Department of Anthropology

The Master of Arts program is designed to provide an organized course of study for students who wish to pursue inquiry into anthropology beyond the baccalaureate level, and to become acquainted with professional work in anthropology. Students enter the anthropology Master's program with different career paths and should work closely with their advisor to guide their coursework and Master's paper research and writing in a way that contributes best to that path. Master's students who wish to apply for doctoral programs may do so in their first or second year.

Requirements for completion of the Master of Arts in Anthropology include:

• Eight four-credit courses or the equivalent (32 credits total), and
• Participation in ANTH 340a Anthropology Graduate Proseminar, and
• A Master's research paper.

In addition to the academic requirements for the degree, students must complete one year of full-time residency (full-time tuition for one year), or the equivalent in part-time study.

Master's students may not use transfer credits to fulfill the coursework or residency requirement. There is no foreign language requirement. Language courses do not count toward the coursework requirement.

The degree must be earned within four years of beginning graduate study at Brandeis University.

Coursework Requirement

MA students are required to complete eight courses passed with a grade of B- or better, as follows:

• ANTH 203b Contemporary Anthropological Theory, and
• Seven elective courses pertaining to the student's anthropological interests, selected in consultation with the student's faculty advisor.

Master's students may combine two-credit courses toward their overall 32-credit requirement.

Master's students are also expected to register for and participate in ANTH 340d Anthropology Graduate Proseminar during the coursework phase of study. See more on the proseminar under the Resources and Facilities for all Graduate Students section of this Handbook.

Master's students may opt to complete all of the requirements within one year, or may choose to take additional semesters to complete their degree. See the companion document Planning Your Trajectory as an Anthropology Graduate Student for information about the benefits and limits of a shorter or longer time to complete the Master's degree.

Master's Research Paper

The Master's research paper involves substantial research by the student and should be 25-40 pages long, not including references. The paper should be of professional quality. The paper may have been written previously for a Brandeis anthropology course; normally students will undertake substantial revisions on the paper as part of the rewriting process. In consultation with the primary advisor, a student may register for ANTH 300a, "Directed Research for MA Students: Master's Paper." However, this course does not count toward the eight required courses.

The Master's research paper must be approved by two faculty members, at least one of whom is a member of the anthropology department (normally the student's advisor). Master's paper deadlines are generally as follows: a first full draft of the Master's paper is due approximately one month before the semester ends; one or both readers will provide feedback within two weeks; the final revised paper is due to both readers two weeks later. Once approved, the final version of the Master's research paper must be submitted to the department office. The Master's paper approval form requires the signature of both readers, and is required before the registrar's deadline for final certification of completion of degree requirements. Specific deadlines are listed within the department's graduate resources webpages. For more information see Writing a Successful Master's Paper and Master's Paper Statement of Plans, both available on the graduate resources webpages as well.

This joint Master of Arts program is designed for anthropology students whose interests and research involve women's, gender, and/or sexuality studies.

Requirements for the joint degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology and in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies include:

• Eight four-credit courses or the equivalent (32 credits total), and
• A Master's research paper.

In addition to the academic requirements for the degree, students must complete one year of full-time residency (full-time tuition for one year) or the equivalent in part-time study.

Master's students may not use transfer credits to fulfill the coursework or residency requirement. There is no foreign language requirement. Language courses do not count toward the coursework requirement.

The degree must be earned within four years of beginning graduate study at Brandeis University.

Coursework Requirement

Joint MA students are required to complete eight courses passed with a grade of B- or better, as follows:

• ANTH 203b Contemporary Anthropological Theory
• ANTH 244a Gender and Sexuality Seminar (or ANTH 144a The Anthropology of Gender or ANTH 166b Queer Anthropology, by petition)
• WMGS 205a Graduate Foundational Course in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
• A course in feminist research methodologies (WMGS 208a Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Research Seminar, or The Feminist Inquiry course offered through the Graduate Consortium in Women's Studies, or an approved alternate)
• Four elective graduate courses, including one in women's, gender, and sexuality studies from a field other than anthropology, selected in consultation with the student's faculty advisor. 

Master's students may combine two-credit courses toward their overall 32-credit requirement. 

Joint MA students are also expected to register for and participate in ANTH 340a Anthropology Graduate Proseminar during the coursework phase of study. See more on this proseminar under Resources and Facilities for all Graduate Students in this Handbook.

Master's students may opt to complete all of the requirements within one year, or may choose to take additional semesters to complete their degree. See the companion document Planning Your Trajectory as an Anthropology Graduate Student for information about the benefits and limits of a shorter or longer time to complete the Master's degree.

Master's Research Paper 

The Master's research paper involves substantial research by the student and should be 25-40 pages long, not including references. The paper should be of professional quality. The paper may have been written previously for a Brandeis anthropology course; normally students will undertake substantial revisions on the paper as part of the rewriting process. In consultation with the primary advisor, a student may register for ANTH 300a, "Directed Research for MA Students: Master's Paper." However, this course does not count toward the eight required courses.   

The Master's research paper must be approved by two faculty members, at least one of whom is a member of the anthropology department (normally the student's advisor). Master's paper deadlines are generally as follows: a first full draft of the Master's paper is due approximately one month before the semester ends; one or both readers will provide feedback within two weeks; the final revised paper is due to both readers two weeks later. Once approved, the final version of the Master's research paper must be submitted to the department office. The Master's paper approval form requires the signature of both readers, and is required before the registrar's deadline for final certification of completion of degree requirements. Specific deadlines are listed within the department's graduate resources webpages. For more information see Writing a Successful Master's Paper and Master's Paper Statement of Plans, both available on the graduate resources webpages as well.

For more information see Master's Degree Deadlines.

Readings and Research Courses

Students may register for readings and research courses after their first semester with the approval of the course instructor. A student may take no more than one readings course per semester. Please note: under exceptional circumstances (such as an unusually high level of preparedness due to previous graduate training in the social sciences), a student may petition for an exemption to the first semester hiatus (in consultation with the faculty instructor), sent in writing to the DGS, outlining the appeal for an exception on the basis of the student’s proposed course of study and research.

Cross-registration

Brandeis participates in a cross-registration program with selected Boston-area institutions. For more information, see Resources and Facilities in this Handbook.

Extended Master's Status

A graduate student enrolled in a Master's program who has completed residence requirements and who needs to utilize the full range of academic services and university facilities while completing degree requirements is an Extended Master's student. Normally students may not exceed two semesters on Extended Master's status. Students in this category may register for content courses, audit courses, and/or complete their Master's research paper.

Anthropology Master's students who have completed their one-year tuition residency requirement, but not their degree requirements, are eligible for the Extended Master's fee (a very significantly reduced tuition). See the Cost of Attendance Calculator. There will be additional partial fee waivers for the Extended Master's fee under the following circumstances: (1) students completing a thesis or final paper only and not registered for any content course or independent study; (2) students finishing an incomplete and not registered for any content course or independent study; (3) students serving as Course Assistants for Arts and Sciences. 

Teaching Opportunities 

Master's students have the opportunity to apply to work as Course Assistants for a number of courses at Brandeis. Students selected to serve in this capacity receive a stipend for the semester and, after meeting the residence requirement, are eligible for a partial tuition fee waiver. Most often, anthropology Master's students serve as Course Assistants for large undergraduate courses, such as ANTH 1a, ANTH 5a, ANTH 26a, or WMGS 5a.

Course Assistants work closely with the faculty in advising students and grading assignments. Course Assistants may be given opportunities to lecture and lead class discussion, and in some cases are expected to staff regular discussion sections. Final decisions regarding Course Assistants for Anthropology courses are made by the Director of Graduate Studies; for other courses outside of Anthropology, inquire with the department or program administrator regarding how to apply. 

Research Assistant Opportunities

Each year the department offers opportunities for graduate students to work closely with a faculty member on a research-related project. Samples of past projects have included help with assembling a bibliography for a book manuscript, searching for articles and books, scanning documents into pdf files, reading draft manuscript chapters with an eye for a broad audience (making suggestions for revision), citation checking, locating existing literature and scholarship on a new research topic, and transcription work. The department also hires graduate students to help with administrative and event tasks for the department. 

Other Resources

See later sections of this handbook for information on 

• Funding Opportunities
• Working Groups
• The Brandeis Anthropology Research Seminar (BARS)
• Workshops and Programming from Graduate Student Affairs
• Libraries
• Material Culture Study Center
• Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnography

The department admits a small number of students each year in order to maintain its character as a small department in which students and faculty are closely associated and to ensure as high a level of student financial support as possible. Graduate training is based on required courses in the history, theory, writing, and methods of anthropology and on elective courses available in the four subfields: sociocultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeology, and physical anthropology. Training for independent research is stressed, with particular emphasis on theoretical issues and fieldwork.

Full tuition scholarships and teaching assistantships are awarded to entering doctoral students. Given satisfactory academic performance, this financial support is renewable for five years. 

Phases of Study

The doctoral program in anthropology consists of three stages: the coursework stage, the examination and proposal stage, and the dissertation stage. Students admitted to the doctoral program after one or more years of coursework in the Brandeis Master's program in anthropology are then normally considered to have completed their first year of the doctoral program. The following are expectations students should strive toward. However, some students (such as those with significant language learning needs) may need slightly more time.

Coursework Stage: Years 1-2

In this stage, the student: 

• fulfills twelve of the department's requirements of fourteen four-credit courses including the four required core courses;

• begins (or continues) specialized language and technical training needed for dissertation research (at the outset of Year 1 in the program, each student will make a language plan with their advisors to address their field language learning needs);

• fulfills four out of six semesters of their teaching assistantship obligation.

Examination & Proposal Stage: Year 3

In this stage, the student:

• Enrolls in two consecutive twelve-credit independent study courses with their dissertation committee chair, focusing on the preparation and execution of their comprehensive exam and dissertation proposal (ANTH 399a and ANTH 399b). [Note: At the beginning of each independent study course, the dissertation chair will meet with the student to draw up deadlines and expectations and set a schedule of meetings for the semester (at minimum one meeting per month). As both courses are largely independent and self-driven (with faculty input from the student’s chair and dissertation committee at critical stages), students are encouraged to form informal study groups with cohort mates in similar stages of the process.]; 

• submits the first round of internal and external grant proposals for dissertation research in the Fall and the second round in the Spring, if not granted;

• completes the comprehensive examination (in conjunction with ANTH 399a Comprehensive Exam);

• defends the dissertation proposal (in conjunction with ANTH 399b Dissertation Proposal).

A student who has successfully defended their dissertation proposal and completed all other requirements is considered to be A.B.D. (“all but dissertation”). 

Dissertation Stage: Years 4-6 

In this stage, the student:

• begins carrying out dissertation fieldwork;

• writes their dissertation;

• defends their dissertation.

Detailed Description of the Doctoral Program

Dissertation Committee

On matriculating into the PhD program, each student is assigned two first-year faculty advisors based on shared geographical and topical interests: a primary and a secondary advisor. Both advisors share the labor of advising the student on different aspects of their doctoral pathway, providing two distinct points of contact. By the end of the second year of residence in the doctoral program, the student is expected to recruit a doctoral committee of at least two and normally three departmental faculty members to assume advisory responsibilities. 

At the start of each academic year, a student's two advisors (or full dissertation committee if already formed) will jointly hold a formal check-in with the student to make a strategic plan for the year.

The student is responsible for providing the names of the dissertation committee members to the Director of Graduate Studies and for filing the appropriate documentation using this form. With the prior approval of the student's dissertation committee members, a student may ask a faculty member from another department or another institution to serve on their committee. The student may make a preliminary, unofficial invitation; the actual formal invitation must come from the dissertation committee chair.

The dissertation committee has the following general responsibilities: (1) to aid the student in constructing a coherent program of coursework leading to a high level of competency in one or more areas of anthropological theory and methodology; (2) to make certain that the courses selected include exposure to other areas within the discipline; and (3) to ensure that the student is knowledgeable in the anthropology of one or more of the world's cultural areas.

The committee also develops a strategic plan for language study and assessment, approves the student's comprehensive examination reading list, conducts the comprehensive examination, supervises the writing of the dissertation proposal, and provides guidance as the student conducts field research and writes the dissertation.

In the course of the student's graduate career, as their interests evolve, the student may request changes or additions to the dissertation committee. Once the new committee member agrees to serve, the change must be communicated to the Director of Graduate Studies and must be recorded on this form. If the need should arise, the Director of Graduate Studies can either serve as the substitute advisor or a temporary replacement, with the student's consent.

Residency Requirement

Residence requirements for all full-time graduate degrees are computed by determining the amount of registration for credit and the tuition charges. The residence requirement for PhD students is three academic years in a full-time graduate credit program for each year, at the full-time tuition rate for each year, or the equivalent thereof in part-time study. A maximum of one year's approved transfer credit may be granted toward residence for the PhD degree.

Progress toward Degree

Students are expected to finish the coursework stage no later than the end of the second year. Continued enrollment in the third year is normally contingent upon meeting these conditions.

Students are normally expected to complete the examination and proposal stage by the end of their third year. In cases where students need language study in uncommon languages—which may require summer study and/or study far away—or other special requirements, they may need one extra summer to defend their dissertation proposal. In this case, students must complete the proposal defense by the end of the registration period in September of Year 4. In most cases, continued enrollment for the fourth year and receiving fourth year funding is contingent upon meeting these milestones. A student not continuing in the doctoral program may opt to pursue a terminal master’s degree at this juncture or earlier if they have met all of the requirements for the master’s degree.

During the second and/or third year, as well as during one or more summers, students should engage in preliminary dissertation fieldwork in order to be eligible for dissertation research grants and to complete the dissertation proposal.

A student who has successfully defended their dissertation proposal and completed all other requirements is considered to be A.B.D. (“all but dissertation”). This is normally when students focus on completing their dissertation fieldwork. Students who receive external grants to support dissertation fieldwork may opt to defer their Brandeis doctoral funding during this period. After five years of funding, students who have not yet completed their degree are responsible for the post-resident tuition fees each semester.

Students must earn the doctorate within eight years from the inception of doctoral study. Students who have passed the terminal point for the degree must apply to the Graduate School for an extension no later than the final semester prior to the expiration of their time to graduate.

If for health, personal, or pregnancy/parental relief reasons a student cannot devote their time to doctoral work, they should apply for a leave of absence, usually for a period of one semester or one year.

Transfer Credit

After completing at least one semester of full time residence, PhD students may apply for credit for graduate-level anthropology courses completed elsewhere or in a Brandeis MA program other than anthropology. A maximum of one year of residence credit (or eight semester courses) may be granted. Courses being transferred must carry a grade of B or better and must have been earned at an appropriately accredited institution. To apply for graduate transfer credit for a course from another institution, students must complete the appropriate form on the registrar's website and submit an official transcript and syllabus for evaluation by the Director of Graduate Studies. 

Cross-Registration

Brandeis participates with other Boston-area institutions in consortiums and other cross-registration programs. For more information about these opportunities, see the Resources and Facilities section of this Handbook. 

Course Requirements

PhD students must complete fourteen semester courses, normally taken at a rate of three or four per semester, with a grade of B- or better. The curriculum is flexible, allowing doctoral students, with the assistance of their dissertation committee, to design a program of study around their particular anthropological interests. Students who wish to be exempted from any required course, whether a foundational course or a course required by the dissertation committee, should formally petition the department before the beginning of the semester in which that course is given; the department faculty as a whole will make the decision. Graduate programs of study must be approved by the student's primary advisor prior to registration.

Doctoral students must complete four required courses covering theory, methods, writing, and history:

• ANTH 203b Contemporary Anthropological Theory is taken in the fall semester of the first year.

• The required methods course is either ANTH 202b Designing Anthropological Research or ANTH 204a Advanced Seminar in Archaeological Theory. These courses are offered every other year. In addition, students are encouraged (but not required) to take ANTH 208 Documenting Culture: Visual and Multimodal Ethnography and ANTH 215 Practical Ethnography as electives, based on their needs and interests.

• ANTH 201a History of Anthropological Thought is required for all doctoral students and is offered every other year.

• ANTH 206b Anthropological Writing is required for all doctoral students and is offered every year. May be repeated for credit but counts only once towards the course requirements.

Doctoral students are also expected to register for and participate in ANTH 340a Anthropology Graduate Seminar (BARS) during the coursework phase of their study.

MA in Passing

Students in the doctoral program are eligible to earn an MA degree in passing by completing the requirements for the Master of Arts in Anthropology.  Students interested in this option should discuss their plans with their advisor and work with the departmental academic administrator regarding the degree deadlines. Transfer credits may not be counted toward the MA in passing.

Breadth in the Discipline

Students are strongly advised to take, and their dissertation committees may require, courses ensuring exposure to the discipline's breadth of concepts and approaches, such as ANTH 186b Linguistic Anthropology and ANTH 123a Archaeology in Theory and Practice.

Specialization Courses 

The remainder of a student's course program is organized around their particular interests, with the approval and guidance of the student's dissertation committee.

Readings and Research Courses

Students may register for readings and research courses after their first semester with the approval of the course instructor. A student may take no more than one readings course per semester. Please note: under exceptional circumstances (such as an unusually high level of preparedness due to previous graduate training in the social sciences), a student may petition for an exemption to the first semester hiatus (in consultation with the faculty instructor), sent in writing to the DGS, outlining the appeal for an exception on the basis of the student’s proposed course of study and research.

Incomplete Coursework

The department's policy on incomplete coursework follows the rules set forth in the Brandeis University Bulletin:

A graduate student who has not completed the work (exams, papers, etc.) for any course may receive an EI (excused incomplete) or a failing grade at the discretion of the course instructor. A student who receives an EI must satisfactorily complete the work of the course in which the incomplete was given in order to receive credit for the course and a letter grade. All work for an incomplete must be submitted no later than the date published in the University Registrar's Academic Calendar. An EI that is not resolved by the deadline in the Academic Calendar will default to a permanent incomplete (recorded as "I" on the transcript).

Annual Evaluation and GSAS Status and Funding Review

Admission to GSAS graduate programs is for the length of the program and contingent on satisfactory academic progress. The annual review process is an opportunity for the department to assess student progress, provide feedback to the student, and make a recommendation to GSAS regarding academic and funding continuation.

In April, the anthropology department asks graduate students to prepare a brief year-end summary of their academic and professional accomplishments and plans for continued progress toward their degree.

Doctoral students receive a formal letter of evaluation acknowledging their progress toward key milestones and outlining the expectations for the coming year. In May, the department makes recommendations to GSAS regarding academic and funding continuation for each doctoral student. During the summer, the GSAS office will send an email notification to any student who has a change in academic status and/or funding.

Teaching Requirements

Brandeis University has four types of teaching support positions for graduate students, as defined by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and per union agreement. 

In Anthropology, we utilize doctoral and master’s students in teaching support roles as TAs and CAs (see definitions in link). In practice, TAs and CAs are serving in the same role. In Anthropology, we do not distinguish between the titles, especially in the classroom to the undergraduates. We refer to every graduate student serving in a student-facing teaching support role as either a TA or TF. The usage of CA is relevant only during the hiring process. For the rest of this document, the term TA applies to both TAs and CAs. 

Serving as a TA is an opportunity to develop and hone teaching skills, whether students intend to pursue a career with a master’s degree or are undertaking doctoral study. Doctoral students in anthropology generally complete six teaching assistantships as part of their doctoral funding package. Graduate teaching assistants are essential contributors to the university learning community and gain valuable teaching experience.

A collective bargaining agreement between Brandeis University and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 509 governing the terms of employment for graduate assistants began on July 1, 2018.

Teaching Assistant (TA) duties may include assisting the professor with course preparation before and during the semester, maintenance of the university learning system (Latte) used by the faculty, and grading essays, exams, and assignments. TAs may be required to attend classes on a regular basis. TAs may also be responsible for some instructional duties, such as leading discussion sessions and/or teaching an occasional class. They may also be responsible for some student advising and usually hold one office hour per week. TAs are required to complete Title IX training.

Teaching Assistant resources include workshops designed for graduate teaching assistants, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Committee for the Support of Teaching, and the English Language Programs office.

The Director of Graduate Studies oversees teaching assignments each semester, working closely with the Department Administrator.

Teaching Assistants—Expectations and Evaluations

To clarify mutual expectations and to enable graduate students to plan for their workload, the instructor and TA are expected to communicate at the start of the semester to discuss expectations for the amount and distribution of the TA’s duties. Although TAs are expected to work up to an average of 10 hours per week, this workload is often not distributed evenly throughout the semester, so this is something to discuss at the outset. TAs should also take initiative to discuss with the instructor if they have particular goals for their TA role. TAs should be aware that their advisor and/or the Director of Graduate Studies are available as resources if they have concerns about their TA experience during the semester.

TA responsibilities frequently include the following tasks: assisting the instructor with grading course assignments, holding office hours (generally one regularly scheduled hour per week plus additional meetings by appointment), attending class, taking attendance and tracking course participation, and helping facilitate class discussions. Instructors may also ask a TA to assist with setting up a LATTE course page, design and lead a particular class, and work with the instructor to develop ideas for course assignments and content. In some larger classes, TAs also lead their own discussion sections scheduled during one of the regular class hours. Our large introductory course ANTH 1a is offered each semester; all doctoral students are expected to TA for ANTH 1a at least once.

At the end of the semester, faculty members are asked to complete a short evaluation of their TA. This evaluation form serves as a catalyst for the instructor to give feedback to their TA as part of their pedagogical training. The results are also useful as the department plans future TA assignments, and as we consider students for the outstanding TA award in April.

Credit for Teaching Assistants seeking to take the course for which they are a TA

In some cases, the department will match a graduate student as TA to a course in which they had intended to enroll. This situation can benefit the instructor due to the student’s level of interest, and reduces some workload for the student since they are expected to do all of the course readings as a TA. In this situation, the graduate student enrolls in a readings course with the instructor in lieu of registering for the course for which they are a TA. The TA attends all classes, completes all readings and completes the course assignments at the graduate credit level (with expanded reading and assignments, as with other graduate classes). The TA participates in class discussion and may help facilitate, at the discretion of the instructor. TAs do not grade the work of graduate students, and their assignments for the course must be submitted before they begin grading other students’ work.

Foreign Language Requirement

Doctoral students are expected to have or to acquire the language skills necessary for conducting research in their field site before beginning the dissertation research project. This requirement may be fulfilled by taking language courses in another department or another university, intensive summer classes, a funded semester or year-long immersion program abroad, tutoring or another method determined in collaboration with their advisors. Beginning in their first semester, students will work with their advisors (and later their dissertation committee) on developing a strategic plan for how to acquire the language(s) pertinent to their proposed area of study and research. Based on these discussions, the committee will develop a plan for language assessment, which may take the shape of written or oral demonstration of proficiency. Plans for language acquisition and assessment will be included in the yearly evaluation letter that forms part of the student’s file. Students and their advisors should keep in mind that some grant applications for dissertation fieldwork require proof of language competency. Language courses do not count toward the coursework requirement.

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination tests for overall mastery of anthropological theory and literature. It is normally taken in a full-time student's fifth semester in the program (in conjunction with ANTH 399a Comprehensive Exam) and must be successfully completed before fourth-year funding is received. Students may not sit for the examination if they have not completed the twelve courses toward their course requirements or have any outstanding incompletes.

At the beginning of Anth 399a, the dissertation chair will meet with the student to draw up deadlines and expectations and set a schedule of meetings for the semester (at minimum one meeting per month). 

In consultation with the dissertation committee, the student constructs a reading list of around 200 books and articles (the length of the reading list will vary and will be determined in consultation with the chair and dissertation committee) that will be the subject of the comprehensive examination. It is expected that the student will seek the advice of each member of the committee in composing the reading list. The reading list should contain a theoretical section and an area section; each section should be clearly divided into three or four subsections. The theoretical section, building on readings in graduate courses, covers the student's subdisciplinary concentrations, e.g:, “Language and Society,” “Theories of State Formation,” or “Culture and Power.” The area section addresses relevant regional, historical, and ethnographic literature, e.g.: “The Politics of Public Space in South Asia,” “East Asian Popular Religion,” or “Maya Kingdoms.” Taken together, the readings in the subsections should constitute an argument or intellectual conversation, serving as an analytic framework to be elaborated and refined in the subsequent dissertation proposal.

The student normally takes the comprehensive exam at the end of their fifth semester or early in their sixth semester.

Students will be asked to choose one theoretical question and one area question from a group of questions based directly on the student's approved reading list. The examination lasts for one week, and each question should be answered in not more than ten double-spaced pages, not including bibliography. The student is responsible for giving the Director of Graduate Studies and each member of the committee a copy of the written responses. In a one-hour oral examination before the committee, the student responds to questions addressing both the written responses and the construction of the reading list. The committee then evaluates the student's performance on both the written and oral components to determine if the student has passed or failed the examination. The committee may ask the student to prepare specific written revisions within the space of one week before making its final determination. The exam may be retaken (with new questions) within three months of the initial exam. To remain in the doctoral program, the student must pass the exam in that time period.

Dissertation Proposal

After completing all required coursework and passing the comprehensive examination, the student prepares a dissertation proposal of approximately 35-45 double-spaced pages (in conjunction with ANTH 399b Dissertation Proposal), which consists of (a) a substantial literature review of the chosen topic and fieldwork area; (b) a detailed presentation of the dissertation research questions or problems; and (c) a discussion of the proposed research methodologies. In the proposal, the student is expected to formulate explicitly how the review of significant issues in the scholarly literature leads to and provides a theoretical motivation for the dissertation research agenda. For more guidelines, click on the Guide To Writing a Dissertation Proposal.

At the beginning of Anth 399b, the dissertation chair will meet with the student to draw up deadlines and expectations and set a schedule of meetings for the semester (at minimum one meeting per month). 

The student will complete their written dissertation proposal and the oral hearing by the end of their sixth semester in the program, in May, or no later than the registrar’s June date for completing spring incompletes that year. In cases where students need language study in uncommon languages—which may require summer study and/or study far away—or other special requirements, they may need one extra summer to defend their dissertation proposal. In this case, students must complete the proposal defense by the end of the registration period in September of Year 4. The student's dissertation proposal is circulated among the entire faculty and is made available to graduate students two weeks prior to a formal oral proposal hearing. Attended by a quorum of at least five anthropology faculty members and open to anthropology graduate students in all degree programs, the hearing will consist of a ten-minute presentation by the student, followed by constructive criticism, questions and advice from the faculty, and the student's responses. After the hearing, the chair of the dissertation committee, in consultation with the members of the committee, prepares written comments to guide the student's revision of the document. In the past, faculty have requested various formats for these revisions, including a 10-15 page written response to specific questions, a grant proposal incorporating feedback from the hearing, and so forth, depending on the committee's sense of what will benefit the student most.

The student is encouraged to discuss these comments with all members of the committee before submitting the final version of the dissertation proposal, which is normally due within two weeks of receiving the committee chair's comments. The committee then has one week to pass or fail the dissertation proposal. The student must pass their defense in order to remain in the doctoral program. A student who has successfully defended their proposal and completed all other requirements save the dissertation is considered to be A.B.D.

A student who has completed a major grant proposal (equivalent in caliber and length to an NSF, SSRC, Wenner-Gren, or Fulbright-Hays) may choose to submit this grant proposal in lieu of writing a separate dissertation proposal. If a student wishes or if their committee recommends it, the student will submit a 10-20 page double-spaced supplement to their grant proposal that outlines theoretical and ethnographic issues not raised in the original grant proposal, tries out new theoretical ideas, and gives the student additional room to lay out their thinking without being constrained by space. The student will go through the same oral hearing process as described above.

Fieldwork Preparation

Prior to departure for dissertation fieldwork, the student must prepare a brief, two-page fieldwork statement, to be submitted to the dissertation committee and to the Director of Graduate Studies. The statement should include (a) a brief summary of the research topic; (b) information on the location and duration of the fieldwork and names and addresses of local contacts; (c) the current status of all funding applications; and (d) IRB status (passed or pending). This statement should also address the following departure checklist: 

• Visa (Has the student obtained a visa, if necessary, to enter the country?)

• Research Permit (Has the student obtained a research permit from the government of the host country, if necessary?)

• Health (Has the student consulted with a doctor about vaccinations, malaria prophylaxis, etc.?)

• Health Insurance (Does the student have the necessary medical insurance, including medical evacuation coverage, if necessary?)

• Safety (Are there travel advisories posted on the Department of State's website?)

Registration Status at Brandeis

Every student pursuing work toward a degree, whether or not currently in residence, must register at the beginning of each term. While in the field, students are expected to keep their committee members apprised of their progress and of questions that have arisen. Students who receive departmental funds for their fieldwork must complete a formal checklist and report. The checklists are available on the graduate program resources page. 

Progress Toward Degree

A graduate student who has completed all degree requirements except the dissertation is eligible for continuation status. A student in this category enrolls on a full-time basis and is eligible for university health insurance, borrowing privileges in the library, university account access, use of gym facilities, and the purchase of a parking sticker. Continuation status students are not normally eligible for leaves of absence, except for health reasons.

Continuation students must enroll before the end of the registration period each semester in CONT 500a (Graduate Research). Information about CONT 500a is available on the Registrar's webpages and in the Bulletin. See Appendix 1 for information from GSAS regarding student status and tuition fees.

A continuation student is expected to schedule periodic meetings with their advisor and to submit writings in progress. When a doctoral student does not submit sufficient written material or updates over the course of a semester, the faculty will take this into consideration in making decisions about re-admittance for the following term.

If a student is not able to make progress, they may voluntarily withdraw, or be asked to withdraw by the department. When the student wishes to be considered for readmission, the minimum expectation is a 10-page written document. The student's dissertation committee may also develop a more detailed requirement for readmission. The decision to readmit a returning student is made by the department as a whole.

Exit Interview

Doctoral students who complete the program or withdraw before completion are invited to do an exit interview with the Director of Graduate Studies and the Department Chair to reflect on their experience at Brandeis.

Dissertation and Defense

When complete, the dissertation must be submitted, together with an abstract of no more than 350 words, to the committee for determination if it is ready to be defended.

Once accepted by the dissertation committee, the dissertation must be successfully defended in an oral examination. The dissertation must be deposited in the department office at least two weeks prior to the oral defense. In meeting these requirements, students are reminded to be attentive to the academic calendar deadlines posted on the Registrar's web site and the dissertation submission procedures and deadlines of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

The department selects an external examiner who serves as a reader for the dissertation and participates in the dissertation defense. Once the committee chair has received a commitment from the external examiner, the committee chair sets the date and time of the defense. 

The oral defense, presided over by the dissertation examining committee, will be open to any faculty member engaged in graduate instruction, invited faculty members from other institutions, and graduate students. Following the defense, the candidate must submit the signed PhD Dissertation Defense and Oral Examination Form to the Registrar's Office. This report is signed by members of the dissertation examining committee and certifies that the dissertation has been accepted and that the final oral examination (defense) has been passed. Required revisions of the dissertation must be completed and accepted by the committee within six months of the defense date; otherwise the dissertation must be re-defended. Submitted dissertations must follow all GSAS guidelines.

Rights and Responsibilities

Each year, the Department of Student Rights and Community Standards (DSRCS) publishes the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. These policies and procedures are set forth in writing in order to give students general notice of community standards. See the DSRCS website for further information.

Special Notes for Registration in Undergraduate Courses

Any graduate student who is taking an undergraduate course for credit towards their graduate degree will be required to do additional work in that course such as attending extra sections with the instructor and other graduate students, doing additional reading, writing a longer final paper (minimum 20 pages) and/or doing an oral presentation about some aspect of the course material to the class.

Student Accessibility Support

Brandeis University welcomes all qualified individuals as students, faculty, or staff members. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with appropriately documented physical, learning, or psychological disabilities. For more information, please see the university’s Academic Accommodations for Undergraduate and Graduate Students website.

Graduate Student Representatives

Anthropology graduate student representatives are elected to facilitate communication between graduate students and faculty on myriad issues. Representatives usually consist of one or two Master's students and one or two doctoral students. Representatives meet periodically with the Director of Graduate Studies and/or Department Chair. In conjunction with the Director of Graduate Studies, representatives collaborate on planning workshops and events and developing resources for graduate students. 

Brandeis Anthropology Research Seminar (BARS)

An important part of the intellectual life of the department is the Brandeis Anthropology Research Seminar (BARS), a venue for rigorous and creative engagement with current academic and applied anthropological research. This bi-weekly seminar includes professionalism workshops, invited speakers, and opportunities for students to present their work and receive feedback. The seminar provides an excellent way for graduate students to hear about current work in the various subfields of anthropology and make personal contacts with visiting scholars.

All graduate students are expected to attend BARS. Graduate students in the coursework phase are required to enroll in ANTH 340a Anthropology Graduate Proseminar, which serves as a formal site to support BARS. 

Each year, the department invites distinguished scholars to present the Hunt Lecture in Economic Anthropology and the Saler Lecture in Religious Studies as part of BARS. The seminar schedule can be found on the department webpage.

Graduate Student Affairs (GSA)

The Office of Graduate Student Affairs (GSA) supports and encourages life on campus for graduate students outside of the classroom and serves as a liaison between graduate students and university administration. GSA staff members coordinate events and programming among the three graduate schools on campus. 

Graduate Cross-Registration Program

Brandeis participates in a cross-registration program with Boston College, Boston University, Tufts University, Wellesley College, and the Graduate Consortium in Women’s Studies at MIT.  Anthropology students are eligible to take graduate-level or language courses at these institutions (no more than one course per term) with the prior approval of their advisors. Refer to the registrar’s website for details. 

Libraries

The social science collections of the university are housed in the Goldfarb and Farber Libraries. These materials are also accessible through the library’s online catalog systems. The libraries have facilities for computerized searches of bibliographic databases such as Academic Search Premier, the Social Science Index, the MLA Index, and other periodical indices. The Interlibrary Loan Office provides books or photocopies of materials not owned by the university. Brandeis is a member of the Boston Library Consortium, composed of twelve academic and research institutions in the area.

Material Culture Study Center

The department has curatorial responsibility for a teaching collection of art and artifacts from Africa, Inner Asia, Australia, the American Southwest, Mesoamerica, Southwest Asia, and Oceania. A rotating selection of objects is on display at the department. 

Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnography

CMRAE is a consortium of Boston-area institutions. Drawing on faculty from Brandeis, Boston University, Harvard, M.I.T., Tufts, University of Massachusetts-Boston, Wellesley, and Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, the consortium offers courses to students from participating institutions in a wide variety of topics in archaeological methods and the study of materials. is a consortium of Boston-area institutions. Drawing on faculty from Brandeis, Boston University, Harvard, M.I.T., Tufts, University of Massachusetts-Boston, Wellesley, and Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, the consortium offers courses to students from participating institutions in a wide variety of topics in archaeological methods and the study of materials.

Anthropology Department Funding Opportunities

The Anthropology Department has funds available to support graduate student research and other professional activities. Funded activities include Master's research paper fieldwork or research expenses, specialized language training, pre-dissertation fieldwork site visits, and travel expenses for students who are giving papers at professional meetings. In most years, applications for support from these funds will be reviewed by the faculty in two cycles, on or about November 1 and March 1. Applications for department funds must be made in writing in accordance with the department's call for proposals, made available on the anthropology department website each year.

Manners Prize

The Manners Prize was established in 1994 to honor Dr. Robert A. Manners, a founding member of the Brandeis Anthropology Department and long-time department chair. Professor Manners also inaugurated the Anthropology graduate program in 1959. The prize is awarded to honor a significant piece of scholarly writing by a doctoral student, such as a research report, conference paper, journal article submission or dissertation. Papers submitted in fulfillment of course requirements are not normally eligible. The winner is selected by a committee appointed by the Chair of the Anthropology Department and is traditionally recognized in May. The winning student receives a cash prize and their name is added to the Manners Prize Plaque, displayed in the Anthropology Graduate Student Lounge.

University-Administered Funding Opportunities

The following internal funding opportunities are available to qualified graduate students. Please see the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences website for details on these awards as well as Fulbright and UPI. 

• GSAS Master's Research Fund and GSA Travel and Research Grants: GSAS offers small grants to help cover research expenses primarily for a thesis or major paper; GSA grants include travel and research support.
• Doctoral Travel Funds Request: Doctoral students in the humanities, social sciences and creative arts may apply for up to $500 reimbursement each academic year for travel to present papers or serve on panels at conferences.
• Provost Award: An award in the $500--$1,000 range in support of an ABD-doctoral candidate's dissertation-related research expenses.

Other specialized university funding opportunities are available from the Crown Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, the Center for German and European Studies, the Tauber Institute, and the Latin American and Latino Studies Program (Jane's Travel Grants). 

University Prize Instructorship (UPI)

This award gives doctoral students the opportunity to design and teach an upper-division course in their field of research. Instructorships are awarded to exceptional doctoral candidates who have made substantial progress toward their degree. Candidates must have completed at least one semester as a Teaching Assistant and must be A.B.D. (i.e., have completed all degree requirements except the dissertation) by early May of the year the prize is awarded. Up to six instructorships will be awarded to candidates who propose courses that represent strong contributions to the undergraduate curriculum and who have demonstrated excellence and commitment to teaching. Selection criteria include quality of the proposed course as demonstrated by the syllabus, its relevance to the curriculum, and its potential appeal to undergraduates.

The anthropology department encourages students to work closely with advisors to develop creditable proposals for this instructorship during the fall semester. Please submit a statement and proposed syllabus to your advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies by the first day of classes in January, so that the department faculty may review the proposals in a timely fashion and make an appropriate recommendation to the Graduate School.

Outstanding Teaching Fellow Award

Each year, the anthropology department selects a recipient for the GSAS Outstanding Teaching Fellow award. The award is announced in late April, and certificates of distinction are presented to the recipients at a May reception.

External Funding Opportunities

Students may consult the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences website for a list of external funding opportunities.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program enables graduate students (and recent graduates who do not hold a terminal degree in their field) to conduct research and study abroad or to work as English teachers for an academic year. All applicants for this program must be U.S. citizens. All applications must first be submitted by the campus deadline (usually by mid-September) for internal committee review.

Any student who has a grievance about a faculty or staff member regarding an academic matter should meet promptly with the persons directly involved. If that meeting results in a mutually acceptable solution, the matter is closed. If either party wishes to have a written statement of the outcome, the parties should put the solution in writing, sign it, and provide a copy to each person. If the grievance is unresolved, the student should submit a written statement, specifying the complaint and remedy desired, to the graduate advisor or the chair of the department in which the faculty or staff member resides. The chair or graduate advisor is to seek to resolve the matter within 14 calendar days from submission of the complaint, either personally or by assigning the matter to one or more faculty members. Any settlement will be in writing and signed by the parties involved, with a copy provided to all. The student may appeal, in writing, the department's decision to the Dean of Arts and Sciences within 45 calendar days of the decision. The appeal should specify why the proposed resolution is not acceptable. Final disposition of the appeal will be in writing to all parties involved; the Dean's decision is final. The Dean of GSAS is available to consult with students at any step in the grievance process.