PhD in Anthropology Southern Methodist University - Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies

In the Ph.D. program, students concentrate either on Cultural Anthropology or Archaeology. Within Cultural Anthropology students may specialize in Medical Anthropology or on Globalization Issues such as Development, Gender, and Migration; Archaeology students concentrate on New World Archaeology.

Ph.D. program (Specialization in archaeology)

The archaeology program at SMU is largely focused on the New World, with faculty research interests ranging from the earliest hunter-gatherers to complex societies across North, Middle, and South America. The program offers broad training in contemporary archaeological theory, method, and scientific application, and is strongly field-oriented with current projects in various localities in the Americas.

Ph.D. program (Specialization in cultural anthropology)

In the Ph.D. program in cultural anthropology, you will be trained broadly in contemporary theory and method in anthropology, while you specialize in one of two tracks: Medical Anthropology or Globalization and International Development. In special circumstances, you can petition to combine these specializations.

Our graduate programs are designed to produce creative, energetic, articulate, and literate scholars and/or practitioners. We endeavor to produce anthropologists whose research is sufficiently innovative to attract the notice of their peers, who will seek and receive research funding, and who will apply their training to the constructive development of the human groups with whom they work or society at large. It is our aim to train students in specialized skills based on the broad understanding of anthropology acquired before entering our programs. Beyond providing you the skills necessary to becoming a professional anthropologist within or beyond academia, the faculty also will endeavor to impart a professional attitude and a desire to practice those skills with precision and with passion.

Why pursue graduate studies in Anthropology at SMU:

• Supportive and collegial environment: small size of the program permits extensive face-to-face attention and guidance.
• Financial support through tuition scholarships, teaching assistantships, and faculty research assistantships.
• Internationally and nationally recognized faculty with high research productivity.
• Synergistic areas of research concentration (medical anthropology, migration, archaeology, human impacts, environmental anthropology, gender studies, GIS, cultural heritage).
• Unique research infrastructure (e.g.: Archaeological Research Collections, Taos Field School, genetics lab, environmental anthropology lab, connections to facilities and institutions in the Dallas area, and opportunities for Dallas-based research).
• Strong emphasis on methods training and field research.
• Strong record of both global and local research by students.
• Effective mentoring for grant proposal writing and external funding.

The Ph.D. program in anthropology offers graduate studies in archaeology and in cultural anthropology (with concentrations in medical anthropology or sociocultural anthropology).

Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. degree in anthropology carries the following requirements:

1. Students must complete a minimum of 54 credit hours of approved graduate coursework at SMU, which may include credit hours of dissertation coursework. Up to 24 credit hours may be waived for advanced courses taken elsewhere. In addition, students may test out of advanced courses based on prior graduate-level experiences.
2. The M.A. degree en route to the Ph.D. will be awarded to students who are accepted into the graduate program and who receive a “low pass” or higher on the general M.A. examination in their subfield given at the end of two years’ coursework (36 credit hours). However, only students who achieve a “pass” or higher on this examination may advance into the Ph.D. program.
3. Students must satisfy all curricular requirements as specified by the department faculty. For additional details, students should see the department Redbook.
4. Students must demonstrate an ability to function proficiently in one or more languages selected from among the following: French, German, Russian, Spanish, or substitute languages approved by the department.
5. Students must demonstrate a satisfactory knowledge of analytical methods (quantitative or qualitative, as appropriate).
6. Students must pass a Ph.D. qualifying examination, including an oral defense of a dissertation proposal in their subfield.
7. Students must write and make a successful defense of a dissertation. Degree candidates may concentrate in any subfield except biological anthropology.

Cultural Anthropology (21 Credit Hours)

The following courses are required for students focusing on cultural anthropology:

• ANTH 6319 - Research Methods in Ethnology
• ANTH 6320 - Regional Ethnography
• ANTH 6321 - History of Anthropology, Part One
• ANTH 6322 - History of Anthropology, Part Two
• ANTH 7333 - Advanced Research Methods
• ANTH 7342 - Seminar in Social Organization
• ANTH 7351 - Research Strategies in Ethnology

Additional Requirements (33 Credit Hours)

Additional credit hours may pertain to concentrations in medical anthropology or sociocultural anthropology.

Archaeology (24 Credit Hours)

The following courses are required for students focusing on archaeology:

• ANTH 6300 - World Archaeology
• ANTH 6301 - Principles of Archaeology
• ANTH 6321 - History of Anthropology, Part One
• ANTH 6322 - History of Anthropology, Part Two
• ANTH 6342 - Archaeological Sciences
• ANTH 6387 - Advances in the Practice of Archaeology
• ANTH 7313 - Archaeological Theory
• ANTH 7317 - Archaeological Research Strategies

Additional Requirements (30 Credit Hours)

Students must take at least one course from each of the three groups listed below (Groups B, C, and D) and a second course from one of the first two groups (Group B or C), for a total of 12 credit hours. Students can select up to 18 credit hours of electives from the elective listing of archaeology courses, six credit hours of which can be field school.

Group B

Group B courses include:

• ANTH 6156 - Research in Anthropology
• ANTH 6256 - Research in Anthropology
• ANTH 6302 - Statistics in Anthropology
• ANTH 6324 - Hunter-Gatherers from Past and Present
• ANTH 6332 - Special Problems in Anthropology (archaeological topic)
• ANTH 6351 - Research in Anthropology
• ANTH 6352 - Research in Anthropology
• ANTH 6353 - Research in Anthropology
• ANTH 6354 - Research in Anthropology
• ANTH 6355 - Research in Anthropology
• ANTH 6383 - Geoarchaeology
• ANTH 6386 - The Archaeology of Gender and Sexuality

Group C

Group C courses include:

• ANTH 6325 - Introduction to Osteology I: Human-Animal Interactions
• ANTH 6333 - Laboratory Methods in Archaeology
• ANTH 6388 - Geospatial Archaeology
• ANTH 7321 - Ceramic Analysis for Archaeologists

Group D

Group D courses include:

• ANTH 6310 - The Prehistory of the American Southwest
• ANTH 6368 - North American Archaeology
• ANTH 6385 - Pacific Island Archaeology
• ANTH 7318 - Late Pleistocene Prehistory of North America

Total: 54 Credit Hours