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Columbia’s graduate department is the founding department in American anthropology. Some of the most influential anthropologists of the modern era have taught at the University, including Franz Boas, the father of modern American anthropology, and Margaret Mead, whose pioneering research in New Guinea made her one of the nation’s most renowned anthropologists. The department offers courses in the three major subdisciplines of anthropology: sociocultural anthropology, physical anthropology, and archaeology. The major geographical areas of the world are covered, with particular emphasis on Africa, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Degree Requirements

Ph.D. Program in Anthropology

The Ph.D. in anthropology typically requires three years of course work, one to two years of dissertation research, and one to two years of dissertation write-up. The ideal time frame for completion is five years, but circumstances vary.

The entering student’s program is arranged in consultation with the department’s advisors. After the first year, the student chooses a committee in consultation with the department. Each graduate student’s program and progress are reviewed annually by the entire department.

Ph.D. Candidacy in Sociocultural Anthropology

Ph.D. students in sociocultural anthropology must fulfill the following requirements in order to be advanced to Ph.D. candidacy:

1. Eight departmental courses for letter grades.

2. Proficiency in one language at an advanced level (fourth year or better) to be determined by course work at the graduate level and/or examination. (For students for whom English is not their first language, a high level of English fulfills the requirement.)

3. Advanced Certifying Examinations (two written and one oral) on topics relevant to the dissertation proposal. One exam may focus on the ethnographic area most relevant to the dissertation project (e.g., China), while the other exam may focus on the theoretical area most relevant to one’s research (e.g., political anthropology). Bibliographies of materials to be covered in these exams must be submitted to the faculty readers (two readers for each exam) during the semester prior to the one in which the student takes these exams.

4. Teaching requirement: Participation in the instructional activities of the department for three years. Normally, in the second, third and fourth years of study, students gain exposure to teaching as assistants to professors in seminar courses or as section leaders in lecture courses. Students who are interested in broadening their teaching apprenticeships are eligible to teach in the Core Program once they have received the M.Phil. Students may only apply to be a preceptor if they have or expect to have the M.Phil. by the May prior to being appointed as a Preceptor, and if they are not past their sixth year of registration during the first year of the preceptorship. Students may not hold instructional appointments after year seven.

5. Dissertation proposal: A well-developed research proposal is presented before an Orals Committee of at least three faculty members. Final revisions to the dissertation proposal are discussed and the committee recommends to the department whether or not to advance the student to Ph.D. candidacy. The dissertation proposal must directly pertain to the dissertation research and must be completed and accepted in advance of dissertation research.

Ph.D. Candidacy in Archaeology

Students specializing in archaeology must fulfill the following requirements to advance to Ph.D. candidacy:

1. Nine courses in the department: One of those must be a theory course in archaeology, and at least one must be in the sociocultural field.

2. Proficiency in one language at an advanced level (fourth year or better), to be determined by course work and/or examination. (For students for whom English is not their first language, a high level of English fulfills the requirement.) Proficiency in analytical methods may also be required or substituted for the language exam as the committee determines is necessary for each student’s individual program. Requirements for such proficiency are tailored to individual students’ needs but are construed to include such fields as statistics, GIS, computer modeling, remote sensing, and similar fields.

3. Two Advanced Certifying Examinations (ACEs): One in archaeological method and Theory and one in the student’s topical/regional specialty. In a typical program, these should be completed by the end of the third year in residence.

4. Participation in the instructional activities of the department for three years. Normally, in the second, third and fourth years of study, students gain exposure to teaching as assistants to professors in seminar courses or as section leaders in lecture courses. Students who are interested in broadening their teaching apprenticeships are eligible to teach in the Core Program once they have received the M.Phil.

5. Dissertation proposal on the subject of research for the Ph.D. dissertation, to be defended before an Orals Committee of at least three faculty members, after the ACEs have been approved. On the basis of the proposal and its defense, the Committee determines whether or not to advance the student to Ph.D. candidacy.

Biological Anthropology

The program in biological anthropology is housed in the Department of Ecology, Environmental, and Evolutionary Biology (E3B), where the Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Ph.D. in Evolutionary Primatology are also offered. Degree requirements for this program listed under Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology.
 

Ph.D. Degree

The Ph.D. degree is earned after the defense and final deposit of the dissertation. The written dissertation is first submitted to the three-member committee composed of the student’s faculty sponsor and two department advisors who may request revisions. After the departmental committee has approved the dissertation for defense, a date for the oral defense is arranged. That defense takes place before a five-member University committee, chosen by the department in consultation with the candidate. At least two faculty members must come from outside the anthropology department.

For the Free-Standing M.A. in Anthropology

This program is open to qualified students who do not intend to earn the Ph.D. degree at this stage of their careers. The requirements for this degree are not the same as those for the M.A. degree taken by candidates for the Ph.D. degree and do not satisfy certain of the Ph.D. requirements in the department. The program is designed specifically for those who may wish to improve their particular professional competence by pursuing a master’s degree.

The free-standing M.A. program involves the equivalent of one full year of course work, i.e. two Residence Units. It requires 30 points, 18 of which are taken for letter grade credit. A minimum of 18 of the 30 points, including 12 letter grade points, must be earned in courses offered by the Anthropology department. All students in this program are required to take an introductory graduate course in anthropology for letter grade credit. Candidates are expected to submit an acceptable master’s essay. This can result from work completed in a research seminar. Other aspects of the program may be worked out on an individual basis with advisors.

Students can work toward the M.A. degree either full time or part time. Full-time students must receive the M.A. degree at the end of the first year of study. Part-time students must complete the degree within four years, and their progress is monitored by the department.

For the Free-Standing M.A. in Museum Anthropology

See under Museum Anthropology.

Financial Aid

A comprehensive program of financial aid, including fellowships and appointments in teaching, is available to Ph.D. students. All Ph.D. students admitted to the program receive annually the prevailing stipend and appropriate tuition and health fees, through the fifth year, provided that they remain in good academic standing. If students receive a year of advanced standing they are entitled to only four years of fellowship funding.