Anthropology

The Master of Arts in Public Issues Anthropology is a joint program between the University of Waterloo and the University of Guelph. Currently there is no part-time studies option available.

Admission

Applicants apply to the joint program, designating one of the two universities as the preferred home institution. A student may be offered admission to the partner institution if the joint committee deems this choice more appropriate because of the student's interests or the availability of suitable supervisors. Applications are considered by the joint committee and recommendations for admission or rejection are made by the director (and/or program administrator) to the dean of graduate studies at the proposed home university. Students are governed by the rules of the university in which they are registered, and their degree is granted by that same university; however, students may use faculty and library resources at both universities.

Specific admission requirements are as follows:

• an Honours Bachelor's degree with at least a B+ overall standing (75%) with 78% in the major. The expectation is that the undergraduate degree will be in Anthropology, but students with at least 5 courses in Anthropology may be admitted as long as these were part of a major in another social science or humanities program. The program will also accept students with a background in the natural sciences, as long as the 5 Anthropology courses they have taken include both ethnography and anthropological theory.
• applicants must demonstrate to the Advisory Committee competence in theory and methods adequate for study at the graduate level, e.g., through completing undergraduate courses which include these topics.
• three letters of reference from academic sources;
• official transcripts from all other post-secondary institutions;
• proof of competency in English (if applicable). A score of at least 600 is required in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). See Academic Regulations - English Language Proficiency Certification for other acceptable tests of English.

Application Deadline: February 15.

Degree Requirements

Most students will proceed toward the degree by writing a thesis after completing a minimum of 2.0 credits, although a major paper option is also available.

Course requirements are as follows:

Anthropological Theory and Public Issues Anthropology will be offered in the fall semester and Qualitative Research Methods in the winter semester. Students will usually complete their fourth course in the Winter semester. As the program grows, further substantive courses will be added to the range of courses offered regularly in the program.