Doctor of Philosophy - Anthropology

Plan Description

Our program, which has a strong field and laboratory component in addition to coursework, is designed to prepare our graduates to work in a variety of settings, including academia, applied anthropology, cultural resources management, and other research settings.

Learning Outcomes  

www.unlv.edu/degree/phd-anthropology

Plan Admission Requirements

1. All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission & Registration Requirements. 
2. Normally, only applicants possessing a master’s degree in Anthropology, or its equivalent, from an accredited institution are considered for admission. Students entering with an approved M.A. will not be required to go through the department’s M.A. program, but they may be required to take remedial courses in the case of deficiencies. Applicants without an M.A. in Anthropology should have a minimum of 18 semester credit hours in Anthropology distributed among all traditional sub-disciplines of the field.
3. The applicant must have at least a 3.50 (A=4.00) grade point average for previous graduate work.
4. The applicant must submit an example of their previous research, preferably a published paper; a copy of their thesis or a relevant research paper is also acceptable.
5. The applicant must submit a detailed statement of intent (1-2 pages) outlining proposed research. In addition, the applicant must identify specific members of the faculty with whom they may wish to work.
6. Three letters of recommendation must be provided attesting to the applicant’s ability to conduct doctoral level work. At least two of the letters must be from academic references.
7. GRE scores are required for admission. There is no required minimum score, but scores will be used in combination with other information in the application to evaluate the applicant. The exam must be taken within five years preceding the deadline for the application to be considered.

Plan Requirements

See Subplan Requirements below.

Subplan 1: Post-Master’s Track
Subplan 2: Post-Bachelor’s Track

Subplan 1 Requirements: Post-Master’s Track

Total Credits Required: 42

Course Requirements 

Required Courses - Credits: 8

ANTH 700A - Proseminar I 

ANTH 700B - Proseminar II 

ANTH 703 - Core Concepts in Anthropology 

ANTH 770 - Quantitative Methods in Anthropology 

ANTH 790 - Research Design, Professional Ethics, and Grant Writing for Anthropologists 

Elective Courses - Credits: 22

Complete 22 credits of advisor-approved Anthropology electives.

Dissertation - Credits: 12

ANTH 798 - Dissertation 

Degree Requirements 

1. A minimum of 30 credits of approved work beyond the M.A. plus 12 credits of dissertation must be completed. This will not include remedial courses.
2. Seventeen of the 30 units presented for the degree must be courses with the prefix ANTH at the 700-level (excluding Directed Readings, Independent Study, and Dissertation).
3. The 42 credits and any remedial work must be passed with a grade of B- or better. Classes in which a student receives a C+ or lower will not count towards his or her degree.
4. Any student receiving a C+ or lower will be placed on academic probation. Failure to meet the requirements of probation will result in separation from the graduate program.
5. Within the 42 credits, there will be a cap of four credits each of Independent Study and Directed Readings, and 12 credits for the Dissertation.
6. In consultation with his/her advisor, a student will organize a dissertation committee of at least three departmental members. In addition, a fourth member from outside the department, known as the Graduate College Representative, must be appointed. An additional committee member may be added at the student and department’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
7. The student must pass a comprehensive examination. This exam will cover three topics, selected to relate to the student’s dissertation research area. The topics will relate to an area of (a) theory, (b) methodological or topical specialty, and (c) culture area. Students who fail in any portion of the exam will be placed on probation and may retake that portion of the exam any time prior to the end of the semester (excluding summer) following that during which the exam was first taken. A second failure of any portion of the re-taken exam or failure to meet the conditions of probation will result in termination from the doctoral program.
8. After passing the doctoral comprehensive examination, the student must submit to the department a written dissertation proposal approved by the dissertation committee prior to the commencement of fieldwork or research. The student also must present a defense of this proposal to the academic community. After successfully completing these tasks, the student is advanced to candidacy.
9. The student will then conduct approved anthropological research to gather data needed for writing the dissertation. This may involve fieldwork, laboratory research, or research on a theoretical topic, but in any case must represent an original contribution to knowledge.

Graduation Requirements 

1. The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements.
2. The student must submit and successfully defend his/her dissertation by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.
3. The student must submit his/her approved, properly formatted hard-copy dissertation to the Graduate College, and submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline.

Subplan 2 Requirements: Post-Bachelor’s Track

Total Credits Required: 75

Course Requirements 

Required Courses - Credits: 11

ANTH 700A - Proseminar I 

ANTH 700B - Proseminar II 

ANTH 703 - Core Concepts in Anthropology 

ANTH 770 - Quantitative Methods in Anthropology 

ANTH 790 - Research Design, Professional Ethics, and Grant Writing for Anthropologists 

Elective Courses - Credits: 16-22

Anthropology electives to be determined in consultation with your advisor. Students completing a thesis must complete a minimum of 16 credits of elective coursework, and students completing a professional paper must complete a minimum of 22 credits of elective coursework.

Culminating Experience - Credits: 6 (Optional)

ANTH 797 - Thesis 

After successfully completing the requirements above, students are eligible to earn the Master of Arts in Anthropology.

Elective Courses - Credits: 30

Complete 30 credits of advisor-approved Anthropology electives.

Dissertation - Credits: 12

ANTH 798 - Dissertation 

Degree Requirements  

1. A minimum of 75 credits of approved work beyond the bachelor’s must be completed. This will not include remedial courses.
2. A minimum of 33 credits of approved work beyond the bachelor’s must be completed for the M.A. degree.
3. Fourteen (for students completing a thesis) or seventeen (for students completing a professional paper) of the 33 units presented for the M.A. degree must be courses with the prefix ANTH at the 700-level (excluding Directed Readings, Independent Study, and Thesis).
4. A minimum of 30 credits of approved work beyond the M.A. plus 12 credits of dissertation (42 credits total) must be completed for the Ph.D. degree.
5. Fifteen of the 30 units presented for the Ph.D. degree must be courses with the prefix ANTH at the 700-level (excluding Directed Readings and Independent Study).
6. The 75 credits and any remedial work must be passed with a grade of B- or better. Classes in which a student receives a C+ or lower will not count towards his or her degree.
7. Any student receiving a C+ or lower will be placed on academic probation. Failure to meet the requirements of probation will result in separation from the graduate program.
8. Within the 75 credits, there will be a cap of four credits each of Independent Study and Directed Readings, and 12 credits for the Dissertation.
9. In consultation with his/her advisor, a student will organize a dissertation committee of at least three departmental members. In addition, a fourth member from outside the department, known as the Graduate College Representative, must be appointed. An additional committee member may be added at the student and department’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
10. In consultation with his/her advisor, and as approved by the student’s committee, the student will complete one of two options for an MA in Anthropology en route to receiving their PhD: a) write a publishable professional paper or b) write a thesis. In consultation with the student, the student’s committee will decide which option the student will take. Each of these options will require a committee defense and department defense.
11. The student must pass a comprehensive examination. This exam will cover three topics, selected to relate to the student’s dissertation research area. The topics will relate to an area of (a) theory, (b) methodological or topical specialty, and (c) culture area. Students who fail in any portion of the exam will be placed on probation and may retake that portion of the exam any time prior to the end of the semester (excluding summer) following that during which the exam was first taken. A second failure of any portion of the re-taken exam or failure to meet the conditions of probation will result in termination from the doctoral program.
12. After passing the doctoral comprehensive examination, the student must submit to the department a written dissertation proposal approved by the dissertation committee prior to the commencement of fieldwork or research. The student also must present a defense of this proposal to the academic community. After successfully completing these tasks, the student is advanced to candidacy.
13. The student will then conduct approved anthropological research to gather data needed for writing the dissertation. This may involve fieldwork, laboratory research, or research on a theoretical topic, but in any case must represent an original contribution to knowledge.

Graduation Requirements 

1. The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements for both the Master’s and Doctoral portions of the program.
2. The student must submit and successfully defend his/her thesis or professional paper by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.
3. If a thesis is completed, the student must submit his/her approved, properly formatted hard-copy document to the Graduate College, and submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline.
4. The student must submit and successfully defend his/her dissertation by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.
5. Student must submit his/her approved, properly formatted hard-copy dissertation to the Graduate College, and submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline.

Plan Graduation Requirements

Refer to your subplan for Graduation Requirements.

Subplan 1: Post-Master’s Track
Subplan 2: Post-Bachelor’s Track