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    Nov 25, 2024  
American University Catalog 2021-2022 
    
American University Catalog 2021-2022 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Anthropology (PhD)


Offered by the Department of Anthropology , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program


Applicants must meet the minimum university requirements for admission to graduate study. Admission is based on academic record, three academic letters of reference, and an example of the applicant’s work, e.g., a term paper. GRE scores should be sent directly to the Department of Anthropology .

Degree Requirements


  • 36-54 credit hours of approved graduate work, exclusive of ANTH-898 Doctoral Continuing Enrollment (1-9) /ANTH-899 Doctoral Dissertation (9) 
    • Students entering the program directly from a bachelor’s degree must complete 54 credit hours of graduate work, exclusive of ANTH-898 /ANTH-899  
    • Students entering the program with a MA degree in anthropology or equivalent credit hours must complete 36 credit hours of graduate work, exclusive of ANTH-898 /ANTH-899  
    • Students entering the program with a MA degree in a field other than anthropology or equivalent credit hours must complete 36-54 credit hours of graduate work, exclusive of ANTH-898 /ANTH-899 . During their first semester in the PhD program, these students meet with their advisors to determine the relevance of previous work to their Proposed Program of Study. The student’s Program of Study, with a justification for the proposed number of required hours of graduate work, must be approved by the graduate program director, and must include the number of credit hours of graduate work required
    • No more than 12 credit hours earned in a graduate certificate program may be transferred toward the PhD in Anthropology program
  • Concentrations: Cultural/Social Anthropology or Archaeology
  • Continuous enrollment in each fall and spring semester until completion of degree requirements
  • Dissertation and oral defense
  • Fieldwork is a component of dissertation research
  • Three comprehensive examinations

Course Requirements


Dissertation Workshop (3 credit hours)


Note: Students take ANTH-897 Dissertation Preparation Workshop (1-9)  during the last semester of coursework. 

Additional (15-33 credit hours)


Complete 15-33 credit hours from the following if not taken to fulfill Methods, chosen in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor:

Note: The total number of credit hours required depends on the student’s approved Program of Study. Customarily, students receive credit for no more than 6 credit hours of ANTH-691 Internship in Anthropology (1-6) . Students may receive credit for no more than 9 credit hours of ANTH-690 Independent Study Project in Anthropology (1-6) .

Dissertation