Over here in Britain we are much less rigourous about academic qualifications
and have less extreme  attitudes about professionalism and advocationalists
than I have often found in the US. Some of the best archaeologists,
academically as well as in the field, I know have no degree and I subcontract
work from several regularly with no qualms despite the fact I have 3 degrees.
Ability is generally a god given gift and I know people with 20 years
experience in the field who still useless diggers and professors who I can't
understand how they even got into university. However, I also teach part-time
on post-grad courses for which students have to borrow money and undergo years
of financial hardship. It would be a disgrace (and a waste of public
expenditure on education) if these people didn't normally get preference for
jobs over non-graduates. However, the latter still have the opportunity
through extensive publication of competing for jobs. In Britain at least we
also have a long tradition of encouraging mature and experienced non-graduate
students to gain their first degree at MA level especially through research.
Distance learning opportunities are also becoming increasingly available, for
instance, Leicester University's distance learning MA in Archaeology and
Heritage. Learning should also be a life long committment and I have liitle
time for the arcaheology gradutes who never read anything again once they have
their first job, never attend conferences or never learn another language etc.
paul courtney, leicester