<p>Without experience, I don't think you have any shot at admission to the Department of Anthropology (where archaeology is based at Cornell) for a Master's Degree. I'm sure that you can find any additional information that you may require on Cornell's website.</p>
<p>From Cornell's website:</p>
<p>"Under exceptional circumstances, the field of anthropology admits applicants who seek the MA, but not the PhD. If you feel you have a pertinent reason for seeking the master's as a terminal degree, please write the field of anthropology outlining your situation. (Please see additional comments under "Admission Procedures", below.) </p>
<p>An MA committee is composed of only two faculty members, one representing a major either in anthropology or in archaeology (a formal major in archaeology is available only at the MA level), the other a minor in another subject; an occasional MA committee has three members. The MA degree is awarded to students who have accumulated a minimum of two semester units of residence credit, who have successfully defended their theses at an oral examination, and whose theses have been approved by the special committee. Students who wish to continue to the PhD after having been admitted to the MA program or after submitting an MA thesis must obtain the consent of the admissions committee to enter the doctoral program."</p>
<hr>
<p>"Applicants must submit a score for the GRE test. It is a good idea to take the GRE in October so that your score can be considered with the rest of your application materials. If you are not sure that the official report from the Educational Testing Service will reach us on time (e.g., from the December test), you may send an unofficial report as a stopgap. Older scores are acceptable. Although prospective students living outside North America may be admitted without GRE scores, we prefer that all applicants take the examination if possible. The GRE scores of fellowship winners in anthropology average well above 700 in the verbal test. </p>
<p>An important component of the application is the statement of purpose. The admissions committee reads this essay to evaluate an applicant's focus in anthropology, to assess both his or her level of preparation and the fit between the applicant's aims and Cornell's resources. Please consider this essay an opportunity to explain not only why you seek training in anthropology, but why you seek it at Cornell, stating clearly the plan of study you propose to undertake."</p>
<hr>
<p>"Archaeology is available as a focus of graduate training within the field of anthropology for those who wish to investigate anthropological issues through material remains. Interests of the archaeological faculty center on ecology, early human societies, complex societies and their evolution, environmental archaeology, settlement and household archaeology, lithic analysis, ceramic analysis, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. The geographical, topical, and theoretical strengths of social and biological anthropologists in the field of anthropology and of archaeologists in other fields at Cornell complement these strengths, particularly in the areas of complex societies, environmental archaeology, remote sensing, and chemical characterization. </p>
<p>The Intercollege Program in Archaeology, offering the B.A. and M.A. degrees, reflects the importance of archaeological research for a variety of disciplines and the need to bring many kinds of expertise to bear in archaeological investigations. The program includes Cornell's anthropologically trained archaeologists along with faculty members from the departments of Classics, English, Geology, History, History of Art, Landscape Architecture, and Near Eastern Studies. Collaborative projects and connections also are maintained with Agronomy, the Center for the Environment, Ecology and Systematics, Materials Science and Engineering, Natural Resources, Nuclear Science and Engineering, and Physics. Limited funding is available for student travel to participate in archeological fieldwork."</p>