GRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Jennifer P. Moore would especially like to receive applications this year from prospective graduate students who are interested in one of the following topics concerning Punic- and Roman-period Africa (i.e., present-day Tunisia): socio-cultural and/or economic implications of pottery production and trade; religious and/or economic implications of terracotta figurines from votive and funerary contexts. Applicants should be fluent or nearly so at reading French and have some background in one or more of the relevant cultures.

Hugh Elton would like to hear from students interested in a funded M.A. project focused on GIS (especially least-cost route analysis, catchment analysis and viewshed analysis) and the Göksu Valley in Turkey. This involves working with data acquired by the Göksu Archaeological Project in 2002-2007. Experience in ArcGIS 9+ and MS Access preferred, although training is available. Anyone interested in the position should first get in touch with Hugh Elton to discuss the particulars.

James Conolly is inviting applications for two funded graduate research projects involving human behavioural ecology and lithic technology in Ontario. Applicants should ideally have courses or equivalent experience in lithic technology and quantitative methods. These projects have a summer research assistantship opportunity. Please contact James Conolly for further details.

 

Click here for List of Anthropology M.A. Thesis Publications

 

APPLYING TO THE TRENT ANTHROPOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM

Figure out what it is you want to study/research. The more specific you are about your intended area of research, the better. For example, you cannot say you want to study simply ‘Landscape Archaeology’ or ‘the Romans’. A specific area of study would be ‘Wendat territoriality’ or ‘The impact of climate fluctuation on Late Classic Maya political instability’. Decide what interests you most about your field and start brainstorming before you consider applying to grad school. You will need to clearly articulate your ideas in your Plan of Study when you apply to graduate school.

If you are interested in applying to Trent, these steps are strongly recommended:

1. Review the different faculty associated with the program.
2. Read an article or recent publication authored by the professor you are interested in working with; this will give you an idea of their current research and interests and whether you would fit well with their area of expertise. You do not need to find an exact match, but at least a professor with a solid foundation in your proposed area.
3. Contact the professor, usually via email, about your interest in working with her/him as a graduate student. Have an idea of how you see yourself fitting in at the university, the department, and with the professor and express this in your contact email. The professor does not want to have to conceptualize your working relationship or instruct you on what you should research – this is your job! (Refer to Step #1).
4. Engage in a dialogue with the professor you are interested in working with. It is important to establish this contact both for yourself and for the professor with whom you hope to study. This dialogue will help you to determine whether the professor is the right fit for you.
5. Start to put together the necessary documents and written components for the ‘supplemental’ or ‘additional’ documentation portion of your application. Refer to each institutions application guidelines for specific requirements, but generally these documents will consist of: Transcripts, Letters of Reference, Writing Sample, Plan of Study, and Proof of citizenship. Give yourself ample time to complete this step in the process. Transcripts often take several weeks to be received. You do not want to rush writing your ‘plan of study’ or editing your ‘writing sample’ – these are the documents which will represent ‘you’ and your work to the admissions committee at your intended school.
6. Apply to the university. This is a two-step process requiring online registration and fee payment and then the submission of your additional documentation to the university (usually done via Canada Post). Follow the institutional guidelines for how to successfully complete this process. Be sure you have noted the school or department deadlines and submit your application in time. Additionally, you will want to be aware of the amount of funding offered or available for your program.
   

Applications must be received by February 1st to be considered for admission and funding. Application forms are available from the Graduate Studies site. An $85.00 CDN application fee must accompany your application.

The general regulations and requirements of Trent University for the M.A. degree apply to the Anthropology Graduate Program. To be eligible for admission, the applicant must possess a joint or single Honours B.Sc. or B.A. degree or equivalent in Anthropology or a related field, with an average of at least an upper second class standing (B+ / 77%) in the work of the last four semesters or the last two undergraduate years (full time equivalent).

Students are admitted to the program once a year for studies beginning the following September.  Applicants to the program are expected to have a foundation in appropriate research methodology.  They may be required to take an undergraduate course deemed necessary to their program of graduate study, for example ANTH 3000Y, ANTH 3100Y, ANTH 3150Y or ANTH 3990Y.

Trent University has three semester terms per academic year commencing in the Fall:

Fall Term September 1 - December 31

Winter Term January 1 - April 30

Spring Term May 1 - August 31

Graduate students are expected to be registered for all three semesters per academic year, and will be charged tuition fees per term.

Candidates are required to take at least three graduate courses, including either ANTH 5000 or ANTH 5100 and normally ANTH 5500.  Full time students are normally required to complete these courses in their first year of study; part time students are normally required to complete their course work in the first three years of study.  The number of undergraduate courses allowed for credit at the graduate level cannot exceed 1/3 the number of required courses for the program.  In consultation with their supervisors students also select and research a problem on an approved topic within one of the fields and areas listed above, and present colloquia and write a thesis on this research.  Students are subject to a review of their performance in the beginning of the Winter session of each academic year. 

Candidates must maintain at least a second class standing (B- / 70%) in their work and must pass an oral examination in defense of their thesis.  There is no formal language requirement but the supervisory committee will require each student to demonstrate (to the satisfaction of the supervisor) an acceptable capacity to read in a language or languages considered necessary for purposes of research.  In addition, students may be expected to show adequate background knowledge in a related discipline, for example art history.  Expected time to completion for the Anthropology M.A. program is two years for full-time, four years for part-time.