To become a professional archaeologist in the upper Midwest most people start with a college degree in anthropology. For most licensed work, advanced degrees, such as an M.A. or M.S. are required and, in some cases, even a Ph.D. is needed. For both prehistoric and historic archaeology additional experience in specialized fields is required under the standards of the Secretary of the Interior. Advanced training in these disciplines give the background knowledge required, but field work and lab analysis use techniques or methods that can only be learned by hands-on training under the supervision of experienced archaeologists. The fundamental training is generally given in summer field schools and laboratory courses offered for college credit.
Additional experience is gained through employment in the field or in laboratory settings.
Museums and other organizations, such as the IMA, give equivalent training to volunteers. In Minnesota, as elsewhere, there are also avocational archaeologists. Some of these people work closely with professionals, helping to ensure that sites are preserved and information carefully recorded. Dedicated volunteers of this kind contribute work and knowledge of immense value to archaeology in Minnesota. Collectors are mainly interested in acquiring objects for their personal collections, often because of life-long interest or because of monetary value.