About PhD Program,
Our doctoral program offers students solid training in theory, contemporary research methods, and proposal writing with the aim of enabling students to develop an anthropology sensitive to the challenges and complexities of human experience and of our times.
Students have the option, with permission of the dissertation committee advisor, of leaving for the field after five or after six semesters. If they leave after five semesters, they will take 15 courses in total (three per semester) and convene their committee for a Portfolio workshop in December of that fifth semester. At the workshop they will discuss their grant proposals, three annotated reading lists (with 25 citations each), and a course syllabus (for a class to be taught in the future). If they leave after six semesters, they will take 18 courses in total (three per semester) and convene their committee for a Portfolio workshop in April of their sixth semester. At the workshop they will discuss their grant proposals, three annotated reading lists (with 35 citations each), and a course syllabus (for a class they will teach in the future).
If students receive external funding for fieldwork, they can spend a year and a half in the field (with one semester covered by the department and two by their grant). If they do not receive external funding, they will remain in the field for one year (with the one year covered by the department).
Funding (tuition, fees and stipend) for each student is guaranteed for five years, or five and an half for those who receive external funding for their fieldwork. The department is not responsible for the financial support of those who do not finish within these time frames, but will work closely with each student who does not finish to find external funding to cover continuation fees, health insurance, and stipends.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
We require that you self-calculate your UGPA on a 4.0 scale
- Theories:The two-semester Theories course (CULANTH 801-802), taken in Fall and Spring of the first year, focuses on core debates and themes within the history of socio-cultural anthropology and related fields.
- Research Methods:The Research Methods seminar (CULANTH 803), taken in the Spring of the second year, focuses on ethnographic methods, grant writing, and reading list annotation.
- Grant Writing:The Grant Writing seminar (CULANTH 804), taken in the Fall of the third year (the fifth semester), focuses on the development of grant proposals for dissertation research support.
- Plan of Study
- Portfolio of Work
- Foreign Language Requirement
- Research or Teaching Service
- Summer Field Research
- Department Colloquia
- Dissertation
PhD Funding Coverage,
Graduate Fellowships provide tuition plus a living stipend for five years, contingent on continued appropriate progress toward the Ph.D. degree. Stipends and fellowships require service in the form of teaching assistance. Other university awards are given on a competitive basis to outstanding students. These include the James B. Duke Fellowships, International Dissertation Fellowships, University Scholars Fellowships, and Deans’ Fellowships.
You are also encouraged to seek fellowships for graduate study in Anthropology that are awarded by non-university agencies, as these frequently offer high stipends and several years of continuous support. Various university and external funding sources provide awards for pre-doctoral and doctoral research, including field research in Anthropology, and students are encouraged to apply for these at the appropriate time. Some additional funding as well as part-time teaching positions may be available to students beyond the fifth year.
IMPORTANT: Please review the Graduate School financial support information to better understand how the department and the Graduate School work together to assist Ph.D students with their funding support.
Application Requirement,
- Transcripts
- Letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
- Life Experiences Statement
- Resume
- GRE scores
- English language proficiency test scores(if English is not your first language)
- GPA
- Supplemental application requirements
Application Deadline,
Dec 05, 2024
Application Fee,
The Duke University Graduate School application fee is $95.
