Master of Applied Anthropology in College Park United States | University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland's Department of Anthropology provides graduate programs culminating in several degree options: the Master of Applied Anthropology (M.A.A.), a dual Master of Applied Anthropology and Master of Historic Preservation (M.A.A./M.H.P.), the Master of Professional Studies in Cultural and Heritage Resource Management (M.P.S. (CHRM)), and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). These programs embody the department's commitment to applied anthropology—the practical implementation of anthropological theories, active fieldwork, and professional practice across diverse institutional and community contexts. Faculty expertise spans two key subfields: archaeology and socio-cultural anthropology. Building upon their academic foundations and practical experience in these areas, department faculty also emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, identifying research challenges where combined subfield expertise can yield comprehensive solutions. This collaborative philosophy has led to three primary research focuses: Health Anthropology, Environmental Anthropology, and Heritage Anthropology. These domains encompass research questions aligned with faculty specialization while benefiting from integrated methodological perspectives. Though these topics can be explored separately through socio-cultural or archaeological lenses, their anthropological investigation gains depth through cross-subdisciplinary cooperation.