As my graduation date looms ever closer (two years from now, but I still get nervous thinking about it), I start thinking more and more about what I want to do when I get out. Since I aspire to be a professional science nerd, I’ll need to pursue an advanced degree.
Specifically, my interest is in archaeology or biological anthropology, and more specifically, human evolution and the population migrations into North America.
What should I do to get myself into a good grad program? I’m planning on taking part in an archaeological field school this summer, I have ingratiated myself with a number of professors, I’m getting wonderful grades, and I’m planning to take intro courses in biology and genetics on top of my major requirements. Is there anything else I might do to make myself look better on an application?
I’ve also looked into undergraduate research, but there are precious few positions available at my university (namely, the University of South Florida in Tampa), and I don’t think I would be competent enough for those positions until I’ve got a few more courses under my belt in the relevant areas (I’ve just knocked out my core requirements and am branching off into my concentration). Still, I do wish to take advantage of that, when I have the chance.
It sounds like you are positioning yourself to achieve your objectives. I do have a couple of suggestions. Regarding the issue of undergraduate research, you may check to see if USF has an involvement in the Council on Undergraduate Research (http://www.cur.org/). It is likely that there is a presence. If so, find out which of your favorite faculty are involved and asked to be mentored in that area. Also, you may want to consider the broader field of forensic anthropology. Perhaps, this will allow for more opportunity for graduate school.
I am a CRM archaeologist, and my husband is pursuing his Ph.d in archaeology. It sounds like you are preparing yourself quite well for grad school. I have only two pieces of advice:
Absolutely do a field school, the more intensive the better. If you also have the opportunity to do any volunteer excavations, do them. Many archaeological grad students work for CRM firms in the summers, and one of the biggest complaints we have is that the students are useless in the field. Either they have no experience and expect us to take weeks to instruct them, or they have done a two week field school and now consider themselves experts. If you’re in the field with a CRM company, do not spend 2 hours studying a feature and theorizing what it might mean. Just excavate it. Sorry, this is turning into a bit of a rant.
Consider Biological Anthropology over pure archaeology. Between my husband and I, we know dozens of archaeology grad students who have struggled after receiving their degrees because of a lack of work. Biological anthropology would translate more easily to other fields. If you do decide to major in archaeology, seriously consider also taking some business or computer classes so that you have at least some sort of back up in the event that archaeology doesn’t immediately pan out. Getting a job in this field can take years, and I know several Ph.d holders who deliver pizza.
The field school I’m taking is six weeks. I may or may not take it for the full six weeks, due to financial considerations (the school is offered for varying amounts of credit, and I work full-time during the summer to recoup losses during the school year — need-based financial aid isn’t all rainbows and sunshine).
I do favor biological anthropology over archaeology, and that’s what I intend to go to grad school for. As far as back-up plans go — well, I could be a German teacher (double major in German and Anthropology)…?