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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Anthropology

Graduate Certificate in Public Archaeology

In conjunction with its new terminal MA option in Anthropology, the department now offers a Graduate Certificate in Public Archaeology that is available to any qualified graduate student seeking training and career opportunities in  Cultural Resource Management (CRM) and related aspects of applied archaeology. The certificate is a cluster of four courses (12 credits) consisting of two required classes and two electives that expose students to the legal, ethical, and administrative aspects of public archaeology, as well as material analyses and digital methods useful to CRM. Local projects headed by UF archaeologists enable students to gain ample experience in the design and implementation of field projects.

Applying for Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Public Archaeology

Students must formally apply for admission to the Certificate in Public Archaeology administered by the Department of Anthropology.

This is a two-step process.  Students must apply for admission to the University Office of Admissions and separately to the Department of Anthroplogy. Similarly, application for receipt of the certificate requires two steps: approval by the department and application to and approval by the University.

Prerequisites to Apply for Admission

    1. An earned bachelor’s degree.
    2. Current or anticipated graduate status in the Department of Anthropology. New students as well as currently matriculated graduate students may apply for admission.
    3. Minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (undergraduate GPA if newly admitted to the graduate program; graduate GPA if applying while a graduate student).

Deadlines to Apply

    1. The deadline to apply for admission is March 15 for the following Fall semester OR October 15 for the following Spring semester.
    2. Undergraduates in the Combination Degree program (BA/BS and MA) are expected to apply for admission at the time they apply for admission to the graduate program for the Terminal Master’s degree. The deadline is March 15 for the following Fall semester.
    3. Students may apply after they have begun graduate coursework. However, the University mandates that students must be admitted to the certificate before they have completed more than half of the course credits required; that is, no later than after they have completed 6 (six) of the required 12 (twelve) course credits. The admission process must begin earlier in order to be finalized before completing additional courses for the certificate.
    4. Students should apply to the University and the Department at the same time. The University admission materials go to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which relies on the Department’s recommendation before approving the admission of a student to the certificate.

University Application Process

Students must formally apply for admission to the Office of Admissions online here.

    1. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and select either “New Student Application” or “Currently Enrolled Application.”
    2. Follow the instructions to indicate the names of the College (Liberal Arts and Sciences), Department (Anthropology) and Certificate (Public Archaeology).
    3. Note that a $30 fee is required to accompany the application.
    4. Transcripts and previous degree confirmation are required.
    5. The University will also verify your satisfactory conduct record.

The Office of Admissions will forward your application for the certificate to the College and Department when all materials have been received.

Department Application Process

Students apply for admission to the Department by submitting materials in electronic form.

Application Components

    1. Statement of Purpose for completing the Certificate (no longer than 2 pages)
    2. Undergraduate and any Graduate Transcripts
    3. Letter of Support from an Academic Advisor (sent separately to the Certificate Coordinator)

Admission Application Submission and Review

All components are submitted to the Public Archaeology Certificate Coordinator, Dr. Ken Sassaman (sassaman@ufl.edu).

An Advisory Committee reviews applications and makes decisions on acceptance, which are forwarded to the Graduate Program Assistant.  Applicants will be notified by letter in a timely manner of the committee’s decision.

Completing the Graduate Certificate in Public Archaeology

Course Requirements

Twelve (12) credits from four 3-credit letter-graded courses, with an earned grade of “B” or higher, are required to complete the certificate:

To be counted among the 12 required credits, courses must be taken after the student has been admitted into the Graduate Program.  Graduate courses taken by undergraduate students may not be counted for the 12 required credits for the Certificate.

Up to 6 credits of courses taken before the student has been admitted for the Certificate can count for the 12 required credits.  See Deadline #3 above.

Course Substitutions

Students may petition the Certificate Coordinator and Advisory Committee to substitute a different course to meet the 12-credit requirement.

Other Expectations

    1. Additional coursework and practical training in archaeology to complete the graduate degree (MA or PhD) is expected.
    1. ANG 6945 Internship in Anthropology (variable credit, letter grade) is offered to students completing the certificate, but it is not mandatory.

Application to Receive the Certificate

Approval by the Department

Once the student has completed all certificate course requirements, the Certificate Coordinator and Advisory Committee sign a department form verifying the completion, which lists all the courses for the certificate and the earned grade for each.  The form is forwarded to the Graduate Program Assistant.  The Certificate Advisory Committee is not the same body as the student’s Supervisory Committee, which approves the student’s completion of graduate degree requirements.

Application to the University

For the certificate to appear on the student’s graduate transcript, students must apply in ONE.UF for the semester they plan to receive it, similar to applying for a degree.

It is recommended that students apply for the certificate in the same semester they apply for the graduate degree.