anthropology graduate phd programs

Anthropology Graduate Programs in America

1-25 of 175 results

Stanford University Department of Humanities and Sciences

• Stanford, CA ·
• Stanford University ·
• Graduate School

Stanford University, Graduate School, STANFORD, CA.

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

• New Haven, CT ·
• Yale University ·
• · Rating 4.5 out of 5   2 reviews

Yale University, Graduate School, NEW HAVEN, CT. 2 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The resources at Yale are outstanding. While some of the required courses are slow-moving and less informative, I do have more academic freedom in my second year to the program to take classes that I... Read 2 reviews.

Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

• Cambridge, MA ·
• Harvard University ·
• · Rating 4.56 out of 5   9 reviews

Harvard University, Graduate School, CAMBRIDGE, MA. 9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.6 stars. Featured Review: Other says I am Harvard Extension School student pursuing a master degree, ALM, in sustainability. I have achieved a 3.89 in this program so far and have qualified, applied, and accepted as a 'Special Student'... Read 9 reviews.

College of Arts and Sciences - American University

• American University ·
• Graduate School ·
• WASHINGTON, DC
• · Rating 3.67 out of 5   3

Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

• University of Pittsburgh ·
• PITTSBURGH, PA

North Dakota State University Graduate School

• · Rating 4.56 out of 5   18

Princeton University

• Princeton, NJ ·
• · Rating 4 out of 5   4 reviews

Graduate School, PRINCETON, NJ. 4 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The best part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the excellent faculty that teach the courses. They are incredibly knowledgeable and also very willing to help... Read 4 reviews.

The Graduate School at Duke

• Durham, NC ·
• Duke University ·
• · Rating 4.8 out of 5   5 reviews

Duke University, Graduate School, DURHAM, NC. 5 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars. Featured Review: Current Master's student says The program is the best in the nation. It is the origin of the profession and it has helped developed it to what it is today. They seem to ver much involve alumni and are involved in your future. Read 5 reviews.

Brown University Graduate School

• Providence, RI ·
• Brown University ·
• · Rating 5 out of 5   4 reviews

Brown University, Graduate School, PROVIDENCE, RI. 4 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says This is my first semester in the biotechnology program. The program manager is helpful and commutative. I have found a great lab match for my research interests. My classes are interesting. I have... Read 4 reviews.

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School of Arts & Sciences - University of Pennsylvania

• Philadelphia, PA ·
• University of Pennsylvania ·

University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

Rice School of Social Sciences

• Houston, TX ·
• Rice University ·

Blue checkmark. Rice University, Graduate School, HOUSTON, TX.

Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

• Evanston, IL ·
• Northwestern University ·

Northwestern University, Graduate School, EVANSTON, IL.

College of Arts and Science

• Nashville, TN ·
• Vanderbilt University ·

Vanderbilt University, Graduate School, NASHVILLE, TN.

Washington University in St. Louis - Arts & Sciences

• St. Louis, MO ·
• Washington University in St. Louis ·

Washington University in St. Louis, Graduate School, ST. LOUIS, MO.

College of Arts and Letters - University of Notre Dame

• Notre Dame, IN ·
• University of Notre Dame ·

University of Notre Dame, Graduate School, NOTRE DAME, IN. 2 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars. Featured Review: Doctoral Student says The faculty at Notre Dame is excellent. The student to professor ratio makes for a wonderful one to one interaction between students and teachers. At Notre Dame, my interests, dreams, goals, research... Read 2 reviews.

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Social Sciences Division - University of Chicago

• Chicago, IL ·
• University of Chicago ·
• · Rating 3.75 out of 5   4 reviews

University of Chicago, Graduate School, CHICAGO, IL. 4 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The University of Chicago offers many clubs you can attend. Do to COIVD most of the clubs meet online and some in person one day out of the week. There's boxing, archery, fencing, and one of my... Read 4 reviews.

Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

• Los Angeles, CA ·
• University of Southern California ·

University of Southern California, Graduate School, LOS ANGELES, CA.

Cornell University College of Arts & Sciences

• Ithaca, NY ·
• Cornell University ·

Cornell University, Graduate School, ITHACA, NY.

Rackham School of Graduate Studies

• Ann Arbor, MI ·
• University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ·
• · Rating 4.86 out of 5   7 reviews

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Graduate School, ANN ARBOR, MI. 7 Niche users give it an average review of 4.9 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The Landscape Architecture program at UMich School for Environment and Sustainability is rooted in advancing sustainable design and ecological function, rather than pure aesthetics. We have some... Read 7 reviews.

UCLA College of Letters and Science

• University of California - Los Angeles ·
• · Rating 3 out of 5   1 review

University of California - Los Angeles, Graduate School, LOS ANGELES, CA. 1 Niche users give it an average review of 3 stars. Read 1 reviews.

Krieger School of Arts & Sciences

• Baltimore, MD ·
• Johns Hopkins University ·
• · Rating 4.52 out of 5   21 reviews

Johns Hopkins University, Graduate School, BALTIMORE, MD. 21 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says Starting this fall, my graduate journey is set to begin on an exciting note. I’ve already connected with two professors who have proven to be incredibly supportive and kind. I can't wait to dive into... Read 21 reviews.

The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - University of Virginia

• Charlottesville, VA ·
• University of Virginia ·
• · Rating 4 out of 5   1 review

University of Virginia, Graduate School, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. 1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Alum says Very good in some areas, excellent in other areas, many academic choices available in all areas of study Read 1 reviews.

Laney Graduate School

• Atlanta, GA ·
• Emory University ·
• · Rating 5 out of 5   2 reviews

Emory University, Graduate School, ATLANTA, GA. 2 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says I chose the graduate programs at Emory because they are ranked among the best in the country. The school of nursing also provides the clinical experiences, something many of the online only nurse... Read 2 reviews.

UC Berkeley College of Letters & Science

• Berkeley, CA ·
• University of California - Berkeley ·

Blue checkmark. University of California - Berkeley, Graduate School, BERKELEY, CA.

College of Arts & Sciences - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Chapel Hill, NC ·
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ·

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Graduate School, CHAPEL HILL, NC.

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - New York University

• New York, NY ·
• New York University ·
• · Rating 4.8 out of 5   10 reviews

Blue checkmark. New York University, Graduate School, NEW YORK, NY. 10 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says I am enrolled specifically in the Magazine concentration. My professors have all been helpful with helping me succeed and are willing to stay back to go over something I don't understand. There are... Read 10 reviews.

College of Liberal Arts - University of Texas - Austin

• Austin, TX ·
• University of Texas - Austin ·

University of Texas - Austin, Graduate School, AUSTIN, TX.

Wesleyan University

• Middletown, CT ·
• · Rating 4 out of 5   3 reviews

Graduate School, MIDDLETOWN, CT. 3 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Graduate Student says I attended as a graduate student and my son is there now. I have never met professors who were more passionate about their profession. I loved every one of my classes and was so inspired. My son is... Read 3 reviews.

College of Arts & Sciences - North Dakota State University

• North Dakota State University Graduate School ·

University of Pittsburgh

• · Rating 4.46 out of 5   81

American University

• · Rating 4.51 out of 5   163

Showing results 1 through 25 of 175

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.

Graduate Program

The Anthropology graduate program provides students with excellent training in theory and methods, enabling them to pursue an advanced graduate degree in many subfields of Anthropology, including archaeology, ecology, environmental anthropology, evolution, linguistic, medical anthropology, political economy, science and technology, and sociocultural anthropology.

The doctoral program prepares students 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.  Eligible PhD students from other disciplines at Stanford University may also pursue a PhD Minor in Anthropology. See PhD Program Flyer for more information.

The department offers a Coterminal MA degree in Anthropology for current Stanford undergraduates seeking to obtain a MA degree while completing their BA degree in the same or different department. The department also offers a Terminal MA degree in Anthropology for Stanford graduate students, either in anthropology or in other disciplines, who have fulfilled the MA degree requirements for the MA 'on the way to the PhD'.

Over 1,500  doctoral dissertations  have been completed in the department since 1895.  Anthropology alumni pursue successful careers in teaching, research, or non-academic careers in the United States and worldwide.

Beyond the Classroom

In close collaboration with Stanford  faculty members  and  department leadership , our graduate students organize number of event series that contribute to the department's intellectual life and community.  The Graduate Student Organization (GSO) representatives act as a liaison between the department leadership and the graduate student body, actively participating in department issues, and providing a supportive community for the first-year PhD student cohort as well as other for other PhD and M. graduate students. Graduate students also engage with unique research, curricular, and professionalization activities. 

Fields of Study

Our graduate s tudents may choose from the following Department tracks: 1) Archaeology; 2) Culture and Society.  Students work closely with faculty members who are engaged in research informed by a wide array of theoretical perspectives from political to spiritual. Subfields in Archeology include: cities, gender and sexuality, and materiality. Students interested in Culture and Society can focus on a wide range of issues such as: linguistic anthropology, culture and mind, medical anthropology, and global political economy.   Explore each Research Area and its faculty .

The Anthropology Department offers 5 years of financial support to PhD students.  No funding is offered for student enrolled in the co-terminal and terminal MA programs.

Join dozens of  Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students  who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  (KHS). As a scholar, students join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of Doctoral studies at Stanford. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about  KHS admission .

How to Apply

Please review admissions for policies and requirements for each degree program by visiting the specific degree program page listed above. Please also consider reviewing the Stanford School of Humanities & Sciences'  Guide on Getting into Grad School  to explore which graduate program may best suit your interest, what graduate committees look for, and the benefits and challenges for pursuing a graduate degree.

Program Contacts

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Graduate Program

Graduate Students in Anthropology are expected to familiarize themselves with the program requirements outlined below and with the requirements posted on the Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies .

Application Information

Archaeology

Social Anthropology

MA Medical Anthropology

Secondary Fields

Department of anthropology seeks college fellow in social anthropology.

Minoritarian Liberalism​​​​​​​ by Moisés Lino e Silva

Virtual Classroom Visits by Harvard Student Archaeologists Highlighted in the Harvard Gazette

Opportunities & resources.

Teaching Fellows

Fellowships

Graduate Students Site

Program information.

Program Contacts

Admissions Inquiries Contact

PhD Recipients

Anthropology

Share this page, fall 2025 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 2025. The PhD in archaeology will be accepting applications, and the MD/PhD program 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

A statement of purpose is not a biographical narrative. A persuasive statement of purpose (1) clearly describes the applicant’s proposed areas of research; (2) justifies the applicant’s research interests in terms of the relevant existing scholarship, the applicant’s personal intellectual motivation, and the applicant’s background and/or training; (3) explains why the anthropology faculty and curriculum at Harvard are ideal for supporting the applicant’s training and research. We strongly encourage applicants to read the publications of the faculty they are applying to work with. A clear connection with faculty research and teaching is the best gauge of an applicant’s potential “fit” with the Department. 

Personal Statement

Standardized tests.

GRE General: Optional

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Anthropology

Anthropology Faculty

See list of Anthropology faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Graduate Study

• Interdisciplinary Studies
• PHD Program Guide
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The Department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago offers doctoral programs in sociocultural and linguistic anthropology and in archaeology.

The program in sociocultural and linguistic anthropology offers opportunities to pursue a wide range of ethnographic and theoretical interests. While the Department does not emphasize a particular theoretical perspective, it is well known for its attention to classic problems in social theory along with an engagement with the latest developments in theories of history, culture, politics, economics, transnational processes, space and place, subjectivity, experience, and materiality. 

Shared topical interests among its members include culture and colonialism; postcoloniality and globalization; gender and sexuality; historical anthropology; history and social structure; politics and law; political economy; religion; ritual; science and technology; semiotics and symbolism; medicine and health; and subjectivity and affect. Africa, the Caribbean, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Oceania, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the United States of America are among the geographic areas of faculty research.  

Coursework and study with faculty in other departments enable the student to pursue interdisciplinary interests, language training, and other regional studies.

The archaeology program enables students to articulate archaeology, history, and sociocultural anthropology, with emphasis on the integration of social and cultural theory in the practice of archaeology.

Current faculty specialize in the archaeology of Latin America (the later prehistory and colonial periods of the Andes and Mexico), Europe and the Mediterranean (the “Celtic” Iron Age and Greco-Roman colonial expansion), the Southeastern U.S. (urban history, colonialism, landscapes), East and Southeast Asia (from the Neolithic to the early colonial periods), and West Africa (history, landscape, complexity and political economy), as well as ethnoarchaeology in East Africa and experimental archaeology in South America.

Research interests include: urbanism; state formation; colonialism; industrialization; art and symbolism; spatial analysis; politics; ritual and religion; human-environment interactions; agricultural systems; material culture; economic anthropology; political economy; the archaeology of the contemporary; and the socio-historical context and the history and politics of archaeology. Faculty members have ongoing field research projects in Bolivia, Mexico, China, Cambodia, France, Senegal, and the United States (New Orleans). The program in anthropological archaeology also has strong ties to many other archaeologists on campus through the  UChicago Archaeology Nexus (UCAN) .

Teaching in physical anthropology, mainly directed towards evolutionary anthropology and primatology, is offered by Russell Tuttle.

In addition to linguistic anthropology as a sub-field within the Department of Anthropology, there is also a joint Ph.D. program available to students who are admitted to both the Department of Anthropology and the Department of Linguistics . Administratively, the student is admitted to, and remains registered in, the primary, or “home” department, and subsequently seeks admission to the second department in joint residence status. Students approved to pursue the joint degree program must complete the requirements of both departments, including the distinct introductory and advanced courses stipulated by each, the departmental qualifying examination in appropriate special fields, and the language requirements, including additional foreign languages for the Linguistics Ph.D. The student’s dissertation advisory committee consists of three or more members of the faculty; at least one must be a member of the Department of Anthropology but not of the Department of Linguistics, and at least one in Linguistics but not in Anthropology. After approval by the advisory committee, the student’s dissertation proposal must be defended at a hearing open to the faculty of both departments. Generally, an Anthropology student may apply to Linguistics for the joint degree program at the end of the second year or later, after having successfully completed the first-year program in Anthropology and the core (first-year) coursework and examinations in Linguistics. However, students should declare interest in the Joint Degree Program on the initial graduate application to the Department, and should discuss this interest personally with linguistic anthropology faculty soon after arrival on campus.

Although Anthropology has no other formal joint degree programs, students admitted to Anthropology may subsequently petition the University to create a joint program with another department. For instance, there is considerable precedent for pursuing a joint Ph.D. in Anthropology and History . To create this joint program, Anthropology students spend their first year taking the required first year courses in the Anthropology Department; in the second year, they take a two-quarter history seminar and write an anthropologically-informed Master’s paper in coordination with that seminar which will be acceptable to both Departments. The Master’s degree is awarded by one of the two departments and is accepted for equivalence by the other. The Anthropology student then applies for admission to History at the end of the second year or later, having already demonstrated a proficiency in both disciplines. Applicants to Anthropology who are interested in a joint degree program with History should declare interest at the time of the initial application.

Also by petition, it has been possible for students to create other joint Ph.D. programs. In recent years, individual programs combining Anthropology and Art History , South Asian Languages and Civilizations , East Asian Languages and Civilizations , Slavic Languages and Literatures , Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science , and Cinema and Media Studies have been created. An M.D./Ph.D. program is coordinated through the MeSH program in the medical school. A J.D./Ph.D. with the University of Chicago Law School or another law school is also possible, and we have facilitated joint degrees with the School of Social Services Administration at the University of Chicago.

Such individually-created joint degree programs begin in the second year of graduate studies or later. In all cases, students complete the separate program requirements for each degree, with no additional residence requirement, and write one Ph.D. dissertation that separately meets the dissertation requirements of each department. The specifics of each joint degree program, such as any requirements that may be jointly met, any overlapping examination areas, and the composition of the dissertation committee, are agreed upon by both departments at the time of the petition.

Students interested in pursuing an ad-hoc Joint Ph.D. should consult with the Dean of Students Office to understand the application process.

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Graduate Program

Info for Prospective Students

Info for Current Students

The Department of Anthropology at Berkeley invites graduate students to be part of the shaping of emergent approaches in Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Sociocultural Anthropology, and Medical Anthropology by joining one of two PhD programs, in Anthropology and Medical Anthropology. The breadth of fields that comprise graduate study in anthropology at Berkeley creates a vibrant community of students with diverse approaches to research, backgrounds, and goals.

Research undertaken by Berkeley graduate students literally spans the globe, with notable regional strengths in the study of Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Islamic world, and contemporary North America. As one of the top anthropology programs in the country, Berkeley regularly is visited by leading anthropologists from around the world who share their expertise with students through lecture series, workshops, and as visiting faculty.

A hallmark of Berkeley graduate training is an emphasis on facilitating student research. This includes support from departmental grant programs that allow students to undertake pilot research, mentoring in grant writing leading to a high level of success in obtaining research grants and fellowships, and encouragement for student-initiated research groups funded by broader Berkeley programs such as those of the Townsend Center and areas studies centers.

Incoming students share first year seminars that serve to introduce them to Berkeley anthropology and enable their transition from beginning students to practicing anthropologists. Because Berkeley admits a small number of students, the program provides an opportunity to work closely with mentors while developing independent research. Each student individually shapes a course of study, guided by a faculty committee that includes at least one faculty member from another department. Students are encouraged to gain skills in teaching, to present their own research in public, and to engage in a wide range of activities through which they learn how the academic discipline and its sites of practice are structured.

Please use the menu to the left to learn more information about our graduate-level programs.

For inquiries related to the Graduate Program, please contact the Graduate Advisor, Tabea Mastel [email protected] .

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Program overview.

Admissions  |  Advising  | Courses  | Faculty  | Fields of Interest |  Funding  | Certificate Programs | Statistics Concentration 

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Washington recognizes three principal sub-fields of anthropology into which its graduate programs are divided: archaeology, biological anthropology, and sociocultural anthropology. We currently offer several graduate programs within these subdivisions:

PhD in Anthropology: Archaeology

Phd in anthropology: biological anthropology , phd in anthropology: sociocultural anthropology.

• Master of Arts in Archaeological Heritage

Master of Public Health & PhD in Anthropology (MPH/PhD)

The Archaeology graduate program is designed to train students in archaeological method, theory and practice, critical thinking, the scientific analysis of the physical content of archaeological sites, and ethical engagement at the doctoral level. The program is also designed to train professional archaeologists capable of working in a wide variety of contexts. For more information about this program please visit PhD in Anthropology: Archaeology .

The curricular goal of the Biological Anthropology PhD program is to foster understanding of human biological adaptation and its evolutionary basis through study of ecological, demographic, genetic, developmental, paleontological, behavioral, and epidemiological dimensions of human adaptation. Comprehensive training in theory and topical research provides the base from which a student’s specialization can be developed under the direction of a supervisory committee. For more information about this program please visit PhD in Anthropology: Biological Anthropology .

The Sociocultural Anthropology PhD program is designed to train professional anthropologists to work in either academic or non-academic settings. Each student is expected to achieve high levels of competence in the theories and methods of the discipline through successful completion of a series of requirements. Some of the fields of interest of the Sociocultural faculty include: African American Studies, Agriculture, Animal Studies, Black Studies, Decolonization, Eastern Europe, Embodiment, Ethnography, Feminism & Feminist theory, Global Health, Health Disparities, Indigenous Archaeology, Medical Anthropology, Politics of Representation, Public Health, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Visual Culture, Queer Studies. For more information about this program please visit PhD in Anthropology: Sociocultural Anthropology.

MA in Archaeological Heritage

Established in 2021, the MA in Archaeological Heritage program is designed to provide graduate training and credentials to qualify students for careers in Cultural Resource Management (CRM) in the US, as well as archaeological heritage globally. These career areas employ the majority of archaeologists in the US and beyond. For more information about this program please visit MA in Archaeological Heritage .

This concurrent degree program offers students the opportunity to engage with  interdisciplinary curriculum in the fields of public health and anthropology. We have developed this degree program with the departments of Epidemiology, Global Health, and Health Services. Our program  allows students to pursue a Masters of Public Health (MPH), in one of four MPH programs, and a PhD in Anthropology, in either  Biological Anthropology or Sociocultural Anthropology . For more information please visit MPH/PhD program . 

Applications open on September 1st and close on December 15th. Applicants may apply for and be admitted for autumn quarter only. Offers of admission are usually mailed in early March. For more information about the application process, tuition, funding opportunities, and the cost of attendance, please visit our Graduate Admissions page. 

For information about our graduate programs or to make an appointment with an advisor please visit our Advising page.  

Course descriptions can be found on the University of Washington Course Catalog . Courses required for each degree can be found on the individual graduate program pages. 

Faculty 

Potential applicants should look through faculty profiles  to determine whose fields of interest most align with their research topic. One (or more) faculty member will serve as the advisor/chair of each graduate student. It is advisable to reach out to the faculty directly to see if they are accepting students.

Fields of Interest

Please check out our fields of interest word cloud to see which areas of research our department is publishing in most frequently and to see the individual research projects. 

Funding 

For information about funding sources, including teaching assistantships, training fellowships, and dissertation funding visit our Fellowships and Funding pages.

Certificate Programs 

Graduate students may also consider completing a certificate program in conjunction with most graduate degrees. Certificates are intended to enhance the education of students, beyond their regular course of study, to allow those with allied interests to incorporate additional knowledge and skills in their future careers. For a complete list, visit Graduate Certificate Programs .

Statistics Concentration

Graduate student pursuing a PhD in anthropology may also consider completing a  Statistics Concentration in Anthropology .

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• Anthropology

The department covers three subfields: archaeology; sociocultural and linguistic anthropology; and physical anthropology. Archaeology focuses on ritual complexes and writing, ceramic analysis, warfare, ancient civilizations, origins of agriculture, and museum studies. Sociocultural anthropology provides a range of courses: classics in ethnography and social theory, religion, myth and ritual, kinship and descent, historical anthropology, culture and political economy, agrarian studies, ecology, environment and social change, medical anthropology, emotions, public health, sexual meanings and gender, postcolonial development, ethnicity, identity politics and diaspora, urban anthropology, global mass culture, and alternate modernity. Linguistic anthropology includes language, nationalism and ideology, structuralism and semiotics, and feminist discourse. Physical anthropology focuses on paleoanthropology, evolutionary theory, human functional anatomy, race and human biological diversity, and primate ecology. There is strong geographical coverage in Africa, the Caribbean, East Asia (China and Japan), Latin America and South America, Southeast Asia (Indonesia), South Asia and the Indian Ocean, the Near East, Europe, and the United States.

• Programs of Study
• PhD - Doctor of Philosophy
• Combined PhD
• Department of Anthropology

Lisa Messeri

Director of Graduate Studies

• [email protected]

Marleen Cullen

Departmental Registrar

• [email protected]
• 203-432-3700

Admission Requirements

Standardized testing requirements.

GRE is not accepted.

Program-Specific Application Requirements

A writing sample is required by this program. 

English Language Requirement

TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic is required of most applicants whose native language is not English.

You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years.

Combined Degree Program Application Deadline

*The deadline to submit an application to a combined program is always the earlier deadline of the two individual programs, or December 15, whichever comes first.

Academic Information

Combined phd information.

Anthropology offers a combined PhD in conjunction with several other departments and programs including: African American Studies , Environment , and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies .

Program Advising Guidelines

GSAS Advising Guidelines

Academic Resources

Academic calendar.

The Graduate School's academic calendar lists important dates and deadlines related to coursework, registration, financial processes, and milestone events such as graduation.

Featured Resource

Registration Information and Dates

https://registration.yale.edu/

Students must register every term in which they are enrolled in the Graduate School. Registration for a given term takes place the semester prior, and so it's important to stay on top of your academic plan. The University Registrar's Office oversees the systems that students use to register. Instructions about how to use those systems and the dates during which registration occurs can be found on their registration website.

Financial Information

Phd stipend & funding.

PhD students at Yale are normally fully-funded. During their programs, our students receive a twelve-month stipend to cover living expenses and a fellowship that covers the full cost of tuition and student healthcare.

• PhD Student Funding Overview
• Graduate Financial Aid Office
• PhD Stipends
• Health Award
• Tuition and Fees

Alumni Insights

Below you will find alumni placement data for our departments and programs.