Registered Professional Archaeologist

Education

Advanced/graduate degree (e.g., MA, MS, MST, or PhD in the US) from an accredited institution or international equivalent, as verified by the Registrar.

Major

Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, or another germane discipline with a specialization in archaeology from an accredited institution.

Specializations, such as zooarchaeology, geoarchaeology, human osteology, museum collections, and similar specializations are accepted as long as education and academic research included a focus on archaeological research topics.

Experience

24 months in a supervisory capacity performing the more complex duties of directing fieldwork or archaeological collections research and reporting with demonstrated experience bringing research to conclusion (for example, but not limited to, Principal Investigator in the US or international equivalent).

Experience includes field survey, excavation, artifact cataloging and/or analysis, site recording to applicable government or ministry standards, reporting, and/or GIS/mapping. Field school as a participant (e.g., student) does not meet this requirement. Curation and conservation, without addressing archaeological research topics, does not meet

this requirement.

Research Document

Thesis or dissertation addressing an explicit archaeological research problem as currently required, or if no thesis was required, two technical reports prepared as a sole or primary author that demonstrate substantive data analysis directed towards an explicit archaeological research problem.

Archaeological sites and/or collections must have been identified and/or studied during the analysis.

Sponsor

None required.

Other

Accept Register's Code and Standards and Grievance Procedures.

Registered Archaeologist

Education

Undergraduate degree (e.g., BA or BS in the US) from an accredited institution, or certification program, or AA/AS, or international equivalent, as verified by the Registrar.

Major

Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, or another germane discipline with a specialization in archaeology from an accredited institution.

Specializations, such as zooarchaeology, geoarchaeology, human osteology, museum collections, and similar specializations are accepted as long as education and academic research included a focus on archaeological research topics.

Experience

24 months of supervised experience (employment, internship, volunteer) for a professional entity under the direct supervision of someone meeting the qualifications of an RPA, as verified by the Registrar. If the supervisor is an active RPA in good standing, then qualifications for the supervisor need not be submitted for verification by the Registrar.

Field schools may count for up to four weeks of supervised experience.

Research Document

Thesis-equivalent document that includes substantive data analysis by the applicant directed towards an explicit archaeological research problem or one technical report, for which the applicant is a sole or joint author with someone meeting the qualifications of an RPA, that demonstrates data documentation and interpretation of an archaeological research topic.

Archaeological sites and/or collections must have been identified and/or studied during the analysis. If a joint author is identified and is an active RPA in good standing, then qualifications for the joint author need not be submitted for verification by the Registrar.

Sponsor

Two references, at least one of which shall be from an RPA member in good standing. The other may be a professor or other professional familiar with the applicant's skills and abilities.

Other

Accept Register's Code and Standards and Grievance Procedures.

Student/Early Career

Education

Currently enrolled in an accredited higher educational institution (college or university) or graduated in the past two years.

Major

Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, or another germane discipline with a specialization in archaeology from an accredited institution.

Experience

None required.

Research Document

None required.

Sponsor

One reference, either from an RPA member in good standing, a professor, or other professional familiar with the applicant's skills and abilities.

Other

Accept Register's Code and Standards and Grievance Procedures.