Combination degree programs at UF enable qualified undergraduates to earn up to 12 credits of graduate coursework during their junior and/or senior years, which, upon acceptance into a UF graduate program, count toward the 30-credit requirement of a Master’s degree. This gives students a head start toward earning a graduate degree, and they will save money by double-counting courses for both degree programs.
Combination Degree with a Graduate Certificate
The Combination Degree option in Anthropology is designed for Undergraduate Anthropology majors who anticipate seeking a Graduate Certificate as they pursue a terminal Master’s degree.
The currently available certificate is in Public Archaeology. It prepares graduate students for career options with Cultural Resource Management (CRM) firms, governmental agencies, and tribal historic preservation offices.
Eligibility Requirements
Students seeking entry into the Combination Degree Program must meet the following criteria:
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- be a declared Anthropology major (seeking a BA or BS degree in Anthropology)
- have earned at least 60 credits (junior standing) by the start of their entry into the Combination Degree Program
- have earned a 3.2 or better Cumulative GPA and a 3.5 or better GPA in Upper Division courses by the start of their entry into the degree program
- have completed at least three of the four required core courses for Anthropology majors, including the core course most directly related to the graduate certificate they seek, by the start of their entry into the degree program (e.g., ANT 2140 Introduction to World Archaeology for the Certificate in Public Archaeology).
Applying for Admission to the Combination Degree Program
Application Procedure
Students interested in applying to this program and who fulfill the eligibility requirements must meet with a faculty advisor, create a multi-component application packet, and submit required forms to both the Department and the University, following the procedure below:
Faculty Advisor
Students should select an Anthropology faculty member (or Museum curator with Graduate Faculty status in Anthropology) who knows them well to help them with their application. (This is typically not the Undergraduate Program Coordinator.) It is anticipated that the same faculty advisor will play a supervisory role in the student’s Master’s program if the student is admitted to the Graduate program.
Initial Plan of Study
The advisor assists the student in determining their eligibility and interests in their intended graduate certificate and degree program, and in completing the following initial tasks:
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- draft a 300-word statement of personal goals. It should describe how earning the undergraduate and graduate degrees in conjunction with the intended Certificate will impact their educational and professional aspirations, and why they want to pursue the Combined Degree. The draft should be reviewed by the faculty advisor.
- create a tentative plan of study detailing which specific graduate level courses the student will complete and which semester they will take each one, as well as undergraduate courses needed for the BA or BS degree (see suggested plan of study below)
- ensure that no undergraduate degree requirements are omitted in the plan of study
- ensure that the plan of study does not include any courses required for the graduate certificate
- complete the Department Combined Degree Application Form
- decide on a second faculty member familiar with the student’s work who would write a letter of recommendation
Application Submission
The application packet to the Department of Anthropology is submitted in two parts.
The first part is 1) the completed Department Combined Degree Application Form together with 2) the final version of the statement of personal goals. These materials are submitted by the student to the Anthropology Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
The second part consists of two letters of recommendation for the student, one from the faculty member advising the student and the other from the second recommender. The letters should address students’ potential for success in the combination degree program. They are submitted by those faculty members separately to the Anthropology Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
Department Approval Sequence
The Undergraduate Program Coordinator reviews the application materials to ensure that all undergraduate degree requirements are being met.
The application is then forwarded to the Graduate Certificate Coordinator to ensure that there is no overlap between the proposed shared courses and those required for the certificate.
With these two preliminary approvals, the student then completes the University Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Request, which lists all graduate courses to be taken and counted for shared credit. The form is submitted to the Undergraduate Program Coordinator, who will sign it and forward it to the Graduate Program Coordinator for signature.
College and University Approvals
With departmental signatures, the form is then transmitted to the CLAS Undergraduate Advising Office. Once approved there, it is forwarded to the Office of Undergraduate Affairs.
Revising the Plan of Study
If, while the student is pursuing the Combination Degree, there is a change in the listed shared credit courses on the University Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Request (e.g., a course is not available, or a new relevant course is offered), the student must consult with their faculty advisor to make a substitution. A revised request form must then be submitted for approval by the Undergraduate Coordinator to update their record before the Bachelor’s degree is awarded.
Application Deadlines
Applications are due April 1 for the following Fall semester or November 1 for the following spring semester to ensure that the approval process can be completed in a timely manner.
Expectations for Students in the Combined Degree Program
Shared Courses for Combination Degree Seekers
Undergraduate students admitted into this degree program may take up to 12 credit hours of graduate level courses (5000 and 6000) that are shared with the credit requirements for a Bachelor’s degree. They are responsible for the additional costs charged for graduate level courses compared to undergraduate. Be mindful of the following instructions and suggestions:
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- These 12 credits will count among the minimum 18 credit hours in ANT electives required for the BA or BS degree in Anthropology. They must all be in letter-graded courses.
- Students in the combined degree program are encouraged to take both first-year graduate required proseminars (ANG 5595 Proseminar in Biological and Archaeological Anthropology and ANG 5621 Proseminar in Cultural and Linguistic Anthropology) while still an undergraduate as shared courses, to complete that graduate requirement.
- Other shared courses may be those simultaneously offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels (e.g., ANT 3164/ANG 5164 The Inca and Their Ancestors; ANT4147C/ANG 6120C Environmental Archaeology) with undergraduates in the combination degree program electing to take the graduate section.
- They may also include stand-alone graduate courses (e.g., ANG 5172 Historical Archaeology; ANG 6191 Archaeology of Death).
- Undergraduates may not take graduate level courses required for the Certificate they intend to earn in the Master’s program.
- Undergraduate majors must still take all regular required courses for the BA or BS degree at the 2000-4000 level. No graduate level course can replace an undergraduate major required course (ANT 2410, ANT 2140, ANT 3514C, ANT 3620, ANT 4931).
Other Expectations
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- Undergraduate students are mentored and monitored by their faculty advisor, somewhat similar to the relationship graduate students have with the chair of their supervisory committee, while they are completing their Bachelor’s degree.
- Students must earn a grade of “B” or higher in the graduate level courses they take while undergraduates so that these courses will count for the Master’s degree.
- Students in this program are expected to formally apply for admission to the Anthropology Graduate Program for the Terminal Master’s degree. See the information below.
Graduate Certificate in Public Archaeology
The Combined Degree Program is offered to undergraduates who intend to apply for and complete a terminal MA in Anthropology with a Graduate Certificate in Public Archaeology.
Admission Procedure
Admission into the Graduate Program is not assured or automatic for students in the Combination Degree Program. They must apply to the Graduate Program in Anthropology in the normal fashion, meeting stated requirements for students seeking the Terminal Master’s degree. Click here to access the Graduate Program and Policies document.
The admitting faculty and Graduate Program Coordinator will review the student’s admission packet and academic record and assess whether the student has fulfilled the requirements of the Combination Degree in order to double-count graduate courses taken while an undergraduate.
Students in the Combination Degree Program are also expected to apply for the graduate Certificate at the time they apply for admission to the Graduate Program (deadline March 15 for the following Fall semester).
2-Year Plan for Students in the Combination Degree Program (Years 4/5)
A suggested generic two-year plan is as follows:
YEAR 4 (senior year of Bachelor’s degree program)
Fall
ANG 5595 Proseminar in Biological Anthro. and Archaeology (3 credits)*
ANG xxxx Elective (3 credits)
Plus, outstanding credits to complete Bachelor’s degree requirements
Spring
ANG 5621 Proseminar in Cultural Anthropology and Linguistics (3 credits)**
ANG xxxx Elective (3 credits)
Plus, outstanding credits to complete Bachelor’s degree requirements
By March 15, apply to the Terminal MA program in Anthropology, with Certificate
YEAR 5 (postgraduate year in Master’s program)
Fall
ANG 5931 Practice of Public Archaeology (3 credits)*
ANG xxxx Elective in Digital Methods and/or Material Analysis (3 or 6 credits)*
Submit formal application for the graduate certificate if not already done
Spring
ANG 5184 Principles of Archaeology (3 credits)*
ANG xxxx Elective in Digital Methods and/or Material Analysis (3 or 6 credits)*
ANG 6945 Internship (3-6 credits)
Comprehensive Exam*
Capstone Project**
*Certificate requirement **Master’s degree requirement