The Master of Arts in Public Issues Anthropology is a joint program between the University of Waterloo and the University of Guelph. The main objectives of the proposed program are to prepare students to enter doctoral programs in anthropology and to use anthropological knowledge in a wide range of other professional and public roles. Anthropology is a valuable analytical tool and a source of information concerning diverse intellectual and societal issues. In order to achieve these objectives, the program will emphasize the synergies and interconnections among the various sub-disciplines in Anthropology.
The objectives of the program will be achieved through a combination of coursework and a research project culminating in a major paper or thesis. Students at Guelph may combine studies in anthropology with the collaborative program in International Development Studies (CIDS), and students at both universities may draw upon faculty expertise in a number of cultural and/or geographical areas.
Graduates with a degree in Public Issues Anthropology will be well positioned to find jobs outside of academia as well as to continue graduate studies at the doctoral level. A degree in Public Issues Anthropology that builds upon an undergraduate training in Anthropology will enable our students to enter careers in many fields, including international development, conservation, land management, the health professions, and cultural resource management. Students may also find employment in branches of the public and private sectors concerned with such matters as Native affairs, international development, immigration and multiculturalism, and the Canadian heritage. The particular skills in critical analysis that the program imparts will enable students to be particularly effective in many of these roles.
Students enrolled in the program will be encouraged to volunteer to work with organizations which could benefit from anthropological expertise, and may choose to write their theses on such volunteer experience. At the University of Waterloo, faculty have been in contact with Engineers Without Borders and Youth Challenge International, who have indicated that anthropology students could find volunteer opportunities in their programs, which could add this type of service component to their training.
Students will pay tuition to, and receive financial aid from either the Guelph or the Waterloo campus depending on where their supervisor is located.
See Programs Information in this calendar for specific admission and degree requirements. Visit the Guelph-Waterloo MA Program in Public Issues Anthropology web site for additional details about the program.