Industrial Heritage and Archaeology Program
Michigan Technological University
MS and PhD Graduate Assistantships Available
The Social Sciences Department at Michigan Technological University is accepting applications for its MS and PhD programs In Industrial Heritage and Archaeology (IHA). The Industrial Heritage and Archaeology program uses changes in material culture and landscapes as a basis for examining the process of industrialization, deindustrialization, and revitalization in communities.
Teaching and research assistantships are available that provide two years of funding for MS students and a minimum of three years of funding for PhD students. The assistantships include a stipend and a tuition waiver.
The MA and PhD programs involve courses and a thesis advised by an interdisciplinary faculty with perspectives from history, anthropology, geography, heritage studies, political science, and sociology. Faculty research engages questions that investigate capitalism, labor, commodities, globalization, critical heritage, industrial & post-industrial communities, participatory GIS and public history, heritage and environmental policy, and the relationship between built and natural environments.
Prospective students from any social science background are welcome.
Students and faculty regularly work on projects with the National Park Service, international heritage organizations, museums, and communities interested in heritage, history, environmental policy, and economic development.
Faculty are now recruiting graduate students for funded positions within several projects, including: Keweenaw Time Traveler, a public-participatory historical GIS project (www.keweenawhistory.com), Industrial Archaeology and History Study at Pullman National Monument (archaeology, history, and heritage studies of the Pullman factory, community, and Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters). International Migration of French-Canadians, a historical demography project (http://chairemigrations.cieq.ca/), History of Industrial Communities and GIS Education for High School Students. Other projects are in formative stages with potential funding.
Application Procedure
Application deadline is January 15, 2017 for admission in Fall 2017. Those seeking funding should apply by this time in order to be considered for support. We encourage PhD applicants to identify and contact a potential advisor or sponsor in the department before their application.
Social Sciences is a strong interdisciplinary department that supports two graduate programs. IHA students are trained in courses from fields of archaeology, anthropology, history, and geography. We also have a graduate program in Environment and Energy Policy (EEP) which students may pull course material, methodologies, and faculty expertise to work on projects that integrate heritage and environmental policy.
In addition, the IHA MS program cooperates with AmeriCorps Vista and the Office of Surface Mining (OSM/VISTA) to provide students with funding and internships in mining communities on revitalization projects. See the website for details: http://www.mtu.edu/social-sciences/graduate/osm-vista/.
You can find information about our faculty, courses, degree requirements, and guidelines for preparing your application on our program webpage: http://www.mtu.edu/social-sciences/graduate/archaeology/.
For additional information contact:
Professor Carol MacLennan
Graduate Director
Social Sciences Department
camac@mtu.edu
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Donald Lafreniere
Assistant Professor of Historical Geography and GIS
Michigan Technological University
djlafren@mtu.edu------------------------------