Quote Originally Posted by Kivlonic View Post
Hi, I'm new to this discussion board, and for that matter the whole study of COIN strategy and tactics, however the issue of anthropologist in the war zone interest me, I'm about to finish my undergrad, could anyone suggest a graduate level program related to this, pacifically focusing on the Middle East?
Thanks.
Kivlonic,

There are a wide variety of graduate programs available where you can study this sort of thing. I guess my question would be whether you intend to study anthropology as it relates to the war (i.e. how does human behavior affect war), or whether you intend to study the uses of anthropology in war (i.e. how should the sciences or scientists be used in war). If the former you should look at anthropology programs, which are wide, and varied. If the latter, you should look into political science, or international relations.


The bad news is this, (and you probably already know it), most of the better programs application deadlines are long past. Some may have rolling enrollment, but that usually means that you can start in winter, instead of fall.

My advice is the following: If you have at least a year left in school take a class or two in anthropology or one of the Political Sciences that would relate to something like this. If you are about to graduate, and you are interested in the actual prosecution of COIN there is no better 'graduate education' than to get down to business with the the Army or Marine Corps, and you should give serious thought to that. If you cannot serve for some reason, or consider that an unacceptable option (and my only advice on that would be to not let your pride stop you from following what you truly want to do), then you have a year to look at what really interests you.

Sadly, I don't think there is any way that you can get into a program starting in fall. That is not always a huge issue though. You may not have considered all of the commitment that graduate education entails. And what you are interested in now, may not interest you in the long run. If you have a year to burn, don't waste it. Take a class or two; get a job that relates (civilian intelligence); read up (this forum is a great place to start); take your GRE again (required at most universities for admissions to graduate school), and write.

I don't know if any of that helps, but I found myself in a similar position mwwmfr years ago. I joined the army, learned Arabic, went to Iraq, and am now returning to graduate education all these many years later. I think the pause helped me to focus in on what I really wanted to do, and it has also made me much more highly marketable. If I had done it the other way around, I don't think I could have done it.