Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in the field of Anthropology
Program Learning Outcomes for the MA and PhD Degrees in the field of Anthropology
Upon completing the MA or PhD degrees in the field of Anthropology, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to prepare articles, conference presentations and discussions, and long form writing in the discipline.
- Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the history of the discipline as well as anthropological theory and practice.
- Utilize the key methodological, theoretical, and analytical skills at the heart of the discipline to produce anthropological knowledge and demonstrate the ability to critique actively and reconfigure canonical approaches to social science.
- Apply research and analytical skills to original research questions and case studies to produce innovative approaches to anthropological knowledge and intervene effectively in both disciplinary discussions and wider sociocultural debates.
- Conduct responsible, ethical research with interlocutors and consultants in a world of increasingly complex interplay between small-scale and large-scale concerns and commitments.
Requirements for the MA and PhD Degrees in the field of Anthropology
The department seeks applicants to the PhD program with a defined research interest in sociocultural anthropology; an undergraduate background in anthropology is desirable, but not required. Entering students will devise a detailed first-year plan of study with provisional plans for succeeding years in consultation with a faculty advisory committee. The plan will emphasize broad training in the discipline before the eventual definition of a thesis research project.
MA Degree Program
The MA degree is a non-thesis master’s degree. For general university requirements, please see Non-Thesis Master’s Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Although students are not normally admitted to study for an MA, graduate students may earn a terminal MA degree in the field of Anthropology with the approval of their faculty committee and by completing:
- A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level study (graduate semester credit hours, coursework at the 500-level or above) of coursework approved by the director of graduate studies.
- A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken at Rice University.
- A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken in standard or traditional courses (with a course type of lecture, seminar, laboratory, lecture/laboratory).
- Successful completion of a minimum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from the following: ANTH 506, ANTH 507, ANTH 598, ANTH 601.
- Students will submit a portfolio of three term papers representative of their graduate coursework to be assessed and approved by a faculty panel.
- Students must file the requisite paperwork for the application for degree for the MA Degree.
- A minimum overall GPA of 3.00 or higher in all Rice coursework.
The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the MA Degree in the field of Anthropology | 30 | |
Requirements for the PhD Degree in the field of Anthropology
PhD Degree Program
For general university requirements, please see Doctoral Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Students pursuing the PhD degree program in Anthropology with the social-cultural specialization must:
- Complete required coursework: 90 semester hours of graduate study (undergraduate courses, including language courses, do not satisfy this requirement).
- Complete 6 Required Courses (18 credit hours) listed below.
- Complete 4 additional courses (12 credit hours) as electives in the Department of Anthropology (either ANTH 500-level or ANTH 600-level).
- Prior to achieving candidacy, successfully complete an end-of-year report. Students will write a 2-3 page (double-spaced) summary of their achievements for the year and consult with a faculty panel at the end of each spring semester.
The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the PhD Degree in the field of Anthropology | 90 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| ANTH 506 | HISTORY OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL IDEAS | 3 |
| ANTH 507 | ANTHROPOLOGICAL DIRECTIONS FROM SECOND WORLD WAR TO PRESENT | 3 |
| ANTH 598 | ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| ANTH 601 | GRADUATE PROSEMINAR IN ANTHROPOLOGY: THEORY, METHOD, AND PROFESSIONALIZATION | 3 |
| ANTH 602 | ANTHROPOLOGY PROPOSAL WRITING SEMINAR | 3 |
| ANTH 650 | PEDAGOGY 1 | 3 |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Students pursuing the PhD must select at least 4 courses from departmental (ANTH) course offerings at the 500-level or 600-level | 12 | |
| Additional Coursework as Approved by the Department | 60 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 90 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | Only one semester of ANTH 650 is required, however a minimum of 18 credit hours of graduate credit is required in order to be eligible to take this course. |
Requirements for PhD Candidacy (and thus eligibility for the candidacy MA)
Students pursuing the PhD degree program in Anthropology must complete the following. These requirements must be completed no later than the end of the eighth semester of enrollment in the program:
- Successful completion of all required courses. Students must receive at least a 'B' in a course for the department to deem it successfully completed. An overall GPA of at least 3.00 each semester must be maintained to remain in good academic standing.
- The approval by the student's candidacy committee of either two qualifying examinations or two qualifying essays (further details are noted in the Graduate Student Handbook found on the Policies tab and the Department of Anthropology website).
- The approval by the student's candidacy committee of the design and content of at least one undergraduate syllabus to be created in ANTH 650.
- The committee’s approval of the thesis research.
- For students not bilingual (in English and their field research language), the passing of an examination in a period of 90 minutes, with the help of a dictionary, of at least 1,000 words into English from an academic journal article in anthropology in either the relevant field language or a major scholarly language (further details are noted in the Graduate Student Handbook found on the Policies tab and the Department of Anthropology website).
- (For acquisition of the PhD) Successful completion of extended fieldwork with regular reports made back to the thesis committee.
- (For acquisition of the PhD) Complete and defend the thesis to the satisfaction of the thesis committee.
Policies for the PhD Degree in the field of Anthropology
Department of Anthropology Graduate Program Handbook
The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, the Department of Anthropology publishes a graduate program handbook, which can be found here: https://gradhandbooks.rice.edu/2025_26/Anthropology_Graduate_Handbook.pdf.
Financial Support
All first-year students receive the same level of support: a combination of graduate fellowships and tuition scholarships. These awards are renewed for a further four years of study contingent upon satisfactory performance. Potential applicants to the program are invited to contact the Director of Graduate Studies for further information on current levels of financial support.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content) and by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS). Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Anthropology website: https://anthropology.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the PhD Degree in the field of Anthropology
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Anthropology website: https://anthropology.rice.edu/.