UF archaeology program responds to workforce demand with new training model

The University of Florida’s Department of Anthropology is reshaping how it prepares archaeologists for the workforce, launching a Graduate Certificate in Public Archaeology and a Master of Science in Archaeology to meet growing demand from government agencies and private firms.

Led by Kenneth Sassaman, Ph.D., who serves as the Hyatt and Cici Brown Professor of Florida Archaeology at UF, the initiative responds to a widening gap between trained professionals and the needs of cultural resource management (CRM), the field responsible for protecting archaeological sites during development. The degree, which will be available to applicants this fall, complements the certificate program that was developed in 2023.

In the United States, archaeology largely operates as a public service discipline embedded in compliance with federal and state historic preservation laws. From highways to housing developments and renewable energy projects, land alteration often requires archaeological assessment.

“When there is land alteration, archaeology becomes part of the consulting process,” Sassaman said.

That demand is expected to grow. National analyses suggest the supply of master’s-level archaeologists could meet only about half of projected workforce needs if university training models do not change.

In response, UF is building on its doctoral-focused foundation by adding applied training designed to prepare students for immediate employment.

For Lennon Myers, who graduated in December 2025, the program offered a direct path into the field. After gaining early field experience, he entered knowing he wanted a career in archaeology but needed a clear route forward.

“I got my first full-time job within a month of graduating,” he said.

Now an associate archaeologist with Ardurra Group, Inc. based in Tallahassee, Myers credits the program with giving him an immediate edge. Beyond fieldwork, he learned how legislation shapes projects, how sites are evaluated and how to communicate findings to clients and regulators.

“Understanding the legislation behind how archaeology gets done, was huge,” he said. “And being able to determine whether a site is significant, that’s everything.”

The program also addressed a long-standing barrier in the field: access. Traditional anthropology graduate programs can take four or more years, often making them financially out of reach. UF’s condensed model lowers that barrier while still meeting professional standards.

Few people understand that better than Anne Stokes, a triple Gator and CEO of Search Inc., one of the nation’s leading CRM firms. Stokes built her company while still a graduate student, at a time when formal training for CRM work was limited.

“We had to figure everything out ourselves,” she said. “From proposals to fieldwork to navigating regulations, it was all trial and error.”

Today, she sees UF’s approach as a direct solution.

“It’s incredibly valuable,” Stokes said. “Ken has taken everything we do in the private sector and condensed it into a two-year program. Students come out understanding not just archaeology, but how to apply it.”

That applied focus reflects the realities of CRM, where archaeologists work at the intersection of development and preservation. Their job is to identify and evaluate cultural resources, determine their significance and ensure compliance before development moves forward.

“We’re in the middle,” Stokes said. “We help clients meet their deadlines while still protecting cultural resources. That balance is the whole job.”

To meet these demands, UF introduced a terminal master’s pathway that can be completed in two years, emphasizing professional readiness over a doctoral track. The department is now expanding that effort with a Master of Science in archaeology and a graduate certificate in public archaeology focused on CRM training.

The program is designed to be hands-on. Through partnerships with agencies such as the Florida Forest Service, students gain field and lab experience conducting archaeological surveys on public lands near Gainesville.

At sites including areas around Newnan’s Lake, students work on projects that mirror professional expectations, documenting site locations, assessing preservation conditions and producing management recommendations.

For students like Rafael Pere, that blend of classroom and real-world experience is what makes the program stand out. Originally from Ecuador and raised in Miami, Pere will begin UF’s master’s track in the fall.

Currently working with AtkinsRéalis, a global engineering services company headquartered in Montreal, Pere sees the graduate program as a natural next step.

Pere points to the value of learning fundamentals in an academic setting before entering the fast-paced CRM environment.

“In the field, you’re expected to move quickly,” he said. “But here, you actually learn how to do things correctly first. That makes you better and faster when you go into the workforce.”

But what resonates most, he says, is the role archaeology plays in preservation, not by stopping development but by documenting what might otherwise be lost.

“You’re protecting information that would be destroyed,” he explained.

Stokes has seen it firsthand over three decades. Every road, pipeline, or construction project has the potential to uncover pieces of history. Most sites aren’t significant, but some reshape understanding of entire regions or cultures. When they do, archaeologists step in, to document, preserve or mitigate the impact.

“We’re not always saving the site,” she said. “We’re saving the information.”

That information contributes a broader understanding of how people lived and adapted over time, ensuring that growth does not come at the expense of history.

UF’s program is built around the idea of creating a practical, efficient pathway into a field where demand is rising, and the impact is tangible.

As UF expands its applied archaeology training, Sassaman said the goal is to service as a model for other universities navigating similar pressures in the field.

“We are retooling for a different future,” he said. “The demand is there. The question is whether training programs will meet it.”