Content uploaded by Joel Klenck
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Joel Klenck on Jun 27, 2020
Content may be subject to copyright.
1
Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Graduate Program of the
National University of Samoa
Dr. Joel Klenck, JD
Chairperson and Senior Lecturer
Department of Archaeology & Cultural Heritage
Graduate Program Overview
Talofa ma faʻafeiloaʻi! The principal objectives of the National University of Samoa’s graduate
program of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (“ACH”) are to provide:
1. Knowledgeable assessments of principal subjects in archaeology and cultural heritage;
2. Wide ranging instruction in core methods and theories of archaeology and cultural heritage;
3. Guidance and support for M.A. and Ph.D. students preparing for positions in the expansive
domain of archaeology and cultural heritage including academic, applied or contractual, and
governmental spheres of practice.
While students who wish to pursue M.A. and Ph.D. training in any area of expertise are invited
to apply to the program, there are several areas of particular strength in terms of faculty interests,
departmental facilities, and institutional resources.
Principal strengths in archaeology and cultural heritage at NUS include:
a) Transitions to complex societies.
b) Ethnicities, languages and material culture.
c) Art and religion.
d) Custom, land tenure, and historic preservation legislation.
e) Cultural histories and archaeological remains.
f) Surveys, excavations, laboratory methods and publications.
g) Applied and governmental historic preservation.
Students are strongly encouraged to select one of these areas of specialization in focusing their
work, although the specific program of study pursued by each student will be developed in close
consultation with his/her principal advisor and advisory committee.
2
In addition to a primary area of specialization, all students are expected to acquire a thorough
understanding of the archaeology of Polynesia, a basic understanding of archaeology in the
Western and Eastern Hemispheres, and a general knowledge of anthropological techniques,
ethnography, and ethnology, which pertain to the student’s focus in archaeology and cultural
heritage.
In certain cases, joint programs of study in archaeology and another department of the National
University of Samoa can be arranged. The expectation is that the student will be able to complete
the M.A. program in two (2) years, Ph.D. in four (4) years, and usually both in six (6) years.
Each student will have a faculty advisor, whose research interests will be close to those of the
student. For the first five semesters student’s progress will be overseen by an Advisory
Committee, normally consisting of the advisor, the Director of Graduate Studies, and one other
archaeology faculty member. After the third semester for M.A. students and fifth semester for
Ph.D. students, examining and thesis committees will be chosen on the basis of the student's
focus of specialization.
The progress of each student will be assessed annually by the ACH program faculty, and this
appraisal will be communicated to the candidate. An overall B+ (3.30) average is expected of the
student. Excepting unusual circumstances, no student whose record contains an Incomplete grade
will be allowed to register for the next term following receipt of the Incomplete.
Coursework
During the first two years of M.A. and Ph.D. graduate study, the student will normally enroll in
16 half-courses (four each term). Within this program of study, the following requirements must
be fulfilled:
a) HSA401 & HSA402, Archaeological Field Methods Proseminar (2 Semesters)
b) HSA403, Archaeological Method and Theory (1 Semester)
c) HSA404, Cultural Resource Management & Applied Archaeology (1 Semester)
d) HSA405, Anthropological Method and Theory (1 Semester)
In addition, and as part of the 16 half-course requirement, the following seminar must be taken
prior to the prospectus defense for the M.A. or Ph.D.:
e) HSA406, Case Studies and Research Proposal Preparation (1 Semester)
f) Twelve half-courses in archaeology or other fields chosen in consultation with the advisor and
advisory committee. Here, mandatory classes comprise:
HSA281, Polynesian Prehistory (1 Semester)
3
HSA370, Global Archaeology in the Eastern Hemisphere: Near East, Africa, Europe,
Mesopotamia, Asian Steppe, and Far East (1 Semester)
HSA371, Global Archaeology in the Western Hemisphere: North America, Central America,
South America, Caribbean, and Pacific Coast (1 Semester).
In the latter category, serious consideration should be given to taking courses outside the ACH
Department in fields related to the student’s focus of interest (e.g., Biology, History, Chemistry,
Modern or Ancient Languages, Samoan Studies, Physics, etc.). In addition, research time
HSA499 can be utilized with advisor and advisory committee approval as part of the 16 half-
course requirement.
Courses taken to fulfill requirements (a-f) must be passed with a grade of B- or better. In
addition, students may continue to take formal classes into their third or fourth year should these
be relevant to fulfilling requirements (e.g., languages, see below) or to their focus of study.
Students are expected to obtain competence in quantitative methods or computer applications
(e.g., GIS) as they relate to the practice of archaeology.
Languages
Proficiency in one modern, scholarly language other than English is required including Samoan.
In addition, the candidate must attain proficiency in a second scholarly language or in a field
language or in a laboratory skill. The election of one among these options shall be made
following consultation by the student with their advisor. Proficiency in languages and/or
laboratory skill must be demonstrated before the special examination is taken.
Fieldwork
It is expected that each student's program of study will include adequate experience in field
methods through the student's participation in archaeological and cultural heritage field projects.
This fieldwork is frequently related to the gathering of data for the M.A. thesis or Ph.D.
dissertation. Particular emphasis shall be placed on collecting and recordings tala or cultural
histories from Samoa or other communities in the Pacific Islands.
Teaching
Part of graduate training includes experience in teaching or research. Teaching or research
assistant (“RA”) positions may occur during M.A. and Ph.D. coursework and are able to form an
important component of financial support.
4
Advisory Meetings
Each student shall be assigned an advisor and, for the first three semesters, an advisory
committee. The student shall meet with the advisor on a regular basis, minimally at the
beginning of each term of residence before submission of the study plan. The student shall also
meet with the advisory committee at least once during the first three semesters of residence,
generally before or during the first week of classes in the second Fall term.
The purpose of these meetings is to review proposed plans of study, completion of the language
and other requirements, and overall progress in the program. The advisory committee normally
will comprise the student’s advisor, the Director of Graduate Studies, and one additional faculty
member.
General Examination
Near the end of the third semester of graduate study there will be General Examinations. These
will comprise written and oral components pertaining to important issues in archaeology and
cultural heritage. The purpose of the General Examinations is to assess the progress of a student
and determine their general knowledge of current archaeological issues. Students deemed weak
in specific areas or topics will be required to retake the examination and/or to take designated
courses.
Special Examination
After the General Examinations, and normally near the end of the sixth term, the student will
take an oral examination relating to their dissertation prospectus. The student is required to have
submitted the prospectus to each member of the examining committee at least two weeks before
this examination. The examining committee shall consist of the student’s advisor(s) and at least
two other faculty members, one of whom must be an archaeology program member, although
any additional faculty who wishes may participate in the examination. Normally, no candidate
may submit an application to a funding source outside of the National University of Samoa for
either field or other research for dissertation preparation until this examination has been passed.
Dissertation Prospectus
A Ph.D. dissertation topic is developed in consultations among the student, their principal
advisor and other appropriate scholars. The dissertation prospectus comprises a proposal for
5
carrying out the research on which the dissertation will be based. It should include a statement of
the problem(s) and topic(s) to be addressed and detail how the student intends to address them.
It normally should be no longer than 20 double-spaced typewritten pages of text and include
relevant visual and bibliographic materials as well as details on possible funding sources. With
the approval of the student’s advisor, the prospectus may be in the form of a proposal to the
National Science Foundation for a dissertation improvement grant.
Following the special examination, a final dissertation prospectus must be prepared if the
examining committee deems the preliminary prospectus inadequate. The final version of the
prospectus should be circulated for comment and approval to the prospectus committee at least
two weeks before being placed on file with the Department's Graduate Program Administrator.
Approval of a dissertation prospectus, including any revisions, is expected by the beginning of
the seventh semester in residence. Failure to gain approval by the end of the seventh term may be
grounds for dismissal from the program.
Ph.D. Dissertation Committee and Defense
The dissertation committee will be composed of at least three members, two of whom must be
archaeology program faculty members.
Normally the special examination committee and the dissertation committee will be composed of
the same individuals, although it may be appropriate that substitutions or additions be made.
A complete draft of the dissertation must be received by all members of the dissertation
committee at least two months before the approved dissertation is due at the Registrar's Office of
the National University of Samoa.
The text of the dissertation, exclusive of charts, figures, and appendices, ordinarily may not
exceed 250 typewritten pages.
At least one month before the dissertation is due at the Registrar's Office, the candidate must
pass a dissertation defense. Dissertation committee members must receive copies of a completed
dissertation eight weeks before the scheduled date of the dissertation defense. The dissertation
defense consists of:
1. An examination of the candidate by the dissertation committee and other faculty members
2. An oral presentation for a general audience
After successful completion of this examination and the incorporation of any revisions required
by the dissertation committee, signatures of the committee members must be obtained on the
6
dissertation acceptance certificate, which is submitted with the dissertation to the Registrar's
Office.
The final manuscript of the dissertation must conform to the requirements described in The Form
of the Ph.D. Dissertation, available from the Registrar’s Office.
A complete draft of the dissertation normally must be submitted within three years after passing
the special examination, and the dissertation normally must be approved within four years of
passing that examination.
Failure to meet these deadlines can be grounds for removing the student from candidacy. After
removal, a student may be reinstated by formal readmission to the Graduate School and to the
department; the student may also be required to retake the special examination.
Welcome to the Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Graduate Program
We look forward to preparing the next generation of scholars interested in preserving the past. If
a potential graduate student has any questions, they are encouraged to set an appointment with the
faculty of the Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Graduate Program.
Faamoemoe e te vaai ia oe lava ia!