The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a research degree focused on making a significant original contribution to anthropology based on a major research project, which culminates in the production of a dissertation.
The program of work, based on the student鈥檚 research interests and proposed field research, is developed in consultation with the student's supervisor and the other members of the committee. The program consists of three semesters of classes, followed by a semester where the student takes a comprehensive exam and defends a research proposal in preparation to go to the field. Fieldwork starts soon after, and the dissertation is generally submitted one to two years after the research is completed.
PhD students can also enroll in the Anthropology Neotropical Environmental Option, which involves training in Panama and research in the tropics /neo/ and allows for interdisciplinary collaboration around topics related to the environment and conservation.
PhD students can also apply to be part of the funded , which is part of the department鈥檚 Anthropology for the Ecozoic Networked Research Centre. .