anthropology phd length

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PHD Program Guide

Graduate training in anthropology in governed by requirements set both by the Department and the University. However, the most critical mediating role in the implementation of these requirements and in the achievement of the goals of graduate training is the relationship of each student to their faculty advisors.

Students with questions about program requirements and milestones should contact Americia Huckabee ( [email protected] ), Anthropology Student Affairs Administrator. Students may also contact Brett Baker ( [email protected] ), Associate Dean of Students in the Social Sciences, and Amanda Young ( [email protected] ), Director, Graduate Student Affairs in UChicagoGRAD. 

The graduate program can be divided into five overall phases. The first phase is the initial year of study and involves introductory work. During the first year, all graduate students will be introduced to the Development of Social and Cultural Theory and to the scholarly interests of the faculty of the Department. They will also take courses in particular specialized areas of ethnography, archaeology, and theory, with a view to defining or refining their own research interests and preparation for their dissertation projects. Depending on their particular interests and in consultation with their first-year advisor, they may also take relevant courses in other departments, or special language training.

The second phase of training is a continuation of the first, but is directed toward acquiring a deeper knowledge of the special area and theoretical topics on which a student’s research will be focused, as well as a broader anthropological understanding in preparation for the PhD Qualifying/Oral Examination and in completing a Master’s paper.

At the end of the second phase students are expected to complete their Master’s Degree. The department requires a Master’s paper/degree as a prerequisite for admission to candidacy for the PhD. For students entering without a previous MA, the degree will be awarded upon completion of the Phase I (First-year) course requirements (9 courses) plus the acceptance of a written research paper. Work on this paper may begin during the summer following the student’s first year, but it will normally be completed under the supervision of a faculty member with whom the student registers for an MA.

Preparation for the Qualifying Examination. Along with preparation of the MA paper, students begin preparing, in consultation with their advisory committee, a reading list covering the special theoretical and ethnographic areas that will be the foci of the Qualifying Examination. Ideally, the Examination takes place some time in the 3rd year.

The third phase in a student’s graduate career may be considered a pre-research training period during which he/she will be putting the finishing touches on a dissertation proposal and grant applications, and will be developing the necessary advanced research skills. Continued study in a variety of areas in this and other departments may further extend the student’s knowledge and effectiveness as an anthropologist.

Proposal Preparation Seminar. Anthropology 52200: Proposal Preparation is required of all students preparing for field research. Completion of the MA is a prerequisite for this course. Ideally, students should also have finished the Qualifying Exam, or at the very least, have their reading lists assembled and an exam date scheduled so that they have a firm grasp of the relevant bodies of literature necessary to develop the research question for their project. This course is typically taken in the third (or possibly the fourth) year.

The fourth phase is dissertation research. For most anthropology dissertations, long term fieldwork is expected. But dissertation research may also involve research in a library, archive, or museum.

Requirements for Dissertation Research. Although preparatory work on the dissertation (preliminary field trips, language study, exploration of archival sources, etc.) may have been undertaken earlier, Phase 4 research will not formally begin until the student has been admitted to candidacy for the PhD degree.

Phase five is dissertation write-up. The production and interpretation of a body of research material is a continuous process, never so clearly marked as the traditional notions of “field research” and “write up” suggest. Even so, the actual writing of the dissertation is a distinct phase of the training process, in which analysis and presentation of the research material becomes the focus of each student’s attention.

Residence in Chicago. Students are strongly urged to spend the write-up period in Chicago, unless otherwise agreed by your advisory committee. With each annual cohort dispersing in the research phase, returning students represent an important sub-community within the Department. Students reporting on their research can reinvigorate intellectual discourse in Haskell Hall. Reciprocally, their interaction with each other, as well as with the faculty and other students, can greatly facilitate and enrich the writing process.

First year advisors are appointed at the beginning of the year in consultation with the interviewing committee. The second-year advisor is selected by the student and serves as the student’s mentor until such time as the student selects a formal committee chair. Each advanced student is advised by a committee that consists minimally of three members, at least two of whom, including the chair, must be active, current faculty of the Department. It is the student’s responsibility to seek out members for the committee and to secure their written consent. Committee Forms (obtainable in Haskell 119) and any correspondence regarding constitution of the advisory committee should be deposited with the Administrator for Student Affairs. If appropriate, additional committee members may serve as readers of proposals and theses. 

The advisory committee chair (or first- or second-year advisor, or an agreed upon substitute) will advise you on your course registration, sign Plan of Study Forms, and keep a continuous record. Any changes in advisory committees (whether initiated by the student or by a faculty member) must be recorded by submission of additional Committee Forms available in Haskell 119. Changes of committee after admission to candidacy are generally undesirable, and will be permitted only under exceptional circumstances.

Although the role of the advisory committee (or first- or second-year advisor) is central, a role may also be played by the Director of Graduate Studies, by other faculty, or by the Department Chair, who in addition to having final approval on various matters, is also directly available for consultation. Aside from the formal petitions and reviews variously specified in the Guidelines, issues may occasionally arise which students or advisors may wish to refer to the Committee on Graduate Affairs or the Chair. In any case where some special interpretation of Departmental or University guidelines may be required, it is a good idea to raise the matter in writing.

Although we assume that most issues relating to your graduate education can and should be addressed through regular departmental channels, beginning normally with your advisor, we recognize the possibility that there may be certain kinds of problems, either of a personal or interpersonal nature, which can best be handled through some other means. If such problems or difficulties arise, you should feel free to speak with the Department Chair, members of your advisory committee, members of the Student-Faculty Liaison Committee, the Graduate Student Mentor, or anyone else in the departmental community in whom you have confidence.

Outside the Department there are also both formal and informal channels through which to raise issues of this sort. The Division of the Social Sciences has established policy to assist students who are seeking resolution of difficult interpersonal conflicts through informal and formal grievance procedures. These procedures consider complaints about academic impropriety that arise as a result of the actions of a member of the faculty or administration, or a Department or Program committee, regarding academic matters; students interested in learning more about the Grievance Process can meet with the Dean of Students in the Social Sciences or with the Associate Director for Graduate Student Affairs in UChicagoGRAD, Students can also consult with the Student Ombudsperson , and the University Equal Opportunity Programs , including Title IX and Sexual Misconduct ; Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment ; and Accessibility programs.

Prior to admission to doctoral candidacy (i.e. before you begin field research), all doctoral students must meet the Departmental requirement of demonstrating competence in a language in which there is a substantial and relevant scholarly literature. Although you are encouraged to satisfy this requirement at an early point in your work by passing an examination in one of the customarily specified languages (e.g., French, German, Spanish, Russian), your advisory committee may require additional language training, depending on your research interests. To satisfy the Departmental Language requirement, you must receive a “High Pass” P*/P+ on a university administered language exam . (A grade of “Pass”/“P” will not suffice.)

With similar concerns in mind, the advisory committees may in certain cases decide that a student’s career requires a demonstrated competence in some formal research method.

Your academic record, including course grades, are an important basis for recommendations written to prospective funding agencies and employers. While arrangements to take Ps (“passing”) and Rs (“registered”) are sometimes appropriate, a record filled with these grades is not a useful indicator of the quality of work. We therefore encourage (and in the first year require) students to take courses for quality grades (A or B).

More specifically, the program requires a total of 18 courses to be taken for quality grades prior to admission to candidacy: 9 in the first year (8 for grades of A or B and Intro to Chicago Anthropology which is taken for a P), and another 9 prior to the Proposal Hearing. Of the 18 courses, Intro to Chicago Anthropology and Proposal Prep are taken Pass/Fail. As a rule of thumb there should be no more than 2 more of the 18 courses taken for “P.” The Reading Course used for the MA paper should receive a grade of A or B subsequent to completion of the paper.

The distribution of Quality Grades (for A or B) should be as follows:

• 8 courses in the first year
• MA Reading/Research course
• At least 5 more courses taken prior to admission to candidacy

This totals 14 courses taken for quality grades; 10 of those must be in Anthropology (ANTH)

For grades of “P”:

• Intro to Chicago Anthropology
• Proposal Prep
• No more than two others of the 18

It is advisable that, with the exception of the MA Reading/Research course, most of the other 12+ courses taken for grades of A or B be regular, substantive courses, not Reading/Research courses. Basic courses in French, Spanish or German taken for purposes of preparing for the language examination may not be used to meet the 18-course requirement. Once the 18-course requirement is met, students still in Research Residence must continue to register for at least one course per quarter for a grade of P, A/B, or (least preferably) R.

• Development of Social/Cultural Theory 1 & 2 (two-quarter double-course) (required of all students)
• Proposal Preparation (required of all students)
• Modes of Inquiry-1 and 2 ("1" required of Sociocultural/Linguistic anthropology students; "2" strongly recommended)
• Archaeological Theory & Method (double-course) (required of Archaeology students; part I required, parts 2 strongly recommended)
• Archaeological Data Sets or another approved statistics course (required of Archaeology students)

Prompt completion of course work is indispensable if the instructor and Department are to be able to adequately evaluate student performance. Students should be aware that fellowship decisions, both within and outside the University, take a student’s ability to complete courses into account. The Office of the Dean of Students reserves the right to withhold stipend checks from students with excessive numbers of incomplete.

Specific regulations regarding incompletes:

• Incomplete grades are NOT permitted in required courses (Development of Social/Cultural Theory; Anthropological Methods; Archaeological Theory and Method; Statistics/Archaeological Data Sets; Proposal Preparation; and Archaeological Research Design)
• In all other anthropology courses, you have one-year maximum to complete incomplete course requirements. Students with overdue incompletes will not be allowed to register until the course requirements are completed. First year students should make every effort to clear all incompletes prior to registering for the second year.

Early in the spring quarter of each year, every student in the Department is asked to submit two academic progress reports. One is required by the Dean of Students; the other is intradepartmental and provides information for our Annual Review. In preparing these reports, you are encouraged to check that your departmental records are up to date.

Every year, late in the spring quarter, the faculty reviews the progress of each student in the Department. We take into account the results of all examinations, reports on hearings, coursework, writing projects (including Master’s papers), and detailed faculty comment on all of these. It is in your interest to see that copies of papers and reprints of any publications are deposited in the departmental files. At the spring review, the faculty make recommendations concerning continuance in the program and University financial aid. A statement of the faculty evaluation is sent over the summer to each student in the program, with a copy placed in the departmental file. You are encouraged to discuss these with your advisor, or with the Department Chair, if there are issues that appear to need further clarification. Although the Department is required to make preliminary recommendations about continuation of fellowships early in the spring quarter, these recommendations are always contingent upon the outcome of the subsequent Annual Review.

When students are not making satisfactory progress, they will be placed under Academic Probation within the department. Academic Probation is activated when:

• 2 or more incompletes have accumulated.
• The dissertation committee is not formed by the end of Fall Quarter of Year 3.
• The MA thesis is not approved by the end of Spring Quarter of Year 3.
• The qualifying exam has not been passed by the end of Fall Quarter of Year 4.
• A draft of the dissertation proposal has not been approved by the end of Fall Quarter of Year 5.
• When students fail to show adequate progress post-candidacy.
• Or by the failure to defend the dissertation within the 8-year deadline (extendable to 9 years by petition).

Probation status means that registration for new courses must be approved by the main advisor or committee chair, as well as the DGS. Students who are placed on academic probation will receive a letter from the department that details the reason for the probation, a clear plan for lifting the probation, and clear deadlines for realizing this plan. The faculty advisor will also be alerted. In addition, the student must meet with the DGS once a month (in person, via skype/zoom, or by phone) until the status is cleared.

Once a student has been placed on academic probation, there is a one‐quarter grace period for resolving the condition.

Each student may be placed on academic probation only twice during their enrollment in the program. Incidents of probation are cumulative (i.e. missing two consecutive deadlines results in two separate incidents of academic probation). A third incidence of academic probation will result in a student’s removal from the program.

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Anthropology

Share this page, fall 2024 admissions update.

Admissions to the PhD in social anthropology and the AM in medical anthropology have been paused and will not be accepting applications for fall 2024. The PhD in archaeology will be accepting applications.

The Department of Anthropology is one of the world’s leading institutions for anthropological research. Our PhD programs provide in-depth conceptual and methodological training in archaeology and social anthropology , with faculty whose work covers every time period—from the Paleolithic to the present—and every major world area. The department also offers an AM in medical anthropology .

You will have the unique opportunity to work with a world-renowned faculty that has a long tradition of foundational research across nearly every continent. You will have access to a wide range of resources including the Harvard Medical School, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, various area centers such as the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Korea Institute, Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Asia Center, and Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. You will also have access to extensive archaeological and anthropological collections of the Peabody Museum, an important resource for both research and teaching.

Projects that students have worked on include “Archaeology of the 19th and 20th Century Chinese Labor Migrants,” “Zooarchaeology in Ancient Mesopotamia,” and “Mass Media in Indonesia.” Our PhD graduates are now on the anthropology faculties at some of the top universities in the world. Others have secured positions with Facebook, the World Bank, and various museums.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Anthropology , and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

Archaeology (PhD only) | Medical Anthropology (AM only) | Social Anthropology (PhD only)

Admissions Requirements

Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Anthropology .

Academic Background

Previous concentration in anthropology is not required; however, applicants must be able to clearly state their interests in anthropology and demonstrate familiarity with intellectual issues in current anthropological theory and method.

Writing Sample

For PhD applicants, a writing sample is required as part of the application and can be a term paper or thesis no longer than 20 pages (double-spaced) not including bibliography. Do not submit a longer sample with instructions to read a particular section. Applicants should select an example of their best academic writing that demonstrates their capacity for rigorous analysis and independent work. It is not essential that the writing sample be directly related to the topics or areas that you are proposing to study in the future.

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should demonstrate a geographic cultural region and/or a particular topical or theoretical interest in anthropology. Language skills related to an applicant’s intended area or areas of specialization should be explained in the statement of purpose.

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Not Accepted

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Anthropology

Anthropology Faculty

See list of Anthropology faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Doctoral Degree Program

Anthropology Ph.D. degree requirements include successful enrollment and participation in graduate training seminars, completion of 2 qualifying exams (one for topic and one for area), approval of the dissertation proposal, and the successful defense and oral examination of the dissertation. Students are encouraged to plan for the completion of all work for the Ph.D. within 5-6 years. Anthropology Ph.D. students must take a minimum of 135 quarter units with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The maximum allowable number of transfer units is 45. The Ph.D. degree is conferred upon candidates who have demonstrated substantial scholarship and the ability to conduct independent research and analysis in Anthropology. Through completion of advanced course work and rigorous skills training, the doctoral program prepares students to make original contributions to the knowledge of Anthropology and to interpret and present the results of such research.

Ph.D. Minor

How to Apply

Applying to the PhD

Department ph.d. in anthropology application requirements.

• Online application form (includes: subfield of interest, world region of interest)
• Transcripts
• Personal statement/statement of purpose (A statement –of no fewer than 200 words and no more than 5 pages — describing your qualifications and the objectives of your educational program. Report any research activities, publications, independent studies, and memberships in academic, professional, or honorary societies. Account for time that has elapsed between formal studies.)
• Writing sample
• Three letters of recommendation
• TOEFL or IELTS  scores ( minimum requirements listed here )
• A $95 application fee must be paid in order for your application to be considered complete. This fee is non-refundable. Information on fee waivers for PhD  applicants is available on the GRS website.
• Deadline: December 20

The GRE is not required. However, if you feel that your scores will strengthen your application, you are welcome to submit them. The admissions committee fully recognizes that there are many components to your application and that GRE scores have a limited scope of predictive power in the evaluation of a candidate for their long-term success as a student. 

Boston University prefers that all application materials be submitted digitally through the online application portal when possible.  If circumstances arise that make this impossible, please mail any hard copy materials to the following address:

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Admissions Office 705 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 112 Boston, M.A. 02215

BU Application Process

Please review the Boston University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences online application checklist and complete a formal application online .

Financial Aid

Each year, Boston University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GRS) offers incoming Ph.D. students Dean’s Fellowships, which include full tuition, a living stipend, and health insurance for five years; along with a new summer stipend beginning in 2021.

For more information on financial aid for doctoral students, visit the GRS page on fellowship aid .

Frequently Asked Questions

We aim to provide answers to the most common questions in the links below, but if not, please try the   Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS).   However, if you still have unanswered questions, you may contact us at   [email protected] .

The GRE is not required for both MAPA and PhD applications. However, if you feel that your scores will strengthen your application, you are welcome to submit them. The admissions committee fully recognizes that there are many components to your application and that GRE scores have a limited scope of predictive power in the evaluation of a candidate for their long-term success as a student.

MY APPLICATION PROCESS

How to Apply & Deadlines

The Anthropology Department at BU offers two graduate programs: an M.A. in Public Anthropology and a Ph.D. in Anthropology. For more information about the academics of these two programs, please click the following links:

• Masters in Public Anthropology
• PhD in Anthropology

Applications for both programs should be completed through the Webadmit online application form via the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS).

The Boston University School of Medicine offers an  M.A. in Medical Anthropology  and an  M.S. in Forensic Anthropology . All inquiries regarding these programs should be directed to the  GMS admissions office.

What Test Scores and GPA requirements do you require?

As part of our holistic approach to admissions, we no longer require the GRE General Test.  The admissions committee fully recognizes that there are many components to your application, and that GRE scores have a limited scope of predictive power in the evaluation of a candidate for their long-term success as a student. However, if you feel that your scores will strengthen your application, you are welcome to submit them to be considered as part of the admissions committee holistic review.

For information about TOEFL or IELTS  scores and minimum requirements listed:  here

What do you look for in the Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose?

The applicant’s Statement of Purpose should be concise and very explicit about the applicant’s interests and anthropological goals. These statements are read carefully and are taken very seriously.

We look for a focused area of research interest—both topic and geographic area. We are not looking for something as specific as a dissertation topic, but we need to know how well your research interests match our strengths. Consider the following questions: what education/experience led you to your current interest, what you plan to do upon completion of the degree, which professor(s) would you seek out as advisors, and what about our department interests you?

You should upload the Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose and Writing Sample directly to the ApplicantPortal. Your uploaded document should be no more than 5 pages and should be in a Western European or other English-language setting. Whichever way the statement is submitted, it should contain on every page the following identifying information: your name, BU ID or CAS ID # (which is available after you create an account and begin your application), and the department and degree program (e.g. Anthropology PhD program) to which you are applying.

Do you require a writing sample?

Additionally, if the applicant wishes, they may submit a sample of their written work. There is no specific expected format or length. The writing sample will be used by faculty to assess your readiness for doctoral study, so consider texts that show your research capacity.

How do you properly submit transcripts?

All letters of recommendation and transcripts should be submitted directly through the online application system.  For information on letters of recommendation and transcripts, please visit the GRS website https://www.bu.edu/cas/admissions/phd-mfa/apply/frequently-asked-questions/transcripts-letters-of-recommendation-and-statement-of-purpose/ to learn more.

Should I send anything directly to the Department of Anthropology?

Boston University prefers that all application materials be submitted digitally through the online  application portal  when possible.  If circumstances arise that make this impossible, please contact the Graduate School Admissions Office at [email protected] for assistance.

Can I apply for a fee waiver?

In an effort to reduce financial barriers to attending graduate school, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GRS) offers application fee waivers.  For additional information on eligibility, review PhD & MFA Application Fee Waiver and then contact our Director of Graduate Studies with the required materials. Please contact the Graduate School Admissions Office at [email protected] for assistance.

By what date should I receive the admissions decision?

The Admissions Committee of the Department of Anthropology usually makes its decisions for the Ph.D. program by late-February and early April for the M.A.P.A. program. The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences will send you an email, directing you to a secure website where you can view the decision. If you wish, you may email or call the department at [email protected] or 617-353-2195.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Is there a language requirement?

Yes. The Department of Anthropology is a four-field department that includes course offerings in Sociocultural Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Anthropological Archaeology, and Linguistic Anthropology. Our goal is to produce students who are equipped to move through the world as colleagues, research collaborators, and global citizens sensitive to and respectful of the world’s cultural diversity. This requires respect for other languages and related world views that can only be acquired through language study. For this reason, all PhD students in Anthropology must meet the Departmental requirement of demonstrating competence in a language other than English.

For most students this language requirement will be met by 4 semesters or the equivalent of undergraduate study of a foreign language with a passing grade.

Other means of meeting the language requirement include, but are not limited to:

• Attendance at a school or university where the language of instruction is not the student’s native language
• Participation in an intensive language program in the US or abroad at the intermediate level
• Living for an extended period of time in a foreign language environment
• Growing up bilingual or multilingual
• Being a native speaker of a language other than English
• An SAT language exam score of 560 or above

What about a Field or Research Language?

For those students whose research project involves a field or research language, additional language study may be necessary. Students are expected to work closely with their advisors in the first semester of their program to develop a plan for acquiring the proficiency necessary to carry out their intended research. The student’s primary advisor will take responsibility for monitoring the student’s progress towards achieving the required proficiency in their field or research language.  Note that many grants and fellowships require evidence of adequate competency in a field or research language.  In addition, language competency may be a focal point of the prospectus defense in the assessment of whether the student is prepared to undertake their proposed research.

How can I get the English Language requirement waived?

The English Language requirement is a GRS requirement, rather than departmental, so the waiver is up to GRS. There’s a whole section on it on the GRS International Student application page – https://www.bu.edu/cas/admissions/phd-mfa/international-students/

This requirement is waived if you meet one of the following criteria: 

• You are a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, or a citizen of Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom. 
• You have studied in the United States (or one of the above countries) at an accredited college or university for at least TWO (2) years. The University must be located in the countries listed above. 
• You have received, or expect to receive, an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institution where the official language of instruction is English. If your transcript does not clearly state that the language of instruction is English, then please upload supporting documentation on institutional letterhead along with your transcript.

IMPROVING MY CHANCES

What are the Department Statistics for graduates of this program?

Please check out our Ph.D. Placements | Anthropology (bu.edu) to see the career pathways of our recent graduates.

What can I do to improve my chances of admission?

Plan ahead and research the department. The best thing you can do is plan in advance to present a complete, good quality application. This means doing a little research on our faculty and thinking about how well your research interests match our department areas of expertise. Start well in advance contacting current and previous institutions about submitting transcripts. We cannot consider your application without them. Think about who you will ask to write letters of recommendation for you. Try to get at least two of the letters from academic sources (e.g., a current or former professor). Finally, use the resources available on our website (especially the Application Checklist ) to keep track of the supplemental materials required to complete your application.

In submitting your application, a clear, concise Statement of Purpose outlining your professional, intellectual, and research interests and career goals and how they connect to the professional and intellectual commitments of the Anthropology is crucial . Take time in preparing this statement and try to include some assessment of how your interests connect to the interests of the faculty.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION

Do I need a degree in Anthropology to enter your program?

No, but you do need a background in a relatable field of study but it does not need to be a degree in Anthropology specifically.

Do I need a Master’s degree to enter your program?

No; those who have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or with equivalent international education may apply.

If I currently have a Master’s degree, can I apply it towards your program?

You may apply to the PhD program if you have both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. If admitted, you may transfer up to 4 courses from your Master’s degree with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies and application committee.

Will you accept supplemental materials that arrive after the application deadline?

The most competitive applications are those that have all of their materials in by the deadline. If you anticipate that some of your materials may be late, please contact our office as soon as possible.

What happens if my application materials are late?

It is in the applicant’s best interest to upload all supporting documents well before the deadline. We cannot guarantee that any materials received after the deadline will be reviewed by the department; your application may be reviewed as incomplete.

I am an international student. What special requirements and procedures should I be aware of?

As an international student, there may be special requirements and procedures of which you should be aware. We encourage you to review the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences page for International Admissions.

TIME TO DEGREE

What is the average length of the program?

While the length of the program varies based on the individual student’s research, the average length of time to complete the Ph.D. is six to seven years and three semesters for M.A.P.A students.

The  PhD Program Profile in Anthropology    showcases a brief description of the program, and five-year (or more) trend data on: applications and offers, selectivity, entering cohort size, sex and ethnicity demographics, attrition rate, cumulative completion rate, median time to degree, and five- and ten-year out graduate employment outcomes.

DEFERRING ADMISSION

What is your policy on deferring admission?

If you have applied to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS) but have not yet received a decision and your plans have changed, you may not request a deferral of your application.  You may instead withdraw your application and reapply for a future semester by sending an email to [email protected] .

If you have been offered admission to GRS, but wish to start at a later date:

• You may request a deferral of your application for up to one full year from your original application term (i.e. from fall 2023 to fall 2024).
• You may only request a deferral for the same program to which you originally applied. If you wish to enter a different program, you must complete a new application .
• A request for deferral is not a guarantee of re-admission, but rather a request that your original application be evaluated for admission for a future semester.  Please be aware that your program may not approve your deferral or may not accept applicants for particular terms.
• The deadline for submission of the Deferral Request Form is August 15 for fall term applicants and December 15 for spring term applicants.  Deferral requests will not be considered after these dates.

What kind of funding do you offer?

Each year, Boston University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GRS) offers incoming domestic and international Ph.D. students a Dean’s Fellowship, which include full tuition, a living stipend, and health insurance for five years (10 semesters) along with a summer stipend for all newly admitted & enrolled students. For more information on financial aid for doctoral students, visit the GRS page on fellowship aid .

No financial aid is available through the University for students enrolled in the M.A.P.A. program. For information on federal and private educational loans, please visit the  GRS page on  aid for M.A. students . International students are urged to apply for support to their governments or international agencies.

Are International students eligible for financial aid?

All incoming Ph.D. students are offered Dean’s Fellowships, which include full tuition, a living stipend, and health insurance for five years (10 semesters).  However, no financial aid is available through the University for international students enrolled in the M.A.P.A. program. International students are urged to apply for support to their governments or international agencies.

We would also like to call your attention to the ever-changing guidelines for obtaining a United States student visa. For more information, visit www.bu.edu/isso/ .

GRADUATE HOUSING

Does BU offer housing for graduate students enrolled in the University?

BU offers limited graduate student housing, right on the main campus in a newly built apartment complex. The building is purely graduate housing and has over 200 studios and 11 one-bedroom apartments. Prices range from $1400 to $1800. There is more information about BU graduate housing at the Rental Property Management website. Students can contact the Office of Rental Property Management at 617-353-4101, or the Office of Off-Campus Services at 617-353-3523 or [email protected] , for assistance finding off-campus housing.

• Why Support Anthropology?
• Course Requirements
• Undergraduate Research Papers
• How to Apply
• Graduate Courses
• Dissertations & MA Theses
• Research Overview
• Archaeology
• Biological Anthropology
• Social & Cultural Anthropology
• Department Statement on Racist Violence, May 2022
• Response to Black Senate Students
• Anthropology Department Statement on Race and Anti-Racism
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PhD in Anthropology

The PhD program normally requires about five years, and is completely separate from the MA program. That is, students may enter the PhD program directly following their undergraduate degree, and do not necessarily earn a master's degree (although earning the master's degree can be incorporated into the PhD program without increasing the total length of time needed). Students who have already earned a master's degree elsewhere can often receive credit for previous coursework which may shorten the time needed to earn a PhD by as much as a year. Requirements for the PhD include 72 credits of coursework; a foreign language; three of four core courses (cultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, or anthropological linguistics); two quantitative methods courses (for students in archaeology and biological anthropology) or a course in field methods and a course in contemporary theory (for students in cultural anthropology); three graduate seminar electives; written comprehensive examinations; fieldwork or equivalent research; and the dissertation.

Complete PhD Requirements

Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences requirements for the PhD also apply. More information on requirements can also be found in the Anthropology Graduate Handbook . 

Advising and Supervision

A faculty advisor is assigned to each incoming student. Students are free to change their advisors at any time to a faculty member who has agreed to work with them. Students consult with their advisors on their course selections,  research and career plans; advisors monitor their advisees' progress in the graduate program.  Progress of all active graduate students is systematically reviewed by the faculty in each subdiscipline annually in the spring term. Students must petition the Graduate Studies Committee for approval of committees and at other points, as discussed below. Students may also submit petitions about other academic issues that may arise during their studies. Concerns of any kind may be discussed with advisors, the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee, and the Department Chair.

Course Credits

A minimum of 72 course credits in the Anthropology Department at the University of Pittsburgh is required for the PhD degree. Of these, at least 42 credits must be in formal courses (as opposed to readings courses, independent study, or thesis or dissertation credits). The remaining 30 credits may be any combination of formal courses, readings courses, independent study, and/or thesis and dissertation credits.

Generally, a full-time student will be enrolled in a minimum of three formal courses during fall and spring terms until the required 42 credits of formal coursework are attained. Full-time students may or may not register or take courses during the summer term. Reading or independent study courses, if taken prior to completion of the 42-credit minimum of formal courses, are generally taken during the summer term or in addition to the three formal courses that are the minimum for full-time students during the fall or spring terms.

A student may petition the Graduate Studies Committee to have courses taken outside of the University of Pittsburgh count toward the 72 credits required for the PhD. Students can transfer up to 30 credits from another approved degree-granting graduate program (12 towards formal coursework and 18 towards informal coursework).

Core Courses/Preliminary Examination

The core course system of the Department of Anthropology fills the role of the preliminary examination in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences requirements for the PhD. A broad foundation based on a general familiarity with all four subfields is considered to be highly beneficial to the practice of anthropology, and core courses are offered in the four subfields of anthropology: cultural anthropology, archeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. PhD students are required to pass (with a grade of B or better) at least three of these four core courses, one of which must be the core course in the student's subdiscipline. (Linguistic anthropology students must complete the core courses both in linguistic anthropology and in cultural anthropology.) Full-time students are expected to pass the required core courses by the end of their first year in residence.

A student with an MA from another institution, or with a strong undergraduate background in one or more subdisciplines, may present transcripts and other relevant documents to petition the Graduate Studies Committee to waive the core course in that subdiscipline(s), as long as it is not a core course specifically required for the student's own subdiscipline. If not granted a waiver, after consultation with the instructor and review of the core course syllabus, a student can take the final exam (when it is normally given) instead of taking a core course for credit. A student may opt to selectively audit a core course to remedy weaknesses in only a few areas and then take the regular final exam. It should be stressed, however, that all exams will be evaluated in the same manner as those of students taking the course for credit.

Language Requirement

Before students advance to candidacy, they must demonstrate competence in a language other than English that is relevant to the student’s research. For common foreign languages (e.g. French, German, Spanish), the student may choose either to 1) pass with a grade of B or better the level 4 or 8 course offered by that language department, or 2) pass at a level determined by this department the examination for evaluating graduate students currently offered by that language department. In the case of languages for which such avenues of evaluation are not available, the student should consult the Graduate Student Handbook and their advisor, and (if necessary) petition the Committee on Graduate Studies for alternative forms of evaluation.

Graduate Elective Seminar Requirements

Students are required to take three graduate elective anthropology seminars. (Students in cultural anthropology who began the program prior to 2022 can satisfy this requirement with Anthropology 2750 (Seminar on Contemporary Theory); students in biological anthropology and archaeology who began the program prior to 2022 are exempted from this requirement.

Method Requirements

Students in archeology must pass with a grade of B or better Anthropology 2534 and Anthropology 2524 (Archeological Data Analysis I and II). Students in biological anthropology must pass with a grade of B or better: 1) Biostatistics 2041 and 2042 (Introduction to Statistical Methods I and II), or, for bioarchaeology concentrators =, Anthropology 2534 and Anthropology 2524 (Archaeological Data Analysis I and II). Archaeology and biological anthropology students may petition the Graduate Studies Committee to accept other courses in quantitative methods in lieu of these. Students in cultural and linguistic anthropology must pass with a grade of B or better Anthropology 2763 (Field Methods).They may petition the Graduate Studies Committee for approval of other courses to satisfy some of these requirements.

Comprehensive Examinations

After completing the core course requirement and prior to advancement to PhD candidacy, students must pass two comprehensive examinations designed to test breadth and depth of knowledge in the chosen areas of expertise. Students generally take their comprehensive examinations at the end of their third year of residence. A student who fails a comprehensive examination or who has not passed comprehensive examinations by the end of the fourth year of residence (fifth for students in the joint PhD/MPH program) may be dismissed from the program.

Each examination is designed and administered by a committee constructed by the student in consultation with the advisor or the chair of the comprehensive examination committee. The committee consists of at least three faculty members (at least two of whom must be in the department). One of these is designated as chair of the committee. Well in advance of the exam, students submit to the committee a bibliography of sources from which they intend to work. Members of the committee may recommend additional sources. The student must petition the Graduate Studies Committee for approval of the topic and committee for each examination.

The structure of the comprehensive examinations differs from subfield to subfield:

In  cultural & linguistic anthropology , one examination is in the student's ethnographic area (e.g., Africa, East Asia, Latin America, the Pacific). Students should demonstrate mastery not just of ethnographic work that is relevant to their projects, but also of the wider fields of literature that have informed anthropological study of their regions as identified by the members of the comprehensive exam committee. Reading lists should display historical depth and awareness of significant work in fields beyond cultural/linguistic anthropology. The second examination is of a more theoretical nature in a field chosen and defined by students in conjunction with their advisors. Examples are gender and sexuality, migration and transnationalism, medical anthropology, media anthropology, etc. For students focussed on linguistic anthropology, this exam should cover significant works relevant to the study of linguistic and cultural anthropology.

In  archaeology , one examination is on either a significant world area (e.g., Eastern North America, Mesoamerica, Europe) or a significant time period (e.g., the Paleolithic). The other is on the theory and history of archeology, with special emphasis on broad topics and questions of relevance to the student's research.

In  biological anthropology , one examination covers a significant world area and time period relevant to the student’s research. The second focuses on a coherent, substantive body of research with emphasis on broad topics and questions of relevance to the student’s researchIn linguistic anthropology, one examination is in the student's ethnographic area (e.g., East Asia, Latin America, the Pacific, etc.). Students should demonstrate mastery not just of ethnographic work that is relevant to their projects, but also of the wider fields of literature that have informed anthropological study of their regions as identified by the members of the comprehensive exam committee. Reading lists should display historical depth and awareness of significant work in fields beyond linguistic and cultural anthropology. The second examination is of a more theoretical nature in a field chosen and defined by students in conjunction with their advisors. This exam should cover significant works relevant to the study of linguistic and cultural anthropology.

Areas of Concentration

Students may designate cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, archaeology, or linguistic anthropology as an area of concentration, depending on which subdiscipline's degree requirements they satisfy. Alternatively, students may designate medical anthropology as an area of concentration if they have taken Patients and Healers, Medical Anthropology 1, Medical Anthropology 2, and 12 elective credits from a list of approved courses . The area of concentration will be officially recorded on the student's transcript, but does not appear on the diploma. In any case the degree awarded is not in the area of concentration but simply in anthropology.

Dissertation

Committee:  As soon as possible after completion of the core course requirements, and certainly by the third year in residence, prior to admission to candidacy, the student must establish a doctoral dissertation committee that will: 1) participate in the student's preparation of the dissertation research proposal; 2) administer the oral dissertation overview; 3) offer advice while the student is collecting field or laboratory/museum data as well as while the student is writing the dissertation; and 4) conduct the oral dissertation defense. This committee consists of at least three Graduate Faculty members from the Department of Anthropology, including the student's advisor, and at least one graduate faculty member from another department of the University or from another university. If a member of the graduate faculty of another university is selected, they must be approved in advance by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research. The student must petition the Graduate Studies Committee for approval of the dissertation committee.

Overview:  Before actively pursuing dissertation research, the student makes an oral presentation of the intended project to the dissertation committee. The student gives the members of the committee a proposal at least one month ahead of time. The overview should not be the first discussion of the project between the student and committee members. If the committee members approve, their recommendation is forwarded to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research. For research involving human subjects or animals, IRB or IACUC approval must be obtained before the student can be advanced to doctoral candidacy. A student who has not passed the dissertation overview by the end of the fourth year in residence (fifth year for students in the joint PhD/MPH program) may be dismissed from the program.

Dissertation Format: In addition to the standard dissertation format, students have the option to write their dissertations following the three-article format. 

Three Article Dissertation

Students should decide at the time of their overview examination whether to pursue the three-article dissertation format. This decision must be made in consultation with the members of the student’s dissertation committee. All members must unanimously agree to the student’s plan to complete a dissertation in the three-article format. Students can also choose the three-article format after the overview, or switch from this format to the regular dissertation format with committee approval.

This dissertation format will be comprised of three full-length articles of publishable quality within a peer-reviewed journal, an introduction, and a conclusion.

The articles are expected to develop various aspects of an overarching theme presented in the introduction. Additional papers may be added above the minimum of three if approved by the committee. The student must be the sole author or lead author on all articles. The student should be responsible for the conceptualization, data analysis, and writing of the articles.

Only one of the three articles can be an article that has been published or accepted for publication prior to the student’s overview at the discretion of the committee. If the article is co-authored, the student must be the first author. The published article must represent work undertaken while the student was enrolled in the PhD program and be related to their dissertation project. The student is responsible for securing necessary permissions from the copyright holder and other authors. See the Pitt Library for questions and assistance.

The goal of writing an article-style dissertation should be to publish the articles that appear in the dissertation. Journals to which articles are being submitted must be approved by the dissertation committee. Serving as an “editorial board” for the student, the committee will help select journals that will challenge the student and offer a reasonable chance of publication success. Dissertation papers can be submitted for publication while the student is ABD. If a paper is rejected by a journal during the dissertation process, the student may submit to another journal approved by the committee. In the case of a “revise and resubmit” during the dissertation process, major revisions to the paper that change the paper’s overall relationship to the dissertation topic must be approved by the dissertation committee. After the successful dissertation defense, any new submission or resubmission, including changes in the authorship or article content, will be at the discretion of the PhD graduate. 

The introduction of the dissertation should clarify the rationale for grouping the three articles together. It is expected to include a summary of the research problem the three articles tackle, the methodology used to answer the research question(s), the significance of the research, the theoretical foundations of the research introduced in the context of an overview of pertinent literature.

The conclusion should summarize the dissertation’s major findings. It should also reinforce the linkages between the chapters, tying together the three articles into a cohesive body of scholarship. The conclusion is a place where the student can restate and reinforce the through-line that connects the individual chapter. The conclusion might also present a plan for future research on the research problem(s) engaged in the dissertation.

Large datasets and specific methods discussed in a published paper but not presented in their entirety, or presented in supplemental sections, should be (if permissible) included as appendices as appropriate.

Public Presentation:  Each student presents a formal colloquium to the department based on the dissertation research. This may form part of the dissertation defense, or it may come at an earlier stage so that the experience may be of benefit as the ideas in the dissertation take shape.

Defense:  By the time of the oral defense of the dissertation, students will have prepared and presented to their committee members a final version of the dissertation. It is expected that there will be sufficient interaction between the student and the committee members that revisions subsequent to the defense will be minimal and minor. All members of the doctoral dissertation committee should be present at the defense. The procedures for the final oral examination are outlined in the requirements for the PhD degree of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences.

Policy on scheduling comps and defenses for summer months : Please note that graduate students are required to be registered during the academic term in which they take their comprehensive and overview examinations and defend their dissertations. Scheduling comprehensive examinations, overview examinations, and dissertation defenses for the summer months (May, June, July, and August) is strongly discouraged. Faculty are not obligated to facilitate or participate in milestone events in summer months.

Statute of Limitations

Dietrich School regulations stipulate that the PhD must be completed within 10 calendar years of initial matriculation (8 years for students entering with a Master's degree). They also stipulate that comprehensive examinations must be retaken if they were originally passed more than 7 years before completion of PhD requirements.

MA Degree (as part of PhD study)

An MA degree may be awarded during the course of a student's PhD program after completion of: 1) 30 course credits; 2) the language requirement; 3) the core course in the student's area of concentration; 4) course(s) that satisfy the MA method/theory requirement (see MA requirements); 5) an acceptable MA paper; and 6) fulfillment of all Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences regulations (e.g., at least 12 credits of course work, not including readings or independent study, must be at the 2000 level). The student selects at least three graduate faculty members (at least two of whom must be in the Department of Anthropology) to participate on the MA advisory and evaluation committee. The Graduate Studies Committee should be petitioned for approval of the committee composition and the MA paper topic well in advance of the expected date of completion.

Supplementary Statements

Review of Student Progress

Procedures for Satisfying the PhD Comprehensive Examination Requirement

List of Courses for Medical Anthropology Concentration

Anthropology

Ph.d. program.

• Graduate Studies

The graduate program in Brown’s anthropology department encourages a diversity of doctoral research agendas in socio-cultural anthropology, anthropological archaeology, and linguistic anthropology.

Our program balances a rigorous curriculum of core classes with more specialized training in advanced courses. Our graduate seminars and independent study courses provide an engaging and rigorous tutorial approach to training. Graduate courses offered this academic year are listed on  Courses@Brown .

Brown’s graduate program is primarily PhD granting; students are not admitted to the department solely to seek a Master’s degree. Doctoral students complete requirements for a Master’s degree during their course of study, as well as additional requirements described below.

Degree Requirements

Generally awarded as part of the overall requirements for a Ph.D.

Four core courses

• ANTH2010: Principles of Cultural Anthropology
• ANTH 2020: Methods of Anthropological Research (or equivalent)
• ANTH 2501: Principles of Archaeology
• ANTH 2800: Linguistic Theory and Practice
• Four approved electives
• A Master’s Thesis
• 12 additional elective courses beyond the 8 required for the Master’s Degree (or the fulfillment of equivalent through coursework at another university) 
• Preliminary examinations in three topics
• One year of teaching experience, usually as a teaching assistant
• Approved research proposal for doctoral research
• Foreign language requirement (if required by the candidate’s doctoral committee)
• Dissertation, based on independent field research

More detailed information about the program, including a general outline of the timeline for completing the program, can be found in the Anthropology Graduate Handbook . 

Specialized Ph.D. Tracks

They choose a topic within Anthropological Demography as one of their preliminary examination topics, participate in the activities of the Working Group in Anthropology and Population, and attend the regular colloquia of the Population Studies and Training Center (PSTC). PSTC also has a set of requirements trainees must meet. Special fellowships are available to students in this program.

More information @ PSTC

The program offers specialized courses, funds field-based research, provides fellowships, hosts visiting faculty, and promotes collaborative research initiatives with partner institutions in the global south. The program builds on a core group of faculty internationally renowned for their research and scholarship in the area of development and inequality. Program activities are open to all PhD students at Brown. All trainees and fellows are eligible for summer fieldwork research grants.

More information @ Watson

Medical anthropology is a subfield of anthropology that seeks to understand human experiences of health, illness, and suffering. Medical anthropologists study topics such as global health, local health systems, indigenous medicine, violence and trauma, disability and the body, gender and sexuality, biotechnology, bioethics, and social suffering. Brown’s PhD program offers an array of opportunities for students seeking specialized training in medical anthropology. Brown’s anthropology faculty are actively engaged in researching a wide variety of topics within the subfield of medical anthropology, including HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, mental illness, reproductive health, gender and sexuality, violence and trauma, biotechnology, language and medicine, anthropology of drugs, and bio-archaeology.

For more information, contact  Professor Daniel J. Smith or  Professor Katherine A. Mason.

Department of Anthropology

General ph.d. program information.

Students who enroll in one of the Anthropology Department’s Ph.D. programs join a vibrant and diverse community of scholars working to extend the disciplinary and interdisciplinary horizons of twenty-first century Anthropology. Students in all Ph.D. programs work closely with their advisers and other faculty to craft an appropriate sequence of graduate-level courses, professional experiences, and independent research culminating in a disse rtation.

The Director of Graduate Studies is  Erik Harms .

The Departmental Registrar is  Marleen Cullen .

Further information on all of our Ph.D. programs can be found in the links to the left, and the Department’s Graduate Student Handbook provides additional details.  

Department of Anthropology

Degree Requirements

Our students receive a solid general training in anthropological theory and methods based on the broad theoretical orientation of our faculty and their secondary areas of research. We offer intensive graduate training in the archaeology, biology, social analysis, and history of Central America, Mexico, and South America, as well as scholarship in Caribbean and North American anthropology. More specialized courses include training in Mayan languages, pre-Columbian iconography, GIS, archival research methods, specialized artifact analysis, skeletal analysis, stable isotope analysis, and genetic research.

Overview | Language Requirements | Degree Requirements | Guidelines | Essay | Exam | Essay Defense

The Ph.D. requires 72 hours of graduate credits, at least 45 of which should be in formal course work beyond the bachelor’s degree. Candidates entering with a master’s degree or previous graduate coursework may transfer up to 18 hours of credit, which would then reduce the number of semesters of funding accordingly.

The Ph.D. also requires proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese or another relevant language (such as French in the Caribbean), a comprehensive examination, successful defense of a dissertation proposal (Qualifying Exam) to advance to Ph.D. candidacy, and a dissertation based on original field, laboratory, or archival research.

Language Requirements

To obtain the M.A. and advance in the program, the language requirement must be completed by the fourth semester. This may include one foreign language passed at a high level of proficiency in a test that involves:

• an oral interview, and
• a written translation test.

The oral interview will be conducted by either an anthropology or CLACX faculty member (or a faculty member with the requisite language experience to evaluate the student). The written test consists of translating three to four pages of written work from the non-English language to English.

Alternatively, a student may pass one of certain 2000-level Spanish, Portuguese, French, or other relevant language courses with a grade of B+ or better. The DGS and adviser will determine which courses qualify. For students who are native speakers of a language relevant to their research, that is persons who have spoken the language in question from childhood, the student’s adviser or when available, a native speaker of that language, will certify their language ability and report the findings to the DGS. The student’s advisory committee will determine whether any other further language requirements are appropriate.

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The four subfields in anthropology are archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology/ethnography, and linguistics. All students must complete the following:

• 6 credits: Anth 8000: History of Anthropological Theory I (3 credits) and Anth 8001: History of Anthropological Theory II (3 credits), to be taken in the student’s first or second year.
• 6 credits: Primary subfield
• 6 credits: Secondary subfield
• 3 credits: Tertiary subfield
• 6 credits: Two electives in anthropology or two Independent Study courses in anthropology (or one of each). These two courses are meant to form the basis of the two comprehensive exam essays (see description of the comprehensive exam below).
• 3 credits: Anth 9000: Research Design Graduate Seminar. This class should be taken in the student’s third or fifth semester (it is typically offered in the fall). If it is taken in the fifth semester, another graduate seminar can be taken in the third semester to ensure that the student earns 36 credits total by the end of the second year.
• 6 credits: Two electives (e.g., anthropology courses in any subfield; courses outside the department for the CLACX certificate; courses in other departments deemed appropriate for the student’s training; quantitative methods in another department, etc.)

Total after two years: 36 credits (i.e., three courses per semester for two years) These 36 credits must be completed by the end of the fourth semester of enrollment. They are part of the requirement to earn a master’s degree in passing and advance in the program.

Students must also pass a Comprehensive Exam, which entails writing two substantial essays (written primarily in the two elective/independent study courses). These must be submitted by the last day of class (i.e., before the exam period starts) in the fourth semester of enrollment.

In the fifth semester, the student must complete nine more credits of coursework. These can be Independent Study courses or other courses that the student and committee deem appropriate for their training. This will bring the student up to the required 45 credits of coursework for the Ph.D.

Students who did not take ANTH 9000: Research Design in their third semester should take it in their fifth semester.

Students choose their primary and secondary subfields in consultation with their advisory committee. Depending on a student’s background and research interests, committees may require specific additional course work, including more preparation in other sub-fields, languages, and research methods.

After completing 45 credits, the student should enroll in ANTH 8999: Non-candidate Research credit hours. After the student achieves doctoral candidacy, they must enroll in ANTH 9999: Ph.D. Dissertation Research for credit hours every semester. When the student reaches 72 credit hours, they must enroll in zero hours of ANTH 9999: Ph.D. Dissertation Research to stay enrolled in the program. It is the student’s responsibility to register for courses in a timely manner. Stipends and TA-ships cannot be allocated for students who have not registered for courses at least one month before the semester begins.

Graduate Program Guidelines

Seventy-two (72) hours of graduate credits are required, at least 45 of which should be in formal course work: graduate seminars (8000-level and above) and independent study. On occasion, undergraduate courses with extra work for graduate students (3000-level and above) will be accepted as graduate course work.

At least 21 hours of course work must be in 5000-level and above graduate seminars. During the first 36 hours of course work, students should be concerned with completing requirements and filling gaps in their knowledge. After completing 45 hours of course work, the remainder will consist of either pre-dissertation research hours or dissertation research hours, depending on the status of the student.

Full-time students are expected to enroll in the Graduate School during each fall and spring semester. After completion of the required 72 hours for the Ph.D. degree, full-time students register for zero hours of dissertation research. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree who are away from the university must continue to register for zero hours of dissertation research to remain in good standing. In addition, all students must have Vanderbilt University health insurance every semester that they are enrolled, unless they file a waiver showing that they have health insurance from another source. This other source of insurance must be approved before the deadline in August every year.

It is the responsibility of graduate students to register for courses (including zero credit hours of dissertation research) each semester, to track their status to ensure that they have met all of the course requirements, and to maintain their health insurance coverage according to university rules.

Students Entering With a Master’s Degree

For new students holding M.A. degrees, transfer credit may apply to the hourly requirements for up to a maximum of 18 hours (~1 year) of course work. During the student’s first year in residence, their advisory committee will coordinate with the Director of Graduate Studies to determine how many and which courses will be approved for transfer credit. However, the number of course hours approved for transfer will be subtracted from a student’s total stipend award. That is, if two semesters (18 hours) of coursework are approved for transfer credit, two semesters of stipend support will be subtracted from the five-year fellowship award.

Dissertation Proposal Essay

The Dissertation Proposal Essay is a comprehensive bibliographic review of the literature relevant to the dissertation topic. The student, in close consultation with their adviser and dissertation committee, will prepare and submit a DPE. The DPE should include a summary and critical analysis of that particular theme and associated debates. It should also present the proposed dissertation research to be conducted by the student. Parts of this document may follow an expanded version of the National Science Foundation-Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant. Please consult the relevant NSF-DDRIG website for more details (e.g., Archaeology , Biological Anthropology , Cultural Anthropology , or Linguistics ).

The proposal should clearly state the theoretical issues to be addressed, theoretical framing of the study, context of the research,  methodologies to be employed, relevant preliminary findings, types of data to be collected, and expected results and how those results will address the central questions of the study. Throughout the proposal, the student should clearly demonstrate their command of the relevant literature. These guidelines are not comprehensive, and an advisory committee may require additional content. It is the student’s responsibility to consult with their advisor and advisory committee on the format and expectations for this document.

Other items to append to the dissertation proposal essay:

• An outline of the dissertation thesis, including preliminary chapter titles and brief summaries
• A realistic schedule for research and writing

Comprehensive Exam

The student must complete the Comprehensive Exam by the end of the fourth semester. The purpose of the Comprehensive Exam is to establish the student’s knowledge of anthropology in general and of their specific fields of specialization. To pass, the student must write two substantive essays. These are synthetic literature review essays in specialized domains of scholarship. Each essay is a summary and critical analysis of that particular theme and associated debates. It should reflect the current state of the field, based on a comprehensive understanding of the literature. Students must work closely with their faculty adviser and committee to develop the topics and bibliographies. These essays should build on coursework that was aimed at developing each manuscript (students may take Independent Study courses in semesters 3 and/or 4 to develop the essays). Students should start planning for these essays in their first semester of enrollment. The two essay themes should not be identical to the dissertation topic. The Comprehensive Exam essays will be graded by the student’s advisory committee.

Comprehensive Exam essay examples include Anthropology of the Body; Anthropology of Food; Anthropology of Violence; Social Bioarchaeology; Historical Archaeology; and Political Economy, among others. This list is not exhaustive, and we expect that students will think creatively and critically as they develop their two major essay topics.

The grade options for Comprehensive Exam essays are:

• High Pass and continue in the program (both essays must receive a High Pass if the student is to continue in the program)
• Pass, which qualifies the student to receive a terminal M.A. and depart the program
• Fail and depart the program with no M.A.

Even with a score of “High Pass,” the committee may decide that the student demonstrated a need for improvement in a particular study area. In this case, the committee can require that the student rewrite sections of the comps essays.

Oral Defense of the Dissertation Proposal Essay

The public proposal presentation will start with a 20-minute presentation by the student followed by questions from the general audience. The closed examination by the Ph.D. committee members will commence immediately afterward. The student should be prepared to answer questions regarding all aspects of their proposed research. The Ph.D. committee will vote on the proposal and will inform the student of their decision within 24 hours.

The Ph.D. committee will vote on the Qualifying Exam (the Dissertation Proposal Essay and the oral defense of it) and select one of the following options:

• Pass and advance to doctoral candidacy
• Fail. If a student fails the Qualifying Exam, there are two possible outcomes:
• The student will have the opportunity to do substantial revisions and schedule a re-take of the Qualifying Exam within one semester; or
• The student will be dismissed from the program.

The student will advance to Ph.D. candidacy as soon as the Graduate School receives the paperwork communicating a positive evaluation.

The student should work closely with their Ph.D. committee in developing the DPE and the dissertation proposal. A final version of the dissertation proposal must be accepted by a student’s full Ph.D. committee before the oral defense can be scheduled. Any date set before the proposal is accepted by the full committee is simply a target date.

Paperwork: The student must submit the Request to Schedule the Qualifying Exam form at least two weeks before the proposal defense date.

After the oral exam, additional paperwork must be filed indicating whether the student passed or failed the Qualifying Exam. Please coordinate with the department administrative assistant on submitting both of those forms.

After a student successfully defends the dissertation proposal, the student advances to Ph.D. candidacy. From this point, according to Graduate School requirements, the student has four years to submit an approved final dissertation to the Graduate School. Extensions can be requested for extenuating circumstances.

Application

The department of anthropology and graduate division accept applications for admission to the anthropology and medical anthropology programs once each year for the fall semester only. the application must be completed online.  .

**The Joint Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology is a separate Ph.D. program and must be applied for as such.  It is not a subdiscipline available to those accepted into the Ph.D. in Anthropology.

First go to Graduate Admissions to complete and submit the online application:

Link to the online application.

This must be completed and submitted by no later than 8:59 PM, Pacific Standard time, December 4.  We prefer that letters of recommendation be submitted online as provided for in the application.  However, we recognize that some recommenders will either be unable or unwilling to send their letters electronically.  In that event, we will accept hard copy letters of recommendation.  Please upload scanned copies of transcripts to the online application.  Do not send hard copy original transcripts to the Anthropology Department.  You will not be required to submit original hard copies of transcripts unless you are planning to accept an offer of admission.  Everything else must be uploaded to the online application as directed.  We are accepting only the online graduate school application.

**Materials that can be accepted after December 4 are limited to letters of recommendation,TOEFL scores, or writing samples.

Applicants for the Anthropology Ph.D. are required to specify the track to which they wish to apply:

• Archaeology
• Biological Anthropology
• Sociocultural Anthropology

Applicants must hold a Bachelor of Arts degree or its equivalent from an institution of acceptable standing and may hold a Master of Arts in Anthropology or another field. Previous concentration in Anthropology is not required. The Department does not accept applicants interested in the Master of Arts in Anthropology degree only. The University's Graduate Division requires a combined junior and senior grade point average of at least 3.0 of an applicant to be admitted.

**Students interested in medical anthropology may apply to either the UCB program or the UCSF program but not both . Students should carefully review information about both programs before making a decision.  Information on UCSF’s program can be found at  http://dahsm.ucsf.edu/programs/medical-anthropology/

Applicants should keep in mind:

Admission review begins immediately. Your application will be given the most serious consideration if all materials are on hand by December 4. Incomplete applications will be at a disadvantage.

The University does not deliver and sort mail during the winter holiday, so materials submitted after December 4 are likely to be delayed well into January. Given that the Department receives about 400 applications per year, it is not possible to review applications regularly in search of late materials and documents.

Please be assured that our program admits a cohort agreed upon by all the faculty, so the audience for your application is the entire program. On admission, you will be assigned two initial co-advisors, either (or both) of whom may end up being your doctoral advisor, and your interests in working with particular faculty certainly help determine those assignments.

In judging applications, the Department is interested (in order of importance) in:

• Statement of purpose.
• Statement of personal history.
• Letters of recommendation.
• Grade point average.
• TOEFL scores/IELTS scores

Statement of Purpose The applicant's Statement of Purpose should be concise (maximum 2000 words) and very explicit about the applicant's interests and anthropological goals. These statements are read carefully and are taken very seriously. 

For more information on what should be included in the Statement of Purpose, please see the link below:  https://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/apply/statement-purpose/

Statement of Personal History The applicant's Statement of Personal History should be maximum 2000 words.

Letters of Recommendation We require three letters of recommendation. The Department prefers that letters of recommendation be submitted electronically through the online graduate school application as mentioned above.  If need be, a hard copy letter can be sent to:

Department of Anthropology

Graduate Office

232 Anthrpology and Art Practice Building 

UC Berkeley

Berkeley, CA  94720-3710

GRE  GREs are no longer accepted or reviewed. Please do not submit them. 

TOEFL/IELTS Scores

International applicants whose native language is not English and who have not  earned a basic degree at an appropriately recognized US college or university must take the TOEFL or IELTS test. For more information on the TOEFL go to  http://www.ets.org , and for the IELTS,  https://ielts.org/.

Nondiscrimination Policy Statement

T he University of California, in accordance with applicable federal and state law and University policy, prohibits discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a covered veteran (special disabled veteran, Vietnam-era veteran or any other veteran who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized). This nondiscrimination policy covers admission, access, and treatment in University programs and activities.

Inquiries may be directed to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination at  http://ophd.berkeley.edu/ .

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Anthropology Department

12th and Lewis Streets

Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: (307) 766-5136

Email: [email protected]

Anthropology Ph.D. Program

The University of Wyoming's Doctoral degree in Anthropology is designed to be completed in four years.  It is aimed at teaching skills and providing experiences that maximizes students chances of employment either in academia or the private sector.  To this end, students are required to take a course in teaching and teach at least one stand-alone class before graduating.  Internships at a federal agency or private firm are also encouraged.

*Application Deadlines*

PhD Applicants: DECEMBER 1st

statement of purpose (S.O.P.)/letter of intent

Please identify whom you would like as your faculty advisor. In your statement of purpose (SOP), you should identify a particular question or problem that you would like to address OR a general topic of interest to you. Then you should describe how you would like to address these interests and why the UW Anthropology program is a good fit for you. What do you hope to gain from the program? With whom would you like to work? Finally, you might discuss how your interests advance knowledge in Anthropology more broadly and why your research would be an important contribution to the advancement of knowledge.

The majority of information in the letter of intent/statement of purpose should help the Graduate Admissions Committee understand your research interests and scholarship and many applicants often make the mistake of writing a personal biography in their statement of purpose. It is fine to provide a  brief biographical sketch or to explain why during a particular semester you received poor grades or why you have decided to return to school after a hiatus, but make sure that you have addressed the other important components of the SOP

• 3 letters of recommendation

official transcripts

writing sample

Doctoral Program Requirements

A minimum of 72 graduate hours (post BA, post MA hours may vary).

A minimum of six content courses (18 hours) designed by the student and his/her committee. These courses are normally completed in the first two years of the Ph.D. program. In addition to anthropology 4000/5000 level courses may also be required in other departments.

Two additional courses in their first or second year: ANTH 5880 (Professionalism in Anthropology) and ANTH 5890 (Teaching and Learning in Anthropology) (6 hours).

At least two semesters of a single foreign language must be completed either prior to enrolling in the program or during your time in the graduate program.  Latin does not count as a foreign language.

Teaching experience, including stand-alone (after the completion of ANTH 5890) courses as well as teaching assistance to UW faculty members.

Participation in an approved internship experience (6-24 credit hours). Students pursue internships in state and federal agencies, museums, contract archaeology organizations, and other organizations that offer potential career experience.

Successful completion of a Preliminary Exam, which usually takes place at the end of the second year (after the completion of 18 hours of content courses, ANTH 5880 and 5890). After the student passes the exams, s/he is admitted to candidacy.

Student maintains a portfolio which documents teaching, internship, and research experience.

Students are encouraged to present papers at professional conferences and submit articles for publication throughout their tenure as a student.

After admission to candidacy, the student is expected to research, write, and defend a dissertation based on original research (up to 48 credit hours). Students may either submit a single thesis or a series of integrated publishable articles (30-40) pages each. A brief introduction and conclusion are also required chapters if the student chooses the series of integrated, publishable articles.  The student's committee must approve this choice and decide on the number, length and content of the articles (usually at the committee hearing preceding Preliminary Exam).

Schedule a public dissertation defense that is announced at least a month before the defense date.

Copies of the dissertation must be in the hands of the student's committee at least three weeks prior to the scheduled defense date.

Timeline/Checklist for your PhD degree .

In addition to the minimum requirements listed in the Graduate Bulletin, the Department of Anthropology has the following requirements.  Click here for a checklist for completing these items .

1. A minimum of six content courses (18 hours) designed by the student's committee. These courses are normally completed in the first two years of the Ph.D. program.

2. Two additional courses in their first or second year: ANTH 5880 (Professionalism in Anthropology) and ANTH 5890 (Teaching and Learning in Anthropology) (6 hours).

3. Participation in an approved internship experience (6-24 credit hours). Students pursue internships in state and federal agencies, museums, contract archaeology organizations, and other organizations that offer potential career experience.

4. Successful completion of a Preliminary Exam (see below), which usually takes place at the end of the second year. After the student passes the exams, s/he is admitted to candidacy. Exam guidelines are presented below after the degree completion outline.

PhD Committee Constitution and Formation

Doctoral committees are required to have a minimum of five members and at least three of them must be faculty members in Anthropology, defined as tenured and tenure-track faculty, extended term track Academic Professionals with terminal degree and a demonstrated record of research or creative activity appropriate to the student’s degree, Emeritus faculty, UW faculty employed via cooperative agreements with state and federal agencies. The doctoral committee must also have an outside member, a tenured or emeritus faculty whose tenure/promotion home lies outside the degree program being pursued by the student. Additional information about the policies of graduate committees can be found here:

https://www.uwyo.edu/uwgrad/_files/docs/grad_committee_formation.html

 PhD committees in Anthropology can have three or four faculty members from Anthropology, but if the student choses to have only three Anthropology faculty members, then a fifth member must be included from a different academic unit or as an external member. For example

Example 1: Four faculty members from Anthropology: PhD Student: Jane Smith Committee chair: Todd Surovell, Anthropology External: Sophia Jackson, Botany Member 3: Robert Kelly, Anthropology Member 4: Jason Toohey, Anthropology Member 5: Melissa Murphy, Anthropology

Example 2: Three faculty members from Anthropology PhD student: Jane Smith Committee chair: Todd Surovell, Anthropology External: Sophia Jackson, Botany Member 3: Robert Kelly, Anthropology Member 4: Jason Toohey, Anthropology Member 5: Archie Stonetool, Anthropology, University of Nevada Reno 

PhD Preliminary Examination Guidelines

1. A PhD student takes their Preliminary Exam when the student has completed at least 18 hours of post M.A. coursework; normally, this would be at the end of a student's second year (assuming the student entered with an MA). The exam consists of a written and an oral component.

2. The written component consists of four to five questions submitted jointly or singly by the student's committee members. The committee chair approves and organizes the questions. The questions relate to the student's proposed areas of dissertation research.

3. The student schedules the oral component of the exam at the same time the written examination is scheduled. The oral examination is scheduled approximately 6 weeks from the date the preliminary exam is handed out.

4. Questions for the written component are handed out on a Monday. The student has three weeks to return the answers. A copy of all answers should be turned in to each committee member. No answer should exceed 10 typed pages not including bibliography (12 point font, 1 inch margins, double-spaced). Hence, the exam will not exceed a maximum of 50 pages in length. If exam committee members combine questions, page limits will be indicated (e.g. for a four question exam, one or more answer may exceed the 10 page limit).

5. Students will be informed of the results of the written component of the exam approximately two weeks after they handed in their finished exam. Each question is graded on a pass/fail basis. Each faculty member grades her/his question, but may read and comment on the answers to any other question. The committee meets to decide as a whole whether the student passes or fails the examination. If the student passes the exam, his/her oral examination proceeds as scheduled. If the student fails the examination, the graduate committee decides on remediation or termination from the program.

6. The oral component of the exam provides an opportunity for the student's committee to explore answers to the written exam in more depth and to test the student's knowledge of relevant areas not covered by the written exams.

Let your curiosity lead the way:

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Applying to the Graduate Program

Admission to the graduate program in anthropology.

The Department of Anthropology admits students only for full-time study (at least nine credit hours per term) toward the Ph.D. degree. The Anthropology Department does not offer a terminal Master's Degree. Admission decisions are made once a year and all students are admitted for the fall semester. The deadline for application is December 1 for the following academic year. We are a highly selective department and normally admit three to four students per subfield (archaeology, biological anthropology and sociocultural anthropology) each year from a competitive pool of U.S. and international applicants.

In addition to an excellent academic record and letters of support, faculty are looking for a good research fit with prospective students. Once you have reviewed faculty research areas, you should contact faculty whose research interests most closely fit your own to let them know of your interest in the program (See “Finding a Faculty Advisor”). The more you can refine your research interest, the better the faculty can assess your match with their interests. You may contact potential advisors directly, or if you are unsure which faculty member(s) you might work with, contact the faculty representative for your subdiscipline. The current faculty representatives for each subdiscipline are: Dr. Xinyi Liu (archaeology), Dr. EA Quinn (biological anthropology), and Dr. John Bowen (sociocultural anthropology).

We do not have data available to share on the average GPA, GRE, or TOEFL for our applicants. The GRE is not required.

The Application Process

Applications must be submitted online to the Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences . More information about the process can be found here on the Office of Graduate Studies' Admissions page .

Required Materials:

• ONLINE application form submitted through the SLATE application system that includes the following:
• 3 letters of recommendation uploaded electronically through the SLATE application system. Recommendation requests should be sent to recommenders via email through the SLATE application system.
• Transcripts from all institutions of higher learning attended are required. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted for the applicant review process and may be uploaded through SLATE. Official transcripts are not required for applicant review, however, students who would like to send official transcripts should send them directly to the department courier address:

Department of Anthropology Washington University McMillan Hall, Room 112 One Brookings Drive St. Louis, MO 63130-4899   Please note that if made an offer of admission, applicants will be required to submit official transcripts to the Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences. Please see the following FAQ for more information: Admissions FAQ | The Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences .

• Submit a personal statement of approximately 2 pages in length which describes interests, relevant experience, anticipated plans for dissertation research, and faculty with whom applicant would hope to collaborate.
• GRE scores are not required for application to the graduate program in anthropology. (Rev. 10/2019)
• TOEFL and IELTS - For application to the graduate program in the department of anthropology the TOEFL/IELTS is waived for native English speakers and applicants who meet specific criteria. More information regarding the criteria needed for waivers can be found on the FAQ page of the Office of Graduate Studies linked above.

*Please note that if the applicant accepts an offer of admission to the anthropology program, the Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and/or U.S. immigrations officials may require official TOEFL scores prior to matriculation.

• Please do not submit writing samples unless requested.

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Department of anthropology.

MD/ PhD Program

Photo from left to right : Sara Rendell, Adriana Petryna, Michelle Munyikwa, Josh Franklin, Lee Young, Utpal Sandesara, Caroline Hodge, Ben Sieff, Alex Chen, Randall Burson.

The Anthropology Track in the Penn MD-PhD Program/MSTP is dedicated to training physician-anthropologists who will become next-generation leaders in an integrated practice of clinical medicine and social science. Our program recognizes that the modern life sciences involve much more than the generation of knowledge about biological processes. By fostering insight into the entwinement of biomedical knowledge and human society, the MD-PhD Program enables trainees to explore the practices and paradigms that contribute to health inequality, and to innovate clinical and investigative frameworks of moral responsiveness and care.

Exploring the full breadth of anthropological inquiry, MD-PhD trainees are advised and supported during the entirety of their clinical and research training by faculty in Anthropology as well as across the social sciences and humanities. As they carry out ethnographic projects within the United States and across the globe, they are making critical interventions in diverse fields including medical anthropology, science and technology studies, political anthropology, urban studies, and feminist and critical race studies.

Immersed in integrated training at all stages, students develop a practice of inquiry and care that is fully medical and fully anthropological. Because we believe this inquiry is best done in collaboration, the Anthropology Track in the Penn MD-PhD Program draws upon our unique multidisciplinary training and breadth of interests to build a praxis of peer mentorship and support. Together, members of the Penn MSTP Anthropology community are reimagining a critical and politically engaged medicine for the 21st century.

For inquiries about the program, please feel free to contact Dr. Adriana Petryna , Director of the Anthropology Track in the Penn MD-PhD Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

News Section

Caroline Hodge received the Association for Feminist Anthropology Dissertation Award for 2023. 

Utpal Sandesara is the Assistant Professor-in-Residence at the UCLA School of Medicine’s Division of General Internal Medicine-Health Services Research & the Global Health program at the UCLA International Institute

Sara Rendell is the lead author on “ Integrating ART adherence support technologies in the care of pregnant and postpartum people with HIV : a qualitative study,” published in Implement Sci Commun (2022). She also co-authored “ Resculpting Professionalism for Equity and Accountability ” (The Annals of Family Medicine, 2022). 

Ankita Reddy is the lead author on “ Monoclonal antibody pairs against SARS-CoV-2 for rapid antigen test development ,” published in PLoS Negl Trop Dis. (2022) and was just named a Provost’s Graduate Academic Engagement Fellow at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at Penn (2023). See her work, The Visual Liminal,  here . 

Randall Burson has been selected to receive a graduate fellowship with the  Penn-Mellon Dispossessions in the Americas  research team for the academic year 2023-2024. 

Michelle Munyikwa co-authored “ Misrepresenting Race: The Role of Medical Schools in Propagating Physician Bias ,” published in The New England Journal of Medicine (2021). 

Together with Anthropology affiliated faculty member, Dr. Justin Clapp, and MD-MSHP student, Olivia Familusi, Randall Burson published a paper in Social Science & Medicine entitled, “ Imagining the 'structural' in medical education and practice in the United States: A curricular investigation ” (2022). 

Alex Chen was named 2022 Mellon/ American Council of Learned Societies Dissertation Completion Fellow for “Building Biocontainment, Regulating Race: Scientific Infrastructures for American Safety against Emerging Diseases.” 

"The COVID Horizon" essays, guest-edited by Adriana Petryna and Sara Rendell, are out in  Medicine, Anthropology, and Theory.  UPenn physician-anthropologists trace a different ground from which to anticipate the role of medicine in the 21st century. Intro and link to essays here: http://www.medanthrotheory.org/article/view/5249  

"Training physician-scholars to see patients as people, not categories".  https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/Penn-anthropology-MD-PhD-graduates-first-students  

Utpal Sandesara,   who graduated from the MD-PhD program in 2019, wrote this opinion piece from the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in LA, where he is doing his residency.  https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/04/22/utpal-sandesara-we-need-protect-most-vulnerable-healthcare-workers/

Lessons on Ebola: Alex Chen studies emergency disease preparedness.  https://omnia.sas.upenn.edu/story/lessons-ebola  

Caroline Hodge was awarded the Penn Prize for Excellence in Teaching by Graduate Students.  https://provost.upenn.edu/teaching-at-penn/penn-ta-prize

The admissions process for the MD-PhD program in Anthropology is coordinated through the MD-PhD office.  Admissions decisions are made jointly in an integrated process by the Anthropology Graduate Group, the MD-PhD Program, and the Medical School.  Initially, applicants must submit their application via AMCAS.  In addition to all materials in the AMCAS and Penn MD-PhD supplemental application, there is one additional essay which should be submitted directly to the MD-PhD office.  This is a personal statement which should address the factors that have encouraged you to seek an education from Penn Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, including any significant personal or professional experiences related to your program of study.  The essay should be no more than 1000 words or 6000 characters.   These materials will be used for the review process by the MD-PhD program and the Anthropology Graduate group. For general information about the program, please go to the website:  https://www.med.upenn.edu/mstp/ . For specific information about the Anthropology track, feel free to reach out to Adriana Petryna , Emily Ng , Deborah Thomas , or Maggie Krall (Director of Administration, Medical Scientist Training Program, Penn Med School); or the Anthropology Graduate Group Coordinator .

Current Students

Ankita Reddy

2nd Year MD/PhD 

What did I do before the MD-PhD?  

I studied Biology and Anthropology at MIT where I became interested in globally deployed medical technologies. I worked in a lab that developed rapid diagnostics for dengue, Zika, and chikungunya and had the opportunities to field test the devices in Latin America and Asia. In my junior year I worked with my team to create a spin-off startup, E25Bio, to further develop and deploy the diagnostics. I continued working as a research scientist and clinical liaison for E25Bio following graduation, and upon the emergence of COVID-19, we performed rapid bench-to-bedside work to develop rapid COVID tests and to obtain regulatory approval. I used my lab work and startup experience as an ethnographic entry point to understanding bench-to-bedside development in transnational settings. I also spent time during undergrad and my gap year exploring experiences of the South Asian diaspora in Boston through multimodal research methods, including movement, documentary, and installation, which have influenced current interests and methodologies.  

What's my anthropological project?  

While I am still very much in an exploratory phase of my graduate training, I am currently fascinated by the visual body of medicine. For instance, what does a medical professional look like? How is competence visually measured, and by whom? How do the ways that medical professionals see themselves (through various optics) affect medical practices and patient care? I recently interviewed and photographed second year medical students during the transition between didactic learning and clinical clerkships to understand how medical professionals who are in training visually perceive and present their body in the context of learning and practicing medicine.  As I train in this era of mask-wearing, telehealth, image-based social media, and digital directories, I am interested in exploring how visual interfaces are continually transforming in medicine.

What are my medical interests?

  I entered medical school particularly interested in infectious disease, and since beginning I have also become interested in psychiatry, dermatology, and family medicine. I look forward to exploring these fields in my clerkships and beyond! 

Want to get in touch?  Email me at   [email protected]

Nipun Kottage

2nd year MD/PhD 

What did I do before the MD-PhD? 

I graduated in 2019 from the University of Maryland with bachelor's degrees in Anthropology and Biochemistry. There, I studied the micro-politics of water infrastructure projects in Ghana and Nicaragua to understand how the relationships, procedures, and expectations within development projects influence the impact and sustainability of wells, pipes, and water towers. During that time, I volunteered as a project manager and was president of the University of Maryland Chapter of Engineers Without Borders. After completing my degree, I worked with the Capital Area Violence Intervention Program, a hospital-based wraparound social service program to support Black men who survive violence. Through dialogue with survivors, my research sought to explore the social and emotional terrain that shape experiences of injury and survivorship. 

What’s my anthropological project? 

I am interested in the operations of large institutions, such as hospital systems, and how they shape the lives of their employees and the environments in which they reside. I draw upon political ecology as well as anthropology of labor to understand how workers navigate the institutions in which they are embedded. How are the desires of institutions formed and acted upon? How are these desires negotiated and contested by the people who seek to make life among them? How are these politics nested within ecosystems of economy, policy, and politics that make societal projects - like the delivery of healthcare - possible?  

What are my medical interests? 

I am clinically interested in emergency medicine and internal medicine. I loved my time as a clerkship student at rural primary care sites, taking care of patients in the ICU step down unit, and in the emergency department. Through my practice, I seek to help create health system change to serve socially and medically vulnerable populations. 

Want to get in touch? 

Email me anytime at [email protected] ! 

Ross Perfetti 

4th year MD/PhD (MD-Harvard, PhD-Penn) 

What did I do before the MD-PhD?

I am from Pittsburgh and first moved to Philadelphia for college in 2012. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Modern Middle Eastern Studies and a minor in Chemistry. I received an MSc in Medical Anthropology at Durham University on a Thouron Fellowship. Upon return to the United States, I worked in qualitative health research in the department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at Penn Medicine. I am pursuing my medical training at Harvard Medical School and completed the first two years of my MD before coming to Penn Anthropology for my PhD. 

What’s my anthropological project?

I am interested in the experiences of ICU survivorship among hospitalized and critically-ill patients, their families, and their clinicians. In particular, I am interested in “Post-Intensive Care Syndrome” as a form of recognition of long-term consequences of critical care and the implications of this form of recognition for a growing number of ICU survivors. I do most of my research in an ICU in Philadelphia, but I also work with former ICU patients, clinicians, researchers, and other experts outside of this setting. I do historical research on medical innovation and policy changes that affect critical care practices today.   

After 6 months of rotations, I’m still undecided, but have early leanings toward psychiatry or neurology.  

Want to get in touch?  

Email me at  [email protected]  

Randy Burson

5th Year MD-PhD Candidate

Originally from New Mexico, I moved to the Philly area to attend Swarthmore College where I studied Biology and Anthropology. After undergrad, I completed a Fulbright Research Fellowship in Chile focused on intercultural mental health services. I also carried out research on clinical informed consent, patient-reported outcomes in the post-ICU setting, and Centers of Excellence models as a research assistant in the Social Science Lab in Perioperative Medicine (SSLiPM) in Penn’s Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care. 

Situated at the intersections between anthropology and health services research, my research focuses on how multiple forms of politics, science, and knowledge are operationalized in health systems, and how patients and providers navigate these systems in the US and Latin America. Currently, my project focuses on interactions between territorial struggles and cross-cultural healthcare for indigenous Mapuche patients in Southern Chile to investigate how human health, indigenous sovereignty, and environmental justice are inter-connected. Through ethnographic methods both in and beyond the clinic, my fieldwork seeks to understand how approaches to biomedical and indigenous Mapuche healing are addressing broader community, territorial, and environmental concerns.

What are my medical interests?   

I am clinically interested in emergency medicine, social medicine, and how social problems are addressed in and through healthcare. Ultimately, I’m interested in a clinical career that lets me continue to pursue fieldwork and teaching in both anthropology and medical education. 

Want to get in touch?

Let’s chat! Email me at  [email protected]  and follow me on twitter, @RandyBurson2.

Caroline Hodge

7th year MD/PhD (MD-UCSF, PhD-Penn) 

I earned my undergrad degree in religion from Princeton, where my thesis research focused on Christian responses to epidemic diseases, namely leprosy and HIV/AIDS across time. This research led me to a masters program in Medical Anthropology at Oxford, where I got a crash course in the discipline of anthropology and honed both my research interests and my desire to practice clinical medicine, not just study it anthropologically. Just before medical school, I worked in a lab studying the malignant progression of breast cancer and spent my spare time teaching sex education, a formative experience in terms of my current research interests. I'm unlike the rest of my cohort in that I'm split between two institutions: I started medical school at UCSF, and during the first year realized that I really wanted to pursue a PhD as well, which I'm lucky enough to be doing here at Penn. 

What's my anthropological project? 

My dissertation research centers around contraception, exploring how this commonplace technology exceeds its mandate as "birth control" in the American Midwest. Contraception, indeed, refers to a wide range of technologies (e.g., the Pill, the condom, natural family planning) that work on or in a diverse set of users to achieve a disparate set of goals (which may be pregnancy prevention, but also includes regulating heavy or painful periods, treating endometriosis or other gynecologic conditions, use as migraine prophylaxis, and more). Within this great diversity, I'm interested in understanding how people form, articulate, and enact contraceptive desires, how contraceptive technologies move in and through intimate relationships, and what the embodied experience of contraception is like in the Heartland, where matters of reproductive health form the center of a contentious and on-going policy debate. 

My clinical aspirations align with my research interests, and I think that I will either end up in obstetrics and gynecology, or in some branch of pediatrics (adolescent medicine, pediatric gynecology, neonatology) that allows me to continue thinking about reproductive health and working with women and girls as they plan and realize their families. I'd like a career that allows me to combine clinical work and research with teaching, and I'm especially committed to increasing the remit of the social sciences in medical education.

Email me at  [email protected] . 

Chuan Hao (Alex) Chen

7th year MD/PhD 

I studied architecture for five years at Cornell, drawing building plans and constructing models by day while taking basic science courses at night. I fell in love with medical anthropology in my last year of college and designed a "Hipster Hospital" - inspired by Foucault - for my thesis project. I then pursued a Master of Design Studies in Risk and Resilience at Harvard, conducting fieldwork with Emergency medical Technicians before coming to Penn.  

Building upon my Master's project, my dissertation examines how the building of preparedness infrastructures modulates and shapes the idea of safety in the wake of the Ebola crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has shaped the trajectory of fieldwork, which focuses specifically on the design of laboratory architecture and biocontainment technologies for emerging diseases. Combined with observations of pandemic response in the United States, my work examines how race and risk underscore the political and everyday life under emerging disease biocontainment. Whom does biocontainment and who is disavowed under contemporary racial capitalism are key questions that I probe through my dissertation project. 

Because I love the visual, I am deciding between the fields of radiology and pathology, though I am also thinking about psychiatry because of its historical relationship with cultural anthropology. My dissertation fieldwork with laboratory architects has given me insight into the people, systems and built environment that enable scientific progress, and I hope to incorporate systems thinking, quality improvement, and equity and justice work into my future career. 

Email me at  [email protected]

8th year MD/PhD

As an undergrad, I studied biology at Brown University, where I wrote my senior thesis in anthropology on HIV/AIDS stigma in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. I spent the following year in South Africa, where I worked as a medical assistant in Mthatha, a small city in the eastern cape, and conducted ethnographic research with evangelical HIV/AIDS activists in Khayalitsha, a peri-urban township on the outskirts of Cape Town. When I returned to the US, I worked as a math and science tutor in New York City for two years.

What's my anthropological project?

My project concerns the medical response to the opioid overdose crisis in the United States. Specifically, it focuses on private sector buprenorphine-based treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in rural Pennsylvania. I'm studying this addiction care in a county where buprenorphine remains a controversial medication for many stakeholders. Many residents perceive buprenorphine as a habit-forming substance akin to OxyContin or Percocet, rather than a legitimate longterm medication that reduces the risk of overdose and opioid-related morbidity. Local police have investigated and sanctioned a number of prescribers in the area for "selling prescriptions" for buprenorphine--likening these "rogue prescribers" to "drug dealers in white coats" who exploit vulnerable patients for profit. I am interested in how rural prescribers care for patients on a daily basis, while negotiating this fraught moral and legal terrain. At the same time, how are practices of "care" formally recognized--or found wanting--by law enforcement and medical authorities? And how is legitimate addiction care understood by rural OUD patients?

I am still undecided on this, but I'm interested in primary care, internal medicine, or possibly psychiatry.

Email me at  [email protected]

Dr. Sara Rendell  

Graduated MD/PhD Program 2022 

Prior to my time at Penn, I studied at Saint Louis University where I worked with four other students to create and formalize a neuroscience major and conducted three years of neuro-engineering research on peripheral nerve regeneration that led to my honors thesis on the topic. After graduating, I deferred coming to Penn to study state-subsidized maternal health care in Burkina Faso as the recipient of a Fulbright US Student Program Grant.

Dissertation:  My dissertation, titled Closeness through Distance: The Reformulation of Kinship and Racialized Punishment in U.S. Immigration, combined intimate and institutional ethnography with historical documentary research. It focused on how transnational kinship is intimately remade through racialized immigration policies that dictate which kinship relations matter, and how. During the fieldwork on which this dissertation is based, I worked with pro-bono legal aid organizations serving people detained and in deportation proceedings in prisons, jails and courtrooms in the Midwest and South of the US. I observed and documented the direct and collateral harms of hazardous administrative legal outcomes (including eviction, deportation, loss of benefits, and separation of kin) among racialized, low-income families. I am currently transforming the dissertation into a book project, as I continue to explore how kinship is incorporated to justify, execute, or extend harms and how kin create and sustain closeness under migration duress.

Current projects:

I am in residency training in Internal Medicine in the Physician Scientist Pathway at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. I currently collaborate on projects aiming to address structural determinants of health through medical-legal infrastructures. This work spans from health infrastructures that directly influence care for people living with HIV to administrative legal transformations at the state level that affect the everyday lives of people and their kin.

My next project builds from these insights to explore medical-legal partnership as method and as analytic into the ways in which legal infrastructures shape the lives and health of subjects.

Future plans:

After completion of residency and fellowship, I hope to combine research, advocacy and patient care within a faculty position in social medicine.I aim to collaborate across disciplines to address structural determinants of inequities in infectious diseases, including administrative legal harms that threaten social ties and aggravate social isolation.   

Email me at [email protected] .

Dr. Joshua Franklin

Graduated MD/PhD Program 2021

I attended Princeton, and although I started as a math major, I switched in my sophomore year to anthropology with a certificate in Portuguese. I traveled to Porto Alegre, Brazil over two summers to conduct ethnographic fieldwork at a gender identity clinic where transgender patients had used right-to-health litigation to secure access to publicly-funded gender affirming care. This work formed the basis of my senior thesis, and after graduation, I returned to conduct an additional 9 months of fieldwork with a Fulbright US Student Program Grant. While an undergraduate, I was also trained as an EMT and worked as a volunteer for the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad. 

Dissertation:  My dissertation,  Following the Child's Lead: Care and Transformation in a Pediatric Gender Clinic , focused on the impact of gender affirming care for transgender children and their families. Based on fieldwork I conducted at a pediatric gender clinic with patients, clinicians, and their families, my work argues that following the child's lead is at the heart of pediatric transgender medicine, and I examine the social and historical context of this child-centered approach as well as its limits. I also have worked as an ethnographer in clinical and public health research on transgender health and HIV prevention and treatment in Philadelphia, and my dissertation draws on these experiences to examine the race- and class-based inequalities in access to trans health resources. 

What's my current anthropological project?

I am in my first year of psychiatry residency at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. I am working on a book-length manuscript based on my dissertation. I am exploring new projects focused on the medicalization of childhood in psychiatry. I am also working on several writing projects on narratives of wellness and burnout, as well as the emergence of the social sciences and humanities as objects of optimism for medicine and medical science.

I hope to pursue training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and continue my ethnographic work at the intersection of childhood, medicine, and identity.

Email me at  [email protected]

Dr. Lee Young

Graduated MD/PhD Program 2021 

What did I do before this?

I completed undergraduate studies at the University of Louisville where I majored in Anthropology and minored in Russian Language and Cultural Studies. I worked in a molecular anthropology laboratory for several semesters and spent most of my summers studying in Russia. After graduation, I conducted a one-year ethnographic study of drug addiction treatment modalities in Kazan, Russia as a Fulbright Scholar.

Dissertation:  My dissertation, entitled  Impossible Terrain: An Ethnography of Policing in Atlantic City, NJ , explores racial geographies of Atlantic City and their constitutions through situated analyses of police practice. It mobilizes the analytic of racial capitalism, linking changing forms of urban governance to critical genealogies of policing and liberal governance.

What's my current anthropological project? 

I am in my first year of internal medicine residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. 

Email me at  [email protected]

Dr. Michelle Munyikwa  

I studied at the College of William and Mary, where I self-designed an interdisciplinary major in biochemistry & molecular biology and double-majored in anthropology. There, I developed a curiosity about the potential of translational research and wanted to work at the interface of cancer biology and clinical medicine, leading to my application to medical school. After working at Merck Research Laboratories, however, I learned I was most interested in the social, political, and economic worlds of medicine and scientific research, and I’ve been an anthropologist ever since.

Dissertation:  My dissertation, titled Up from the Dirt: Racializing Refuge, Rupture, and Repair in Philadelphia , was an ethnographic and archival exploration of forced migration to Philadelphia. That work examined how humanitarian practices of care for refugees and asylum seekers in the city are shaped by the local contexts of Philadelphia, both past and present. I am currently working on transforming that dissertation into a book project.

What's my current anthropological project?  

I am in m first year of internal medicine-pediatrics residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania. I am beginning work on two projects inspired by questions that arose in my dissertation. My first project, drawing upon my interests in the politics and practices of knowledge creation, examines how new epigenetic research on the embodiment of trauma is transforming contemporary understandings of disease inheritance and transmission for researchers, practitioners, and patients alike. The second is a personal project, an oral history centered around my maternal grandfather, who was a political prisoner during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle; this work engages themes around asylum, justice, and freedom that arose in my dissertation research. 

Future plans?  

After completion of residency, I hope to pursue a faculty position with a dual appointment in anthropology and clinical practice. My goal is to merge my interests in education, research, and clinical practice towards work that meaningfully advocates for and with marginalized communities.

Want to get in touch?  Email me at  [email protected] . 

Utpal Sandesara

Graduated MD/PhD Program 2019

Dissertation:  My dissertation examined sex-selective abortion in one district of western India's Gujarat state. Although the practice has been illegal in India since 1994 (and the focus of extensive government public health campaigns since the mid-2000s), it continues to drastically skew the child population in many parts of the country - to the extent that Mahesana City, where my research centered, had approximately 760 girls for every 1,000 boys in the last census. Over 18 months of fieldwork from 2012 to 2015, I explored sex selection as a lived experience. In addition to observing hundreds of clinical visits, I conducted in-depth interviews with nearly 50 doctors and black market brokers, over 100 pregnant women and their families, and dozens of government officials charged with curbing sex selection. The resulting dissertation argues for understanding sex selection as a morally complex act of care embedded in broader contexts of familial and medical care. It uses this argument as a starting point for thinking about how we might come up with better representations of and interventions on an obviously problematic phenomenon.

Current Projects:

I am completing an Internal Medicine residency training program at UCLA (more specifically, the Olive View-based Primary Care track). During residency, I am revising my dissertation into a book-length manuscript titled  She Is Not Ours: Understanding Sex Selection in Western India . I am also undertaking autoethnographic fieldwork on the experience of residency training with the aim of producing a text that combines personal reflection, social scientific theory, and literary forms of writing to offer future health professionals a unique perspective on the practice of medicine (and initiation into it).

Future Plans: 

After residency, I intend to practice general internal medicine (primary care or hospitalist) with structurally vulnerable populations while continuing to conduct research and teach. More specifically, I hope to use my combined training in medicine and anthropology in order to write for social scientific, clinical, and lay audiences, and to foster in health professions students curiosity and passion for the social side of medical care.

Email me at  [email protected]

Nick Iacobelli

Graduated MD/PhD Program 2018

Dissertation:  My dissertation was about the right to healthcare ostensibly granted to prison inmates in the United States under the Eighth Amendment, which protects against cruel and unusual punishment. Through historical analysis, legal scholarship, critical theory, and participant-observation data from 18 months of fieldwork in the medical unit of a men's maximum-security prison in Pennsylvania, I examined what this right looks like in practice and the kinds of care it fosters behind prison walls. I worked to understand how the institutional logics of the prison, the law, and medicine abut interpersonal desires for care, compassion, and recognition.  Even though the Eighth Amendment primarily exists as a mandate not to inflict too much harm, it also creates the conditions for which inmates come to rely on the state for life-saving and life-sustaining services, perpetuating historical forms of racial subjugation through care and containment in the process.

Current Projects : I am completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Washington and am currently a clinical instructor of medicine at the University's Division of General Internal Medicine. I am working to publish the findings of my dissertation as a book-length manuscript titled  Wards of the State: Care and Custody in a Pennsylvania Prison  with the University of California Press Public Anthropology Series. I'm also working locally in Seattle to develop a research project that investigates the role of medical-legal partnerships and their impact on the lives of those experiencing comorbid homelessness and drug addiction. I'm looking to continue my focus on the intersections of law, medicine, and other forms of institutional power on personal trajectories to see how they shape the struggle to avoid incarceration while seeking access to housing and treatment.

Future Plans:  I want to continue research and teaching in anthropology while providing medical care to structurally vulnerable populations as a general internist.

Want to get in touch?  Email me at [email protected]

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The graduate program in Social Anthropology focuses on issues of globalism, ethnic politics, gender studies, “new” nationalisms, diaspora formation, transnationalism and local experience, medical anthropology, linguistic and semiotic anthropology, and media. Our mission is to develop new methodologies for an anthropology that tracks cultural developments in a global economy increasingly defined by the Internet and related technologies. Our graduate students (drawn from over 30 countries) expect to work in the worlds of academe, government, NGOs, law, medicine, and business.  

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Congratulations to Kathrina Aben on graduating with her Ph.D. in Anthropology, Historical Archcaeology!

Today we are spotlighting spring 2024 graduate Kathrina Aben! Aben is graduating with a Ph.D. in Anthropology, Historical Archaeology.

Read below to learn about her dissertation research, some favorite anthropology classes, and what she is up to in her career!

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Average Dissertation Length

Table of Contents

Dissertation can be influenced by many things, which one of them is the length of the work. Writing dissertation is the way to show your expertise on a certain subject, but it should maintain some courtesies in order to present them in front of a dissertation committee. The length factor could be a great impact while evaluating dissertations. So one should be careful about the length and have a fair idea what be an average length of a dissertation.

Dissertation is also identified from the term thesis which is considered as the document that is submitted in all the universities to support the candidate or the student to achieve their professional qualification or academic degree. The students select a topic and identify the relevant journal articles that will assist them in completing their dissertation by seeking guidance from the author’s finding and research. The average dissertation length is the major concern of any student who have to complete their professional or academic dissertation. It is assumed that dissertation is influenced by various factors like dissertation length or how long is the dissertation.

The student who is writing dissertation has to focus on all the factors and make sure that they present an excellent dissertation, which will symbolize their complete academic career. The average length of a dissertation is the primary factor that should be managed by the student effectively as every dissertation has an average dissertation word count and the student must stick to that word count limit with each average dissertation page length.

Plan Your Work

When you make mind to start the writing, make sure that you get a hands on a plan that you would be following in the coming months. In that way, you can get a clear picture of the entire plot, and you can estimate the total number of pages and the length approximately. If you think it is still short what you have recommended, try to do more research and reading in a way to meet your proposals. Writing less can lead you to rejection at the same time, writing more can be a mistake too. So you have to particular about the average length of a dissertation.

Before writing the dissertation the student should make sure that the dissertation is planned and the average length of dissertation proposal is made by the student initially that will help the student to understand if the dissertation work is in right direction or not. They should be clarify if they have any doubt with the dissertation work like how long should a dissertation be or how many words are required to complete the dissertation. A proper dissertation plan requires the student to invest huge amount of time as an excellent dissertation will help them to successfully complete their academic course.

The student should plan that how any words are exactly required to cover the entire plot and approximately how many pages will be covered in the dissertation. The entire dissertation will have different subtopics under the actual topics that will help the student to briefly explain the topic and focus on each individual sub-topic. The student will make sure that they have estimated the minimum dissertation length and have also identified how much words the sub-topics will cover.

The dissertation introduction length, the dissertation conclusion length and the dissertation abstract length should be identified and noted down by the student. If the student feel that the average dissertation length is short and not meeting the criteria the student will update the average dissertation length and design their work in such a way that it will meet the requirement or criteria of writing an excellent dissertation. The student should be aware of the fact that short dissertation length will lead to deduction of their marks or the dissertation might get rejected and thee student has to again work hard to receive approval for another dissertation title and start the plan all over gain.

Hence, it is very crucial that the student pay a close attention to the minimum dissertation length and average dissertation page length that will fetch them best result for their successful academic completion of course.

The Average Length Of Dissertation

The student should always be aware of their quality of work other than focusing on their average dissertation page length. The average length of the dissertation will depend on what content or matter is written or included by the student in completing the dissertation. The student should make sure that their mathematical, bio statistical and economical portion should not cover huge amount of pages as the standard length of page for these topics are very less.

The topics such as history, political science and anthropology cover huge number of pages and increases the average dissertation length, therefore, the students should accordingly plan their dissertation and identify that roughly how many pages are required for each individual topic that will further assist the student in identifying how long their dissertation will be and how much will be the final dissertation length. There is no such rule that the average dissertation introduction or average dissertation conclusion should be covered in any specific word limit, it entirely depends on the writer who is writing the research work and the content that is included by the writer with clarity, which will be helpful for fetching them high marks as the evaluator will understand the voice of the writer in a better way that will loud and clear through their writing.

The average dissertation length varies in the range of 30-40 pages to 200-300 page, depending on what is the average dissertation length and the topic that is selected by the student to complete their dissertation. Different universities have their recommendation list that is made particularly for the students, to follow, so that the students can complete the dissertation be following the standard format and standard average dissertation length with minimum chances of rejection. The student have to compulsively follow the guidelines under the recommendation list and pay highest attention to fulfil the average dissertation length criteria so that the evaluator, who is evaluating the dissertation should not find any scope of rejecting the work.

In case the student is facing any difficulty or trouble to actively finish their dissertation, the student can browse and seek help from MyAssignmentHelp.com, where the highly skilled experts will guide the students to complete their dissertation on time and with perfection and assist them in fetching highest academic score. MyAssignmentHelp.com will deliver best quality of work to the student by competing their dissertation and follows each and every instruction clearly. A complete dissertation example is also present online on MyAssignmentHelp.com that will help the student to identify how their dissertation will be written and how different universities and colleges will promote the student based on the solution provided by the MyAssignmentHelp.com.

Therefore, it is very crucial to note that average length of a dissertation and the content that is included in the dissertation is very important in completing the dissertation with best quality of work that will meet the requirement or criteria of writing an excellent dissertation for academic success.

Best Dissertation Topics Offered By Myassignmenthelp.Com

One should not be worried about the number of pages but the quality of content. The length varies depending on what subject you are working on, mainly economics, mathematics, and biostatistics presents lowest page lengths, whereas anthropology, history, and political science had the highest average page lengths. There is no rule in deciding the length of a dissertation; it relies on your research work and clarity of your stand, and through the writing the voice should be clear and loud. Keep that in mind that you don’t repeat ideas over and again, this will stretch the length of your writing. The length varies from 30-40 pages to 200-300 pages. Do refer to the recommendation list of university.

If you need more advice on length of a dissertation,  MyAssignmentHelp.com  provides quality  dissertation writing help , do not forget to go through good  dissertation examples online , by our many students from various colleges and universities have believed in MyAssignmentHelp.com.

Hi, I am Mark, a Literature writer by profession. Fueled by a lifelong passion for Literature, story, and creative expression, I went on to get a PhD in creative writing. Over all these years, my passion has helped me manage a publication of my write ups in prominent websites and e-magazines. I have also been working part-time as a writing expert for myassignmenthelp.com for 5+ years now. It’s fun to guide students on academic write ups and bag those top grades like a pro. Apart from my professional life, I am a big-time foodie and travel enthusiast in my personal life. So, when I am not working, I am probably travelling places to try regional delicacies and sharing my experiences with people through my blog. 

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Ph.D. Student Georgia Burcher Successfully Defends Her Dissertation

Congratulations to Dr. Georgia Butcher who successfully defended her cultural anthropology dissertation “In the Eye of the Reaper: Drone Pilots, Remote War, and Resistance in the United States.” She had the unanimous support of her committee – advisor Alison Cool, and committee members Lorraine Bayard de Volo, Donna Goldstein, Carla Jones, and Carole McGranahan.