Earn your PhD in anthropology
The Doctor of Philosophy program in anthropology requires a minimum of 72 semester hours of graduate credit.
The PhD degree leads to the accomplishment of professional-level skills in conducting independent research, and normally features specialized training in one or two of the discipline’s subfields. Doctoral education is guided by a PhD committee composed of members of the faculty competent in the particular areas and topics chosen by a student.
The doctoral program includes an integrated process of progressively developing and completing reading lists, developing and submitting research proposals to funding agencies, developing and defending a dissertation prospectus, and writing two comprehensive exam essays. Upon successful completion of the comprehensive examination and the dissertation prospectus, a student advances to candidacy for the PhD To complete the PhD degree, all doctoral candidates are required to conduct independent anthropological research, write a dissertation, and defend it.
For students who enter the doctoral program with an existing MA (in anthropology or a related field), the faculty develop an individualized program of study based on a student's existing coursework and goals.
PhD students also may elect to pursue an optional concentration in either feminist anthropology or paleoanthropology.
Learning outcomes
- Disciplinary expertise. Graduate students should develop an in-depth understanding of the differences and similarities of people across place and time based on anthropological evidence and theory;
- Skills for independent research. Graduate students will acquire professional and ethical research, reasoning, and methodological skills to identify important research problems and to subsequently design, execute, productively engage with feedback, and report (via writing and presentations) results of independent research programs to a diverse audience;
- Teaching contributions. Graduate students will effectively and ethically communicate anthropological concepts and theories to a broad audience; and
- Disciplinary, academic, and community contributions. Graduate students will develop service, mentoring, and leadership skills that advance and support professional.
Requirements
Degree requirement
| Title | Hours |
|---|---|
| Required Theory Course | 3 |
| Research Design and Proposal Writing | 3 |
| Data Analysis | 3 |
| Dissertations Writing Seminar | 3 |
| Relevant Courses | varies |
| Language Competency | - |
| Comprehensive Examination (see below) | - |
| Prospectus and Defense | - |
| Dissertation (see below) | - |
| Total Hours | 72 |
Comprehensive examination
During the semester of the comprehensive exam, the student will prepare two comprehensive essays: one in the geographical area of specialization and the other in the primary topical area of specialization. In some subfields and for some projects, a geographical area may not be relevant and the student will focus on two topical areas. Each paper will address a question posed by the committee in consultation with the student. The department recommends that each student and committee chair compile feedback from all committee members on proposed reading lists for each question, prior to the student beginning the writing process.
Comprehensive exam essays should combine factual knowledge and comprehension with analysis, evaluation, and synthesis. In other words, they should: demonstrate control of a body of information (knowledge and comprehension), critique a major problem or debate (application and analysis), develop a position on an issue, and provide an explanation or theoretical justification for the position (evaluation and synthesis). Essays therefore document the student’s ability not only to characterize key lines of academic inquiry in a given area, but also to identify points where new research questions might constructively enter into these conversations.
Dissertation
All doctoral candidates are required to conduct original anthropological research. Students typically conduct dissertation research after advancement to candidacy. Dissertations are usually based on ethnographic fieldwork, archaeological excavations, or laboratory analysis. Some are based on archival collections or other source materials.
NOTE: Any research which involves "human subjects" must be reviewed by the University of Iowa Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to the initiation of the project. Proof of the determination/review process must also be submitted to the International Studies Program before the international experience proposal can be approved. For all questions contact the IRB at (319) 335-6465; or complete the IRB Determination Form to find out if your research meets the definition of human subjects research.
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