Heritage Studies

What Is Heritage Studies ?

The heritage studies program is designed to develop an appreciation for and a working knowledge of various anthropological issues and techniques. The certificate is awarded to undergraduate students upon the successful completion of a minimum of 28 credit hours, including a core curriculum of eight required courses, which includes an internship and a field course in archaeology. Those enrolling in the program pursue the certificate from the Department of Anthropology. The heritage studies certificate is offered both to students who are in the process of completing the requirements for an academic or professional degree, as well as to those who already hold a bachelor's degree. The certificate is not an accredited degree by itself, but offers a specialization to those earning other accredited degrees.

Success Factors

While each branch of anthropology carries its own special techniques and required skill sets, certain attributes common to all will help a student succeed. These include:

• Open-mindedness and willingness to understand how other social and cultural systems work
• Intellectual curiosity about human similarities and differences
• Desire to find out how things actually are vs. how someone thinks they "should be"
• Analytic ability and, for some branches, some quantitative and statistical skills
• Verbal facility: ability to read carefully and write clearly and concisely
• Desire to cultivate a disciplined imagination

Career Possibilities

Graduates of this major pursue many different careers. They are employed as:

• Archaeologists
• Anthropologists
• Librarians
• Educators
• Diplomats

Graduates may work in research, evaluation or administration, at private or public archaeological firms, or in such specialized fields as medicine, epidemiology, law enforcement and linguistics.

Additional career options are listed on the Career Development Center's Web site. 

Major Details

The certificate program in UC McMicken College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) requires the successful completion of 28 credits, which also includes an internship and field courses, with an overall GPA greater than 2.0. The capstone course, 15ANTH696, Archaeological Theory, should be taken in the graduating year. The internship represents either a paid or unpaid position with an environmental engineering firm, government agency, or organization that engages in cultural resource management work, or a volunteer effort with a cultural resource management oriented institution, such as the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, which amounts to 90 hours of service.

Students may transfer up to nine credit hours from other universities; the program advisor will make determinations regarding transfer credits and substitutions.

Curriculum

This curriculum information is intended as a general information guide for students considering enrollment in this major. These online tools are designed to assist you, but are not a substitute for planning with an academic or faculty advisor.

If you are currently enrolled at UC, you can audit your degree online. If you are considering transferring to this major from another school use the course applicability system (CAS) to see how credits you have earned will apply to this major at UC. For course descriptions by college, click here.

Course Name	Course Number	Credits
Required Courses
Introduction to Archaeology	15ANTH107	3
Cultural Resource Management	15ANTH301	3
Southwest Prehistory	15ANTH303	3
Ohio Valley Prehistory	15ANTH309	3
Public Archaeology Internship	15ANTH512	3
Archaeological Theory	15ANTH696	4
Pick One of the Following:
The Archaeological Record and Its Interpretation	15ANTH422	3
Principles of Archaeological Analysis	15ANTH423	3
Pick One of the Following:
Field Course in Archaeology: Southwest	15ANTH471	6
Field Course in Archaeology: Mesoamerica	15ANTH472	6
Field Course in Archaeology: Midwest	15ANTH473	6
TOTAL		28

Because not all courses are offered each quarter, and some only in alternate years, students are encouraged to consult the program advisor for the specific courses that will be offered during the succeeding quarter.

Special Opportunities

Students in the UC McMicken College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) enjoy many benefits afforded through study at a research-intensive institution ranked among the nation's top 25 public research universities. UC's urban, tri-state location offers exciting opportunities for global education, research and service learning, while its student-centered focus includes an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, a nationally recognized Center for Exploratory Studies and a highly successful First Year Experience program that teaches critical skills for first-year students and provides connections with important campus resources.

Special Programs

Internships

Internships offer the opportunity to gain valuable learn-by-doing experience in the practice of heritage studies. In consultation with the program advisor, students select a company, government agency, not-for-profit organization, museum or heritage foundation whose involvement in heritage studies best fits their interests and goals.

Internships require at least 90 hours of time that, ideally, is somewhat equally divided between instruction and practical application. In addition, the student is asked to submit a brief paper on the internship experience to the heritage studies program advisor, who may also seek an appraisal of the student's performance from the company, government agency, not-for-profit organization or museum.

There are three kinds of internships:

(1) Those with heritage studies or environmental engineering firms doing contract work.

(2) Those with museums, not-for-profit historic preservation organizations or local interest groups working on heritage studies issues (e.g., Archaeological Conservancy, Cincinnati Museum of Natural History).

(3) Those with federal, state, county or municipal government agencies engaged in heritage studies (e.g., National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, State Department of Highways, State Department of Natural Resources, State Historic Preservation Offices, etc.)

Students must enroll in ANTH 512, Public Archaeology Internship.

Interns are expected to immerse themselves as thoroughly as time and circumstances permit in the practice and processes of heritage studies. Interns should seek opportunities to observe and participate in as broad a range of heritage studies. There may also be particular needs on the part of those who sponsor internships or specific requirements of the program advisor, such as learning how to prepare archaeological site forms, Phase I, II and III compliance reports, and National Register of Historic Places nominations.

Admission Requirements

Students already pursuing a degree in any other college at UC can add the certificate to their program. Be sure to submit a declaration of the certificate program using our online form.

Students not currently pursuing a degree may declare the certificate after establishing non-matriculated status.

Graduation Requirements

Make sure that you have declared the certificate program online. Next, make sure that the certificate program director is aware of when you are finishing the program. If you are pursuing another bachelor's degree, then your certificate will be reviewed at the time that you submit your separate degree application.

Application Deadlines