Graduate Studies in Archaeology

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Lanier Center for Archaeology

• Doctor of Philosophy in Archaeology of the Ancient Near East
• Master of Arts in Archaeology and Biblical Studies 

David Holmes, Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Steven Ortiz, Director, Lanier Center for Archaeology; Professor, Department of Archaeology
Thomas Davis, Chair, Department of Archaeology; Associate Director, Lanier Center for Archaeology

Core Faculty

Thomas Davis, Professor of Archaeology and Biblical Studies
Steven Ortiz, Professor of Archaeology and Biblical Studies
Mark Janzen, Associate Professor of Archaeology and Ancient History

The mission of the overall graduate program in archaeology is to produce students who:

1) have a broad-based training in the Humanities;
2) are introduced to methods and theories in social sciences and their contributions to biblical studies;
3) have practical training in field archaeology and material studies;
4) and are competent to integrate archaeological data into the interpretation of the Bible and other documents of the ancient Near East.

Along with the Department of Archaeology, the Lanier Center for Archaeology was established in 2020 by the Board of Trustees of Lipscomb University. The Center offers the M.A. degree in Archaeology and Biblical Studies and the Ph.D. in Archaeology, as well as a B.A. Minor. The Lanier Center was inaugurated as a research institution to support the excavations of Lipscomb University and as a center to introduce the field of biblical archaeology and the ancient Near East to Middle Tennessee.

The Lanier Center for Archaeology (LCA) brings globally recognized archaeology research and scholars to Lipscomb University. It houses the various research projects, academic programs and future museum that contribute to archaeological research on the campus of Lipscomb University. The LCA is made up of faculty in the Department of Archaeology as well as other departments in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Hazelip School of Theology. Its main purpose is to support archaeological research and field projects in the Ancient Near East.

The archaeology program consists of three integrated programs: research, academia, and outreach.

• Research: The Lanier Center for Archaeology and its faculty engage the disciplines of archaeology and biblical studies by conducting primary research and publishing the results of this research.
• Academia: The M.A. and Ph.D. programs in archaeology, along with the B.A. Minor, are training the next generation of biblical archaeologists.
• Outreach: The Lanier Center for Archaeology will share the results of its program through the publications of Lipscomb University, the Lanier museum, a newsletter and speaking engagements at churches and universities.

Admission Policies and Procedures     

Applicants to graduate programs must submit the following:

1. Application Form. Each applicant must complete an application form. The application form is available at lipscomb.edu/admissions/graduate then click on “Apply by Program” to complete the online application.
2. Application Fee. Each application should be accompanied by a $50 nonrefundable application fee.
3. Standardized exam score (recommended). Each applicant may submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination or Miller Analogies Test. For more information on the GRE, visit www.ets.org/ and click on GRE. 
4. Eligibility. Each Ph.D. applicant must submit documentation verifying the following:
   • Hold an M.A. from an accredited institution.
   • Maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
   • 36 hours of specific course work in biblical studies or the social sciences.
5. References. Two letters of reference are required from M.A. applicants. Three letters of reference from former graduate-level professors are required from Ph.D. applicants.
6. Official Transcript(s). Each applicant must submit an official transcript, showing degree conferral when appropriate, from all schools attended.
7. Health Form. Each applicant must submit a completed health form signed by a healthcare provider. (To print a copy of the health form, visit www.lipscomb.edu/healthcenter/forms.)
8. FERPA. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act affords students certain rights of access to educational records; even if you are independent of your parents, you must submit this form prior to enrollment.
9. Curriculum Vitae. A CV detailing the applicant’s work and academic experience is required from both M.A. and Ph.D. applicants.
10. Writing Sample. Each Ph.D. applicant must submit a 20-to-30-page research paper showing their work in a related area. Each M.A. student must submit a research paper as evidence of their academic work OR a 750-to-1000-word personal statement concerning the applicant’s interest in and application of the program’s curriculum to expected career progression.
11. TOEFL. The Test of English as a Foreign Language is required for international students. (See section titled International Students for more information.)
12. Interview: Each applicant, whether for the M.A. or the Ph.D., must complete an interview with the faculty of the Department of Archaeology.
13. Entrance examination: Each Ph.D. applicant must take and pass an entrance examination that will show they have the necessary foundation for the program.

All application items should be submitted online no later than 30 days before the beginning of the semester or term in which the student plans to enroll. 

Transfer and Waiver of Courses

The director or appropriate faculty member of the graduate program will evaluate the course(s) being proposed for transfer and make a determination of suitability. No course with a grade below a “B” will be considered for transfer.

Documentation

Students are required to provide satisfactory documentation of personal identification for off-site learning experiences required in many programs of graduate study at Lipscomb University. Failure to provide proper credentials will result in failure to complete the desired course of study. For complete policy, see section entitled Required Documentation for Off-Site Learning Experiences in the opening section of this catalog.

Student Classifications

Students are admitted to graduate courses in one of
five categories:

1. Graduate Student: one who has satisfied all admissions requirements. (Average of 3.0 on undergraduate work, acceptable standardized exam scores.) A student with an incomplete admission file will be accepted to the program at the discretion of the program director but will be placed on an academic hold which will prevent registration for the following semester. Once the proper admissions documents have been received, the hold will be removed and the student will be allowed to register for the following semester.
2. Conditionally Admitted Student: one who has been admitted conditionally, at the discretion of the program director, without satisfying all admission requirements. Students admitted with the following criteria may be required to complete a minimum of nine hours of graduate work with a grade of “B” or above.
   1. From an unaccredited school or with a substandard GPA or standardized test score.
   2. A transfer student with a graduate GPA between 2.50 and 2.99. The transfer student must be in good standing at the previous institution attended.
   3. As a student who has not completed a bachelor’s degree program. The transfer student must be in good standing at the previous institution attended.
3. Non-Degree Student: one who has been admitted to graduate studies and has met all admission requirements except GPA or standardized exam score. The student may take up to nine semester hours for graduate credit. Those hours may be applied toward a master’s degree if the student makes a grade of “B” or better in the courses taken for credit and if all admission requirements (GPA and entrance test score) are met and the student is formally admitted to a graduate program as a degree-seeking student.
4. Visiting Student: one who is currently enrolled as a student in good standing at the post-bachelor’s level at another graduate school, wishes to take courses at Lipscomb and desires to have transcript evidence of course work done at Lipscomb provided for the school of primary enrollment.
5. Probationary Student: one who has been readmitted to a graduate program following academic suspension from the program.

Admission to a program does not imply admission to candidacy for the master’s degree. Only those students who meet the requirements for “graduate student” described above are eligible for candidacy.

Academic Policies

Course Load

A student enrolled for six hours per semester is considered a full-time student. No student will be permitted to enroll for more than 15 hours per semester without special approval from the director of the graduate program.

Academic Standing

See graduate academic standing policy.

Degree Completion Requirements

Statute of Limitations

All requirements for the M.A. in archaeology degree must be completed within a five-year period from the time of initial matriculation. All requirements for the Ph.D. degree in archaeology must be completed within a seven-year period from the time of initial matriculation.

Candidacy

Admission to a program does not imply admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. During the course of pursuing the Ph.D. degree, the student must be admitted to “candidacy.” For admission to candidacy the student must satisfy the following:

1. Complete at least eighteen hours of research seminars.
2. Pass the comprehensive exam given by the faculty of the Department of Archaeology.

Minimum Credits

The M.A. and the Ph.D. each require 36 semester hours, exclusive of hours accumulated to satisfy academic deficiencies.

Minimum GPA

The minimum cumulative grade-point average for all graduate education programs is 3.00 for all graduate courses taken for graduate credit while pursuing the degree. No grade below a “C” is acceptable. Such grades will not apply toward degree completion.

Graduation

Students who do not file their intent to graduate form in the Registrar’s Office by the announced application deadline may be delayed in graduating. To be eligible to graduate, all coursework required for the degree must be completed prior to the degree conferral date.

Graduate students receiving degrees are hooded during the May and December commencement exercises.

Appeals

Any exceptions to the above stated requirements would require approval by the Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Studies in collaboration with the Dean of the College and the Program Director.

Financial Information

Tuition and Fees for 2023-2024

*Program Trip Fee (see program information for details)*

Program of Study Requirements

In Archaeology of the Ancient Near East

• Doctor of Philosophy in Archaeology of the Ancient Near East

• Archaeology and Biblical Studies, M.A.

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