about the program
The Department of Anthropology offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) program that follows a four-field approach, with strengths in archaeology, cultural, biological, and applied anthropology. Students develop individualized plans of study with a faculty advisor and must secure faculty mentorship for admission. Graduates are prepared for doctoral study or professional careers.
Faculty conduct research across diverse global regions, and students may engage in research through fieldwork or campus-based labs, including archaeology, forensic anthropology, and geospatial science facilities.
SUBDISCIPLINARY SPECIALTIES
Archaeology
Connects past & present to understand today’s complex challenges. Research spans global & Central Florida sites, using methods such as: GIS & landscape archaeology; Isotopic & PXRF analysis; Zooarchaeology & paleoethnobotany; Ceramic & lithic analysis; Excavation & survey.
Biological Anthropology
Explores human evolution, variation, & adaptation through an interdisciplinary lens. Students gain skills in: Human osteology & bioarchaeology; Forensic anthropology; Biogeochemical & quantitative analysis; Geospatial methods & morphometrics; Human origins & evolution.
Cultural Anthropology
Addresses urgent global & community challenges, including: Public health & medical anthropology; Science & technology studies; Globalization; Gender, education, & policy; Food & foodways.
Curriculum
The M.A. program can be completed in two years and requires 30 credit hours, including 15 at the 6000 level. Students may choose a thesis or non-thesis track. The thesis option is recommended for those pursuing doctoral study or careers in archaeology.
View the Anthropology MA Program Catalog
Research opportunities
The anthropology faculty conduct research across the U.S., Caribbean, Latin America, Middle East, and Europe.
Field Research Opportunities:
- Archaeological excavations in Guatemala, Peru, Mexico, Bolivia, and Türkiye
- Bioarchaeology, GIS mapping, geophysical surveys, and landscape analysis
- Research and survey projects at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base
- Digital anthropology and database development using social media and archaeological datasets
Laboratory Research Opportunities:
- Mesoamerican Archaeology Research Lab (MARL)
- Zavodny Isotope Geochemistry and Zooarchaeology (ZIGZAG)
- Paleoethnobotany and Environmental Archaeology Laboratory (PEAL)
- Latin American and Caribbean Archaeology Lab (LACA)
- Bioarchaeological Research Collections (BaRC)
- Laboratory for Bioarchaeological Sciences
- GIS Research Cluster Laboratory
Internship Opportunities:
- Global Health Internship
- Cape Canaveral Archaeological Mitigation Project (CCAMP)
Participation in these internships is not required and does not come with departmental funding.
FUNDING
A limited number of Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA) and university fellowships are awarded competitively to top applicants in the Fall cycle. There is no separate application required.
Funding considerations include:
- Academic performance (GPA)
- Research experience (publications, presentations, competitive grants and fellowships)
- Teaching experience
- Leadership & service
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) may also be awarded through faculty members’ grants.
Additional financial assistance opportunities and guidance for planning your graduate finances are available through the UCF College of Graduate Studies: https://graduate.ucf.edu/funding/
Application Requirements & Materials
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions previously attended.
- Personal statement of intent (1-2 pages). Please specify your educational background and qualifications, research interest, geographical area of research (if applicable), the faculty member you would like to work with, and your future career plans. If your degree is not in anthropology, you should explain why you are seeking a degree in anthropology.
- An academic writing sample such as a term paper, article, or thesis chapter, demonstrating the ability to conduct graduate-level work.
- A curriculum vitae (CV) or resume. See the CV template for an example.
- Contact with a potential advisor is strongly recommended prior to application. Our individual faculty make the final decision as to whether applicants are accepted into the program as their advisee.
- Three letters of recommendation that evaluate the applicant’s academic performance, and their suitability and potential as a graduate student.
- International applicants may be required to submit additional materials by the College of Graduate Studies, such as foreign influence screening, results of an approved English proficiency exam, and a course-by-course credential evaluation. International applicants should review all requirements set by the College of Graduate Studies before starting an application.
Applicants are not required to have an undergraduate degree in anthropology. Supplemental course work may be recommended for students who do not have a degree in anthropology or are missing key undergraduate course work.
Meeting minimum UCF admission criteria does not guarantee program admission. Final admission is based on evaluation of the applicant’s abilities, past performance, recommendations, match of this program to the applicant’s career/academic goals, availability and match to a faculty adviser, and the applicant’s potential for completing the degree. There is no automatic connection between acceptance as a non-degree-seeking student and acceptance into this degree-granting program. Please consult the graduate program director whenever questions arise.
Personal Statement of Intent
All applications require a well-organized, carefully crafted, and informative statement of intent of 1-2 pages.
This document should articulate your intentions about pursing a Master’s degree in anthropology at UCF. It should address your anthropological interests, proposed research project, professional goals, and future career plans. The statement should address why the topic or issue warrants graduate level research. We encourage you to integrate insights and life experiences that strengthen your ability to complete the program.
Relevant questions to consider include:
- Which faculty most closely aligns with your research interests?
- What is your geographical area of interest?
- What is the investigative feasibility of your proposed project?
Contacting potential faculty advisors before submitting your application is strongly advised so as to know whether they are accepting students or see viability in your plan of research.
Writing Sample
Faculty generally admit graduate applicants whose writing sample demonstrates significant scholarly abilities and intellectual curiosity. We are interested in seeing a paper that is thesis-driven, presents your ideas clearly, and uses evidence effectively.
Applicants should carefully select an example of their best academic writing that demonstrates both rigorous analysis and independent work. This does not need to be anthropological writing. Indeed, many strong applicants have backgrounds in other fields before pursuing anthropological graduate work. The submitted writing sample will ideally demonstrate a capacity for clear expression, close reading, skilled observation, critical thinking, and the creative, rigorous interpretation of empirical data.
Samples may include an undergraduate honors thesis, class paper, published article, or any other piece of written work that demonstrates your skills as a writer and critical thinker. Excerpts from longer works or theses (published or unpublished) are also acceptable. In this case, however, it is advisable that students include a brief one page abstract about the overall project and where the excerpt fits within the larger document.
Papers originally written in a language other than English must be submitted in English translation. Please include the following statement on the cover page of the writing sample upload:
‘In keeping with the spirit of the University of Central Florida’s student code of conduct, I certify that the uploaded writing sample represents my own work, excepting normal input from advisors and named co-authors or properly cited sources’.
Please be aware that material submitted including non-written media materials cannot be returned to you.
Application Deadlines
| Spring | Fall | |
| Domestic Applicants | October 1st | February 1st |
| International Applicants | July 1st | January 15th |