Program Overview

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Anthropology, PhD

The School of Human Evolution and Social Change offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology, providing students with intensive, collaborative training to foster critical research on key questions in anthropology and across the social sciences.

Program Description

The program is designed for students interested in pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in the classic fields of anthropology, including archaeology, bioarchaeology, evolutionary anthropology, and sociocultural anthropology. It is also an ideal environment for students who want to combine these approaches and other disciplines to explore specific issues or research questions within a transdisciplinary context.

At a Glance

• College/school: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Location: Tempe
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: No

Degree Requirements

The program requires 84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, a prospectus, and a dissertation. Students who enter the program with a master's degree in a related field may be granted up to 30 credit hours toward the 84 credit hours required for the doctorate.

Admission Requirements

• General university admission requirements: All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
• Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
• All applicants must submit:
  • Graduate admission application and application fee
  • Official transcripts
  • Personal statement outlining educational and professional goals
  • Current curriculum vitae or resume
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Proof of English proficiency

Tuition Information

When it comes to paying for higher education, everyone’s situation is different. Students can learn about ASU tuition and financial aid options to find out which will work best for them.

Application Deadlines

• Fall:
  • Session: Session A/C
  • Modality: In Person
  • Deadline: 12/01
  • Type: Final

Career Opportunities

The demand in the job market for people with an anthropology background is stimulated by a growing need for researchers and analysts with keen thinking skills who can manage, evaluate and interpret large amounts of data. Some career opportunities include:

• Acting as legal advocates in international cases
• Analyzing and proposing policies
• Conducting postgraduate academic research
• Consulting for private and public organizations
• Curating cultural resources
• Directing nonprofit organizations
• Directing programs in the private or public sector
• Managing culture or heritage resources in private or public sectors
• Modeling infectious diseases
• Planning communities
• Teaching

Research Areas

The program provides training in data analysis and research design within the context of human evolution, archaeology, and the wider field of anthropology. Through anthropological coursework, students learn how to ask important questions about the human species and employ statistics to analyze and extract meaning from data. Students learn to appreciate humanity's place in nature and the long history of human societal change. The anthropology faculty actively engage with faculty in other disciplines, including:

• Applied mathematics
• Chemistry
• Environmental economics
• Epidemiology
• Formal modeling
• Genetics
• Sociology
• Sustainability
• Technology and society
• Urban planning

Program Structure

The flexible graduate curricula are designed to encourage students to design innovative plans of study that enable them to pursue their interests while they receive broad training in key areas. The training students receive in this program prepares them to become expert scholars who are able to contribute not only to their chosen field but also to finding solutions to humankind's greatest challenges.