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The archaeology certificate is designed to help students to develop the knowledge and practical skills needed to analyze archaeological materials and to participate in archaeological field research. Students who complete the certificate, along with a B.A. or B.S. degree from UW–Madison, improve their competitiveness in graduate school applications and are qualified for entry-level employment opportunities in archaeology. In addition to providing a strong intellectual foundation in archaeology and hands-on experience in fieldwork, the certificate provides an interdisciplinary link to courses in three or more departments, exposing students to diverse approaches to the study of our global human heritage. 

Ancient history is a puzzle made up of innumerable fragments—pieces of bone, pottery, stone, and metal; remnants of architecture and monuments; residues of food; and traces of other things. Archaeology is the field of study that provides the tools to discover these fragments and piece them together to reconstruct a picture of the ancient world and to illuminate the stories of past peoples. An accurate understanding of the past is critical for developing a better present and future.

Through their participation in the archaeology certificate program, students gain an appreciation of the diversity of human societies and a fuller understanding of the cultural processes that have resulted in the way that we live today. Students explore the origins of subsistence strategies, trade, technology, belief systems, and conflict that are relevant to understanding the human condition in our modern world.

For further information about the archaeology certificate, including a list of core faculty, please see the Department of Anthropology website.

To declare an archaeology certificate, should contact or visit the Department of Anthropology.

7 courses and 21 credits 1

Credits must be distributed in at least three SUBJECTs, and must meet these requirements:

Introductory course

Complete one:3
Archaeology and the Prehistoric World
Principles of Biological Anthropology
Principles of Archaeology
Total Credits3

Area courses

Complete 6 credits from:6
Topics in Archaeology
The Emergence of Human Culture
The Origins of Civilization
Prehistory of Africa
Archaeology of Wisconsin
The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece
The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Rome
History of Islamic Art and Architecture
From Tomb to Temple: Ancient Chinese Art and Religion in Transition
Cities and Sanctuaries of Ancient Greece
Introduction to Biblical Archaeology
The Greeks
The Romans
A History of Greek Civilization
A History of Rome
HISTORY 377
Total Credits6

Methods

Complete 6 credits from:6
Hominoid Evolution
Human Skeletal Anatomy
Ancient Technology and Invention
Bones for the Archaeologist
Archaeological Methods of Curation
Plants and Humans
Evolutionary Biology
Ethnobotany
Topics in Classical Archaeology
Climatic Environments of the Past
An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Practical Applications of GPS Surveying
Geomorphology
Landforms and Landscapes of North America
Quantitative Methods in Geographical Analysis
Introduction to Cartography
An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Glacial and Pleistocene Geology
Past Climates and Climatic Change
Introduction to Geologic Structures
Geomorphology
Landforms-Topics and Regions
Glacial and Pleistocene Geology
Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
Practical Applications of GPS Surveying
Introduction to Applied Geophysics
Evolutionary Biology
Total Credits6

Field course

ANTHRO 370 Field Course in Archaeology3-6
Total Credits3-6

Capstone

Choose from:3-4
Ancient Technology and Invention 2
Undergraduate Seminar 3
Total Credits3-4
1

 Courses taken Pass/Fail do not count.

2

ANTHRO 352 can count either for a methods course or for the capstone course, but not both.

3

ANTHRO 490 is a Topics course. In order to meet the capstone requirement, it must be on an archaeology topic.

Residence and Quality of Work

  • 2.000 GPA on all certificate-approved courses 
  • At least 11 Certificate credits, taken in Residence

Undergraduate/Special Student Certificate

This certificate is intended to be completed in the context of an undergraduate degree and for those seeking this certificate that is preferred. For students who have substantially completed this certificate at UW–Madison and may need one or two courses to complete the certificate, they may do so immediately after completion of the bachelor’s degree by enrolling in the course as a University Special (nondegree) student. The certificate must be completed within a year of completion of the bachelor’s degree. Students should keep in mind that University Special students have the last registration priority and that may limit availability of desired courses. Financial aid is not available when enrolled as a University Special student to complete an undergraduate certificate. 

  1. acquire specialized training in archaeological research, which may include: obtaining basic knowledge of and skills in observational methods and recording of information for a variety of lines of archaeological evidence, putting these abilities into practice in the classroom and outside of the classroom, developing research questions and the analytical skills necessary to address them, strengthening archaeological interpretations through critical thinking and reference to empirical evidence, gaining experience in considering a problem, synthesizing information from disparate sources, and evaluating contrasting arguments, being able to distinguish between empirical research and speculation, communicating archaeological findings through written and oral expression.
  2. obtain comparative global knowledge of archaeology, material culture, and the evolution of people’s relationships with the physical world.
  3. become aware of the ethical practice of archaeology and heritage preservation.
  4. synthesize information relevant to archaeological research across multiple disciplines.
  5. gain an appreciation of cultural diversity through time and space.

Students wishing to receive advising for the archaeology certificate should go to the Department of Anthropology, 5240 William H. Sewell Social Science Building. The telephone number for the department is 608-262-2866.

L&S career resources

Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities.  SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.

In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.

Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.

Faculty

Academic Staff

  • Elizabeth Leith, Senior Academic Curator

    Museum anthropology, protohistoric, European trade, historical archaeology

Affiliate faculty

Administrative Staff

Emeritus faculty

  • Kenneth George
    Cultural anthropology, Southeast Asia, Indonesia

  • Sharon Hutchinson
    sehutchi@wisc.edu
    Cultural anthropology, Africa

  • Anatoly Khazanov
    Cultural anthropology
     
  • Herbert Lewis
    Cultural anthropology, history of anthropology
  • Kirin Narayan
    Cultural anthropology
  • Larry Nesper
    Cultural Anthropology
  • T. Douglas Price
    Archaeology, Archaeological chemistry, Europe

  • Frank Salomon
    Cultural anthropology, South America