The department of anthropology is dedicated to making
sure that our online master’s program is just as rich and rewarding as our
on-campus program. We believe that an important part of graduate
education is bringing students into a community of practice. In order to
build community, we have designed several activities and communication structures.
Orientation
All online students attend
a two-day on-campus orientation before they begin the program. This event
enables students to meet each other and their professors face-to-face, and
start to build relationships with them. Getting to know their fellow
students makes it easier for students to work on group projects together,
and getting to know faculty members helps them choose their advisor and
second committee member.
Cosmic Café
We have created a virtual community that enables
students and faculty to engage in conversations outside of classes.
This kind of informal interaction is an important aspect of professional
development. Students can build connections with others in the
field. They can explore their ideas in an informal setting.
And they can assist each other with practical matters.
The Cosmic Café brings together
students from our online and on-campus master’s programs, so that the
whole department forms a single community of practice. All master’s
students, faculty, and staff are enrolled in the Cosmic Café. It is
accessed through WebCT, and includes discussion boards and a membership
directory.
Email Lists
All online master’s
students and faculty are enrolled in an email list,
anth-grad-online@unt.edu. The list allows students to receive messages
and engage in online discussion via email.
An additional email list brings together the online and on-campus communities. The list
anth-grad@unt.edu reaches all master's students and faculty.
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