Undergraduate Program

Majoring in Archaeology

Joining the major:

• No prerequisite courses are necessary before joining the major.
• Students can get major and advisor add forms from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Requirements for the major:

• Coursework requirements:
  • 32 credit hours from the Archaeology Course List or related fields
    • 16 of the credit hours must be at the 3000-level or above.
• Major distribution requirements: (Students are required to take the following number of courses from different categories within the Archaeology Course List.)
  • Comparative Survey: One course.
  • Methods/Theory: Two courses.
  • Regional Concentrations: Students must take a minimum of one course in at least two different regional concentrations.
• Some notes on course credits:
  • Students select their courses in consultation with a major advisor of their choosing. In some areas of specialization, intensive language training should be coordinated with other studies as early as the freshman year.
  • To receive credit towards the major, students must receive a grade of C or better within a course.
  • A maximum of 4 of the 32 required credit hours can come from independent study courses (e.g., Arkeo 3000 Individual Study).
• Fieldwork requirement:
  • Because engagement with original research is a critical part of archaeological education, students are required to participate in some form of hands-on research experience approved by their advisor and the DUS. Students may obtain research experience through a range of means, including but not limited to traditional fieldwork, and students should consult with their advisor about what kind of research might best meet their needs and interests. Some options might include participation in field-based or collections-based coursework, field-based research directed by Cornell faculty or outside researchers or institutions, hands-on laboratory research, working with museum collections, or another supervised research experience that goes beyond traditional classroom learning. Under exceptional circumstances, this requirement may be waived by special permission of the student’s advisor and the DUS.
  • Fieldwork requirement form
  • For those students who opt to pursue research that would require travel beyond Cornell, both CIAMS and the College of Arts and Sciences provide substantial funding to reduce or eliminate costs associated with undergraduate participation in extramural fieldwork or other kinds of materials-based research. More information can be found at the following links:
    • https://archaeology.cornell.edu/funding
    • https://experience.cornell.edu/opportunities/summer-experience-grant

Graduating with Honors

Please see Guidelines and Procedures for Undergraduate Honors in Archaeology

Minoring in Archaeology

Joining the minor:

• No prerequisite courses are necessary before joining the minor.
• Students can get minor add forms from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Requirements for the minor:

• Coursework requirements: (Students must take 5 archaeology courses, including courses from the following categories - see Archaeology Course List):
  • Comparative Survey: One course.
  • Methods/Theory: One course.
  • Regional Concentrations: Students must take a minimum of one course in at least two different regional concentrations.
  • Note: To receive credit towards the minor for a course, students must receive a grade of C or better.
• Fieldwork: recommended, but not required
  • Minors are encouraged to gain some fieldwork experience.
  • Scholarship opportunities for fieldwork: Minors are eligible for Hirsch Scholarships in support of fieldwork on the same basis as majors. See further information at https://archaeology.cornell.edu/funding.