Please note:
To view the Spring 2024 Academic Calendar, go to www.sfu.ca/students/calendar/2024/spring.html.
Archaeology
The department offers specializations in archaeometry, art, ceramic analysis, cultural resource management, ethnoarchaeology, forensic anthropology, geoarchaeology, historical archaeology, lithic analysis, palaeoanthropology, palaeoethnobotany, skeletal biology, and zooarchaeology.
In addition to gaining knowledge and expertise in particular areas of research interest, the student will gain a comprehensive understanding of the discipline and strive to acquire a general knowledge of world prehistory, physical anthropology, and archaeological theory and methods. Depending on enrollment, individual or group courses can be arranged in addition to regularly scheduled courses.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must satisfy the University admission requirements as stated in Graduate General Regulations 1.3 in the SFU Calendar.
Program Requirements
This program consists of the following sequential steps for a minimum of 33 units: course requirements, thesis prospectus, colloquium presentation, advancement to candidacy, thesis completion, and defence. The course requirements, thesis prospectus, and the colloquium presentation should be completed by students by the end of the second term.
Students must complete the following
Critical evaluation of new approaches to the study of the human past.
Discussion of recent developments in archaeology and archaeological science, with invited speaker presentations. Required course for graduate students in archaeology. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.
Discussion of recent developments in archaeology and archaeological science, with invited speaker presentations. Required course for graduate students in archaeology. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.
Seminar focusing on the development of thesis research design and data analysis.
and one or more additional courses with a minimum of three units and approval by the supervisory committee
and a thesis
Advancement to Candidacy
A distinction is made between program enrollment and formal advancement to degree candidacy. A candidate is a student who has successfully completed the advancement to candidacy requirements (defined below).
Formal advancement to MA candidacy takes place when the following requirements have been met:
- Completion of three required graduate courses;
- Completion of a prospectus and presentation of a colloquium as part of ARCH 876
Accelerated Master's
SFU students accepted in the accelerated master’s within the Department of Archaeology may apply a maximum of 10 graduate course units, taken while completing the bachelor’s degree, towards the upper division electives of the bachelor’s program and the requirements of the master’s degree. For more information go to: https://www.sfu.ca/gradstudies/apply/programs/accelerated-masters.html.
Thesis
The thesis should be focused on problem-oriented research, involving the conceptualization of a problem, and the collection, analysis and interpretation of data. It should normally not exceed 100 pages of text.
Program Length
Students are required to complete the program requirements in nine terms, and are encouraged to complete in less time.
Other Information
There are no prescribed language requirements but knowledge of a language other than English is desirable. If knowledge of a language is necessary for field work or reading, however, the student will be required to attain the necessary language proficiency.
Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations
All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements that are specified in the Graduate General Regulations, as well as the specific requirements for the program in which they are enrolled.