Grad School
Madhudvisah dasa Swami (71640.2463@compuserve.com)
7 Jul 1995 14:20:24 GMT
jamromer@nmsu.edu (James Balois Romero) writes:
>Hi
>
> I'm new member to this newsgroup and I read some of your interesting
>posting. Can anyone tell me one of the best schools for an anthropology
>master's degree.
>
While my experience was some time ago (1977), here are some thoughts on the subject:
The school isn't important! Your adviser is!! I made this mistake myself and ended up in a well known (and expensive) program
that was in serious decline. I didn't like or particularly respect my adviser and found that what I was interested in wasn't
readily available. Do some research. Find out who is doing what you want to learn and try to get to meet them (or at least
correspond with them). When the time to pick new grad students comes around, you are accepted because somebody wants
YOU as a student. There is nothing more important that getting a proper mentor as an adviser, who will not only teach you, but
further your academic and professional career in many ways.
Next, visit the prospective school and talk to current graduate students. Ask them what they like and don't like about the
program. Most of them are quite ready to tell you inside dope about the place that you can't get anywhere else (especially
over a beer!).
Naturally, costs and support are important considerations. You should try first of all, though, to get into a program that is
dynamic and at the forefront of the field you want to study. If you want to do field work, will there be expeditions either from
the school or that they can help get you into? Many people want to study early hominids, for example, but few get invited
along on the field expeditions.
Hope that this helps!
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