Secretary of the Interior Standards vs. the RPA

Job postings for archaeologists often ask for someone who "meets the Secretary of the Interior's standards," and some also mention the RPA. People often mix these up, but they are different things. This guide explains each, how they compare and which one matters for the job you want.

The short version

The Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification Standards set minimum education and experience for professionals who do archaeological work under federal preservation programs. There is generally no application and no certificate. An agency, a state office or an employer decides whether your education and experience meet them, usually by looking at your resume.

The Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA) is a professional register. You apply, the Register reviews your education, experience and work samples, and if you are accepted you agree to follow its code of conduct and renew each year.

The Secretary of the Interior's standards

The standards define the minimum qualifications for people who identify, evaluate and treat historic and archaeological resources. They are one part of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation, which date from 1983, and they are the qualifications the National Park Service uses. The National Park Service now publishes them on its website. They were previously published in the Code of Federal Regulations at 36 CFR Part 61.

What they require for archeology

The minimum professional qualifications in archeology are a graduate degree in archeology, anthropology or a closely related field, plus:

At least one year of full-time professional experience, or equivalent specialized training, in archeological research, administration or management.
At least four months of supervised field and analytic experience in general North American archeology.
Demonstrated ability to carry research to completion, usually shown by a completed thesis, dissertation or report.

In addition, a professional in prehistoric archeology needs at least one year of full-time professional experience at a supervisory level in the study of archeological resources of the prehistoric period. A professional in historical archeology needs the same at a supervisory level for the historical period.

The standards' definitions let experience add up from separate periods of full-time or part-time work that together equal a year.

Why they show up in job postings

The Section 106 regulations note that the National Historic Preservation Act requires each federal agency responsible for the protection of historic resources, including archeological resources, to ensure that actions taken by its employees or contractors meet professional standards under regulations developed by the Secretary of the Interior (36 CFR 800.2(a)(1)). In practice, that is why agency contracts, state requirements and job postings so often ask for archaeologists who meet the standards, especially for the person who leads the work or signs the report. For background, see our guide to Section 106.

The Register of Professional Archaeologists

The RPA describes its registrants as people with demonstrated advanced knowledge, academics, experience and professionalism in archaeology. It has three categories:

Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA): an advanced degree (such as an MA, MS or PhD) in anthropology, archaeology, classics or a germane discipline with an archaeology specialization, 24 months of experience in a supervisory capacity directing fieldwork or collections research, and a thesis or dissertation on an explicit archaeological research problem. If no thesis was required, two technical reports as sole or primary author can be used.
Registered Archaeologist (RA): an undergraduate degree, 24 months of supervised experience under an RPA (a field school can count for up to four weeks), a thesis-equivalent document with substantive data analysis by the applicant or a technical report, and two references, at least one from an RPA in good standing.
Student/Early Career: for people currently enrolled in a bachelor's program or who graduated within the past two years. It has no experience requirement, and members may not use the titles RA or RPA.

Applicants in every category accept the Register's Code of Conduct, Standards of Research Performance and Grievance Procedures. Registrants must also show a consistent commitment to continuing professional development, and if registration lapses you must stop using the title. The Register says its coursework and thesis criteria closely align with the Secretary of the Interior's standards.

How they compare

	Secretary of the Interior's standards	RPA
What it is	Minimum qualifications set by the National Park Service for federal preservation programs	A professional register with a code of conduct
How you get it	There is generally no application. An agency, state office or employer decides if you meet them	You apply and the Register reviews your application
Degree	A graduate degree	An advanced degree for RPA, an undergraduate degree for RA
Experience	One year of professional experience and four months of supervised field and analytic experience, plus a year at a supervisory level for a prehistoric or historical specialty	24 months of supervisory experience for RPA, 24 months of supervised experience for RA
Ongoing obligations	None. There is no certificate to renew	Code of conduct, grievance procedures, annual renewal and continuing professional development
Where it appears	Agency contracts, state requirements, postings for people who lead or sign off on work	Postings, proposals and field school certification, as an added credential

Which do you need?

For a field technician job, you need neither. Employers look for education, a field school and the right attitude. See how to get your first field tech job.
To lead federally regulated fieldwork, such as a principal investigator role, you will usually need to meet the Secretary of the Interior's standards. That generally means a graduate degree plus the experience above. Browse principal investigator jobs to see what employers ask for.
The RPA is an added credential. Some employers and clients value it, and the Register also certifies field schools. See archaeology field schools. Whether you need it depends on the employer, the client and the state where you work.

States can add their own requirements, such as permits for work on state land, so check with the state historic preservation office where you plan to work.

Document your experience as you go

You will have to show your qualifications to agencies, employers or the Register, often years after the work. Keep a running record:

Project names, dates and locations.
Your role and level of responsibility on each project, and who supervised you.
The kinds of work you did, such as survey, testing, excavation, analysis and report writing.
Reports, theses and other documents you wrote.
Contact information for supervisors who can verify what you did.

A letter or note from a supervisor at the end of a project is easier to get then than later.

Sources and further reading

This guide is general information, not legal or professional advice. Regulations, standards and employer practices change, so check the official sources linked above before relying on any detail.