Ph.D. Program in Anthropology

Students admitted to the Ph.D. program will have (a) completed a Master's degree in anthropology or a closely related field at another university, or (b) received a high pass on the Department's Master's level qualifying examination. As with the Master's program, there are both University and Departmental requirements.

University Requirements

The Graduate School has requirements concerning hours of coursework, GPA, residency, and required forms that must be filed. Registration requirements include two consecutive semesters of full-time registration (9 credit hours per semester), 14 credit hours of ANTH 7970 (dissertation research), and 3 credit hours of registration during the semester in which the dissertation is defended. There is no University-wide language requirement. Please consult the Graduate Handbook for a complete description of these requirements.

Departmental Requirements

The departmental requirements for the doctorate include coursework, a qualifying examination, and preparation and defense of the dissertation. These requirements must be completed within six years after acceptance into the Ph.D. program. Extensions must be approved by the supervisory committee.

Coursework

Students are required to take Anthropology 6611 (Preparation of grant proposals) if they have not taken it previously, and are expected to have basic proficiency in statistics. Additional course requirements are determined by the student's Supervisory Committee.

Qualifying Examination

It is recommended that students take the Ph. D. Qualifying exam by the end of their third year in the Ph.D. program. The exam consists of two components: (1) a substantial written piece that demonstrates a breadth of understanding in the student's general research area, and (2) a dissertation research proposal.

1. Breadth Requirement. The student must prepare a substantial written piece that demonstrates a breadth of understanding in the student's general area of anthropological research. To fulfill this requirement, one of four options can be chosen by the student in consultation with, and approval by, the supervisory committee:

a) a research paper from a different area/topic than the student's planned dissertation focus, of a quality determined by the committee to warrant publication in a major journal.

b) a review paper (such as those in Annual Review of Anthropology) on a different area/topic than the student's planned dissertation research.

c) a take-home exam covering four areas of professional specialization, one of them geographical. The questions will be chosen by the supervisory committee, and a two-week period will be given to complete the exam.

d) substantial written reviews on four areas of professional specialization, one of them geographical, with relevant literature cited. These might take the form of detailed outlines for potential courses.

An oral follow-up with the supervisory committee is required, ten days after submission of one of the above options. Based on the written work and the oral, the student may be discouraged from further participation in the program, or advised to begin dissertation research and the preparation of a research proposal (step 2).

2. Dissertation Proposal. The student must write a formal dissertation research proposal, and should consult with the supervisory committee while doing so. Final approval will be given in a conference attended by the student and supervisory committee. It is recommended that the proposal be completed within six months of finishing step I, above.

Dissertation

The supervisory committee is responsible for approving the content of the dissertation. It is important to consult with the committee regularly during the research and writing; students who surprise their committees with a final product without such consultation are taking a risk. A final oral examination (usually known as the "dissertation defense") is open to the academic and professional community, and must be passed at least four weeks before graduation.

The Graduate Handbook has specific requirements concerning forms, advertisement of the oral exam, registration, and format and publication of the dissertation. Some requirements must be met in the semester before you plan to graduate.