Program Overview
The graduate program in anthropology prepares professional anthropologists. Therefore, we accept only students who intend to work toward the doctorate.
Requirements
A PhD in Anthropology is granted to students who complete:
- The Graduate School’s residency requirements
- Department course requirements. Find required courses and course descriptions. To see current and upcoming courses, check out the Anthropology Course page.
- Learn more about the required research papers and proposals.
- An acceptable doctoral dissertation
- A final oral examination with a passing grade
- Work in some instructional capacity for at least one academic quarter. Read about the teaching requirement.
Typically, the student is admitted to candidacy at the end of three years. Note that the Master’s of Arts in Anthropology is an intermediate degree. Students entering with an M.A. are subject to the same general requirements, though the department may waive specific courses. They will submit a second-year paper at the end of their first year of study in the department.
Yearly progress
The Department has established the following general goals for graduate study.
First Year Objectives
- Introduction to the four-fields and consideration of ways to bridge the sub‐fields and carry on meaningful conversations across them
- Gain training in historical grounding in the discipline
- Develop research questions and specific sub‐field and regional areas of specialization
- Work on writing and critical thinking skills
- Attend all departmental colloquia, professionalization events, and proposal defenses
- Begin language training if necessary
- Possibly apply for summer language and/or fieldwork funding (typically in the winter quarter)
- Complete all required coursework
- Do summer pre-dissertation research
Second Year Objectives
- Continued introduction to the four‐field approach and focus on specific sub‐field and regional areas of specialization
- Further develop research questions/problems based on summer research experience
- Develop familiarity with research methodologies
- Engage in interdisciplinary course work
- Attend all departmental colloquia, professionalization events, and proposal defenses
- Continue language training if necessary
- Possibly apply for summer language and/or fieldwork funding (typically in the winter quarter)
- Complete coursework and pass Second Year Qualifying Paper
- Submit NSF GRF if eligible
Third Year Objectives
- Preparation of research proposal and further sub‐field/regional specialization
- Engage interdisciplinary course work
- Continuing language work if necessary
- Apply for dissertation fieldwork grants and fellowships
- Attend all departmental colloquia, professionalization events, and proposal defenses
- Qualify for dissertation research by completing all remaining course and language requirements except the proposal defense and dissertation. Note: Many students also complete the proposal defense at the end of the third year
Fourth Year Objectives
Proposal defense (if not completed in the third year), fieldwork. All students must defend their dissertation proposal by the end of their fourth year, or else TGS will place them on academic probation.
Fifth Year Objectives
Fieldwork and/or dissertation write‐up and defense. If external funding has been secured for any of the first five years, TGS will provide students up to a year of funding at a 1:1 per quarter match of the external funding, for use in their 6th year.
Beyond
One can continue to write the dissertation up until the 9th year. However, students will not receive any additional funding unless they have previously received external funding, and in this case only one additional year of funding beyond the 5 will be provided by TGS. Students must complete all requirements for the degree by the end of the 9th year after matriculation.
Additional details about the program are available in the Department’s Guide to Graduate Study.