The archaeology certificate is designed to help students develop the knowledge and practical skills needed to analyze archaeological materials and participate in archaeological field research. Students who complete the certificate, along with a BA or BS 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.

How to Get in

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

Requirements

7 courses and 21 credits ¹

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

Introductory course

Area courses

Methods

Field course

Capstone

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. 

Learning Outcomes

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.

Advising and Careers

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.

• SuccessWorks
• Set up a career advising appointment
• Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
  • INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
  • INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
• Learn about internships and internship funding
  • INTER-LS 260 Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
• Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives

People

For more information about the faculty and their research interests, please visit the directory.

Faculty

• Katherine Bowie
  Cultural anthropology, Southeast Asia, Thailand

• Henry T. Bunn
  Archaeology, emergence of culture, behavioral ecology, East Africa

• Jerome Camal
  Cultural anthropology, ethnomusicology, Caribbean

• Sarah Clayton
  Archaeology, Mesoamerica, Teotihuacan

• Falina Enriquez
  Cultural anthropology, ethnomusicology, Brazil

• John Hawks
  Biological anthropology, paleoanthropology, anthropological genomics, South Africa

• J. Mark Kenoyer
  Archaeology, South Asia, Harappa, craft production

• Nam C. Kim
  Archaeology, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, complex societies, warfare

• Veronika Kusumaryati
  Cultural Anthropology, Southeast Asia, visual anthropology

• Maria Lepowsky
  Cultural anthropology, medical anthropology, Oceania

• Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney
  Cultural anthropology, East Asia, Japan

• Travis Pickering
  Biological anthropology, taphonomy, South Africa

• Sissel Schroeder
  Archaeology, historical ecology, Eastern North America, complex societies

• Amy Stambach
  Cultural anthropology, East Africa
   

• Karen Strier
  Biological anthropology, primatology, behavioral ecology, Brazil

• Claire Wendland
  Cultural anthropology, medical anthropology, Africa, Malawi

Academic Staff

• Elizabeth Leith, Senior Academic Curator

  Museum anthropology, protohistoric, European trade, historical archaeology

Affiliate Faculty

• William Aylward
• Bruce Barrett
• Nicholas Cahill
• Jane Collins
• Linda Hogle
• Elizabeth Mertz
• Ellen Rafferty

Administrative Staff

• Kristine Schultz, Administrator
  kristine.schultz@wisc.edu
  608-262-2868
• Kyle Speth, Accountant
  speth2@wisc.edu
  608-262-2867
• Erika Petrie, Graduate Program Manager
  anthrograd@mailplus.wisc.edu
  608-262-2869
• Noah Ramthun, Undergraduate Coordinator
  anthroinfo@mailplus.wisc.edu
  608-262-2866

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