Cultural Heritage and Resources Management, MS

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The master of science in Cultural Heritage and Resources Management (CHRM) involves the identification, documentation, evaluation, and preservation of cultural heritage and cultural resources, as mandated by policy and legislation, and guided by scientific and ethical standards. A key goal of the program is to produce graduates who excel in the methods and techniques appropriate for filling positions in cultural heritage and resources management, and who have the theoretical, legislative, analytical, and practical skills necessary for the identification, assessment, and evaluation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, along with its interpretation and preservation for a diverse array of engaged communities.

Persons with an MS in CHRM will be qualified to hold management and supervisory positions within all sectors of the heritage and cultural resources management industries. Graduates meet the qualifications for professional certification in the United States, but are also well grounded in international heritage legislation and practice. They acquire knowledge and skills for the purposes of legal and regulatory compliance and in service of community-engaged goals.

The MS in CHRM has two concentrations, which are united by a core curriculum grounded in the social sciences. Students in the Natural Sciences and Technology concentration are trained to employ technologies and methods from the natural and social sciences that focus on documenting and managing natural and cultural resources (e.g., conservation biology, GIS and remote sensing, human remains analysis). Students in the Social Sciences and Interpretation concentration are trained to employ theories and methods from the social sciences that focus on interpreting and managing heritage for the public and in collaboration with stakeholders (e.g., museum studies, archival research, public policy, ethnography).

Coursework should proceed in conjunction with a student’s interests and developing expertise, so that by the time they are ready to write a research design for the culminating experience, the completed courses help focus the upcoming research project. Students in the program, under the supervision of a primary faculty advisor, design and execute a traditional thesis, journal-ready thesis, or project with written component that reflects their particular interests or desired areas of specialization in CHRM. In addition, students are encouraged to present the results of their work and research in professional meetings, research publications, and public documents.

Facilities and Faculty

CHRM core faculty teach, advise and serve as culminating experience committee chairs and members. Affiliated CHRM faculty, serving in other departments on campus (e.g., Geography, Environment, and Planning), regularly teach supporting courses and can also serve as committee members.

The Anthropological Studies Center (ASC), an affiliated CHRM organization within SSU, provides students with the opportunity to gain real world experience in contract and grant-based precontact and historical archaeology, geoarchaeology, tribal consultation, community engagement, oral history and interpretation, and collections management. The ASC has more than 5,000 square feet of office, laboratory, and curation facilities and is supported by a full-time professional staff, many of whom are past graduates of Sonoma State. Internships and practica for graduate and undergraduate students at the ASC are offered regularly.

The Northwest Information Center (NWIC), an adjunct of the State Office of Historic Preservation, manages historical records, resources, reports, and maps; supplies historical resources information to the private and public sectors; and compiles and provides a referral list of qualified historical resources consultants. Internships for graduate and undergraduate students at the NWIC are also offered regularly.

Requirements for the Degree

The coursework required for the CHRM MS totals 30 academic units. This includes 14 units of core courses, 3 units of internships/practica, 8 units of supporting courses, and 5 units of culminating experience coursework. Except for the supporting courses, all other courses are taken together by members of a graduate cohort, regardless of concentration. Supporting courses must be chosen from lists unique to each
concentration.

The MS program can be completed in five semesters. This plan presumes that students are enrolled full-time during coursework and not working more than part-time.

Students are admitted to the program with Conditionally Classified graduate status. They must fulfill certain requirements before being fully accepted into the program and able to enroll in ANTH 594: Culminating Experience Research Design. These requirements include successful completion of ANTH 500, maintenance of a minimum 3.6 GPA, and timely resolution of any incomplete grades. Students must earn a B or better in any course applied to the graduate program. Departmental policy stipulates that no more than 10 units of the program may be revalidated beyond the 7-year limit defined by the CSU.

Admissions Requirements

The Cultural Heritage and Resources Management MS program accepts cohorts of students for the Fall semester of each academic year. Applications must be submitted by January 15 to Cal State Apply. Consult with the program’s Graduate Coordinator and website for required materials; these include a current CV, a personal statement, a sample of written work, two letters of recommendation, and unofficial transcripts. Official transcripts for the last 60 units earned must be submitted directly to the Sonoma State Admissions Office.

Applications are submitted to one of two concentrations. Completion of an introductory statistics course (with a grade of C or better) is a prerequisite to admission to the Natural Sciences and Technology concentration. There are no prerequisites for admission to the Social Sciences and Interpretation concentration.

Applicants must meet the CSU’s minimum requirements for admission to a graduate program in order to be admitted to the university. The CHRM faculty review all complete application files that meet university admission standards and admit the most qualified of these applicants to the program. Applications for both concentrations are evaluated by the core CHRM faculty according to the same standards.

CHRM is an interdisciplinary profession. Students enter the Social Sciences and Interpretation concentration with undergraduate degrees in disciplines such as anthropology, history, art history, and environmental studies and planning. Students enter the Natural Sciences and Technology concentration with undergraduate degrees in disciplines such as anthropology, geography, environmental science and management, and biology.

Culminating Experience

The culminating experience requires 5 units of coursework: ANTH 594: Culminating Experience Research Design (1 unit), and ANTH 599A (2 units)/ANTH 599B (2 units): Culminating Experience. Under the supervision of a primary faculty advisor (chair) and with the support of a committee of three members (including the chair), students design and execute a traditional thesis, journal-ready thesis, or project that reflects their particular interests or desired areas of specialization in CHRM.

Definitions of thesis and project can be found in Section 40510 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. The traditional thesis is a written product resulting from systematic study of a significant problem related to the discipline. It must be at least 20,000 words in length (ca. 75 pages of double-spaced text). The journal-ready thesis is prepared as a manuscript for a journal in an appropriate discipline that has been approved by the committee chair. It must adhere to the journal’s instructions for authors and style guide, and be at least 6000 words long. It is expected that the manuscript will be submitted to the intended journal. The project is a significant applied undertaking related to the discipline (e.g., 3D visualizations, ArcGIS Story Map, museum exhibit, curriculum package). It requires an explanatory written component of at least 7000 words (ca. 25 pages of double-spaced text).

The product of the culminating experience must be presented at a public oral defense. Following a successful defense, it will be approved by committee members and filed with the Graduate Studies office.

Program Learning Outcomes

Cultural Heritage and Resources Management MS students with a concentration in Social Sciences and Interpretation should master 7 learning outcomes by the time they graduate:

Knowledge of, and commitment to, the highest ethical standards of professional work.
The ability to collect, analyze, and interpret archaeological, historical, linguistic, ethnographic, policy, and/or architectural data for regulatory and interpretive outcomes that serve state, federal, and private agencies, engaged communities, professional peers, and the general public.
Mastery of the professional traditions of inquiry within anthropology and affiliated disciplines, enabling them to assess the integrity, associations, and significance of cultural heritage, and to make recommendations for preservation and interpretation.
Familiarity with concepts and methods related to documenting and preserving archaeological and heritage collections, with an aim towards material analysis, educational and interpretive outcomes, and/or repatriation.
The ability to design and ethically implement projects and programs related to cultural heritage and resources management within appropriate legislative, community, and economic contexts. These include interdisciplinary projects that crosscut multiple lines of inquiry and entail high levels of community engagement, including but not limited to facilitating Native American tribal consultation.
Competence in the content and application of laws, regulations, and diverse values related to environmental protection, historic preservation, and management of cultural heritage and resources.
An advanced ability to critically locate, understand, evaluate, and synthesize scholarly materials, and to communicate resulting interpretations orally and in writing in academic, professional, and public settings.

Cultural Heritage and Resources Management MS students with a concentration in Natural Sciences and Technology should master 7 learning outcomes by the time they graduate:

Knowledge of, and commitment to, the highest ethical standards of professional work.
The ability to collect, analyze, and interpret archaeological, historical, biological, geoarchaeological, geospatial, and/or architectural data, and to conduct statistical analysis, for regulatory and interpretive outcomes that serve state, federal, and private agencies, engaged communities, professional peers, and the general public.
Mastery of the professional traditions of inquiry within anthropology and affiliated disciplines, enabling them to assess the integrity, associations, and significance of cultural heritage, and to make recommendations for preservation and interpretation.
Familiarity with concepts and methods related to documenting and preserving archaeological and heritage collections, with an aim towards material analysis, educational and interpretive outcomes, and/or repatriation.
The ability to design and ethically implement projects and programs related to cultural heritage and resources management within appropriate legislative, community, and economic contexts. These include interdisciplinary projects that crosscut multiple lines of inquiry and entail high levels of community engagement, including but not limited to facilitating Native American tribal consultation.
Competence in the content and application of laws, regulations, and diverse values related to environmental protection, historic preservation, and management of cultural heritage and resources.
An advanced ability to critically locate, understand, evaluate, and synthesize scholarly materials, and to communicate resulting interpretations orally and in writing in academic, professional, and public settings.