What does it cost?
Check out our cost calculator or visit student financial services for information on estimated costs.
How long will it take?
15 hours of graduate coursework must be completed
Where will I take classes?
Atlanta Campus
Application Deadlines View Admissions Requirements
The Certificate in Ethnography is ideal for M.A. and Ph.D. students in a range of fields, including anthropology, sociology, community psychology, education, nursing, linguistics, communication, business and area studies. For students who plan to pursue careers in academia, private business or the public sector, the certificate offers applied and marketable skills in culture- and people-focused knowledge production and communication.
Ethnography is a field-based research method for the study of social and cultural patterns and practices. Ethnographers use participant-observation, direct observation and interaction, focus group interviews, and other qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques to uncover detailed patterns of human behavior in their cultural context.
Ethnographic data analysis is especially productive in clarifying complex issues, informing policy and designing innovative, effective, data-driven solutions to organizational problems. This signature methodology of cultural anthropology has broad application in a variety of academic disciplines, creative industries, professional fields and employment settings.
Ethnography encompasses basic and applied research and informs project planning and implementation. Ethnographic data are also relevant and useful in assessing community needs, addressing concerns of personnel and enhancing cross-cultural communication.
Students must apply to the certificate program during either fall or spring semester. In addition to the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Anthropology has the following requirements for application for the Graduate Certificate in Ethnography program:
The program is comprised of nine hours of required courses (Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology [3], Qualitative Methods in Anthropology [3], and either Ethnography into the 21st Century [3] OR Anthropological Theory and Praxis [3]) plus six hours of electives.
Students will develop specialized knowledge and skills training in ethnographic research, focusing on research design, data collection and analysis, communication of results for diverse audiences and policy analysis and writing.
Ethnographic interviewing is a core skill for attorneys, therapists, social workers, administrators and journalists who seek to understand and serve an increasingly diverse population of colleagues, clients, interlocutors and stakeholders. Ethnographic research skills, including interviewing, participant observation, and qualitative data coding and analysis, are important for a range of fields, including public health, education, user experience research, marketing and product design.
Department of Anthropology
33 Gilmer Street
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 3998
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Department Chair and Professor
Jennifer Patico
404-413-5167
[email protected]
Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor
Steven Black
404-413-5168
[email protected]
25 Park Pl NE #2500
Atlanta, GA 30303
The information shared provides an overview of Georgia State’s offerings. For details on admissions requirements, tuition, courses and more, refer to the university catalogs.
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