Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the general admission requirements established by the Graduate College. The department considers two types of PhD program applications; one for incoming graduate students that already posses a master’s degree; and one for incoming graduate students with a bachelor’s degree. For those applicants who possess a master’s degree, the department requires that this be a degree in Anthropology or a related field from an accredited institution. 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 with a master’s degree in a discipline other than Anthropology should have a minimum of 18 semester credit hours in Anthropology distributed among all traditional sub-disciplines of the field. 

Applicants applying to the PhD program without a master’s degree should have a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology or a related field from an accredited institution. Students that enter the PhD program without a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology may be required to take remedial courses in the case of deficiencies. Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than Anthropology should have a minimum of 18 semester credit hours in Anthropology distributed among all traditional sub-disciplines of the field

1. Degree Completion 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. The 42 credits and any remedial work must be passed with an average grade or B or better. No more than one grade may be a C, and no grade may be lower than a C. Within the 42 credits, there will be a cap of six credits of independent study and/or directed readings and 12 credits for the dissertation. 
   2. Of the minimum of 42 credits, 18 must be in Anthropology graduate seminars. 
   
   3. In consultation with his or her advisor, a student will organize a dissertation committee of at least three Departmental members. In addition, a fourth member outside of the Department will be assigned by the Graduate College. Another outside member may be added at the Committee's discretion. 
   
   4. The student must demonstrate a competence in statistics by passing an appropriate advanced class. 
   
   5. The student must pass a comprehensive examination with a grade of B or better in the theory of one sub discipline and in one topical area. Students who fail in either portion of the exam may retake that portion the following year. A second failure results in termination from the Ph.D. program. 
   
   6. After passing the Ph.D. 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. 
   
   7. The student will then conduct approved anthropological research to gather data needed for the writing of their dissertation. This may involved fieldwork, laboratory research, or research on a theoretical topic, but in any case must represent an original contribution to knowledge. 
   
   8. The student must submit and successfully defend their dissertation. This defense is open to the public. 
   
   
   
   Degree Completion Requirements for Students Entering with a Bachelor’s Degree:
   
   Students entering with a bachelor’s degree have the same requirements as above, with the following exceptions:
   
   1. A minimum of 72 total hours of approved work beyond the BA or BS degree.
   
   2. The student must pass the first year Core seminars (ANTH 703 and 704).
   
   3. Of the minimum 72 credits, 33 must be in Anthropology graduate seminars. 
   
   4. The student is not required to take the PhD comprehensive exam.
   
   5. 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. The students committee will decide which option the student
   will take. Each of these options will require a committee defense and department defense.

   We hope that the information provided above will give you some guidance in determining if our program is right for you. If you are interested in discussing in more detail how our Ph.D. program might meet your needs, please feel free to contact Graduate Coordinator Dan Benyshek or another faculty member in your field of interest. We also invite you to visit the anthropology and ethnic studies home page.