Anthropology

• M.A. Anthropology
• M.A. Anthropology with Specialization in African Studies
• M.A. Anthropology with Specialization in Digital Humanities
• Ph.D. Anthropology
• Ph.D. Anthropology with Specialization in Political Economy

M.A. Anthropology

About the Program

The Anthropology programs promote exploration of cultural practices and social conditions in diverse contexts throughout the world. The M.A. program focuses on the field of sociocultural anthropology.

Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

A grade of B- or better is required in each credit counted toward the master's degree. With the recommendation of the department, and permission of the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, a candidate may be allowed a grade of C+ in 1.0 credit or each of two 0.5-credits.

Admission Requirements

The requirement for admission into the master's program is a B.A. Honours (or the equivalent) with at least high honours standing in anthropology or a closely-related field. Where relevant, previous professional experience will be taken into account in determining an applicant's standing on admission.

Qualifying-Year Program

Applicants with general (three-year) bachelor's degrees may be admitted into a qualifying-year program designed to raise their standing to honours status. Students earning at least high honours standing in their qualifying-year courses will be considered for admission into the master's program. Refer to the General Regulations section of this Calendar for details of the regulations governing the qualifying year.

Program Requirements

The Master of Arts program in Anthropology is a total of 5.0 credits, and each candidate is required to select, in consultation with the graduate adviser, one of the three program options.

Electives may be chosen, in consultation with the student's adviser, from the following courses:

• anthropology graduate course offerings
• sociology graduate courses (especially in theory and methods, or in areas which relate to the student's thesis research interests)
• 4000-level courses offered in the sociology and anthropology undergraduate program
• or a combination of the above. Normally no more than 1.0 credit may be chosen from course offerings in other departments

Transfer from One M.A. Option to Another M.A. Option

Students who choose to change from one program option to another (i.e., from/to the thesis, research essay, or course work option), are required to do so before registering for a third term after initial, full-time registration, or before registering for a fifth term after initial part-time registration.

M.A. Anthropology with Specialization in African Studies

Admission Requirements

Admission to the program is determined by the Institute of African Studies Graduate Committee and will normally take place before the end of September the year of admittance in one of the participating master’s programs.

Admission requirements to the Collaborative master’s with a Specialization in African Studies are:

• Registration in the master’s program of one of the participating units;
• Approval of a student’s program of study by the Graduate Committee of the Institute of African Studies and the student’s home department. Students in a research essay or thesis program will be expected to choose a topic for the essay or thesis that is directly related to African Studies. Students in an approved course-work program will be required to take some elective courses in designated or approved courses with significant African content. 

Selection of Courses - African Studies

The courses listed below (all are worth 0.5 credit) are relevant to students of African Studies and could, with the approval of the specific requirements of the units involved, be used as courses to help fulfill degree requirements. There are also often graduate courses and 4000-level courses in a number of units at Carleton that are offered on an ad hoc basis that have significant content appropriate to African Studies. To have any such course count towards their degree requires approval of the Director of the Institute of African Studies when it is being offered.

Note: the number of spaces in graduate courses offered by other departments may be limited, and registration may be conditional upon obtaining the prior approval of the department concerned. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that permission is obtained from the appropriate department prior to registering in any of the following courses.

Ph.D. Anthropology

About the Program

The Anthropology programs promote exploration of cultural practices and social conditions in diverse contexts throughout the world. The doctoral program is structured around the field of engaged anthropology, which emphasizes practical involvement with the social world through ethnographic and theoretical analyses of cultural frameworks and social fields shaping interactions amongst humans and between humans and the environment.

Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

Candidates must obtain a grade of B- or higher in each course and Satisfactory on the Ph.D. thesis and its oral defence.

Admission Requirements

The Ph.D. Anthropology normally will be undertaken on a full-time basis, however the department will consider admission on a part-time basis. Full-time students are expected to complete the program in four years, and part-time students are expected to complete the program in eight years.

The normal requirement for admission to the Ph.D. program is a master's degree (or equivalent) in anthropology, normally with a minimum average of A-, and with no grade below B.

A student already enrolled in the Carleton M.A. program in Anthropology who shows outstanding academic performance and research promise may be permitted to transfer to the Ph.D. program upon completion of the M.A. course work and upon the recommendation of the Anthropology graduate committee.

Applicants whose academic preparation has deficiencies in certain areas may be admitted to the Ph.D. program, but will normally be required to complete additional course work.

Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate a fluent knowledge of English. Please see sections 3.6 in the General Regulations section of this calendar.

Program Requirements

Residence requirements: Ph.D. candidates must normally be registered full-time in a minimum of six terms to satisfy the residence requirement. If a candidate is registered part-time the minimum residence requirement is eight terms.

Selection of Courses - Political Economy

In addition to the graduate courses offered by, or associated with, the Institute of Political Economy, the courses listed below are relevant to students of political economy and would, with the prior approval of the Institute, be used to design a coherent and internally complementary set of courses to fulfill degree requirements. The list is not exclusive and is subject to change. Moreover, students in the Master's program may select 1.0 credit in political economy that is offered at the 4000-level.

Note: the number of spaces in graduate courses offered by other departments may be limited, and registration may be conditional upon obtaining the prior approval of the department concerned. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that permission is obtained from the appropriate department prior to registering in any of the following courses.

The Institute expects to attract high quality graduate students who will be likely to continue to a second post-graduate degree. Master's students will be directed to consult with the department where they might wish to pursue doctoral studies so that they may select courses that will prepare them for this next stage.