PhD in Anthropology - Psychological and Medical Anthropology in La Jolla United States | University of California, San Diego

The field of Psychological and Medical Anthropology explores how human psychology intertwines with social and cultural existence. Since its establishment in 1968, UCSD's Anthropology Department has been a leading institution for graduate studies in psychological anthropology. This program enables students to examine anthropological insights into topics like consciousness and identity, feelings and thought processes, free will and lived experiences, drives and personal growth, individual perspectives and shared understandings, health conditions and pathologies, mental health and emotional wellness, spiritual practices and therapeutic traditions, as well as bodily experiences and sensory awareness. With mentorship from distinguished faculty members, students acquire theoretical knowledge and methodological skills to undertake original research. Graduates of UCSD's Psychological and Medical Anthropology program have secured academic and research positions at institutions nationwide.

UCSD's Psychological/Medical Anthropology program focuses on interpreting human existence through an anthropological lens. The curriculum takes a comprehensive approach, examining individual lives and experiences through the interconnected lenses of society, culture, biology, and psychology. Psychological anthropology training is woven throughout the graduate program, ensuring students receive balanced instruction in social, cultural, linguistic, archaeological, and biological anthropology. The program also builds interdisciplinary connections with psychiatry, cognitive science, global health, psychology, and human development studies.