Overview
The curricular requirements for the Archaeological Materials Degree Program are outlined below. A student must complete seven graduate (H-level) subjects in order to qualify for the General Examination in the field of Archaeological Materials. A total of ten subjects are required to graduate with a doctoral degree.
Four subjects comprise the graduate core of this Program: two subjects in Materials Science & Engineering and two subjects in Archaeology. The written portion of the General Examination will consist of questions based on material covered in the four core subjects. The oral portion of the General Examination will not re-examine core subject material but will integrate core knowledge as it pertains to the student's specialty area. This oral portion will include material from three Restricted Elective graduate (H-level) subjects the student may choose from a list specified by the Degree Program. One of these subjects must be in Materials Science & Engineering (Course 3).
Given the possible scheduling conflicts inherent in taking core subjects from two different disciplines, it is unlikely that any individual will be prepared to sit the written portion of the General Examination before the third semester of graduate study. It is recommended that Program students complete the written portion of the Examination by the fourth semester; they must then sit the oral portion by the fourth semester and must pass the oral portion by the fifth semester of graduate study.
Beyond these seven subjects (4 Core + 3 Restricted Electives), the student must choose at least three further subjects germane to her/his area of interest with the approval of the student's doctoral thesis committee. Some of these subjects will likely be taken in other departments than Course 3. All Program students must complete the equivalent of one semester of archaeological fieldwork before submitting a thesis topic. This requirement may be satisfied by enrollment in an archaeological field school or by participation in an ongoing field research project.
MIT does not currently offer graduate subjects in fundamental archaeological methods or physical anthropology/human biological evolution, two foundation subject areas for all of archaeology, so the Program draws instead on Harvard's excellent resources in these areas for the two core subjects in archaeology.
The MIT core subject 3.20 (Thermodynamics of Materials) is taught in the Fall semester, and 3.21 (Kinetics of Materials) in the Spring, so that Program students will in all cases be taking at least one major subject during each of their first two semesters at MIT. These two subjects comprise half of the core requirement and are obligatory for all DMSE doctoral students; the same will be true for Archaeological Materials Program students. Those dozen or so persons involved with archaeological materials at MIT already hold their own weekly seminar series, in addition to CMRAE colloquia, so Program students should be able to maintain adequate MIT contact despite utilization of Harvard subjects in the core requirement during the first year.
Course outline
CORE SUBJECTS (4, all H-level) Archaeology (2) Method and Theory in Archaeology (e.g. Harvard
Anth. 207a or b) Physical Anthropology: Human Biological Evolution
(e.g. Harvard Anth 217, 229, or 231) Materials (2) 3.20 Thermodynamics of Materials [15 units] 3.21 Kinetic Processes in Materials [15
units] RESTRICTED ELECTIVES (3, all H-level) Archaeology (2) A subject in the student's geographic area of study,
for example: Mesoamerica, Sub-Saharan Africa, the
Near East (e.g. Harvard offerings or 3.982 The
Ancient Andean World, 3.983 The Aztec, the Maya and their
Predecessors, 3.988 Africa, Past and Present, 4.165
Architectural Design in Islamic Society, STS.140 Change in
Medieval Society) A subject in the student's area of theoretical interest,
for example: economic archaeology, high-altitude
adaptations, evolution of technological style (e.g.
Harvard offerings or 3.984-3.985 Materials in Ancient
Societies, 3.985J-5.24J Archaeological science, 1.420
Innovation in Construction, 4.231 Architecture and Urban
Contexts: Traditions, Conflicts & Change, 14.731
Economic History, STS.185 Structure of Engineering
Revolutions). Materials (1) A subject in materials properties (e.g. 3.22
Mechanical Properties of Materials [from the Course 3
doctoral core], 3.90J-1.591J Fracture of Structural
Materials, 3.951J-2.921J Deformation and Fracture of
Polymers) OR A subject in the material most relevant to the student's
research (e.g. 3.40J Physical Metallurgy, 3.63 Ceramic
Processes, 3.94 Morphology of Polymers, 3.952 Cellular
Solids: Structures and Properties) UNRESTRICTED ELECTIVES (3, all H-level) Archaeology (2) A subject in a geographic area outside of the student's
primary focus, or in a field such as geoarchaeology or
palaeoecology (e.g. Harvard offerings or 12.463
Surface Processes and Landscape Evolution, 12.507
Environmental Geophysics, 12.840 Past and Present
Climate). A subject relevant to the student's research focus,
for example: craft specialization and the development
of complex society; the built environment as a component of
ideational systems; materials management and environmental
conservation and degradation in prehistory (e.g.
Harvard offerings or 4.241J-11.330J Theory of City Form,
11.301 Urban Design and Development, 3.560J-TPP.123J
Industrial Ecology), 3.984-3.989 Materials in Ancient
Societies (CMRAE graduate subjects, each 2 semester):
ceramics; metals; lithics; biological materials. Materials (1) A subject in materials processing, in engineering design,
or in special techniques in the analysis of the mechanical
or thermal behavior of materials (e.g. 3.371
Fabrication Technology, 3.50 High-Temperature Physical
Chemistry of Materials, 3.52J-10.581J Materials Processing,
1.366 Geotechnical Engineering and Structures, 2.52 Thermal
Transport Modeling and Tools, 2.55 Advanced Heat and Mass
Transfer, 10.50 Analysis of Transport
Phenomena) OR A subject in materials application (e.g. 1.381
Rock Mechanics, 1.592 Mechanical Behavior of Construction
Materials, 1.541 Behavior of Concrete Structures, 4.405
Materials and Construction)
Application Information
For further information about the doctoral program in Archaeological Materials contact:
For an application to the doctoral program in Archaeological Materials contact:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|