Mar 28, 2024  
2012-2013 Graduate Catalog 
    
2012-2013 Graduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.

Anthropology Ph.D.


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Admission Requirements

  1. Applicants must meet the general admission requirements established by the Graduate College. 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 subdisciplines of the field.
  2. The applicant must have at least a 3.50 (A=4.00) grade point average for previous graduate work.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. The applicant must submit GRE scores and transcripts; foreign applicants must submit TOEFL scores.

Degree Requirements


Requirements for Students Entering with a Master’s Degree:

  1. A minimum of 42 credits of approved work beyond the M.A. must be completed. This will not include remedial courses.
  2. 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, and any student receiving more than one C+ or lower will be separated from the graduate program.
  3. Within the 42 credits, there will be a cap of three credits each of independent study and directed readings and 12 hours for the dissertation.
  4. Of the minimum 42 credits, 18 must be in anthropology graduate seminars. Eight of these must be in  ,  , and  , unless the applicant can successfully petition out of the core (703) course. ANTH 700A and 700B are one-credit, pass/fail seminar courses that require a ‘pass’ grade for students to continue in the program. ANTH 703 is the core seminar course that must be passed with a grade of B- or better.
  5. Three of the 18 credit hours must be  .
  6. The student must demonstrate a competence in statistics by passing an appropriate advanced class, such as  .
  7. In consultation with his/her advisor, a student will organize a dissertation committee of at least three departmental members. In addition, a fourth member
    outside the department will be assigned by the Graduate College. Another outside member may be added at the department’s discretion.
  8. The student must pass a comprehensive examination with a grade of B- or better in the method and theory of one subdiscipline, in one topical area, and in one regional area. Students who fail in any portion of the exam may retake that portion the following year. A second failure results in termination from the doctoral program.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. The student must submit and successfully defend their dissertation. This defense is open to the public.

Requirements for Students Entering with a Bachelor’s Degree:

  1. A minimum of 75 credits of approved work beyond the M.A. must be completed. This will not include remedial courses.
  2. 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, and any student receiving more than one C+ or lower will be separated from the graduate program.
  3. Within the 75 credits, there will be a cap of three credits each of independent study and directed readings and 12 hours for the dissertation.
  4. Of the minimum 75 credits, 30 must be in anthropology graduate seminars. Eight of these must be in  ,  , and  , unless the applicant can successfully petition out of the core 703 course.
  5. Three of the 30 credit hours must be  .
  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 outside the department will be assigned by the Graduate College. Another outside member may be added at the department’s discretion.
  7. The student must demonstrate a competence in statistics by passing an appropriate advanced class, such as  .
  8. In consultation with the student, and as approved by the student’s committee, the student will complete one of three options for an MA in Anthropology en route to receiving their PhD: a) write a publishable professional paper, b) submit a competitive external grant, or c) 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.
  9. The student must pass a comprehensive examination with a grade of B- or better in the method and theory of one subdiscipline, in one topical area, and in one regional area. Students who fail in any portion of the exam may retake that portion the following year. A second failure results in termination from the doctoral program.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. The student must submit and successfully defend their dissertation. This defense is open to the public.

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