PhD in Anthropology in Princeton United States | Princeton University

The Department of Anthropology equips students with the skills for impactful teaching and innovative research in sociocultural anthropology, empowering them to apply anthropological perspectives, discoveries, and methodologies to interdisciplinary scholarship and public discourse. Our graduate program exclusively offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Anthropology, with no Master's degree option. The Ph.D. curriculum includes four semesters of coursework before students undertake qualifying exams, conduct dissertation research, and complete their thesis. First-year students must take the yearlong Proseminar (ANT 501-502), a two-semester sequence exploring foundational and modern anthropological texts, along with the Coseminar (ANT 503a/b), a fall-term rotation of specialized half-semester courses. Second-year students also participate in the Coseminar, while both cohorts enroll in the biennial Field Research Practicum (ANT 505) during spring terms. To qualify for summer funding, all coursework must be finished by the spring semester's end. Students complete at least three graduate seminars per term—two departmental (required or elective) and one optional course from any discipline. Many electives are condensed into half-semester formats, allowing broader exposure to faculty expertise; these must be paired within the academic year to count as a full course. Course selections are made in collaboration with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).