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Academic Programs in Archaeology

Deciding where to study archaeology is a personal matter. Many factors should be taken into account, such as departmental specialties and offerings, program size, costs, and related course offerings within a university or college. Your particular interests and career objectives should also be part of your decision.

A good place to launch your research is your local college or university, which may offer courses in archaeology. In most academic institutions, the archaeology program is either a department of its own or a part of the anthropology department. This site contains a listing of academic programs throughout the Western Hemisphere with at least one archaeologist on the faculty.

You may wish to review results of the 1993 survey of Ph.D. programs in archaeology, conducted by SAA Bulletin. The survey explored questions such as what characteristics distinguish the best programs, which programs are ranked highly, and which programs are considered improved.

Another useful resource is the Guide to Departments published by the American Anthropological Association. The Guide to Departments contains information on institutions with anthropological programs, their faculty members, and the research focus of each member. Also included are their membership listings, statistical data, and a listing of Ph.D. dissertations in anthropology.

Two new brochures are available from SAA. The Path to Becoming an Archaeologist focuses on making archaeology a career and Experience Archaeology explains how individuals can become responsibly involved in archaeology. Visit our educational materials page for further information. Also, the State Links section of the Archaeology & Public Education Newsletter provides links to web sites that have information on academic programs in archaeology.

SAA's Student Affairs Committee provides information specific to archaeology students' concerns through articles in The SAA Archaeological Record and maintains a network of campus representatives to disseminate information between the Committee and the representatives' home institution. If you have additional questions, you may want to contact the committee chair or one of the local campus representatives.

The following internet sources have lists of many archaeology/anthropology programs from around the world.

The AAA Guide

The most comprehensive list of academic departments within the U.S. is The AAA Guide, published by the American Anthropological Association. The guide describes college, university, and museum anthropology departments, including faculty specialities and ongoing research programs. This guide is not only helpful in choosing a college but also in becoming aware of the range of research topics related to archaeology.

Last Modified: Friday March 31 2006