Graduate Bulletin

Anthropology, Ph.D.

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: January 15

Before completing and submitting the application for admission, the applicant should, if possible, establish contact with one or more faculty members in Temple's Department of Anthropology that s/he is interested in working closely with.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:

Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from individuals who are well positioned to evaluate the academic abilities and accomplishments of the applicant.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration:

No specific coursework is required.

Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

A master's degree is not required.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

A baccalaureate degree (B.A./B.S.) is required, although it need not be in Anthropology.

Statement of Goals:

The Statement of Goals should be 700-1,000 words in length and should include the following elements: the intellectual and research interests that you intend to pursue in your graduate studies; how those interests fit with the interests of specific Anthropology faculty members at Temple; the specific reasons for your interest in Temple's graduate program and the faculty members with whom you envision yourself working most closely; your career goals; and your academic and professional experiences and achievements that have led you to graduate studies in Anthropology.

Standardized Test Scores:

The GRE is required. GRE scores are evaluated along with all other documentation required for admission.

Minimum TOEFL score needed to be accepted: 550 paper-based, 213 computer-based, or 79 internet-based.

Advanced Standing:

After completing the first academic year, students who hold a master's degree may petition the Department's Graduate Committee for advanced standing. The maximum number of advanced standing credits that can be accepted is 24.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:

Number of Credits Required:  48

Required Courses:

TBA

Internship: No internship is required.

Language Examination: A language examination is required.  Each doctoral student must pass a written proficiency examination in a language other than English.

Technical Skill Requirement:  Each doctoral student must demonstrate a technical skill in an area such as qualitative research methods, quantitative research methods, field research methods, or audiovisual production methods.  Proficiency in a second language other than English can also be used to satisfy this requirement.

Culminating Events:

Dissertation Research Proposal:

Students must have an approved doctoral dissertation research proposal in order to advance to doctoral candidacy. The research proposal must be approved by the student's advisory committee before s/he takes the doctoral qualifying examinations. Students whose proposed research involves working with human or animal subjects must obtain approval from Temple's Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Qualifying Examinations:
Each student must pass a set of doctoral qualifying examinations before being advanced to doctoral candidacy. These examinations are intended to test the student's knowledge of the field, readiness to perform doctoral research, and preparedness to write a doctoral dissertation. No student may take the qualifying examinations more than twice. A student who fails the examinations or any part thereof twice is dismissed from the graduate program. The doctoral qualifying examinations should be completed no more than one semester after the student finishes her/his coursework.

Advancement to Doctoral Candidacy:

A doctoral student is advanced to doctoral candidacy when s/he has completed all requirements for the doctoral degree except the research, writing, and defense of the doctoral dissertation. These include completing all required coursework, writing an acceptable doctoral research proposal, passing the doctoral qualifying examinations, and fulfilling the language proficiency and technical skill requirements. A student cannot be advanced to candidacy with a grade of "I" (Incomplete) or "NR" (No Record) on her/his transcript.

Dissertation:

The dissertation must constitute a significant, original, research-based contribution to scholarship in the student's field of study. It must also conform to the rules set out in the "Dissertation and Thesis Handbook" of the Temple University Graduate School.

Upon advancement to doctoral candidacy, each student must assemble a Doctoral Advisory Committee. This committee must include at least two Graduate Faculty members from the Department of Anthropology, one of whom serves as primary advisor and chair of the committee. The committee may also include one or more Graduate Faculty members from other Temple schools/colleges, departments, or programs; faculty members from other universities; and/or other doctorally trained experts. Members of the Doctoral Advisory Committee supervise the student's researching and writing of the dissertation.

The completed dissertation is read and evaluated by a Dissertation Examining Committee, which consists of the members of the Doctoral Advisory Committee plus at least one additional Graduate Faculty member from Temple or another university, but not from the faculty of the student's home department. A doctorally trained expert may also serve as the additional committee member. In addition to being evaluated and approved by the committee members in its written form, the completed doctoral dissertation must be presented and defended orally by the student.

Contacts

Program Contact Information:

www.temple.edu/anthro/

Department Information:

Dept. of Anthropology

Gladfelter Hall, 2nd Floor

1115 W. Berks Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
anthro@temple.edu
215-204-7577

Department Contacts:

Admissions:

Dr. Paul Garrett
paul.garrett@temple.edu
215-204-7621

Director of Graduate Studies:

Dr. Paul Garrett
paul.garrett@temple.edu
215-204-7621

Chairperson:

Dr. Mindie Lazarus-Black

mindielb@temple.edu
215-204-1424

About the Program

Anthropology comprises four subdisciplines, all of which are well represented at Temple:  Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology, and Sociocultural Anthropology.  The department also offers specialized courses and training in Anthropology of Visual Communication, which draws primarily on Linguistic Anthropology and Sociocultural Anthropology. Doctoral students typically specialize in one of these areas, but interdisciplinary study and research are encouraged.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years

Campus Location:

Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status:

Students are required to complete the degree program through classes offered before and after 4:30 p.m. Students are also able to complete the degree program on a part-time basis (8 credit hours or less per semester).

Department Information:

Dept. of Anthropology

Gladfelter Hall, 2nd Floor

1115 W. Berks Street

Philadelphia, PA 19122
anthro@temple.edu
215-204-7577

Interdisciplinary Study:

The Anthropology course of study is interdisciplinary by nature.

Affiliation(s):

Not applicable.

Study Abroad:

Study abroad is not required.

Ranking:

Not applicable.

Accreditation:

Not applicable.

Areas of Specialization:

Faculty members specialize in such areas as anthropology of visual communication, archaeology of the eastern United States and tropical Americas, historical archaeology, human evolutionary biology, human genetic and physiological variation, language socialization, political economy of language, politics of cultural identity and difference, and sociocultural dynamics of globalization.

Job Placement:

More than 100 doctoral degrees have been conferred by the department since 1976.  Of those, approximately 45% hold full-time faculty positions, while another 20% hold full-time research positions in academic or non-academic settings. Another 20% hold degree-related policy and administrative positions, and 10% are engaged in other professional activities.

Licensure:

Not applicable.

Non-Degree Student Policy:

Non-matriculated students are generally restricted to the following courses, although requests to take other courses may be considered:

ANTHRO 8003:  Approaches in Cultural Anthropology

ANTHRO 8004:  Approaches in Linguistic Anthropology

ANTHRO 8005:  Approaches in Physical Anthropology

ANTHRO 8006:  Approaches in Archaeology

If a non-matriculated student is later accepted into the doctoral program, up to 9 credits of non-matriculated coursework may be applied toward the degree.

Financing Opportunities

Outstanding applicants are nominated for Presidential, University, and Future Faculty Fellowships, which provide four years of stipend support and tuition remission. Limited numbers of Teaching and Research Assistantships are also available. Further, students are encouraged to apply for external grants and fellowships.

Updated 11.4.09