PhD in Anthropology - Historical Anthropology in Williamsburg United States | College of William and Mary

The Department of Anthropology's graduate program provides both an M.A. focused on Historical Anthropology and a Ph.D. with concentrations in Historical Archaeology or Historical Anthropology. Applicants with a bachelor's degree can choose between the standalone M.A. program or the combined M.A./Ph.D. track, while those already holding an M.A. in Anthropology may enter directly into the Ph.D. program.

This program equips graduates for academic positions, historical archaeology careers, and roles in museums, historical organizations, government agencies, and private industry. Our students consistently secure external funding through grants and fellowships while actively contributing to conferences and professional activities.

The curriculum covers cultural theory, regional studies, historical research methods, and historiography, with particular focus on comparative colonial studies, African diaspora communities, Native American cultures, and Colonial American/Caribbean archaeology. Hands-on training occurs through fieldwork courses and summer programs, with Williamsburg offering exceptional historical resources, archaeological sites, museum collections, and ongoing research opportunities.

Department facilities feature specialized labs containing Virginia and Caribbean artifact collections, a research library, and CAD/GIS workstations. Three research centers operate within the department: the Institute for Historical Biology (managing data on New York's African Burial Ground), the American Indian Resource Center (collaborating with Native communities), and the William & Mary Center for Archaeological Research (conducting cultural resource management). Students also engage with materials research at Newport News' Jefferson Laboratory.