Many students register for Independent Study or Independent Research Credits (ANTH 785/786) to pursue focused study with an individual professor, or to conduct advised independent research. To allow adequate time for thesis advising, some students may also register for a three-credit Master’s Thesis Seminar (ANTH 706). Normally, no more than 12 credits of the degree may consist of Independent Study and Master’s Thesis Seminar credits, combined.
ANTH 706, Master’s Thesis Seminar, is not a seminar in the usual sense of the word, with a single instructor and regular meetings for all enrolled students. Further, ANTH 706 is not a required course; if you satisfy the 30-credit requirement for the MA degree without it, you need not take it. It simply allows students to obtain three credits towards the MA while researching and writing a thesis.
If you do decide to register for ANTH 706, you should only do so if you are confident that you will finish the thesis in the semester you register for it. Earlier in your career, it is usually more appropriate to register for Independent Study/Research credits to allow time to conduct research.
Registering for any of these courses requires approval from the graduate advisor and from the faculty member supervising the course.
Most students can expect to write a master’s thesis under the supervision of a faculty member, though the form of the thesis will vary. Thesis supervision is an ongoing process, that may extend over multiple semesters, and planning should begin early. Students should meet with the graduate advisor in their second semester of study to begin the thesis process.
MA students who expect to write a thesis must select a thesis advisor who is a full-time member of the Department of Anthropology faculty. The faculty advisor must approve the thesis proposal prior to beginning research, and the advisor is responsible for assuring that all relevant responsible research approvals are secured.
All MA theses are approved by the thesis advisor and a second reader before being submitted to the department and the School of Arts and Sciences. The second reader may be a Hunter faculty member or somebody else with relevant expertise who agrees to serve as a reader.
It is important that students submit their drafts to their thesis advisors and the second readers early in the semester in which they plan to graduate. This will allow time to receive feedback, which students must incorporate before completing the final drafts. Only final drafts that are approved by the thesis advisors and the second reader can be deposited.
See Instructions for Preparing the Final Thesis
