Program Requirements

The Department offers programs of study leading to a Master of Arts (MA) degree, with a thesis option or a non-thesis option and to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Master’s of Arts program

The Themes which frame the MA program are 1) Inequality, Culture and Health; 2) Evolution and Ecology; 3) Indigenous Peoples. All entering MA students follow a common program. Approval to select the thesis option is given before the beginning of a student’s second year of study and is based on satisfactory progress in developing a thesis proposal. Permission to enter the thesis option is granted only if that thesis proposal, approved by the student’s supervisory committee, is on file with the department’s Graduate Adviser by August 31st following entry into the program. Students who do not file a proposal will continue in the non-thesis option.

Each program option requires 15.0 units.

Master’s - Thesis Option

This option exposes students not only to the subdisciplines of Anthropology but allows them to initiate and perform a major, independent research project leading to a thesis. The thesis option is a qualitatively different learning experience from the non-thesis option, and what the students may miss in breadth of knowledge they make up for in depth of research and in the responsibility they take to see a large project through to completion.

This option requires at least 9 units of course work and a 6-unit thesis.

Course Requirements

Core Courses

and three elective units to be taken from within or outside the department with the permission of the student’s supervisor. Core seminars offered each year but not taken by the student as part of their core course requirement may count as an internal elective. Other internal electives are listed in the Calendar under Selected Topics courses and Directed Studies. Upper-level undergraduate courses may count toward these elective units.

Core and elective courses contribute 9 units toward the 15-unit minimum requirement for the thesis option.

Students may choose additional courses in their program from the departmental listings of graduate courses and from courses outside the department. Students may take a maximum of 3.0 units of upper-level undergraduate courses.

Students register in ANTH 597: Thesis Proposal Development after all required courses have been completed, or during the summer session, and while working on thesis proposal preparation.

The thesis proposal must be approved by the student’s committee before September 30th of the second year of the MA program. Once the thesis proposal has been approved, students register in ANTH 599: Thesis.

1. To be taken with the student’s supervisor; or, with permission of the supervisor, an equivalent course internal or external to the department.

Thesis

The thesis proposal and thesis are prepared under the direction of the supervisory committee. The committee normally consists of 3 members: a supervisor, another member of the Anthropology department, and an “outside member” from another department. All of these must be members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. It is also possible, on the approval of the supervisor and the Faculty of Graduate Studies, to have additional members, for example, from other institutions, governments, etc.

The thesis, carrying 6 units of credit, must meet the stylistic requirements of the department and must be submitted according to a time schedule set by the department. Normally a thesis will entail specialized research on a topical area chosen in consultation with the student’s supervisory committee.

Oral Examination

Once the thesis is judged ready to defend by the supervisory committee, then an application is made for an oral defense. There are deadlines set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies for the timing of this defense - if these are not met then the student’s graduation may be delayed. The supervisor will recommend an appropriate external examiner. This member of the examining committee comes from another department or institution, normally has no input in the creation of the thesis, and, as an arms-length knowledgeable member, is given the leading role in examining the candidate. Subsequently, the committee can choose between various options ranging from acceptance of the thesis and pass of the oral defense through various degrees of revisions to the very rare instance of outright failure. The oral examination is chaired by a neutral faculty member from a separate department, appointed directly by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Program Length

Most students require 2 to 2 1/2 years to complete the program.

Master’s Non-Thesis Option

This stream emphasizes the breadth of Anthropology as an inherently multidisciplinary pursuit. Students will come away with exposure to all subdisciplines of Anthropology, as well as related fields. Through this broad approach, made manifest through numerous graduate seminars, directed reading courses, and research papers, students will be well equipped to argue diverse points of view on complex subjects and will have practiced a diversity of research and writing skills.

This program option involves 15 units of course work plus a comprehensive examination.

Course Requirements

Core Courses

1. To be taken with the student’s supervisor; or, with permission of the supervisor, an equivalent course internal or external to the department.

Additional Courses

and 4.5 units of elective course work (that may be taken internally or externally to department offerings). Students may take a maximum of 3.0 units of upper-level undergraduate courses.

After all required courses have been completed, or during the summer session, and before the final examination, students will register in ANTH 598: Comprehensive Examinations.

Final Examination

A comprehensive exam is to be completed during the final term of registration in the degree program after all required course work is completed. The comprehensive examination will consist of three written questions set by the student’s supervisory committee with one question each from the sub-disciplines of cultural anthropology, biological anthropology and archaeology. Each of these questions will be answered with a 2500-word essay. This comprehensive examination is graded on a pass/fail basis by a supervisory committee including a member from each of the sub-disciplines.

Program Length

Most students require 2 to 2 1/2 years to complete the program.

PhD Program

The themes which frame the PhD program are: 1) Inequality, Culture, Health; 2) Evolution and Ecology; and 3) Indigenous Peoples. Students entering the program must take 30 units of graduate credit for the PhD in accordance with the following program.

Course Requirements

All PhD students are required to complete four 1.5 unit graduate courses during their first two years in the program. The courses will include ANTH 600 (Professional Development in Anthropology), one specialized directed study (ANTH 690A, 690B, 690C, 690D or 690E), one advanced research seminar (ANTH 611, 641 or 651), and one course that satisfies the Breadth of Knowledge requirement (course in a theme other than the one in which they have chosen to specialize, or in another academic discipline).

In addition, students are also required to register and participate in the Graduate Colloquium in both fall and spring semesters of their two years of residency (1.0 unit total). Depending on the coursework completed during his/her MA program, a student may be required to complete ANTH 500, the department’s MA-level method and theory course.

Students must achieve at least B+ in required courses and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 7.0.

Summary of Requirements

Candidacy Examination

The student, in consultation with their PhD committee will craft three important original comprehensive examination questions related to their research area, and answer those questions in written format, drawing upon literature covered in PhD coursework and readings from their research area. These three comprehensive papers will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis by the PhD committee. If one paper is deemed unsatisfactory, the student may revise the paper. If more than one paper is deemed unsatisfactory, the student will not advance to candidacy.

Language Requirement

Will be met through the completion of relevant courses in the target language, or demonstration of competence in communication in the target language, verified by the student’s supervisor or supervisory committee, and based on a translation exercise.

Dissertation

The dissertation research proposal will be defended orally and separately from the candidacy examination requirement. Students will make a presentation on their proposal topic and answer questions posed by the examining committee on theory, method, and significance of the proposed research. The oral defense will also be evaluated on a pass/fail basis by the examining committee. After passing the oral defense, a student may proceed to the dissertation. All students are required to prepare, submit and defend a dissertation worth 20 units.