Faculty Pages:
Donna
Chollett

Julie
Pelletier

Rebecca
Dean

Discipline Information:
Requirements
for Anth. Major

List of Anth. classes at UMM

Careers in Anthropology

Why study Anthropology?

Other Info:
Field School Experience

AAA Guide to Anthropology

Anthropology Resources
on the WWW

Sociology

Anthropology/ Sociology Club

Latin American Area Studies

Native American Studies

 
AAA Guide to Anthropology Departments

Anthropology students interested in graduate studies in anthropology are encouraged to consult the AAA Guide to Departments in the Anthropology Lab, IH 3. This volume gives information on all U.S. Anthropology Departments (students, faculty, requirements, support, special facilities, etc.)

A Brief History of the AAA Guide
The AAA Guide to Departments of Anthropology was first published in 1962, in response to an Executive Board directive to publish a volume that would "assist students who want to go into the field, by providing such basic information as degrees offered; name, rank and specialties of the staff; basic strengths of the graduate programs, including number of courses offered in geographic areas and specialties; and where to write for catalogues and other information." The first AAA Guide totaled 50 pages, the size of a small pamphlet.

The AAA Guide grew--in 1963, the Board directed a listing of PhD dissertations in anthropology to be published in the AAA Guide; in 1967 a listing of all AAA members was added (and subsequently dropped the following year), and the departmental program descriptions were expanded. The 1967 AAA Guide totaled 214 pages.

A grant from the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research enabled the AAA Guide to expand again, in 1968-70. New sections included (1) listings of undergraduate programs offering a major or concentration in anthropology [prior to this the AAA Guide had only listed graduate programs], (2) a table summarizing which institutions gave how many degrees, (3) dates of highest degrees of individuals listed in the AAA Guide, with names of institutions giving them and (4) museums with anthropology programs. The 1970 AAA Guide numbered 266 pages.

In 1974, a new section was added to the AAA Guide, listing research and nonacademic departments. The AAA Guide expanded gradually from 1974 to 1989, but its basic structure and arrangement of information remained the same.

And then, in 1989, the AAA Guide underwent a major transformation. New sections, listing the names and addresses of all AAA members, names of members in the AAA units, and departmental listings for community colleges were added to the AAA Guide.

To accommodate the new information, a change in format was necessary, and the AAA Guide grew from 6" x 9" to 8-1/2" x 11". It also changed names--from the AAA Guide to Departments of Anthropology to The AAA Guide (subtitle: "A Guide to Departments/A Directory of Members"). The pages were redesigned in a double-column format, with a new type face and different fonts to improve legibility. Full-bleed divider pages were inserted, to allow the reader to bend the edge of the book and locate the different sections easily. Running heads were added, and new covers were designed to improve the appearance of the volume.

A Tour of the Guide

What's in the AAA Guide? The volume contains 7 sections: Preface, Index of Departments, Departmental Listings, Directories, Statistics, PhD Dissertations in Anthropology, and Index of individuals.

Index of Institutions
The Index of Institutions, located for many years at the end of the volume, is now placed in the front of the book, right after the Preface. The departments are listed alphabetically and by location.

Departments
There are 4 sets of institutional listings in the AAA Guide: (1) Industry and Research Firms, (2) Government and Non-Profit Agencies, (3) Museums and (4) Academic Departments. A typical AAA Guide listing consists of the following:
  • Name of Institution
  • Department
  • Degrees offered in Anthropology
  • Full-time Faculty (lists faculty alphabetically, giving highest degree earned by faculty member, year awarded and institution; rank; and areas of specialization)
  • Part-time Faculty
  • Adjunct Faculty
  • Research Staff
  • Chair
  • Department Secretary/Administrative Assistant
  • Anthropologists in Other Departments, Schools or Institutes
  • Anthropology Students in Residence (graduate/undergraduate, female/male)
  • Anthropology Club/President
  • Graduate Student Support Available
  • Degrees Granted in Anthropology (degree, female/male)
  • Academic Year System
  • Requirements for MA
  • Requirements for PhD
  • Special Programs
  • Special Resources and Facilities
  • Publications
  • Addresses
  • Cross-References to other departments listed in the Guide

Information for the departmental listings is solicited by the AAA early-April. Requests are sent to listers from previous years' AAA Guides, as well as requests from new potential listers. [If your anthropology program is not listed in this year's AAA Guide, please consult your program leader and request a listing form from the Academic Relations Department.] All information is approved by the program leader and submitted to the AAA by May 31. Each lister in the AAA Guide receives a complimentary copy.

Directories
There are three Directories in the AAA Guide: (1) AAA Membership Directory, (2) AAA Section Members and (3) AAA Life Members.

The Directories are generated by the Member Services staff. The AAA Guide lists the names, addresses and e-mails of all paid members in the Membership Directory. These listings are not typeset by the Publications Department; it is important for members to correct any inaccurate information on their mailing labels and submit it to the Member Services Staff. Additionally, it is possible to list an address for the AAA Guide different than one's mailing address; please contact the Member Services staff for more information.

The AAA Section Members section lists the various Sections of the Association and their members.

Statistics
The AAA Guide contains statistical information on the following:

  • Locations of Academic Departments Listed in the AAA Guide and Highest Degree Offered in Anthropology
  • Anthropology Students Enrolled
  • Totals of Degrees Granted, by Category
  • PhD Degrees Granted

Using these statistical tables it is possible, for example, to find out where anthropology students are enrolled (both graduate and undergraduate) and in what numbers, and how many degrees were granted in a given year.

PhD Dissertations in Anthropology
Dissertations are listed alphabetically by author, and give university affiliation, year of completion, area, and title.

It's in There . . .
The AAA Guide has been the premiere information source for the study of anthropology since 1962. AAA appreciates the support and many excellent suggestions made by members over the years. The Association will continue to improve the AAA Guide, with the hope that it will continue to be a source of information that anthropologists can consult with confidence--with the knowledge that if you need to know, "it's in the AAA Guide."