Graduate Ph.D. Program

Students specialize in archeology, biological/physical anthropology, cultural anthropology and general anthropology. There is flexibility for students to tailor programs to fit their unique research interests.

Graduate training in Anthropology at the University of Arkansas is designed for students who seek the Ph.D. degree, and for students who seek the Master's degree only. Entering graduate students need not have majored in anthropology as undergraduates, although they must have some prior training in physical anthropology and archeology. Students entering without this background will be required to take deficiency courses.

Students develop a program that reflects their special interests under the supervision of a faculty committee of their choosing. Students are encouraged to plan to complete all work for the Ph.D. in five to eight years following the B.A. degree.

The Ph.D. program requires 24 graduate hours of course work beyond the M.A. degree. This will include at least one doctoral level proseminar course in the student's subarea specialization. Other required core courses may be completed as part of the M.A. program. The Ph.D. requires both written and oral candidacy examinations and an oral dissertation defense. A student who begins doctoral study with an M.A. from another university must take the courses required for the M.A. here, but these deficiency courses may, with the consent of the student's advisory committee, count toward the 24-hour course requirement. Students entering the program with a B.A. will complete M.A. requirements on route to the Ph.D.

Requirements for admission to the Graduate School include a 3.0 GPA on the most recent 60.0 credit hours

Links:

Graduate School
Graduate School Handbook
Department of Anthropology Handbook

Advisory Committee

By the end of the second semester of study all students should have selected a regular faculty advisor, and with that person's help, the student should form an advisory committee that will determine their particular programs. Students will select a subfield of specialization (archeology, biological anthropology, or cultural anthropology). The Graduate School requires that students file a form listing the membership of the advisory committee.

Normally a committee consists of three faculty members, but a fourth faculty member may be added to the committee. Adjunct faculty must be approved for graduate faculty status before they are allowed to serve on an advisory committee.

Committees are responsible for helping students to select courses, formulating research projects, internships, and giving periodic feedback about their progress in the program. Committees read thesis and dissertation drafts in a timely manner. The committee takes primary responsibility for all program examinations.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students are required to demonstrate competence in a foreign language related to their dissertation (in some cases a computer language may be substituted). Competence must be demonstrated by written or oral examination as appropriate.

Candidacy Examination

A student must complete Graduate School residence requirements and departmental course requirements before taking candidacy examinations. Students will notify their committees of their intent to take the examination and the advisory committee will construct the examination questions. The advisory committee, in consultation with other faculty as needed, will evaluate the written answers. The student's advisory committee chair will meet with the student and provide feedback about any weaknesses in the written examination that might need to be addressed in the oral examination. The committee chair will then schedule an oral examination with the student's advisory committee. After the oral examination, the advisory committee will meet and make one of the following recommendations:

1. The student has demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities to proceed with his/her dissertation. The student is then admitted to candidacy.
   
2. Remedial work is necessary. Remedial work may include taking portions of the qualifying exam again, writing a paper, taking an additional course or independent study, or other options as appropriate. Upon successful completion of this remedial work, the student will be admitted to candidacy.
   
3. The student is not admitted to candidacy.

The committee recommendations will be communicated in writing to the student and to the department chair, and the Graduate School will be notified in writing by the department chair when students have passed their candidacy examinations.

Proposal Defense

Upon admission to candidacy, students will select a dissertation committee with a major professor as chair to direct the research and writing. Under direction of the major professor, candidates will develop programs of reading in the general areas and research techniques pertinent to preparing their dissertations. To demonstrate competence in this preparation, the dissertation committee will conduct an oral proposal defense. This proposal defense must be taken no later than the end of the fall or spring semester after completing the written qualifying examinations.

Dissertation and Dissertation Defense

All students will demonstrate a capacity for independent research by writing an original dissertation on a topic within their subfield of specialization. Within the time limits specified by the Graduate School, students must submit a dissertation acceptable to their dissertation committee. Students' final examinations will be oral and primarily a defense of their dissertations.

Teaching Requirement

Although the Doctor of Philosophy is primarily a research degree, communication skills are critical to professional development. Therefore, each doctoral candidate will be required to engage in teaching activities in the Department before completion of the program.

Financial Support

Departmental graduate assistantships carry a stipend and tuition waiver. Awards are competitive, based on faculty evaluation of the academic abilities and professional promise of applicants and the teaching needs of the Department. Duties include preparing and teaching courses, and assisting faculty by developing classroom activities, grading and holding review sessions. See also the Financial Support page.

Other sources of financial support for anthropology graduate students include:

• Arkansas Archeological Survey
• King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies
• Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST)
• Hourly or Work-Study
• Other departments (e.g., Biological Sciences, Chemistry, etc.)

The Graduate School awards a limited number of Walton Doctoral Fellowships each year. These stipends are used to recruit outstanding students and may supplement other stipends and grants. The fellowships are renewable for up to four years. Details can be obtained on line at http://www.uark.edu/depts/gradinfo/recruit/funding/fellowships.html

Students interested in other forms of financial assistance should contact the Office of Financial Aid , 114 Silas Hunt (479) 575-3806 or online at: http://www.uark.edu/admin/fininfo

Download Departmental Application Form

About Applying to the Anthropology Grad Program
Application Form for the Anthropology Grad Program (pdf)
Application Form for the Anthropology Grad Program (WORD)

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