Expert: Ralph Salier - 4/7/2009

Question
Greetings Mr. Salier,
my name is matt and im a junior in high school. i thought i had my future cut out and i had thought long and hard, checked out schools and that sort of thing. i thought i wanted to be a aircraft pilot and i still like it on the account i will get my private pilots license free from my school through BOCES. over the last few weeks i have been waking up in a manner of speaking. anyway im not gonna go into it but i found myself thinking of archeology b/c thats what i wanted to be as a kid and i thought to myself what a great job and then looking into colleges and jobs and whatnot i found that you obviously need a Phd in order to do anything in the field which bring another thing to mind like money how will i pay for that mush schooling and my high school grades are not amazing if u kno what i mean. idk i guess im trying to get things straight in my head. could you tell me what things i would be doing after i got a phd and colleges that arnt Ivy league and schools that would be impossible for me to get into. and perhaps idk like a path from high school to career ... i dont rele kno what im asking but anything you could tell me would be appreciated . i guess im just asking for general information b/c idk much about it

Answer
Hi Matt,

You are not alone.  There are a lot of kids out there that don't know what to do, or the direction they should take.  Parents are too busy, guidance counselors not much help, teachers to stressed out etc... I understand.  

I can tell you that you don't need a PhD.  I don't have one.  You do need a Masters degree however.  And yes it can be expensive if you go to a private school.  But, many state schools have excellent programs and don't cost that much.  Here in Texas for instance, the University of North Texas has a very sound Archaeology program, University of Arizona does too.  University of Illinois has a great program.  So, check into the local state university and see what they have to offer.  Some local community colleges even have "starter" programs that teach the basics.  

As an archaeologist, you will never make to much money.  So don't expect to get rich.  With a Masters degree, you can teach at the college level, do field work, find jobs with environmental consultants, and even do work for the US govt.  A PhD allows you to teach at the University level but not much more then that of an MA.  

Work hard, pick up your grades since they count and then look for scholarship money on www.scholarships.com and www.fastweb.com .   

I was also given some very good advice from M. Leakey:  Get your degree in Archaeology but always have a backup plan in place.  Study to become a teacher, economist, plumber, mason or something else so that if you can't find work as an archaeologist, you have something you can fall back on.  

I listened to her and have a teaching certification, can do wiring in houses and project management.  All three have come in handy at one point or another and has kept me employed.  

And, being a pilot is a good thing too.  Many archaeological sites are found from the air.

I hope this helped.  If you have more questions, please feel free to ask more.  I'm here  to help.