The Master of Arts in Applied Archaeology is a professionally-orientated program designed  to provide a solid anthropological archaeology foundation for students and to prepare them for middle- and upper-level careers in the archaeological sector of the cultural resource management (CRM) industry. The program provides training in anthropological archaeology with a focus on developing a solid background in archaeological method and theory combined with practical experience in field and laboratory studies. Students are then trained how to use that background in an applied setting through curriculum focused on CRM regulations and practice, along with on-the-job training through an internship with a federal or state agency, a private firm, or a tribal entity that conducts archaeological investigations in the context of CRM. All students are required to design and execute a research project and successfully complete a thesis based on that project. Students earning their MA through this program will have the background regulatory and practical knowledge to enter the field of CRM or pursue a Ph.D. degree as a competitive candidate with a solid training in anthropological archaeology. The program is intended for evening students primarily and, therefore, classes are predominantly scheduled between 6 and 10 p.m.

Admission to the Program

In addition to the general requirements of the university, specific requirements for admission to classified graduate status are:

1. A baccalaureate degree in anthropology or a closely related field from an accredited college or university;
2. A minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.5 overall and at least 3.0 ("B") in the student's undergraduate major;
3. Demonstration of field experience by EITHER:
   A. Completion of the following prerequisite course or its equivalent, completed with a grade of B or better:  ANTH 4020L
   OR
   B. Documented field experience in archaeology under professional supervision that is deemed by the Admissions Committee as being equivalent to successful completion of ANTH 4020L;
4. A brief statement (one to two double-spaced typewritten pages) describing the applicant's preparation for graduate study and professional goals;
5. Submission of three letters of recommendation from people who are in a position to make relevant comments on the student's likely success in the program. At least one of the letters should be from a former professor who is familiar with the student's scholarly abilities.

Advancement to Candidacy

In order to be formally advanced to candidacy, a student must have:

1. Achieved classified status;
2. Satisfied the Writing Requirement for Graduate Candidacy;
3. Secured a graduate advisor to supervise the course of study;
4. Secured a thesis committee to supervise the thesis project;

5. Completed, with the approval of the advisor, at least 9 semester units of graduate course work at this university and achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.0 ("B") in those courses;

6. Filed a graduate program plan approved by the student's advisor and the coordinator of the program;
7. Filed a thesis proposal approved by all members of the student's thesis committee.

Requirements for Graduation

1. A minimum of 30 semester units of acceptable graduate-level work, with at least 21 semester units completed in residence at California State University, San Bernardino. Twenty-three semester units must be in 5000- and 6000-level courses;
2. A minimum grade point average of at least 3.0 ("B") in all courses;
3. Successful completion of a thesis or project (ANTH 6970)
4. The Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement is met though the MA thesis proposal submitted during the first year of work for the degree.

Degree Requirements (30-31 units)

(Program Code: AARC)

Required courses (24)
ANTH 6003	Advanced Studies in California Archaeology	3
ANTH 6004	History and Theory of Archaeology	3
ANTH 6005	Archaeological Research, Methods, and Proposal Design	3
ANTH 6013	Cultural Resource Management: Laws, Regulations, and Procedures	3
ANTH 6014	Cultural Resource Management in Practice	4
ANTH 6021L	Advanced Archaeological Laboratory Analysis	4
ANTH 6754	Graduate Internship in Applied Archaeology	4
Electives (3-4)
Three or four units chosen from the following courses:		3-4
ANTH 3015R	Archaeology of the Southwest
ANTH 3019L	Experimental Archaeology and Ethnoarchaeology
ANTH 5099	Selected Topics in Archaeology
ANTH 5399	Selected Topics in Biological Anthropology
ANTH 5699	Selected Topics in Sociocultural Anthropology
ANTH 6008	Advanced Indigenous Archaeology
ANTH 6012	Advanced Historical Archaeology
ANTH 6603L	Advanced Museum Research and Exhibition Development
GEOG 3710	Advanced Geographic Information Systems
GEOG 4400	Geomorphology
GEOG 4860	GIS and Socio-Economic Applications
GEOL 5280	Digital Mapping and GIS for Scientists
HIST 3260	Historic Preservation
HIST 5600	History of the American West
HIST 6230	Advanced Public History
HIST 6160	Advanced Archival Practices
Culminating Experience (3)		3
Total Units		30-31

Culminating Experience (3 units)

ANTH 6970

Thesis Research

3

Thesis/Project: Under normal circumstances, a student must complete a thesis that is approved by his or her thesis committee. The thesis must reflect original work and show a level of competence appropriate for a master's degree. The thesis committee shall consist of two or three faculty members, including the student's advisor, mutually agreed upon by the student and faculty. By mutual agreement between the student and advisor, a third committee member may be recruited to the committee if that third member has specialized knowledge of the thesis project and holds a PhD from an accredited institution. The student should enroll in ANTH 6970 in the semester when completion of the thesis is anticipated. On occasion a student may be allowed to substitute a completed project for the thesis. Such a project must have a completed product and would reflect at least the same amount of work as a thesis and be completed to the same standard. The content and appropriateness of the project will be determined by a project committee constituted in the same way as a thesis committee.