Anthropology
2017-18 General Catalog
361 Social Sciences 1 Building
(831) 459- 3320
http://anthro.ucsc.edu/
Program Description
Anthropology studies people throughout the world and through time. Because it covers a wide range of topics— biological evolution, material remains of the past, and the world that humans create through their ideas and practices in present-day societies—anthropology is an especially integrative discipline. The anthropology program at UCSC offers courses that reflect the diversity of the field.
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Cultural anthropology explores the movements of people, objects, and ideas in diverse societies, including our own. Cultural anthropology courses examine such topics as race and ethnicity, medicine, science, gender, sexuality, the environment, religion, law, popular culture, and politics.
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Archaeology uses the material evidence of human activities to understand past human lives. Archaeology at UCSC focuses on past people’s interactions with one another at the local level and within their wider social and ecological contexts.
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Faculty research areas include the pre-colonial and colonial American Southwest, California, the Northwest Coast, Mesoamerica, and West Africa and the African Diaspora.
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Biological anthropology traces the human journey from its beginnings in Africa over five million years ago. Biological anthropology courses look at fossil evidence, evolutionary theory, human variation, and the behavior of primate relatives in order to analyze biological, social, and cultural changes over time. Biological Anthropology at UCSC has a methodological emphasis in innovative approaches to human and non-human primate ecology and diversity founded on our expertise in genomics, isotope biochemistry, as well as human osteology
UCSC students have the opportunity to do independent library and field research in cultural anthropology, archaeology, and biological anthropology. Laboratory courses in archaeology and biological anthropology offer practical experience in the analysis of biological and cultural materials. In cultural anthropology courses, students learn to carry out anthropological research through interviews, participant observation, surveys, the collection of oral histories, and the interpretation of archives.
Because anthropology is concerned with understanding human interaction, it is a useful major for anyone planning a career that involves working with people, especially those from diverse cultures. Some UCSC anthropology graduates are in social work, many are in teaching, and others pursue careers in law, city planning, politics, medicine, public health, cultural resource management, and journalism. Students intending to specialize in anthropology usually go on to graduate school because professional employment in the field almost always demands an advanced degree.
Most anthropology faculty have their offices in Social Sciences 1 Building. Social Sciences 1 also houses the Visual Culture Research Laboratory and laboratories for archaeology and biological anthropology where space is provided for laboratory and individual studies courses and for collections of mammalian skeletal material, casts of fossil hominids, ceramics, stone tools, and other archaeological artifacts.
The Anthropology Society, a campus club, is open to all students interested in anthropology. The Anthropology Colloquium showcases guest speakers and gives faculty and students an opportunity to discuss new approaches to anthropological questions. Students and faculty interested in archaeology also gather informally at the Archaeology/Biological Anthropology Lunch forum to share information on fieldwork and employment opportunities.
Program Learning Outcomes
A student who graduates with a B.A. in Anthropology has the following knowledge and skills:
Core Concepts in Anthropology
The student demonstrates understanding of the core concepts in three primary subfields of anthropology: cultural anthropology, archaeology, and biological anthropology.
Knowledge of Cultural Differences
The student demonstrates knowledge of cultural variation and the diversity of perspectives, practices, and beliefs found within each culture and across cultures.
Integration of Subfields
The student integrates cultural, biological, and archaeological perspectives on human bodies, behavior, and institutions.
Written Communication
The student demonstrates the ability to write clearly and to formulate well-organized arguments that are grounded in supporting evidence while countering evidence that contradicts the student’s claims.
Oral Communication
The student is able to organize ideas and information and articulate them effectively.
Research and Analytical Skills
The student demonstrates knowledge of the basic steps involved in scholarly research, including locating and critically evaluating scholarly and other information sources relevant to the chosen topic. The student can recognize and demonstrate a basic understanding of research methods used in the various subfields of anthropology, including—but not limited to— participant observation, thick description, laboratory and field analysis, and interviewing.
Understanding of Long-Term Changes in Human Behavior and Conditions in Deep Time
The student has a grasp of long-term changes in the conditions that have shaped humans and the environments they inhabit.
Undergraduate Handbook
All undergraduate majors should obtain a copy of the Anthropology Department undergraduate handbook from the department web site. It outlines information on department procedures and requirements, program planning, independent study, faculty interests, and campus resources for anthropology majors.
Admission into the Major
In order to qualify for the major, students must have received a "C" or better in at least one lower-division anthropology course (ANTH 1, 2, or 3) and have either received a "C" or better in a second lower-division anthropology course or be enrolled in a second lower-division anthropology course at the time of declaration.
Requirements of the Major
The Anthropology Department urges students to seek faculty advice early in planning for the major. Faculty hold regular office hours weekly and encourage students to come in to talk about their program or coursework. Peer advisers are also available.
The anthropology major incorporates the three anthropological subfields of anthropological archaeology, cultural anthropology, and biological anthropology, while providing undergraduates with a solid grounding in theory and methods.
Students do not declare an emphasis or concentration within the anthropology major. All students therefore are general anthropology majors and complete the same requirements. However, students can choose to take additional courses in a specific area of anthropology while completing the upper-division anthropology electives required for the major, or by choosing to take courses above and beyond what is required for the major.
To graduate with an anthropology major, students must successfully complete the following courses:
Three Lower-Division Courses
Students may transfer courses equivalent to ANTH 1, 2, and 3 from California community colleges that have existing articulation agreements (see ASSIST).
Students may also petition to transfer courses equivalent to ANTH 1, 2, and 3 from other community colleges or from four-year institutions.
ANTH 1: Introduction to Biological Anthropology
ANTH 2: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 3: Introduction to Archaeology
Ten Upper-Division Courses
Five core courses:
Students may not substitute coursework from another program or institution for core courses.
one course in archaeology
one course in biological, medical or environmental anthropology
one course in regional specialization
one course in sociocultural anthropology
one course in anthropological theory
Four anthropology electives (any additional upper-division anthropology courses)
Students may petition up to 10 quarter credits (equivalent to two UCSC courses) of upper-division transfer credit toward the major elective requirements.
One senior comprehensive requirement, which can be satisfied in one of three ways:-
Senior Seminar (usually courses numbered ANTH 194 or 196)
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Graduate Seminar (200-level course), enrollment by petition only
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Senior Thesis, plus one additional elective; enrollment by petition only
Students must also complete the Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement.
Anthropological Theory Core Courses
Note: Each course may only be used to satisfy a single major requirement. Courses cannot be double-counted for requirements within the anthropology major. Students may not substitute coursework from another program or institution for core coursesrequirements.
100 History and Theory of Biological Anthropology
150 Communicating Anthropology
152 Survey of Cultural Anthropological Theory
170 History of Archaeological Theory
Sociocultural Anthropology Core Courses
Note: Each course may only be used to satisfy a single major requirement. Courses cannot be double-counted for requirements within the anthropology major. Students may not substitute coursework from another program or institution for core coursesrequirements. Not all of these courses are offered each year.
118 Globalization of Development
119 Indigenous Visual Culture
120 Culture in Film
121 Socialism
122 Postsocialism
123 Psychological Anthropology
124 Anthropology of Religion
126 Sexuality and Society in Cross-Cultural Perspective
127 Ethnographies of Capitalism
128 Contemporary American Evangelical Culture
129 Other Globalizations: Cultures and Histories of Interconnection
131 Women in Cross-Cultural Perspective
132 Photography and Anthropology
133 Narratives of the Popular
134 Medical Anthropology
135A Cities
136 The Biology of Everyday Life
137 Consuming Culture
138 Political Anthropology
139 Language and Culture
140 Art, Artist, Artifact
141 Developing Countries
142 Anthropology of Law
143 Performance and Power
144 Anthropology of Poverty and Welfare
145X Special Topics in Socio-Cultural Anthropology
146 Anthropology and the Environment
147 Anthropology and the Anthropocene
148 Gender and Global Development
151 Workshop in Ethnography
153 Medicine/Colonialism
154 Multimedia Ethnography
157 Modernity and Its Others
158 Feminist Ethnographies
159 Race and Anthropology
160 Reproduction and Population Politics
161 The Anthropology of Food
162 Anthropology of Displaced Persons
163 Kinship164 Anthropology of Dance
165 Anthropological Folklore
166 States, Bureaucracies, and Other Cosmological Propositions
Regional Specialization Core Courses
Note: Each course may only be used to satisfy a single major requirement. Courses cannot be double-counted for requirements within the anthropology major. Students may not substitute coursework from another program or institution for core requirements. Not all of these courses are offered each year.
130A Peoples and Cultures of Africa
130B Brazil
130C Politics and Culture in China
130E Culture and Politics of Island Southeast Asia
130F African Diasporas in the Americas
130G Asian Americans in Ethnography and Film
130H Ethnography of Russia and Eastern Europe
130I Cultures of India
130J Politics and Statemaking in Latin America
130L Ethnographies of Latin America
130M Inside Mexico
130N Native Peoples of North America
130T Anthropological Approaches to Islam
130U Central America
130V Ethnography of Russia
130W Ethnography of Eastern Europe130X Special Topics in Ethnography
175A African Archaeology
175B African Archaeology: Development
175C African Diaspora Archaeology
176A North American Archeology
176B Meso-American Archaeology
176C Archaeology and the American Southwest
176D Colonial Encounters in the Americas
176E Archaeology of the Pacific Northwest
176F California Archaeology
Archaeology Core Courses
Note: Each course may only be used to satisfy a single major requirement. Courses cannot be double-counted for requirements within the anthropology major. Students may not substitute coursework from another program or institution for core requirements. Not all of these courses are offered each year.
171 Materials and Methods in Historical Archaeology
172 Archaeological Research Design
173 Origins of Farming
174 Origins of Complex Societies
175A African Archaeology
175B African Archaeology: Development
175C African Diaspora Archaeology
176A North American Archeology
176B Meso-American Archaeology
176C Archaeology and the American Southwest
176D Colonial Encounters in the Americas176E Archaeology of the Pacific Northwest
176F California Archaeology
177 European Conquest of the Americas
178 Historical Archaeology: A Global Perspective
180 Ceramic Analysis in Archaeology
181X Special Topics in Archaeology
182A Lithic Technology
184 Zooarchaeology
185 Osteology of Mammals, Birds, and Fish
187 Cultural Heritage in Colonial Contexts
189 Archaeology Field Course
Biological/Medical/Environmental Anthropology Core Courses
Note: Each course may only be used to satisfy a single major requirement. Courses cannot be double-counted for requirements within the anthropology major. Students may not substitute coursework from another program or institution for core requirements. Not all of these courses are offered each year.
100 History and Theory of Biological Anthropology
101 Human Evolution
104 Human Variation and Adaptation
105 Human Paleopathology
111 Human Ecology
134 Medical Anthropology
146 Anthropology and the Environment
147 Anthropology and the Anthropocene
190X Special Topics in Biological Anthropology
Anthropology At-Large Courses
Note: Not all of these courses are offered each year.
Anthropology At-Large courses may be used as electives for completing upper-division course requirements. These courses do not count as anthropological theory, sociocultural anthropology, regional specialization, or biological anthropology and archaeology courses.
110A Public Life and Contemporary Issues
110B From Indiana Jones to Stonehenge: Archaeology as Pop Culture
110E Anthropology of Global Environmental Change
110F Biocultural Approaches to Food
110G Barrio Popular Culture
110H Acoustic Culture
110K Culture though Food
110O Postcolonial Britain and France
110P India and Indian Diaspora Through Film
110R Discourses in American Religions and Their Role in Public Life
110S Think We Must! Anthropology and the Everyday
110T Motherhood in American Culture
110W Land and Waterscapes Entropology
110Y The Hands That Feed Us: Labor in Food Systems
Laboratory Methods Courses
Note: Not all of these courses are offered each year.
These courses are designed for students interested in pursuing graduate research or careers that require specialized training in laboratory methods and may be used as electives for completing upper-division course requirements. These courses do not count toward the anthropological theory, sociocultural anthropology, regional specialization, biological/medical/environmental anthropology, or archaeology core requirements.
102A Human Skeletal Biology
103 Forensic Anthropology
103B Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology
107 Methods and Research in Molecular Anthropology
Senior Exit Requirement
Students can fulfill the senior comprehensive requirement in anthropology either by passing an advanced senior seminar (194-series course, 190ABC, or 196AB), by writing an acceptable independent senior thesis, or by passing an approved graduate-level topical seminar in anthropology.
Senior seminars are small, writing-intensive classes focusing on advanced topics in anthropology. The prerequisite for admission to a senior seminar is successful completion of courses 1, 2, and 3; senior seminars are restricted to senior anthropology majors.
Students considering an independent thesis must arrange for the sponsorship and support of a faculty member before beginning research. An independent senior thesis (not written within a senior seminar) should be based on original research and reflect the student’s understanding of fundamental theories and issues in anthropology. The thesis should be comparable in content, style, and length (generally 25–30 pages) to a professional journal article in its subfield.
Students who intend to satisfy the exit requirement by taking a graduate seminar must first get permission from the department. Not all graduate seminars are appropriate for fulfilling this requirement. Students who take a graduate-level course to fulfill the theory requirement may not use this course to satisfy the exit requirement.
All majors, including double majors, must prepare a program of study in consultation with a member of the Anthropology Department. A combined major in anthropology and Earth and planetary sciences, leading to a bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree, is also offered; for that program description, see Earth and Planetary Sciences. Students going on to graduate school should plan course schedules in close consultation with faculty advisers.
Many anthropology majors whose studies emphasize archaeology have benefited from concurrent study in the Cabrillo College Archaeological Technology Certificate Program. This vocational certification program is sponsored entirely by Cabrillo College, but credit for its summer field survey and excavation component may be transferred for credit at UCSC. Although courses in the Archaeological Technology Certificate Program do not count toward the UCSC anthropology major, students who have obtained the certificate in tandem with their bachelor’s degree in anthropology have expanded their employment and advanced degree program opportunities. Students interested in exploring this possibility are encouraged to consult with UCSC archaeology faculty and to visit the program’s web site.
Senior Seminars
Note: Not all of these courses are offered each year.
194A Anthropology of Dead Persons
194B Chimpanzees: Biology, Behavior and Evolution
194C Feminist Anthropology
194D Tribes/Castes/Women
194E Belief
194F Memory
194G Politics and Secularism
194H Paleoanthropology
194I Consumption and Consumerism
194K Reading Ethnographies
194L Archaeology of the African Diaspora
194M Medical Anthropology
194N Comparison of Cultures
194O Masculinities
194P Space, Place, and Culture
194Q Race, Ethnicity, Nation
194R Religion, Gender, Sexuality
194S The Anthropology of Sound
194T Poverty and Inequality
194U Environmental Anthropology: Nature, Culture, Politics
194V Picturing Cultures
194W The Anthropology of Social Movements
194X Women in Politics: A Third World Perspective
194Y Archeology of Space and Landscape
194Z Emerging Worlds
196C Traveling Cultures
196D Food and Medicine
196E Pastoralists Past and Present
196F The Anthropology of Things: Gift, Sign, Commodity, Tool
196G Advanced Topics in Folkloristics
196H Global History and the Longue Durée
196I Hard Problems196J Imagining America
196K Settler Colonialism
196L Archaeology of the American Southwest
196M Modernity and Its Others
196P Disability and Difference
196T Archaeology of Technology
196U Historical Anthropology
Two-credit courses do not count toward the 10 upper-division courses required for the major. Only one 5-credit individual studies course (197, 198, or 199) may be counted toward the 10 required upper-division courses. Course 107L does not count toward the 10 upper-division courses required for the major. Theory courses can only be counted toward the theory requirement or an upper-division elective.
Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. Anthropology’s DC requirement aims especially at cultivating high-level skills in critical and ethnographic writing. To satisfy the DC requirement students must: a) complete an Anthropological Theory Course (chosen from ANTH 100, 150, 152, 170, 270) and; b) complete a Senior Seminar or complete an Independent Senior Thesis, following the guidelines of the senior exit requirement. Students who take 270 to fulfill the theory/DC requirement may not use the course to satisfy the senior exit requirement. Please refer to the Undergraduate Handbook for details.
Transfer Students
If possible, transfer students should complete lower-division requirements for the major before coming to UCSC by taking courses equivalent to courses 1, 2, and 3. Department policy also allows students to petition up to 10 quarter credits (equivalent to two UCSC courses) of upper-division transfer credit toward the major elective requirements. Any courses completed at the community college level are not considered to be upper-division courses. Transfer students should bring an unofficial copy of all pertinent transcripts to the undergraduate adviser in the department office (361 Social Sciences 1 Building) as soon as possible after reaching campus so that prerequisites can be verified and course enrollment can proceed smoothly.
Transfer Credit Toward Major Requirements
Students may transfer courses equivalent to ANTH 1, 2, and 3 from California community colleges with existing articulation agreements (see ASSIST).
Students may also petition to transfer courses equivalent to ANTH 1, 2, and 3 from other community colleges or from four-year institutions.
Students may petition up to 10 quarter credits (equivalent to two UCSC courses) of upper-division transfer credit toward the major elective requirements under the following circumstances:
- A student has taken an upper-division anthropology course at another four-year university (including courses taken through EAP) and wants to petition for the course to count toward the anthropology major or minor elective.
- A student has participated in a Field School Program and wants to petition for the course to count toward the anthropology major elective requirements.
Peer Advisers
The Anthropology Department has instituted a peer adviser program as a supplement to academic advising offered by faculty members. The peer advisers are juniors and seniors who have been trained to help students with questions and general guidance through the anthropology major. Peer advisers hold regularly scheduled office hours in the department office.
Honors
The Anthropology Department awards honors in the major and highest honors in the major based on a ranked departmental GPA that is calculated using all upper-division courses taken in the major with the exception that only one independent-study course can be used in this calculation. For students who have taken multiple independent-study courses in the department, the independent-study course that has the highest grade is used for the calculation. Approximately 15 percent of the graduating class is considered for honors based on their cumulative (GPA) through the quarter before graduation. The criteria for awarding highest honors in the major are overall superlative performance in the major and general breadth of excellence across the subfields of anthropology. Receiving honors on the senior exit requirement is also considered as a factor in awarding highest honors, but is not always determinative. When applicable, narrative evaluations can be taken into consideration for highest honors.
Minor Requirements
The UCSC minor in anthropology has a total of 10 courses required: three lower-division and seven upper-division courses. There is no theory course or senior comprehensive requirement for the minor in anthropology.
Three Lower-Division Courses
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ANTH 1: Introduction to Biological Anthropology
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ANTH 2: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
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ANTH 3: Introduction to Archaeology
Seven Upper-Division Courses
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one course in archaeology
- One course in biological, medical, or environmental anthropology
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one course in regional specialization
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one course in sociocultural anthropology
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three anthropology electives (any additional upper-division anthropology courses, no independent study courses)
Independent study courses cannot be used toward completion of the minor.
For more information regarding department policies, please consult the undergraduate adviser at the Anthropology Department office, 361 Social Sciences 1 Building. A handbook on the anthropology program is available on the anthropology web site.
Anthropology/Earth Sciences Combined Major Requirements
The Anthropology Department also collaborates with the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department to offer a combined major, which leads to a B.A. in anthropology/Earth sciences.
The anthropology/Earth sciences combined major is designed for students with strong interests in Earth sciences and in the laboratory-based subfields of anthropology. This includes anthropology students who are interested in archaeology or paleoanthropology and desire more intensive training in the natural sciences, and Earth sciences students who are interested in paleobiology or archaeology. The combined major allows students to receive a strong grounding in both disciplines without pursuing a double major or major/minor in the two departments. This program will permit anthropology/Earth sciences majors to enter graduate programs in Earth sciences, archaeology or paleoanthropology with extraordinarily well-developed geological knowledge and skills. Anthropology-based students in the combined major are encouraged to augment the science-rich required curriculum with upper-division courses in cultural anthropology.
Eleven Lower-Division Courses
Anthropology 1 – Introduction to Biological Anthropology
Anthropology 2 – Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Anthropology 3 – Introduction to Archaeology
Earth Sciences 5/5L or Earth Sciences 10/10L or Earth Sciences 20/20L
Mathematics 11A or 19A
Mathematics 11B or 19B
Five lower-division cognate science courses from the following: Chemistry 1A, Chemistry 1B/M, Chemistry 1C/N, Physics 6A/L, Physics 6B/M, Biology 20A, Biology 20B, Biology 20C
Eight Upper-Division Courses
Earth Sciences 110A/L – Evolution of the Earth
Any three Earth Sciences upper-division electives (must be 5-credit courses)
Any four Anthropology upper-division electives from the biological anthropology or archaeology concentrations (must be 5-credit courses)
One Senior Comprehensive Requirement (choose one of the following)
Anthropology 194 – Any Senior Seminar in biological anthropology or archaeology (by petition)
Earth Sciences 188A-B - Summer Field Internship
Senior Thesis (by petition only)
Any approved Earth science field program (by petition only)
Students must coordinate with both the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department and the Anthropology Department to complete the combined major.
Faculty Adviser in Anthropology: Judith Habicht-Mauche, judith@ucsc.edu
Faculty Adviser in Earth Sciences: Patrick Chuang, pchuang@ucsc.edu
Anthropology Undergraduate Adviser: anthugradadv@ucsc.edu
Earth Sciences Undergraduate Advising: epsadvising@ucsc.edu
Archaeology Courses
Note: Not all of these courses are offered each year.
171 Materials and Methods in Historical Archaeology
172 Archaeological Research Design
173 Origins of Farming
174 Origins of Complex Societies
175A African Archaeology
175B African Archaeology: Development
175C African Diaspora Archaeology
176A North American Archeology
176B Meso-American Archaeology
176C Archaeology and the American Southwest
176D Colonial Encounters in the Americas
176E Archaeology of the Pacific Northwest
176F California Archaeology
177 European Conquest of the Americas
178 Historical Archaeology: A Global Perspective
180 Ceramic Analysis in Archaeology
182A Lithic Technology
184 Zooarchaeology
185 Osteology of Mammals, Birds, and Fish
187 Cultural Heritage in Colonial Contexts
189 Archaeology Field Course
Biological Anthropology Courses
Note: Not all of these courses are offered each year.
100 History and Theory of Biological Anthropology
101 Human Evolution
102A Human Skeletal Biology
103 Forensic Anthropology
103B Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology
104 Human Variation and Adaptation
105 Human Paleopathology
107 Methods and Research in Molecular Anthropology
111 Human Ecology
Graduate Program
The anthropology doctoral program at UCSC consists of two tracks: cultural anthropology and anthropological archaeology. The majority of students are admitted to the cultural anthropology program. Smaller numbers of students are admitted to the anthropological archaeology program.
Although applicants are accepted only for the doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) program, students may obtain a master of arts (M.A.) degree after fulfilling specific requirements during the first two years.
The theme of emerging worlds—culture and power after progress—unites the research interests of many faculty in the cultural anthropology graduate program at UCSC. In recent years, anthropology’s central concept of culture has been subjected to extraordinary ethnographic and theoretical pressures. Across the social sciences, scholars are responding to emergent scientific and social dilemmas by turning to the concept of culture and the ethnographic method. Such disciplinary turns grow from a challenging new set of social configurations, which affect both scholarly and lay understandings of the present, past, and future: the demise of certainties about progress and modernization and the need to understand newly emergent worlds. Nineteenth- and 20th-century ideas of progress and programs of modernization both created the concept of culture and relegated it to a nostalgic role as backward-looking sentiment. Anthropologists studied “vanishing worlds.” In the past 30 years, however, such certainties have been challenged. Grand theories of human behavior that depended on the idea of a universal man have begun to fray around the edges. Heterogeneity and disjuncture have caught the attention of a wide range of social scientists, calling out for ethnographic investigation. In this context, scholarly discussions have turned toward culture, the world-making networks, geographies, innovations, meanings, and assemblages that are carrying us into the future.
Our concentration on “emerging worlds” and on the construction of anthropological knowledge is especially well suited for drawing together diverse scholars and specialists in challenging and enriching conversations. Rather than reproduce the boundaries among the traditional subfields of anthropology, we explore how recombination of these approaches can elucidate specific anthropological problems.
The Ph.D. program in anthropological archaeology focuses on the archaeology of late pre-colonial societies in East and West Africa, Latin America, and western North America, especially the Southwest, California, and Pacific Northwest. The program also features an emerging concentration on the archaeology of colonial encounters among peoples of Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. It is distinctive in insisting that theories of power, production and exchange, human ecology, gender, ethnicity, and technological practice be explored through rigorous laboratory and field research methods.
The Ph.D. program in biological anthropology has a methodological emphasis in innovative approaches to human and non-human primate ecology and diversity founded on our expertise in genomics and isotope biochemistry, as well as a longstanding expertise in skeletal biology and its application in bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology.
Anthropology Ph.D. Requirements
Both the department and the university define the major requirements for each stage of study. The first year of the program is geared toward giving students a theoretical foundation so that they may begin to formulate ideas for a research project. All graduate students are expected to be in residence (on campus) during their first year in the program. At the end of the first year, students will submit a portfolio of substantive work to their Preliminary Committee.
Residency Requirement
The minimum residency requirement for a Ph.D. degree at UCSC is six quarters. To receive a degree from UCSC, students must be registered at the Santa Cruz campus for at least three of the six quarters. A minimum of one quarter in residence is required between Advancement to Candidacy and the awarding of the degree.
Good Academic Standing and Probation
A duly registered graduate student is considered to be in good standing so long as the student's department determines that he or she is making satisfactory progress toward a terminal degree. The department and the graduate dean review the academic progress of each continuing graduate student annually.
If the Anthropology Department deems a student's work unsatisfactory, he or she may be placed on probation. A student whose academic progress has been found unsatisfactory in two successive annual reviews will be subject to dismissal from the University.
Recommended probation for a student states:
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Reason why (failed X class, etc.)
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Steps that must be taken to restore satisfactory academic standing
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The timeline for completion of the required work
The letter to the student will state that the failure to meet any one of the requirements may result in dismissal. No action for dismissal is taken until and unless the department recommends dismissal.
A student who has completed 12 or more quarters of full-time work in the same graduate program without advancing to candidacy for the Ph.D. is not considered to be making satisfactory progress. In such cases, the student will be recommended for dismissal or placed on probation until advancement is achieved. A student advanced to candidacy for more than nine quarters who has yet to complete his or her Ph.D. is not considered to be making satisfactory academic progress. Consult the Graduate Student Handbook for more information about academic progress, probation, dismissal, and the appeal process.
Cultural Track Requirements
Students are expected to pass a first-year review and have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy by the end of their third year. In order to advance to candidacy in cultural anthropology, students must complete:
Core Courses
Must be completed in fall/winter of the first year in the program.*
200A Cultural Core Course
200B Cultural Core Course
* ANTH 252, Survey of Cultural Anthropology, is recommended if the student comes from a non-anthropological background.
Ethnographic Writing Requirement
This requirement may be completed by passing Ethnographic Practice, (ANTH 208A) or, upon approval from the department, through an independent research project in which the student engages in research based on participant observation or other ethnographic methodology and in which the student adequately translates that research experience into a written text.
Three Additional Graduate Seminars
Grant Writing (ANTH 228), Colloquia (ANTH 292), Independent Study (ANTH 297/299), and tutorials do not count toward this requirement. Tutorials that are taught in conjunction with undergraduate courses do not count toward this requirement.
214 Culture and Power
219 Religion, State, Secularities
220 Cartography of Culture
224 Anthropology of Secularism
225 The Anthropology of Things: Sign, Gift, Commodity, Tool
229 Constructing Regions
230 Bodies/Images/Screens
231 Intimacy and Affective Labor
232 Body/Knowledge/Practice
234 Feminist Anthropology
235 Language and Culture
236 On Insults
238 Advanced Topics in Cultural Anthropology
241 Social Justice
243 Cultures of Capitalism
247 Critical Perspectives On Nutrition
248 Shadowy Dealings: Anthropology of Finance, Money, And Law
249 Ecological Discourses
253 Advanced Cultural Anthropological Theory
254 Medicine and Culture
255 Regulating Religion/Sex
258 Experimental Cultures
259 Race in Theory and Ethnography
260 Anthropology of Freedom
261 Replication, Mimesis, and Fakery
262 Documenting Cultures
267A Science and Justice: Experiments in Collaboration
267B Science and Justice Research Seminar
268A Rethinking Capitalism
268B Rethinking Capitalism
269 Global History and the Longue Durée
Complete Language Requirement
Pass the Qualifying Examination
Archaeology Track Requirements
Students are expected to pass a first-year review and have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy by the end of their third year. In order to advance to candidacy in archaeology, students must complete:
Two Core Theory Courses
Must be completed during first year in the program.
270A Archaeology Graduate Core Course: History of Archaeological Theory
270B Archaeology Graduate Core Course: Current Directions in Archaeological Theory
Two Research Methods/Laboratory Courses
Student may substitute courses in another department with adviser approval.
202A Skeletal Biology
280 Ceramic Analysis
280L Ceramic Analysis Laboratory
285 Osteology of Mammals, Birds, Fish
Two Courses on the Archaeology of a Geographical, Temporal, or Topical Area
Student may substitute courses in another department with advisor approval.
275A Seminar on Early African Archaeology
275B Tutorial in Archaeology of African American Complex Societies
276A Advanced Topics in North American Archaeology
276B Mesoamerican Archaeology
287 Advanced Topics in Archaeology
273 Advanced Topics in Origins of Farming
274 Advanced Topics in Archaeology of Complex Societies
Two Additional Graduate Seminars
Students may substitute a graduate seminar in cultural or biological anthropology or in another department with adviser approval. Tutorials that are taught in conjunction with undergraduate courses do not count toward this requirement.
225 The Anthropology of Things: Sign, Gift, Commodity, Tool
279 Feminism and Gender in Archaeology
282 Household Archaeology
One Course in Grant Writing or Research Design
228 Grant Writing (Cultural Anthropology)
272 Advanced Archaeological Research Design
Quantitative Methods Requirement
Students in the Archaeology PhD track must demonstrate competency in statistical or computational analysis techniques appropriate to their specific dissertation research projects and professional goals. Plans for gaining and demonstrating this competency should be developed as part of the first year review for each student, in consultation with their advisor and first year committee and with the approval of the department. This competency must be demonstrated and approved by the department prior to taking the qualifying exam and advancing to candidacy.
Two Laboratory Apprenticeships
298 Advanced Lab Apprenticeship
Complete Language Requirement
Pass the Qualifying Examination
Biological Anthropology Track Requirements
Students are expected to pass a first-year review and have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy by the end of their third year. In order to advance to candidacy in biological anthropology, students must complete:
Core Course
Must be completed in Fall/Winter of first year in program.
ANTH 295 Scientific Method
Ecology and Evolutionary Theory Requirement
Students in the biological anthropology Ph.D. track must demonstrate competency in ecology and evolutionary theory appropriate to their specific dissertation research projects and professional goals. Plans for gaining and demonstrating this competency should be developed during the first quarter in the program, in consultation with their adviser. This competency must be demonstrated and approved by department the by the end of the first year.
One Advanced Anthropological Methods and Research Course
Must be completed during first year.
ANTH 202A Human Skeletal Biology
ANTH 203 Forensics
ANTH 203B Forensics and Bioarchaeology
ANTH 207A Methods and Research in Molecular Anthropology
ANTH 207B Methods and Research in Isotopic Analysis
One Additional Advanced Methods and Research Course
Must be completed by the end of the second year. Student may substitute courses in another department with adviser approval.
One Graduate Seminar in Archaeology or Cultural Anthropology
Must be complete by the end of the second year.
ANTH 200A Cultural Core Course
ANTH 200B Cultural Core Course
ANTH 214 Culture and Power
ANTH 219 Religion, State, Secularities
ANTH 220 Cartography of Culture
ANTH 224 Anthropology of Secularism
ANTH 225 The Anthropology of Things: Sign, Gift, Commodity, Tool
ANTH 229 Constructing Regions
ANTH 230 Bodies/Images/Screens
ANTH 231 Intimacy and Affective Labor
ANTH 232 Body/Knowledge/Practice
ANTH 234 Feminist Anthropology
ANTH 235 Language and Culture
ANTH 236 On Insults
ANTH 238 Advanced Topics in Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 241 Social Justice
ANTH 243 Cultures of Capitalism
ANTH 247 Critical Perspectives On Nutrition
ANTH 248 Shadowy Dealings: Anthropology of Finance, Money, And Law
ANTH 249 Ecological Discourses
ANTH 253 Advanced Cultural Anthropological Theory
ANTH 254 Medicine and Culture
ANTH 255 Regulating Religion/Sex
ANTH 258 Experimental Cultures
ANTH 259 Race in Theory and Ethnography
ANTH 260 Anthropology of Freedom
ANTH 261 Replication, Mimesis, and Fakery
ANTH 262 Documenting Cultures
ANTH 267A Science and Justice: Experiments in Collaboration
ANTH 267B Science and Justice Research Seminar
ANTH 268A Rethinking Capitalism
ANTH 268B Rethinking Capitalism
ANTH 269 Global History and the Longue Durée
ANTH 270A Archaeology Graduate Core Course: History of Archaeological Theory
ANTH 270B Archaeology Graduate Core Course: Current Directions in Archaeological Theory
ANTH 279 Feminism and Gender in Archaeology
ANTH 282 Household Archaeology
ANTH 287 Advanced Topics in Archaeology
Quantitative or Computational Requirement
Students in the biological anthropology Ph.D. track must demonstrate competency in statistical or computational analysis techniques appropriate to their specific dissertation research projects and professional goals. Plans for gaining and demonstrating this competency should be developed as part of the first year review for each student, in consultation with their adviser and first-year committee and with the approval of the department. This competency must be demonstrated and approved by the department prior to taking the qualifying exam and advancing to candidacy.
Nine Quarters of Advanced Reading in Biological Anthropology
Students are expected to enroll in ANTH 294, Advanced Readings in Biological Anthropology, every quarter prior to advancing to candidacy.
Two Laboratory Apprenticeships
Students are required to enroll in ANTH 298, Advanced Laboratory Apprenticeship, or equivalent in another department.
Six Quarters of Methods in Biological Anthropology
Students are expected to enroll in ANTH 216, Methods in Biological Anthropology, in every quarter prior to advancing to candidacy starting their second year.
Nine Quarters of Seminar Series
Students are required to attend at least 8 talks per quarter in the Anthropology Colloquia, Arch-BioAnth Lunch Series, EEB Seminar Series, or EPS Seminar Series.
Comprehensive Exam
This must be completed prior to the end of the second year. Students must demonstrate knowledge in Ecological and Evolutionary Theory, expertise in at least two subfields of Biological Anthropology, and sufficient background in either Archaeology or Cultural Anthropology, especially Medical or Environmental Anthropology. The exam format is a written essay and a two-hour oral exam.
Students may satisfy both the oral and written requirement with a manuscript (worthy of submission to a professional journal) based on a research project undertaken in the second year with adviser approval. They have to be first author of this manuscript in order to satisfy the requirement.
Two Quarters as Teaching Assistant
Presentation of a Seminar on Proposed Research
Pass the Qualifying Exam
Required for All Anthropology Ph.D. Students
Language Requirement
The foreign language requirement must be fulfilled before taking the qualifying examination. A qualifying examination cannot be scheduled until the requirement has been met.
It is the responsibility of each graduate student to work with the Preliminary Committee to identify the language competencies necessary for fieldwork and scholarship and to initiate study toward meeting these needs. To meet the language requirement, competence in one language must be formally demonstrated. Each student's adviser will recommend how this requirement should be met, as well as what additional skills should be sought. Generally accepted ways of meeting the language requirement include:
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Passing a standardized test at a predetermined level
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Taking and passing a translation examination administered by an appropriate member of the UCSC faculty or an outside assessor approved by the adviser
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Taking and passing a series of language courses at a specified advanced level at UCSC or elsewhere, again, to be determined in consultation with the adviser
In some cases, the language in which a relevant scholarly literature exists will be the logical language of examination. In other cases, the language in which fieldwork will be conducted will be the most logical language for examination.
In the case of non-native English speakers who plan to undertake research in their own native language, English can meet the foreign language requirement. In the case of English native speakers who plan to do research in their native language, the requirement should be met by another language relevant to the field research or scholarly resources.
Qualifying Examination
The qualifying examination consists of two parts: a written file and a three-hour oral examination with the Qualifying Examination (QE) Committee during which the student presents and discusses the file.
For cultural track students, the file includes:
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A theoretically focused dissertation research prospectus (approximately 18-25 pages, double-spaced, actual length to be determined by QE committee).
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Two field statements on two anthropological topics selected and developed in consultation with the QE committee. Field statements typically review fields of literature that have (a) an area/regional focus and (b) a thematic/theoretical focus (approximately 10-15 pages, double-spaced, each; actual length to be determined by QE committee).
For archaeology track students, the file includes:
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A theoretically-focused dissertation research prospectus (approximately 18-25 pages, double-spaced, actual length to be determined by the QE Committee).
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Three field statements reviewing literature on (a) a geographic cultural area, (b) a set of research methods, and (c) a theoretical tradition or theme.
Dissertation
Ph.D. candidates must prepare and submit a dissertation that is based on original research and meets the requirements of their dissertation reading committee.
Designated Emphasis
Committee Composition
One member of the student’s qualifying examination committee must be a faculty member of the anthropology department. In addition, one member of the anthropology department must serve on the student’s doctoral thesis committee.
Course Requirements
The student must take four graduate courses in anthropology, one of which must be a graduate seminar. An independent study with a faculty member of the Anthropology Department may count as only one of the four courses. Grant Writing (ANTH 228) may not be counted toward these requirements. Tutorials that are taught in conjunction with undergraduate courses do not count toward these requirements.
Writing Requirements
At the time of the qualifying examination, the student must submit to the Anthropology Department a full statement, up to five pages, summarizing the pre-qualifying examination work done in anthropology (courses, papers, research projects, independent studies) and characterizing how that work and the dissertation to follow draw from and contribute to anthropological and ethnographic inquiry. The dissertation research will normally include a fieldwork component.
In the quarter in which the student announces candidacy for graduation, the faculty member from the anthropology department serving on the student's doctoral thesis committee will evaluate the depth of engagement with anthropology displayed in the doctoral thesis and decide whether the thesis fulfills the requirement to contribute to anthropological and ethnographic inquiry.
Revised: 09/01/17
