M.A. in Heritage Management

This is content from the Catalog 2022–2023 past issue. Please visit the current catalog for current information.

Program Chair: Peter R. Mills, Ph.D.
Dept. of Anthropology
Social Sciences Division Office
200 W. Kāwili Street
Hilo, HI 96720

Email: millsp@hawaii.edu

Professors:

• Peter R. Mills, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology
• Lynn A. Morrison, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology

Associate Professors:

• Joseph H. Genz, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anthropology
• Kathleen L. Kawelu, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anthropology

Lecturers:

• Eileen Momilani Naughton, Ph.D., NHERC
• Timothy Scheffler, Ph.D., Lecturer, Dept of Anthropology
• Hans Van Tilburg, Ph.D., NOAA (adjunct)
• Lynne M. Wolforth, Ph.D., Lecturer, Dept. of Anthropology

Program Description

The M.A. in Heritage Management is for students who seek careers in a multitude of governmental agencies, private-sector consulting firms, and in education, who work with the interpretation and preservation of cultural heritage. UH Hilo's MA in Heritage Management responds to House Resolution No. 130 of the 24th Legislature (2008).

There are five main objectives:

1. to apply anthropological concepts to guide a workforce of historic preservationists who are committed to the long-term management of Hawaiian cultural resources;
2. increase the number of individuals of local ancestry in leadership positions in heritage management;
3. provide better assistance to community planners in developing plans that are more sensitive to traditional cultural properties, human burials, sacred sites, ancient habitation sites, agricultural systems, and trails;
4. provide training to meet the professional qualifications of principal investigators as defined in Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules (HAR)13-281 for conducting archaeological fieldwork and for conducting cultural impact assessments; and
5. provide training to meet the federal professional standards for archaeologists as defined in 36 CFR Part 61.

Although the program is focused primarily within Hawaiʻi, we address heritage training across the Pacific Islands. The proposal fills a clear need to produce individuals who are well-trained in the specific issues of Oceanic heritage. Despite dozens of similar MA programs around the globe, none of the major extant programs focus on the Pacific Islands. The region has unique cultural historical, social, and environmental characteristics that would make localized training more effective in creating qualified, culturally sensitive professionals.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation with this degree, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the value of community engagement in Heritage Management through sustained efforts in community-outreach during their graduate program.
2. Develop and apply technical skills in heritage management including:
   1. Technical Report preparation following an accepted style guide.
   2. Successful implementation of fieldwork, such as archaeology, oral history, and ethnography.
3. Demonstrate professional familiarity with federal and state laws and regulations that affect preservation programs.
4. Apply an anthropological context to original Heritage Management fieldwork.

Program Curriculum

Required Courses (12):

• ANTH 600 Thesis Design, Method, Theory (3)
• ANTH 601 Ethics of Heritage Management (3)
• ANTH 602 Historic Preservation Laws (3)
• ANTH 603 Qualitative & Quant. Methods (3)

Topical Courses (3): [choose 1]

• ANTH 611 Cultural Impact Assessments (3)
• ANTH 612 Indigenous Museum Studies (3)
• ANTH 613 Human Paleoecology (3)
• ANTH 614 Submerged Cultural Resources (3)

Area Courses (3): [choose 1]

• ANTH 623 Archaeology of Oceania (3)
• ANTH 624 Archaeology of Hawaiʻi (3)
• ANTH 625 Pacific Heritage Management (3)

Applied Analytical Methods (minimum 6): [choose 2]

• ANTH 631 Oral History Research (3)
• ANTH 632 Paleobotanical Methods (3)
• ANTH 633 Material Conservation (3)
• ANTH 634 Lithic Analysis (3)
• ANTH 635 Human Osteology (3)
• ANTH 682 Archaeological Field Methods (3–5)

Year 2 Internship in Heritage Management: (minimum 6 credits to be determined by student’s area of specialization, may be repeated)

• ANTH 690 Heritage Management Internship (3) (a) Internship in Archaeology; (b) Internship in Museum Studies; (c) Internship in Burials Program (d) Internship in Cultural Impact Assessments.

Year 2 Thesis: (minimum 6 credits)

• ANTH 700 Thesis Research (1–6)

Total Minimum Semester Hours Required for the M.A. in Heritage Management: 36 credits.