• General Information
• The MA Program
• The MA Comprehensive Examination Option
• The Major Research Paper Option
• The MA Thesis Option

General Information

1. The Calendar of the School of Graduate Studies at McMaster University outlines the minimum requirements for graduate degrees at McMaster University.  Here we outline the requirements and expectations of the Department of Anthropology.  Students are responsible for following the guidelines and regulations of the University and the Department.
2. The anthropology graduate program as a whole is administered by a Graduate Committee of four members, three from the faculty and one from the graduate students.  The Graduate Committee operates with powers delegated to it from the department and its exact role may vary over the years.
3. Most of a graduate student's training must be obtained in courses offered in anthropology.  With permission of their advisor, students may normally take up to two graduate half-courses outside of the department.  The Graduate Committee, in consultation with the supervisor, assesses exceptions to this requirement.
4. All students must participate in the departmental Graduate Workshop and attend the departmental Speakers Series.  Where major gaps exist in the student's background, the department may require that the student take additional courses.
5. Each graduate student is assigned a faculty advisor when admitted to the program, and by January of their first year they select a supervisor, to carry them through the rest of their program.  Students are urged to consult with their advisor before registration.  Graduate students select or change courses only after consultation with and approval of their advisor or supervisor.
6. The candidate's supervisory committee reviews their program at all stages.  Students must organize bi-annual meetings of their committee (usually September/October and February/March -- for exact dates each year see “Important Dates”), to discuss progress and goals.  In preparation for these meetings, students submit a student progress report to the supervisory committee (forms available from the graduate secretary).  The student report and the meeting inform the bi-annual formal progress reports signed by the supervisory committee and student.  If progress is unsatisfactory, the committee works with the student to deal with problems, and in some circumstances may provide criteria for continued enrollment, or may suggest that the student withdraw from the program.  The meeting reports must be filed by specific dates each year (see “Important Dates”) and may be reviewed by the Graduate Committee before they are forwarded to Graduate Studies.
7. Students must obtain permission from the School of Graduate Studies to be off-campus for more than one month.   Permission is usually granted only when students are engaged in activities directly related to their studies.  Requests for permission to retain full-time status while off campus should be made through the Graduate Committee.  Leaves of absence not related to the program of study must be processed as outlined in the Graduate Calendar.  For rules and regulations about being off-campus, see the Calendar of Graduate Studies, Section 2.4.

The MA Program

1. The department grants an MA in anthropology in the following areas of specialization: archaeology, linguistics, anthropology of health, physical anthropology, and cultural anthropology. 
2. Students admitted to the MA program have the option of doing coursework and then 1) writing a comprehensive exam, 2) writing a Major Research Paper (MRP), or 3) writing a scholarly thesis which demonstrates ability to conduct original research.
3. Students taking their MA by examination or Major Research Paper can expect to fulfill all requirements within 12 months. Students must take six graduate level half courses with at least a B+ average, and a) pass a written comprehensive examination or b) write a Major Research Paper.
4. Those electing to write a thesis normally extend their period of residence to 24 months. Students selecting the thesis option must take four graduate level half courses with at least a B+ average.
5. In consultation with his or her supervisor, an MA student must choose between these three options by January 15 of the year of initial registration as a graduate student.  For the Comprehensive Examination and Thesis Options, students must have arranged a properly constituted supervisory committee, made up of a supervisor and at least one additional committee member, no later than mid-January of their first year.
6. All MA students are required to complete the department graduate workshops.

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The MA Comprehensive Examination Option

1. Before taking the comprehensive exam, students must complete all course requirements. The exam is normally taken at the end of the twelve-month period of residence, in late August, at McMaster University.  The Graduate Committee must give permission to write the comprehensive exam at any other time or place.
2. During the comprehensive examination the student answers three essay questions.  In advance of the exam the student and their supervisory committee decide upon appropriate themes and reading lists.  The committee formulates the final comprehensive examination questions. Copies of past exams are available in the department office.
3. The comprehensive examination is six hours in duration, not including one or two one-hour breaks.
4. Each exam answer will be marked independently by at least two members of the faculty.  The Graduate Secretary or the Supervisor notifies students of their exam results.
5. Students who fail one question on the exam may rewrite that question.  If a student fails two questions he or she must rewrite the entire exam within one month of being notified of the results. The rewrite is based on the same themes and reading lists as the initial exam.  The student must pass all three questions to graduate.
6. Students who fail one question of the rewrite may request an oral defense of their written answer.   Faculty may also request an oral defense. The oral defense will not provide an opportunity for a new or different answer, but examines the written answer and its interpretation.
7. On the academic record the result of the exam is recorded as either "Pass" or "Fail.”  However, within the department, answers may be recognized with grades of "High Pass," “Pass,” or "Low Pass.”

The Major Research Paper Option

The MRP Process

In the late Fall term of their first year, students begin work towards their Major Research Paper (MRP), which is completed during the summer term.  The MRP is a project consisting of 10,000 words (40 double-spaced typed pages), not including the bibliography and appendices.  Students are responsible for selecting a topic for study or research, which must be approved by a supervisor. The topic should be of a scope that is manageable within the deadlines outlined below. The MRP is not a thesis. Fieldwork is not required. Neither is it a long undergraduate paper. The MRP should demonstrate a student’s ability to integrate ideas that reflect the current state of knowledge on their chosen topic. The MRP must demonstrate relational thinking and expertise at specific, general, and abstract levels.

MRP Schedule

Students and supervisors are strongly advised to draw up a detailed plan indicating when/how they will communicate. Meetings should be in person wherever possible, though it may be necessary to communicate electronically.

1. Fall Semester: informal discussions with possible MRP supervisor
2. Fall Semester:  seminar in Graduate Workshop on nature and objectives of the MRP, and strategies for putting together a proposal
3. January 15: Students must declare their “option” choice as the ” MRP option” and submit a draft proposal, with bibliography, to proposed MRP supervisor
4. First week of February: supervisor provides feedback on proposal
5. Feb 15: submit MRP Formal proposal, signed by supervisor, to Graduate Secretary (1000 words -- plus bibliography)
6. March 1st: Where appropriate, submit ethics application
7. June 15: submit first draft of MRP to supervisor
8. June 30:  Draft returned to student with comments.  Second reader of MRP selected by supervisor, in consultation with student.
9. 1 Aug:  Submit completed MRP (electronically, and in addition,  3 copies, coil bound with an acetate cover) to Graduate Secretary, supervisor and reader
10. 31 Aug.: Grades and comments from supervisor and reader due.

Ethics

Students whose projects require Ethics Committee approval (i.e., if they involve human or animal subjects of research) should ensure that all communications with the Committees/Boards identify the student and the supervisor, and bear the signatures of both. Ethics application, where appropriate, must be submitted by March 1. More detailed information about the criteria for obtaining Ethics Committee approval can be found at: http://www.mcmaster.ca/ors/ethics/.

Marking Guidelines

Final marks and comments should be submitted to the Graduate Secretary by August 31st.  The MRP is marked on a pass/fail basis for transcript purposes.  In addition, supervisors and readers will fill out the MRP comment form, which includes assignment of a letter grade.  The Graduate Secretary will collate remarks from supervisor and reader, pass them on to the students, and also send each of the two markers a copy of the other’s comments.

If there is a serious discrepancy between the markers or one marker fails a paper, a meeting of the markers will be convened to resolve and confirm the mark.  If no agreement is reached, a third marker, assigned at the discretion of the Chair, will evaluate it.

The Department will, with students’ signed consent, keep an archive of past students’ completed projects for future students’ and supervisors’ reference.

The MA Thesis Option

1. All theses must represent new contributions to knowledge and meet the highest academic standards.
2. Each MA thesis candidate is required to have one thesis supervisor and one committee member to guide them through all stages of thesis preparation.  The supervisor and committee member also participate in the thesis defense, together with a third reader who must be present at the defense.  The third reader is appointed by the Department Chair.
3. Students prepare a thesis proposal in consultation with their supervisory committee.  The proposal must contain the following elements: (1) a statement of the problem; (2) theoretical orientation; (3) methodology; (4) plan and schedule of research; (5) contribution to existing literature; (6) bibliography.  The thesis proposal must be submitted to the supervisory committee and the Graduate Secretary by April 1st of  the student's first year.
4. Students are responsible for following School of Graduate Studies guidelines for the format of the thesis and required number of copies.  Students do not receive course credit for preparing the thesis.
5. The oral defense of the thesis will be scheduled only when the supervisory committee approves the thesis as defensible.  The defense is scheduled at least two weeks after submission (see below).
6. Previous approval of the written thesis for defense does not guarantee that the student will pass the oral defense.

Submission and Defense of Thesis

1. Once the supervisory committee approves the thesis for defense, the candidate submits it to the Graduate Secretary, who makes it available to faculty and students in the department for two weeks prior to the scheduled defense.
2. The oral defense is chaired by the thesis supervisor, and the defense is made before an examining committee consisting of the supervisor and committee member as well as a third reader and any other examiners appointed by the Chair of the Department.
3. The supervisor usually begins the oral defense by asking the student to give a resume of the thesis, of not more than 15 minutes, highlighting its purpose, methodology, theory, and conclusions. 
4. The examining committee then proceeds with their questions.  In fairness to the candidate, the supervisor curtails unnecessary or extraneous discussion, and may allow or disallow questions from the audience.
5. At the end of the defense, the examining committee will formally assess the oral defense and the thesis as “Pass” or “Fail.”  If the student fails the oral defense, they may request a second oral defense.  If the student fails a second defense, the case will be evaluated by the Graduate Committee.