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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:

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

Second Year Objectives 

Third Year Objectives 

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.