2013 - 2014 Site Archive

 

 

Graduate Bulletin

Anthropology, Ph.D.

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

Admission Requirements and Deadlines
Application Deadline:

Fall:  January 15; December 10 for international applicants to allow sufficient time for evaluation of transcripts and other credentials

Before preparing and submitting the application for admission, the applicant should, if at all possible, establish personal contact with at least one faculty member in Temple's Department of Anthropology. This should be a faculty member whose areas of research interest overlap with those of the applicant, and who could potentially serve as her/his faculty advisor.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:

Number Required:  3

From Whom:  Letters of recommendation should be requested from individuals who are well positioned to evaluate the applicant's academic abilities and accomplishments as well as her/his potential for graduate study.

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, but it need not be a degree in Anthropology.

Statement of Goals:

The Statement of Goals should be 800-1,000 words in length and should address the following: your main area(s) of scholarly interest; the specific research topic that you intend to make the focus of your graduate studies; the experiences that have led you to graduate studies in Anthropology; the specific reasons for your interest in Temple's graduate program in Anthropology and the faculty members with whom you envision yourself working most closely; and your career goals.

Standardized Test Scores:

The GRE is required. GRE scores are evaluated in the context of all other materials required for admission.

Minimum TOEFL score needed to be accepted: 79 iBT or 550 PBT.

Advanced Standing:

After completing the first academic year, a student who entered the doctoral program with a master's degree in Anthropology (or a closely related field) 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:

All doctoral students are required to take the following four courses, preferably by the end of the second year:

ANTH 8003:  Approaches in Sociocultural Anthropology

ANTH 8004:  Approaches in Linguistic Anthropology

ANTH 8005:  Approaches in Biological Anthropology

ANTH 8006:  Approaches in Archaeology

Internship:  No internship is required.

Language Examination:  Each doctoral student must pass a written examination of proficiency in a language other than English, preferably by the end of the second year.

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 apply for approval from Temple's Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Doctoral Qualifying Examinations:

Each student must pass a set of doctoral qualifying examinations before being advanced to doctoral candidacy. These examinations are intended to evaluate 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. 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 requirements include completing all required coursework, writing an acceptable dissertation research proposal, passing the doctoral qualifying examinations, and fulfilling the language proficiency requirement. A student cannot be advanced to candidacy with a grade of "I" (Incomplete) or "NR" (No Record) on her/his transcript.

Doctoral Dissertation:

The doctoral 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 form a Doctoral Advisory Committee. This committee must include at least two Graduate Faculty members from the Department of Anthropology, one of whom serves as the student's primary academic advisor and as 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. The members of the Doctoral Advisory Committee supervise the student's doctoral research and the 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 (but not from the faculty of the student's home department). A faculty member from another university or other 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 doctoral candidate.

Contacts
Program Contact Information:

www.temple.edu/anthro/

Department Information:

Department of Anthropology

Gladfelter Hall, 2nd Floor

1115 Polett Walk
Philadelphia, PA  19122

paul.garrett@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. Paul Farnsworth
paul.farnsworth@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 the 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:

Full-time status is strongly encouraged. Some students may be able to complete the degree program on a part-time basis (8 credit hours or less per semester).

Department Information:

Department of Anthropology

Gladfelter Hall, 2nd Floor

1115 Polett Walk

Philadelphia, PA  19122

paul.garrett@temple.edu
215-204-7577

Interdisciplinary Study:

Anthropology is an inherently interdisciplinary field of study.

Affiliation(s):

Not applicable.

Study Abroad:

Study abroad is not required, but many students conduct their independent research outside the United States.

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:

Well over 100 doctoral degrees have been conferred by the Department of Anthropology since 1976. Approximately 45% of doctoral graduates hold full-time faculty positions in colleges or universities, 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 four courses:

ANTH 8003:  Approaches in Sociocultural Anthropology

ANTH 8004:  Approaches in Linguistic Anthropology

ANTH 8005:  Approaches in Biological Anthropology

ANTH 8006:  Approaches in Archaeology

Taking coursework as a non-matriculated student does not ensure acceptance into the doctoral program if the student later applies for admission. If a non-matriculated student is later admitted into the doctoral program, a maximum of 9 credits of non-matriculated coursework may be applied toward the degree.

Financing Opportunities

Outstanding applicants are nominated for Temple University's Presidential, University, and Future Faculty Fellowships, which provide four years of tuition remission, a living stipend, and other benefits. Limited numbers of teaching assistantships and research assistantships are also available for well-qualified applicants. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for external grants and fellowships.

Updated 8.8.13