know exactly how I'm going to swing that, if I manage to get in at all. I think I want to go just for my MA right now, then perhaps do a PhD later when I have payed off (some or most of) my BA and MA debt. I am interested in forensic anthropology, though my strength is in historical archaeology and I have a strong draw toward Europe (Italy or Greece?), or the near east. I was considering biohistoric archaeology (a field two of my mentors are attempting to develop at Berkeley), but I don't think I want to go back to Berkeley based on what I've heard from recent grads. I feel like my options are very open and I'm excited to narrow things down, but I just don't know how to and am feeling a bit lost. Does anyone have suggestions for programs/schools/professors to work with? Funding possibilities? Whether or not you think getting an MA and going back to work first is a good idea, or is it better to go through and get the PhD now? What is UPenn like? UMich? Other ideas? Does anyone know about professors who work in historic European or Near Eastern archaeology? Pretty much anything would help at this point... Thank you much and aloha.

Edited April 21, 2011 by calikate

[anthropologygeek]

When deciding where to apply, there are a limited number of forensic programs and I do not believe any of them are ivy schools.

[calikate]

Right, if I decide on the forensic route I was thinking about Tennessee, Florida, or LSU. The biggest drawbacks to going the forensic route, that I can see, are the locations of these programs (none sound all that appealing, though if anyone has insight into these three areas I would love to hear about them), and getting a job after the fact. That's why I am leaning toward historical arch, though I've always been drawn to the idea of forensic anthropology... It's hard to decide! Thanks for the feedback!

[inca2011]

Right, if I decide on the forensic route I was thinking about Tennessee, Florida, or LSU. The biggest drawbacks to going the forensic route, that I can see, are the locations of these programs (none sound all that appealing, though if anyone has insight into these three areas I would love to hear about them), and getting a job after the fact. That's why I am leaning toward historical arch, though I've always been drawn to the idea of forensic anthropology... It's hard to decide! Thanks for the feedback!

If you study bioarchaeology you will likely be able to do both historical archaeology and forensic anthropology, since they require the exact same skills. I don't know what biohistorical archaeology is/would be, but there is already a field that looks at archaeological questions with a biological perspective, focusing on the human remains, identifying age, sex, diseases, fractures, etc. Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioarchaeology

UPenn is a nice program, you can definitely do bioarchaeology in it, and its fully funded. However, it's not necessarily the best program for bioarchaeology. I'm not sure about Columbia. Harvard focuses more on evolutionary questions, as does Yale. I don't think you would be able to do any bioarchaeology at UMich, but I believe U Illinois has lots of people for bioarchaeology (especially the Indiana Champaign campus), as does Ohio State and Arizona State. The only problem with state schools is there is often little funding. You should look for people whose work you like and look where they are.

[calikate]

Thank you for your insight, that definitely gives me something to think about and some ways to proceed to research various programs. I really appreciate it! Aloha.

If you study bioarchaeology you will likely be able to do both historical archaeology and forensic anthropology, since they require the exact same skills. I don't know what biohistorical archaeology is/would be, but there is already a field that looks at archaeological questions with a biological perspective, focusing on the human remains, identifying age, sex, diseases, fractures, etc. Here: http://en.wikipedia..../Bioarchaeology

UPenn is a nice program, you can definitely do bioarchaeology in it, and its fully funded. However, it's not necessarily the best program for bioarchaeology. I'm not sure about Columbia. Harvard focuses more on evolutionary questions, as does Yale. I don't think you would be able to do any bioarchaeology at UMich, but I believe U Illinois has lots of people for bioarchaeology (especially the Indiana Champaign campus), as does Ohio State and Arizona State. The only problem with state schools is there is often little funding. You should look for people whose work you like and look where they are.

[elunia]

Columbia's physical anthropology is mostly focused on primatology, and is in a separate department from archaeology anyway. Not a great fit for bioarch. Arizona State and WashU are considered some of the best programs, but cast a wide net. I started my application process with the AAPA's list of programs (http://physanth.org/career/departmental-graduate-programs-in-physical-anthropology), and just went down school by school reading the department websites and faculty profiles. The best way to determine fit is to read up on the websites about professors' interests, and even look up some of their publications, then contact people you might be interested in working with.

As for MA vs PhD, if you know you want to do a PhD eventually and think you could get in, why saddle yourself with the debt of an MA? I passed up applying to masters in bioarch in the UK, though I would have loved to do one, so that I could start on a PhD, which almost always comes with a funding package. You can even start looking for outside funding (NSF Grad Research Fellowship), if you feel ready to write a short research proposal. (But if you do want to do a masters, look at the MSc programs in the UK - they're usually 1 year, and can be cheaper than an American private university.)

[anthropologygeek]

If you apply to forensics I would wait and see about tennessee. Huge shake up recently and they are getting all new physicals so who knows how that will be. A couple of schools strictly forensics that you didn't mention is Michigan state, Chico state (masters only but good despite being at chico state), hawii, a couple Canadian schools I forget the name of. My advice would be to do bioarch and then do forensics on the side. This will open you up to many more job opportunities.