PhD in Anthropology
Undergraduate training in anthropology is not a prerequisite to the Anthropology graduate program. Applicants seeking to earn a PhD in anthropology from Tulane should apply for admission to the doctoral program regardless of whether they have an MA in anthropology.
For information about applying to our PhD program, visit its Apply page.
A student accepted into the PhD program may choose one of the four subfields of anthropology as a field of concentration: archeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, or linguistic anthropology. To learn more about the requirements of our Graduate Studies program, visit Graduate Degree Requirements.
The MA Program for PhD Students
The Department of Anthropology at Tulane does not offer an external MA program. However, students in the PhD program can obtain MA degrees, by meeting the MA requirements, as outlined in our Graduate Degree Requirements.
4+1 Master's Program
Download the 4+1 application form (PDF).
For more information about our 4+1 Master's Program, visit its page in our Undergraduate section.
Further Information
For further information regarding graduate programs in the Anthropology Department, visit our F.A.Q. page. For any questions not answered there, contact our Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Jason Nesbitt.
Resources for Graduate Students
Student Club
The Tulane Anthropology Student Association (TASA) is the graduate student organization whose year-long representatives serve as liaisons between the Anthropology Department faculty and student populations. TASA representatives organize our Colloquium Series, which holds colloquia at the Middle American Research Institute every other Friday in a given semester, thereby providing a venue for upper level graduate students, faculty members, and outside scholars to present and discuss their anthropologically-themed research. TASA representatives attend Graduate Studies Student Association (GSSA) as well as Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA) meetings and participate in the decisions made by these overarching Tulane graduate student organizations.
Graduate Student Research
Grants-in-Aid from the Anthropology Graduate Student Fund
The Department of Anthropology is pleased to administer funds for graduate research through its Anthropology Graduate Student Fund, an endowed fund in the Department of Anthropology. Income from this fund is used to provide grants-in-aid to Tulane University anthropology graduate students for research, travel, and similar activities. Support for the Anthropology Graduate Student Fund will be given preferentially to students who propose to conduct research in areas outside Latin America, because other Tulane University funds are regularly available for graduate students pursuing research in Latin America. The faculty of the Department determine, as a whole, the number of students to be supported and the size of each grant-in-aid at the time of each competition.
How to Apply
Applications should be uploaded to Canvas and should include:
- A research design or other description of the proposed use of the funds requested (not to number more than 5 double-spaced pages).
- A timetable of proposed activities.
- An itemized budget showing how requested funds would be spent.
The deadline for applications is March 15.