College for prospected archaeological student?

Question

I want to be an archaeologist and want to find a college for me. I will be paying for college on my own. I would love to find a college that is devoted exclusively to archaeology. Yet I wouldn't mind a college that has other options, yet I want archaeology to be its strongest point. Location and price doesn't matter right now. I just want a very high goal to look for in high school.

Answer 1

I would suggest a state school in whatever state you live in - usually less epensive that way. If money is truly not an issue (lucky you!), and you have the grades, try some place like Harvard, Cambrige (UK), University of Michigan, University of Arizona, Penn State... a school with a long history of producing serious archaeologists. A four-year college will get you closer interaction with your professors, but a major university like those I listed will usually get you the most well-known professors, expose you to the newest ideas, enable you to get on important digs, etc. This is not a hard-and-fast rule; Millsaps College in Mississippi for example has Mike Galaty, who could (should?) be in a major university.

Fast track? I don't know about that. Four years for BA and two more for the MA is pretty standard. Go someplace else for your MA - do not go to the same school; get a different perspective and hear different ideas.

Answer 2

You probably won't find a "fast track" option for anthropology.  Since archaeology is most commonly integrated into anthropology programs, you will have to endure the 4 year BA and 2 year MA structure. And, I will warn you, the PhD takes "as long as it does." There is no set number of years to finish a PhD.  It goes as fast as you, your adviser, and fate let it.

And no school focuses on archaeology as its only thing.  What you need to find is a college or university that has an anthropology department that is well-known and well-respected for its archaeology program.  As a prospective undergrad, you also want to go with a program that is broad enough to let you explore many different geographic areas and time periods.

Big name places like Harvard and Yale have good programs but you might not get the best education there. At smaller schools, professors can actually get to know you because they will be teaching your courses. And small schools sometimes have well-known professors.

Oberlin in Ohio is a smallish private school that focuses on undergraduate education. It has an institute for archaeological research that is quite good.  University of Illinois at Chicago is also very broad and has a solid program with big name scholars. Many other state universities have good, high quality programs as well as a large number of professionally respected faculty who will offer courses that range far and wide in terms of both time and geography.

Since I don't know which state you live in, or if you have an area or time period you want to study, I can't give you specific advice. You should do a web search for archaeology at some state schools and see what you come up with that appeals to your individual interests.