Anthropology PhD Requirements (See Course Catalog)

**M.A. GUIDELINES Requirements Current Course Catalog

The Master of Arts degree signifies an important step in a student’s scholarly development. The requirements for a Master of Arts degree in anthropology at Syracuse University emphasize comprehensive understanding of anthropology and the articulation of its various sub-fields. The department feels this is the core strength of their discipline. Coursework and qualifying examinations reflect the department’s intent to expose students to the breadth of anthropology prior to engaging in more narrowly defined scholarly studies and doctoral research topics.

**The department of anthropology admits applicants for graduate study at the MA and Ph.D. levels. Ensure that you check the proper box on your application.  In addition, note that the department does not ordinarily provide financial assistance for those pursuing the MA degree.

Core courses: 30 graduate credits that include at least five core courses, including a two-course sequence within their subdiscipline, (ANT 611-ANT 711 for cultural students; ANT 641-ANT 741 for archaeology students) and at least three core courses in other subdisciplines. 

The core courses are:

• ANT 611 - History of Anthropological Theory 3 credit(s)

• ANT 631 - Method and Theory in Biological Anthropology 3 credit(s)

• ANT 641 - Anthropological Archaeology 3 credit(s)

• ANT 672 - Language, Culture, and Society 3 credit(s)

• ANT 711 - Current Anthropological Theory 3 credit(s)

• ANT 741 - Archaeological Theory 3 credit(s)

Students are expected to complete core courses and qualifying examinations within the first two years in residence.

Qualifying Examination: Successful completion of a qualifying examination in their subdiscipline: the History of Anthropological Theory and Ethnology for cultural students and Archaeological Method and Theory for archaeology students.

Writing Requirement: Students who do not continue beyond the master’s level are required to submit a master’s paper, which is a significant piece of work on a subject of the student’s choosing, and approved by the advisor. Minimally, it should demonstrate original thinking and knowledge of the literature on a given area, topic, or issue. See “Position Papers” below for the writing requirements leading to a doctoral degree.

Tools and Methods requirement: 

Cultural students choose:

• ANT 681 - Ethnographic Techniques 3 credit(s)

Archaeology students choose one of the following:

• ANT 642 - Methods in Archaeology 3 credit(s) or

• ANT 644 - Laboratory Analysis in Archaeology 3 credit(s)

Archaeological Field training or Field program:

• Archaeology students must also fulfill a field training course (ANT 643 - Advanced Field Methods in Archaeology 6 credits(s)) or complete an accredited archaeological field program

Advisor and master’s committee: Students are expected to select an advisor by December 15th of their second term in residence. (the graduate director serves as advisor until one is selected)

PH.D. GUIDELINES Requirements Current Course Catalog

It is the objective of the anthropology department to produce doctors of philosophy of the highest quality. The Ph.D. requirements build upon the educational training and background gained through the completion of master’s requirements. Ph.D. students are expected to demonstrate outstanding quality in coursework. They must demonstrate that they are qualified to carry out a significant body of anthropological research. Once their proposal has been approved by their committee, they are expected to carry out the project and write a dissertation based on this research.

Basic Requirements: 72 graduate credits (past B.A.) as follows:

• Minimum of 33 credits in anthropology

• Maximum of 27 credits in cognate fields

• Maximum of 12 "dissertation" credits

• Completion of core courses (see master’s requirements)

• A Ph.D. pass on qualifying examinations (See MA requirements) Exemptions may be granted on the basis of previous work. (Petition to the graduate director is required)

Tools and methods requirement: Cultural students must satisfy the tools and methods requirements for the MA plus show proficiency in a language of international scholarship, a literary language, or a field language. Archaeology students must satisfy the tools and methods requirements for the MA plus a relevant language of international scholarship, a literary language, a field language, or managing electronic databases and other computer programs for data processing.

Dissertation committee: The Ph.D. student is responsible for forming a committee that will guide and preside over the doctoral dissertation. The committee is composed of five members, including the student's principal advisor plus at least two other faculty members from the Syracuse University Department of Anthropology. The other two may be from any department (interdisciplinary training is encourage). At the discretion of the advisor, one member of the committee may be chose who has no affiliation with Syracuse University.

Position papers: Doctoral students are required to write three position papers that will demonstrate competence in a) the geographical area and focal context of specialization, b) the topic of specialization (local and cross-cultural perspectives on a specific research topic), and c) a specific research problem. They must all be completed and approved before a formal research proposal may be defended.

Dissertation proposal and proposal defense: Each student must submit a dissertation proposal to his or her committee and successfully defend it during an oral examination.

Dissertation and dissertation defense: The dissertation is an original and substantial written report on one's doctoral research. Completed dissertations are subject to a formal dissertation defense.