This program consists of a cohort orientation program on the Burnaby campus, course requirements and a thesis for a minimum of 38 units. Students are expected to complete the program requirements in six (6) terms (2 years), but have up to nine (9) terms (3 years).
Participation in the Program orientation in the first week of fall term classes to introduce students to their cohort, Program faculty, Program goals and course delivery format, thesis requirements, and British Columbia as a context for heritage resource management practice.
HRM Law and Policy (5) – ARCH 531 – Fall Term
HRM Practice and Ethics (5) – ARCH 541 – Fall Term
HRM Business Management (5) – ARCH 551 – Spring Term
HRM Research Design and Methods (5) – ARCH 561 – Spring Term
and a thesis ARCH 898 - MA Thesis (18) (see FAQs). This thesis is prepared in accord with SFU standards and tailored to meet requirements for specific jurisdictions and the Register of Professional Archaeologists.
Graduate Certificate
The program consists of an orientation on the Burnaby campus and four online courses for a minimum of 20 units that provide intensive preparation in the essential dimensions of HRM archaeology. Students are expected to complete the courses in two (2) terms, but have up to nine (9) terms (3 years).
Participation in the Program orientation in the first week of fall term classes to introduce students to their cohort, Program faculty, Program goals and course delivery format, and British Columbia as a context for heritage resource management practice.
HRM Law and Policy (5) – ARCH 531 – Fall Term
HRM Practice and Ethics (5) – ARCH 541 – Fall Term
HRM Business Management (5) – ARCH 551 – Spring Term
HRM Research Design and Methods (5) – ARCH 561 – Spring Term
Course Description This course provides a broad survey of international heritage authorities and rules with an emphasis on HRM policy in Canada and the United States. Particular attention is given to how the development of rules and organizations affect archaeological practice.
Course Details Approximate time commitment: 10 hours weekly
Typical assignments include weekly readings, discussion and exercises.
By completion of this course, successful students will be able to:
identify principal international/North American legal authorities and their impact on the field of HRM
explain the essential roles of law and policy in HRM process and practice
Course Description This course focuses on the complexity of operating within an HRM field characterized by overlapping, and at times contradictory, professional standards and ethics. The emphasis is on opportunities to add value to knowledge creation and mobilization through creative engagements with clients, Indigenous and local communities, governments, partners, and publics.
Course Details Approximate time commitment: 10 hours weekly
Typical assignments include weekly readings, commentaries and blogging.
By completion of this course, successful students will be able to:
identify the principal ethical standards in HRM work
explain the roles ethics play in the professional HRM practice in archaeology and HRM
negotiate common ethical dilemmas in HRM, especially in relation to Indigenous peoples
Course Description This course contextualizes the business of HRM by targeting five clusters of essential concepts and tools in business management -- accounting and finance; marketing, sales, and contracting; human resources, labour, economics, corporate governance, and risk management; business operations and project management; and business models, innovation, and globalization.
Course Details Approximate time commitment: 10 hours weekly
Typical assignments will ask students to solve business management problems grounded in HRM case studies.
By completion of this course, successful students will be able to:
identify conceptual & analytical frameworks for applying business management principles in HRM
demonstrate the utility of business management tools and skills in HRM
Course Description This course examines the hallmarks of excellent research in HRM archaeology through studies of successful and less successful research designs and methods. The course provides essential guidance for student thesis preparation.
Course Details Approximate time commitment: 10 hours weekly
Typical assignments will ask students to develop and deploy research method tools as they refine their thesis prospectus.
By completion of this course, successful students will be able to:
identify principal conceptual & analytical frameworks for research in HRM
explain and critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of research designs
demonstrate the appropriate application of quantitative & qualitative research methods in HRM
launch and complete the plan for their thesis research
Terms 3-6 (MA Program Only)
The Professional HRM Program includes four terms for thesis research, writing, and presentation/defence.
ARCH 898 – MA THESIS
Students in the HRM MA Program complete a written thesis followed by a formal public defence adhering to policies and procedures of SFU Graduate regulations for Master's thesis.
Master’s candidates should choose a thesis topic of compelling interest to them, or one that relates to their current or desired future employment. See our current HRM student profiles for examples of thesis projects.
The following list offers further ideas for thesis research:
CRM project report expansion and enhancement;
Problem-driven synthesis of understudied region or phenoment;
Analysis of policy or planning problem (e.g., professional lecensure; First Nations economic development via HRM archaeology, treatment of research data and conclusions as privileged information);
Critical comparative analysis of national, regional or administrative HRM contexts, rules, or organizations;
Assessment of a field or analytic method (e.g., winter testing);
Jurisdiction- or issue-specific "Recommended Management Practices" for guiding HRM research, practice or both;
Collection-focused research (e.g., mining implements from ancient quarries).
Note that several jurisdictions in Canada and the United States require or favour applications for professional status supported by a thesis completed on archaeological topics within that jurisdiction.
