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Anthropology

Anthropology

Location

Location

  • Department of Anthropology
  • Stephen Leacock Building
  • 855 Sherbrooke Street West, Room 712
  • Montreal QC H3A 2T7
  • Canada
  • Telephone: 514-396-1828
  • Fax: 514-398-7476
  • Email: gradprogram.anthropology [at] mcgill.ca
  • Website: mcgill.ca/anthropology

About Anthropology

About Anthropology

Our Department places high priority on research and on maintaining distinguished graduate programs. Each year, we admit only a small number of highly qualified applicants for studies leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Anthropology. These students benefit from a lively and nurturing intellectual environment, close supervision by our faculty members, and a diverse and vibrant student cohort in one of North America's most unique and exciting cities.

Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Thesis) (45 credits)

The purpose of the M.A. program is to provide advanced-level training in socio-cultural anthropology and archaeology to prepare students for research at the Ph.D. level.

Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Thesis): Development Studies (45 credits)

The Development Studies Option (DSO) is a cross-disciplinary M.A. program that is unique in Canada, if not the world, because it is designed to provide students with a strong practical and theoretical foundation for engaging in genuinely cross-disciplinary research. The option is offered within existing M.A. and Ph.D. programs in the departments of Geography, History, Political Science, Anthropology, Economics, and Sociology. This thesis option is open to master's students specializing in development studies. Students enter through one of the participating departments and must meet the M.A. or Ph.D. requirements of that unit. Students will take an interdisciplinary seminar and a variety of graduate-level courses on international development issues. The M.A. or Ph.D. thesis must be on a topic relating to development studies, approved by the DSO coordinating committee.

Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Thesis): Environment (45 credits)

**This program is currently not offered.**

The Environment option is aimed at students who wish to use interdisciplinary approaches in their graduate research on environmental issues and who wish to benefit from interaction with students from a wide range of different disciplines. Through research, seminars, and three courses, this option adds an interdisciplinary layer that will challenge students to defend their research and think in a broader context. The graduate option in Environment provides students with an appreciation for the role of science in informed decision-making in the environmental sector, and its influence on political, socio-economic, and ethical judgments. Students who have been admitted through their home department or faculty may apply for admission to the option. Option requirements are consistent across academic units. The option is coordinated by the Bieler School of Environment (BSE), in partnership with participating academic units.

Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Thesis): Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits)

The graduate option in Gender and Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary program for students who meet degree requirements in Anthropology (and other participating departments and faculties), who wish to earn 6 credits of approved coursework focusing on gender and women’s studies, and issues in feminist research and methods. The thesis must be on a topic centrally related to gender and/or women’s studies.

Master of Arts (M.A.) Medical Anthropology (Thesis) (45 credits)

The M.A. program in Medical Anthropology is given jointly by the Department of Anthropology and the Department of Social Studies of Medicine (SSOM). The program is open to students with backgrounds in the social sciences, medical professions, or medical sciences.

Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Non-Thesis) (45 credits)

The M.A. in Anthropology (Non-Thesis) provides an intensive, course-based training in the fundamentals of anthropological theory and methodology over three semesters. The program is designed as a rigorous and comprehensive preparation for subsequent specialization in sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, or medical anthropology at the Ph.D. level.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Anthropology

The purpose of the Ph.D. program is to enable students to make original contributions to research in socio-cultural anthropology, archaeology, and medical anthropology in the form of a doctoral thesis. The program offers fieldwork-based doctoral training for students wishing to concentrate on different geographic areas (including Africa, Latin America, Europe, North America, and Asia).

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Anthropology: Neotropical Environment

The Ph.D. program in Neotropical Environment (NEO) is a specialized, interdisciplinary program made possible by collaborating institutions in Canada, Panama, and the United States. Students will complete their research in Latin America, and NEO's core and complementary courses will be taught in Panama. NEO is aimed at students who wish to focus their graduate research on environmental issues relevant to the neotropics and Latin American countries. Students work under the supervision of researchers from ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ and/or the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). This is a research-based option for Ph.D. students in the departments of Anthropology, Biology, Bioresource Engineering, Geography, Natural Resource Sciences, Plant Science, and Political Science at ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Mar. 15, 2024) (disclaimer)

Anthropology Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Anthropology Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

The Graduate ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Committee assesses applications to both the M.A. and Ph.D. programs on the basis of the following required materials:

  1. Personal Statement: 1 to 2 pages, single spaced (approx. 500–1000 words) describing your reasons for applying to our graduate program in anthropology and indicating your significant qualifications, qualities, or circumstances as an applicant. This statement should also include information about your educational and professional goals and explain your interest in your desired field of study. For our thesis degrees, students should—commensurate to their level of study—propose a robust, feasible, and timely anthropological research project; they should also be able to articulate how it fits with departmental strengths and the research interests of potential supervisors and committee members.
  2. A current curriculum vitae (CV)
  3. Two letters of reference
  4. A sample of your written work of no more than 15 pages. For example, a graded essay, chapter of your M.A. thesis, or an article of conference paper you have written. It can be written in French or English
  5. Transcripts from ALL institutions attended after secondary school
  6. If your mother tongue is not English and you have not graduated from a university or college where English is the main language of instruction, you must provide proof of language competency, i.e., a copy of your official (TOEFL) scores. A minimum TOEFL score of 600 is required on the paper-based test or 100 on the Internet-based test (iBT), with each component score not less than 20. For further information, see ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ's requirements on English language proficiency. International students may also contact ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ's International Student Services at 514-398-4349 for more information.
  7. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required for admission to the Anthropology program.

Further application information is available on the Department's website at mcgill.ca/anthropology/graduate/admissions.

Master's

Admission to the M.A. program is open competitively to students holding an Honours or Major B.A. in Anthropology or Archaeology. Outstanding candidates with B.A. degrees in other disciplines but with substantial background related to anthropology are sometimes admitted on the condition that they complete a specified number of additional courses in Anthropology. The applicants admitted usually have undergraduate grade point averages (GPA) of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0-point scale.

Ph.D.

Admission to the Ph.D. program for year Ph.D. 2 is open competitively to students with a master's degree in Anthropology or Archaeology. In special circumstances, candidates with a master's degree in related disciplines may be admitted to Ph.D. 2. Exceptional students may apply for the Ph.D. program after a bachelor's degree in Anthropology or Archaeology; they then enter the program as Ph.D. 1 and take an additional year of coursework.

Application Procedures

Application Procedures

¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ’s online application form for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply. Department of Anthropology's application documents, deadlines, and fast facts are found at mcgill.ca/anthropology/graduate/admissions.

See University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Graduate ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ and Application Procedures > Application Procedures for detailed application procedures.

Application Dates and Deadlines

Application Dates and Deadlines

Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by the Department of Anthropology and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ departmental website; please consult the list at mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.

Information on application deadlines is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/application-steps/application-deadlines.

Admission to graduate studies is competitive; accordingly, late and/or incomplete applications are considered only as time and space permit.

Note: The Department ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Committee announces its selections by mid-March and the end of April.
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Mar. 15, 2024) (disclaimer)

Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Thesis) (45 credits)

The M.A. in Anthropology (Thesis) provides advanced-level training in socio-cultural anthropology and archaeology. The program culminates in the preparation of a thesis, which is written under the direction of a supervisory committee, and which is expected to report on original research of publishable quality.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Thesis) (45 credits).

Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Thesis): Development Studies (45 credits)

The Development Studies Option is a cross-disciplinary M.A. program offered as an option within existing M.A. programs in the departments of Geography, History, Political Science, Anthropology, Economics, and Sociology.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Thesis): Development Studies (45 credits).

Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Thesis): Environment (45 credits)

**This program is currently not offered.** The M.A. in Anthropology (thesis): Environment Option is a research program offered in collaboration with the Bieler School of Environment. As a complement to the unit’s expertise, the program considers how various dimensions (scientific, social, legal, ethical) interact to define environment and sustainability issues.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Thesis): Environment (45 credits).

Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Thesis): Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits)

This is an interdisciplinary program for students who meet the degree requirements in Anthropology, who wish to focus on gender and women's studies, and issues in feminist research and methods. The thesis must be on a topic centrally related to gender and/or women's studies.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Thesis): Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits).

Master of Arts (M.A.) Medical Anthropology (Thesis) (45 credits)

This program is open to students with backgrounds in the social sciences, the medical professions, or the medical sciences. The M.A. degree is awarded by the Anthropology Department and admission is granted by a joint admissions committee made up of representatives from Anthropology and the Department of Social Studies of Medicine.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.) Medical Anthropology (Thesis) (45 credits).

Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Non-Thesis) (45 credits)

The MA in Anthropology; Non-Thesis provides an intensive, course-based training in the fundamentals of anthropological theory and methodology over three semesters. The program is designed as a rigorous and comprehensive preparation for subsequent specialization in sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, or medical anthropology at the PhD level.

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.) Anthropology (Non-Thesis) (45 credits).

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Anthropology

For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Anthropology.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Anthropology: Neotropical Environment

All new Neotropical Environment students will be encouraged to spend the month of August (prior to September admission) in Panama to take their first core course and familiarize themselves with the country.

For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Anthropology: Neotropical Environment.

Faculty of Arts—2024-2025 (last updated Mar. 15, 2024) (disclaimer)
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