Anthropology Major, PhD

Concentrations (Required)

Archaeology
Biological Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• Have a BA or MA degree in anthropology or a minor in anthropology and a degree in a related field such as biology, sociology, geology, classics, history, historic preservation, or geography.
• Have a GPA above 3.30 overall in undergraduate or graduate work.
• Make formal online application to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Office of Graduate Admissions. Transcripts should be sent directly to Graduate Admissions. Instructions for submitting three letters of recommendation, which are required, can be found in the online application. In addition, the prospective student should upload a letter of intent indicating career goals and reasons for selecting the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and one sample of their written work (a class paper or research report).
• The online application must specify that the applicant is applying for admission to the PhD program, and state the concentration (archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology) the student will pursue, and the advisor they prefer to work with.
• Master’s thesis candidates in anthropology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who apply and are conditionally accepted into the PhD program can enroll as doctoral students the semester following conferral of the MA.
• All other students with a BA or MA must apply by December 1 for admission the following fall and, due to the requirements of the program, must begin their studies in the fall semester.

Credit Hours Required

• 72 graduate credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree: 48 credit hours coursework plus 24 credit hours of dissertation 
• 48 graduate credit hours beyond the master’s degree: 24 credit hours coursework plus 24 credit hours of dissertation 

Required Courses

At least 9 credit hours of 500- or 600-level courses outside of anthropology, distributed as appropriate to the individual’s program of study.

• A minimum of 12 of the 24, or 30 of the 48 credit hours of coursework must be graded A-F.

•  

  Coursework must include the three core classes taken in the first year:

• ANTH 510 - Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology (3 credit hours)
• ANTH 560 - Theory in Archaeology (3 credit hours)
• ANTH 590 - Theory in Biological Anthropology (3 credit hours)

•  

• All PhD students must attend the graduate section of the visiting lecturer program:  ANTH 550 - Contemporary Issues in Anthropology each year until they are admitted to candidacy.

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  Two graduate courses in statistics, usually:

• STAT 537 - Statistics for Research I AND
• STAT 538 - Statistics for Research II, Regression Modeling

• OR

• ANTH 504 - Quantitative Methods for Anthropology AND
• ANTH 604 - Bayesian Data Analysis for Natural and Social Sciences

• Note: Courses in research methods, information technology or GIS may be substituted for these requirements, as approved by the student’s doctoral committee and the department head.

   

• ANTH 600 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation (24 credit hours)

Non-Course Requirements

• A formal performance review of each PhD graduate student’s progress will take place each year.
• Written comprehensive exams followed by an oral defense.
• A formal dissertation proposal or equivalent publication or document must be orally defended.
• The successful completion and final oral presentation and defense of a dissertation.