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Degree Requirements

Residence and other basic requirements for the degree in anthropology are set by The Graduate School. Doctoral students are required to complete a minimum of 30 hours of graduate work beyond the M.A., including 12 hours of dissertation credit. Additional hours may be specified by their advisor and approved by the graduate faculty. Students who enter the anthropology department at USC intending to take the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees will apply for admission to the Ph.D. program upon completion of all requirements for the M.A. (including course work, comprehensive exam, and thesis). Students entering the Ph.D. program with an M.A. in Anthropology from another university must complete the M.A. requirements or demonstrate they have completed similar course work. The required distribution of the 30 hours beyond the M.A. include:

1. an intradisciplinary seminar integrating approaches from two specific subfields to address a specific topic of interest.
2. two additional subfield courses not in the student’s specialization.
3. a minimum of 1 (3-credit-hour) course taken in a department/discipline other than anthropology.
4. any other appropriate courses.
5. a minimum of 12 credit hours of dissertation preparation (ANTH 899 ).

Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program will be admitted to candidacy after completing the following requirements: 1) a written and oral exam; 2) demonstration of two research skills (e.g. competency in a foreign language, statistical application, or visual anthropology methods and techniques); and 3) writing, presenting, and defending a dissertation prospectus. This will normally take place at the end of the first or second year after entering the Ph.D. program (third or fourth year of study after entering the department with a bachelor’s degree).