How to Get a PhD in Anthropology

Like many social science fields, anthropology can be broken down into a number of different sub-disciplines. Cultural anthropology, in a very broad sense, focuses on socio-cultural phenomena such as war, marriage, poverty, and overpopulation. On the other hand, physical anthropology concentrates on the physical characteristics and/or evolution of past, present, and, in some cases, future humanoids.

One of the most prominent anthropologists in the U.S. and the first Robert H. Lowie Distinguished Chair at UC Berkeley, Paul Rabinow defines the question of modern anthropology this way: "Who are the humans at issue; what knowledges constitute them and help them to understand themselves and their environments?"

A PhD in Anthropology represents the forefront of research and development regarding humans, humanity, and their interactions with their surroundings.

Today's Careers and the PhD in Anthropology

Some career anthropologists simply pursue the Master of Arts (M.A.) in applied anthropology. This field applies anthropological research theory and methods to the analysis and solution of everyday problems. The terminal degree in anthropology is the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

While the traditional path for PhD candidates in anthropology has been the pursuit of a tenure track career in academia, the career options available to anthropologists have never been broader. In "Working for the Federal Government: Anthropology Careers," Shirley Fiske finds that "the number of job positions identified for anthropologically trained individuals in the civil and foreign service is far greater than at any time in U.S. history."

Numerous federal organizations now exhibit "an institutional presence," which is defined by Fiske as "a critical mass of in-house permanent expertise from anthropologists working on public issues." Federal organizations that have hired a sizeable number of PhDs in anthropology include:

• Bureau of Land Management
• Center for Disease Control
• Department of Defense
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Department of Justice
• Department of Veterans Affairs
• Legislative Branch
• National Marine Fisheries Service
• National Parks Service
• U.S. Census Bureau

Federal Employment

Federally-employed anthropologists and archaeologists work in:

• Cultural resource management
• International development
• Forensic and physical anthropology
• Policy analysis
• Program management
• Natural resource management

For federal employment, doctors of philosophy in anthropology are hired under the job series codes GS-101 (social scientists), GS-190 (general anthropologists), and GS-193 (archaeologists).

In another interesting trend, for-profit businesses are hiring anthropologists as well. In his article "Ethnographic Research, A Key to Strategy" written for the Harvard Business Review, Ken Anderson states that "multinational corporations should staff their research and development units with anthropologists, ethnographers, and development economists" to better position products and brands in markets in the developing world. These activities represent one of the most profitable areas of anthropology, corporate ethnography.

In addition to the level of expertise the PhD in Anthropology confers, the "Anthropology Report" for the study Social Science PhDs--Five+ Years Out (SS5), found that doctoral students in anthropology gained important workplace skills through the completion of the dissertation. Conducted by the Center for Innovation and Research in Graduate Education (CIRGE), the SS5 study found that as many as 90 percent of tenured faculty, 88 percent of non-tenure track faculty, and almost half of business, government, and non-profit sector anthropologists indicated that they used knowledge of the dissertation topic "often" or "sometimes" at work.

Regardless of whether they were employed in academic, business, government, or non-profit sectors, more than two-thirds of survey respondents replied that their PhD was important for career advancement. Of the SS5 survey respondents who obtained a doctoral degree in anthropology, 99 percent were employed.

To learn more about available doctoral degrees, visit WorldWideLearn.com's guides to campus doctorate degree programs and online PhD degree programs.

How to Get a Doctorate Degree in Anthropology

Step 1: Research the basics of pursuing graduate education at the doctoral level

Carefully review the Web sites of online and campus-based doctorate programs in anthropology in which you might be interested. Confirm the following information:

Accreditation: An accredited program has its benefits, whether you choose to pursue a PhD in Anthropology or an MA in applied anthropology. Accreditation can affect your ability to receive financial aid, and may impact the perception of potential employers as they view your credentials. If you find an online or campus-based graduate program that is undergoing review for accreditation, ask the same questions you would of counselors and professors regarding research, job placement, academic rigor, and program flexibility.

Educational format: Some Tier 1 anthropology graduate degree programs do not admit graduate students in anthropology who only wish to pursue the master's degree. Online degree programs can fill this gap for professionals who are already working in a related field and desire the flexibility to continue doing so. If you think online study works best for you, you can find high-quality online doctorate degree programs in anthropology.

Entrance exams: For students pursuing a doctoral degree in anthropology in the United States, taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required for many campus-based and online programs. Schedule your GRE test well in advance of application deadlines. Be sure to study for the GRE. If English is not your first language, you may also need to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Additional materials: Other entrance requirements generally include:

• Application to a general graduate studies program
• Application to an anthropology department
• Letters of recommendation
• Writing samples, such as published work or statements of purpose
• Transcripts from the undergraduate institution
• Professional resume

Foreign language and doctoral study: For many graduate degrees in the social sciences, you may need to demonstrate fluency in a minimum of one foreign language. Certain specialties may require fluency in two, three, or even several modern or ancient languages.

Step 2: Refine your search for a doctoral degree program in anthropology

Choosing between online and campus-based doctorate degree program requires careful dissection of anthropology programs, your research interests, and your career goals. Explore academic departments as well as inter-institutional relationships among colleges, business, government, and non-profit institutions. Contact professional anthropological organizations to get an idea of prominent anthropology faculty, current research, and more information about sub-specialties within the academic discipline.

WorldWideLearn.com can help you manage your research by having graduate degree programs contact you.

Definitions of Anthropology Specialties for Doctoral Study

Anthropological genetics: Analyzes genetic diversity and similarity among human populations to determine matters of demographic importance, such as mating structure, migration history, population size fluctuation, and the mixing of population groups. An in-depth understanding of human biology and DNA extraction processes is essential for this specialty.

Archaeology: Studies human life and history through the extraction and examination of artifacts from archaeological sites, such as graves, homesteads, temples, cities, villages, and other ruins.

Corporate ethnography: Presents a thorough understanding of human interactions within a corporation's operations, and details a context for new products by describing how customers might use and incorporate them into their daily lives.

Environmental anthropology: Combines ecological and anthropological research expertise to analyze and advise policies and programs that relate to frequently underrepresented social and cultural groups.

Ethnography: Examines everyday life. Ethnographers provide individual cultural interpretations, as well as analyses of these cultures in a broad social context, based on detailed, qualitative research.

Forensic anthropology: Applies anthropological theory and techniques to address legal issues. Practitioners supply expertise in criminal cases regarding physical anthropology and osteology (study of the human skeleton), usually when victims are in advanced stages of decomposition.

Linguistic anthropology: Involves understanding the nature and use of language itself and how language impacts human society.

Medical anthropology: Examines what factors influence the predominance of illness, wellness, and paths to healing in specific human societies.

Modern anthropology: Deals with biosocial subjects ranging from genomics and molecular diagnostics to the politics and security associated with modern humanity.

Museum anthropology: Analyzes and interprets archaeological and ethnographic museum collections for students and the general public.

Physical anthropology: Deals with classification. The genetic origins, evolution, and diversity of humankind are at the heart of this specialization, which is closely linked to anthropological genetics.

Socio-cultural anthropology: Seeks an understanding of cultures and societies through the focused application of detailed ethnographies. Perhaps the largest branch of anthropology, socio-cultural anthropology is made up of numerous sub-specialties, including some found in this list.

Visual anthropology: Deals with documentary filmmaking of individuals and cultures engaged in the conduct of everyday life.

Fieldwork Opportunities for Anthropologists

Regardless of the anthropological specialization or research you choose to pursue, completing your doctoral degree in anthropology may require fieldwork. Get started by exploring the following activities:

Passport in Time (PIT): Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Services division, PIT invites volunteers to participate on archaeological digs and historical preservation projects around the country.

Smithsonian Institute: In addition to a highly selective Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology, which takes only 12 to 14 students, the Smithsonian Institute also offers training and research opportunities for graduate students of anthropology through these programs:

• Project Archaeology workshops
• American Indian programs
• Archaeobiology
• Arctic studies
• Human origins
• Asian cultural history
• Latin American archaeology
• Mexico-Nort

Another way to find field schools and fieldwork opportunities is through the graduate program of your choice. Talk to faculty with whom you may like to study and to other graduate students currently in the program. Graduate programs in anthropology sometimes have preferred research interests and sites through which you can get hands-on experience.

If you are interested in international work in anthropology, two good starting points are the research page at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oxford and the World Council of Anthropological Associations.

Professional organizations are good resources to continue your research on field schools, prominent anthropology faculty, and graduate programs that suit your interests and priorities. These organizations are also excellent resources for learning about funding for doctoral study in anthropology.

Professional organizations dedicated to the study of anthropology include:

1. American Anthropological Association
2. American Association of Anthropological Genetics
3. American Association of Physical Anthropologists
4. American Ethnological Association
5. Paleoanthropology Society
6. Society for American Archaeology
7. Society for Applied Anthropology
8. Society for Historical Archaeology
9. Society for Medical Anthropology
10. Society for the Study of Human Biology

Step 3: Short list the programs and faculty in anthropology that match your interests

If possible, visit the faculty and programs to which you are applying. Otherwise, you may initiate polite, professional e-mail and telephone dialogues. Prepare your applications and meet all deadlines. Begin to look for funding. Pursue related professional opportunities while you wait to hear back from your doctoral programs of choice.

Finally, when conducting your research for a suitable campus or online doctoral program in anthropology, keep these words of famous anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss in mind: "The wise man does not give the right answers, he poses the right questions."

Be sure to ask the right questions of yourself and any doctoral degree program you choose to pursue.

Sources

• American Anthropological Association, Careers in Anthropology
• Center for Innovation and Research in Graduate Education, Social Science PhDs--Five+ Years Out: Anthropology by Elizabeth Rudd, Emory Morrison, Joseph Picciano and Maresi Nerad
• Harvard Business Review, Ethnographic Research: A Key to Strategy, by Ken Anderson
• National Association for the Practice of Anthropology Bulletin, Working for the Federal Government: Anthropology Careers, by Shirley Fiske
• University of California at Berkeley, Department of Anthropology
• University of Chicago, Department of Anthropology
• University of Oxford, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology
• U.S. News & World Report, Top Universities for the Social Sciences