Do all anthropology graduate or terminal masters programs crosslist grad w/ undergrad. classes?

[mutualist007]

I know this may seem like a naive question, but every program I knew before, and every program my friends and associates enrolled in from other disciplines, specially designed graduate classes for graduate students to take with their cohorts.

I am really surprised and honestly kind of let down that I have to take classes with dozens of undergraduates. the only difference between the undergraduate and the graduate cross-class is that faculty has higher expectations for the graduate students, and the grads have to write longer papers. I feel like I could have gotten the same education as an undergraduate if I chose my current school for that degree.

Is it the same everywhere in Anthropology or only at schools without PhD programs?

Edited August 24, 2011 by mutualist007

[elsie]

My undergrad degree was in Anthro and I remember taking a few classes that were both grad and undergrad. I don't think all the master's classes were cross listed though.

[mutualist007]

My undergrad degree was in Anthro and I remember taking a few classes that were both grad and undergrad. I don't think all the master's classes were cross listed though.

It appears that the majority of mine are. I kind of expected a few, but all of the sub-field specialty classes are cross-listed. The only classes that are masters only are the overall theory and praxis classes, and the directed reading/research classes.

[far_to_go]

At my school, the majority of grad classes are not cross-listed. The relatively few that are cross-listed tend to have only a few advanced undergrads, and on the whole are run as grad-level seminars.

[CallieTrichid]

I know this may seem like a naive question, but every program I knew before, and every program my friends and associates enrolled in from other disciplines, specially designed graduate classes for graduate students to take with their cohorts.

I am really surprised and honestly kind of let down that I have to take classes with dozens of undergraduates. the only difference between the undergraduate and the graduate cross-class is that faculty has higher expectations for the graduate students, and the grads have to write longer papers. I feel like I could have gotten the same education as an undergraduate if I chose my current school for that degree.

Is it the same everywhere in Anthropology or only at schools without PhD programs?

Yeah, but you'd be surprised at how well the undergraduates in those classes can keep up and exceed what your expectations are. I was an undergrad in classes like this and we frequently outdid the Master's/Ph.D. students when it came to some elements of the class. Plus, it gives a few more unique perspectives too when it comes to the material.

And it's not always the case that a crosslisted undergrad course will always have you writing more papers; everyone may be required to have the same amount, but the expectations may be higher for grad students.

[mutualist007]

Yeah, but you'd be surprised at how well the undergraduates in those classes can keep up and exceed what your expectations are. I was an undergrad in classes like this and we frequently outdid the Master's/Ph.D. students when it came to some elements of the class. Plus, it gives a few more unique perspectives too when it comes to the material.

And it's not always the case that a crosslisted undergrad course will always have you writing more papers; everyone may be required to have the same amount, but the expectations may be higher for grad students.

Nice profile pic. I need to get one myself.

So far both my cross-listed classes utilize the extra reading -extra pages approach. The discussions are great and about 1/3 of the undergraduates in there gives a run for it. But I guess its not so much that I doubt the undergrads. Really, it's that I really enjoy the smaller seminar class more. There is more time for discussion and get in depth if the discussion is good. I like having more of a cohort feel to it and it really allows you to talk more to your peer group when you normally don't get a chance.

Edited October 8, 2011 by mutualist007

[aforman1]

Even if a grad student ends up in a few classes with undergrads, most of the courses that you'll take for your degree will be graduate-only. Where I got my MA, you were limited on the number of cross-listed classes you could take (no more than 3, I believe). I think that mostly it comes down to what the department is offering and how it relates to what you're interested in. If there is a course being offered that really falls in with your research, then you should consider taking it, even if it's cross listed. You can email the professor offering the course before registering to talk to them about the course contents and whether or not they believe the course will be useful; for example, I was advised by a prof. not to take a course that was cross-listed because she thought I'd actually be a better TA for it, and subsequently had the class changed to undergrad-only.

Also, something to consider is the ratio of graduate to undergrad students. If you are the only grad student in the course (or if there is less than 3), then you might not get as much from the course as if it is a more equal mix of grad/undergrad. The style of the course can also make a difference; seminar or lecture, and what you hope to get from each format. I would really recommend meeting with professors before the course begins if you are concerned about this. Hope this helps.

[newleaf]

I feel like I could have gotten the same education as an undergraduate if I chose my current school for that degree.

I understand your frustration, but I don't know any programs myself that design entire programs around cohorts taking the same courses, especially given the breadth of research interests that are supposed to be represented in a cohort. That said, every PhD program should in theory have at least 1 course that is 1st year cohort students only, so the fingerprints of the department are on their students.

As for the undergrads, even in the hallowed classrooms of UChicago, about 1/3 of the grad classes in anthro are cross-listed. Then again, those are some crazy undergrads.

[mutualist007]

Even if a grad student ends up in a few classes with undergrads, most of the courses that you'll take for your degree will be graduate-only. Where I got my MA, you were limited on the number of cross-listed classes you could take (no more than 3, I believe). I think that mostly it comes down to what the department is offering and how it relates to what you're interested in. If there is a course being offered that really falls in with your research, then you should consider taking it, even if it's cross listed. You can email the professor offering the course before registering to talk to them about the course contents and whether or not they believe the course will be useful; for example, I was advised by a prof. not to take a course that was cross-listed because she thought I'd actually be a better TA for it, and subsequently had the class changed to undergrad-only.

Also, something to consider is the ratio of graduate to undergrad students. If you are the only grad student in the course (or if there is less than 3), then you might not get as much from the course as if it is a more equal mix of grad/undergrad. The style of the course can also make a difference; seminar or lecture, and what you hope to get from each format. I would really recommend meeting with professors before the course begins if you are concerned about this. Hope this helps.

I would say our cross-listed classes are 15% graduate students approximately - There are about 35 +/-5 students in the classes; about 5-6 in each class are graduate students. Don't get me wrong, I think the profs are great and the school is great, and though I will be repeating material, I expect it will be a good practice and reinforcement, and different anyway because different faculty will be teaching it.

I didn't mean to put it down; I was merely surprised and curious if what I experienced was normal.

[palmyra]

I can only speak for the school and interdisciplinary Master's program I attended, but most graduate courses were not cross-listed with undergraduate courses. I took one course that was, and definitely came out with mixed feelings about it. I think this is becoming more common, though, because of the severe budget cuts many schools are facing. (Or, it has become common at the school I attended, anyway.)

[NinjaMermaid]

There are a few classes of ours that are cross-listed. However, on top of the undergrad class time we also have a seminar style class, which has only graduate students and adds a bit more coursework. My first inclination was to be annoyed but our professor did an impressive job; in the end I learned quite a bit.

[NinjaMermaid]

I should add an update. This semester all of my classes are cross listed and setup differently from my previous mixed grade classes. Undergrads and Grads all share the same class time but grads are given about 20% more coursework (and of course have higher expectations). Half the undergrads in my courses are impressive while I am left wondering how the other half were allowed to register...