columbia anthropology phd application

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https://anthropology.columbia.edu/

The Department of Anthropology of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has a PhD Program, in both social-cultural anthropology or archaeology, requires three years of coursework, 1-2 years of research, and 1-2 years of dissertation writing. Students are required to take a minimum of eight courses (not Independent Study classes) in the department for letter grades, including a two-semester core class during the first year. In addition, students commonly study outside the department, in a variety of specialized programs and institutes at Columbia. Many also take courses in the New York City Consortium (NYU, New School University, CUNY). The Department also has a terminal MA Program, which involves the equivalent of one full year of course work (30 credits) and may be pursued part or full-time. A concentration in archaeology is also available in the MA Program. Contact Ellen Marakowitz ([email protected]). A specialized MA Program in Museum Anthropology trains students to interpret ethnographic and archaeological collections for the general public; to work in registration or collection management; or to become scientific or research staff for a range of museum types. Contact Brian Boyd ([email protected]). The Department of Sociomedical Sciences housed in the School of Public Health offers a PhD with a concentration in medical anthropology. Contact: Jennifer Hirsch ([email protected]). The PhD Program in evolutionary primatology, formerly administered by the Department of Anthropology, is now housed in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology (1200 Amsterdam Ave, Columbia U, New York, NY 10027). Teachers College offers PhDs in Anthropology and Education, and in Applied Anthropology Contact Hervé Varenne. ([email protected]).

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Departmental Office: 452 Schermerhorn; 212-854-4552 http://www.columbia.edu/cu/anthropology

Director of Undergraduate Studies:

Professor Naor Ben-Yehoyada; 462 Schermerhorn Extension; 212 854-8936; [email protected] ; (fall 2023) Professor Hannah Chazin; 964 Schermerhorn Extension; 212-854-7764; hc2986 @columbia.edu (fall 2023), Professor Maria José de Abreu; 957 Schermerhorn Extension; 212-854-4752; [email protected] (spring 2024)

Departmental Consultants: Archaeology : Prof. Zoë Crossland, 965 Schermerhorn Extension; 212-854-7465; [email protected]  Office Hours are by appointment  

Anthropology at Columbia is the oldest department of anthropology in the United States. Founded by Franz Boas in 1896 as a site of academic inquiry inspired by the uniqueness of cultures and their histories, the department fosters an expansiveness of thought and independence of intellectual pursuit.

Cross-cultural interpretation, global socio-political considerations, a markedly interdisciplinary approach, and a willingness to think otherwise have formed the spirit of anthropology at Columbia. Boas himself wrote widely on pre-modern cultures and modern assumptions, on language, race, art, dance, religion, politics, and much else, as did his graduate students including, most notably, Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead.

In these current times of increasing global awareness, this same spirit of mindful interconnectedness guides the department. Professors of anthropology at Columbia today write widely on colonialism and postcolonialism; on matters of gender, theories of history, knowledge, and power; on language, law, magic, mass-mediated cultures, modernity, and flows of capital and desire; on nationalism, ethnic imaginations, and political contestations; on material cultures and environmental conditions; on ritual, performance, and the arts; and on linguistics, symbolism, and questions of representation. Additionally, they write across worlds of similarities and differences concerning the Middle East, China, Africa, the Caribbean, Japan, Latin America, South Asia, Europe, Southeast Asia, North America, and other increasingly transnational and technologically virtual conditions of being.

The Department of Anthropology traditionally offered courses and majors in three main areas: sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, and biological/physical anthropology. While the sociocultural anthropology program now comprises the largest part of the department and accounts for the majority of faculty and course offerings, archaeology is also a vibrant program within anthropology whose interests overlap significantly with those of sociocultural anthropology. Biological/physical anthropology has shifted its program to the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology. The Anthropology Department enthusiastically encourages cross-disciplinary dialogue across disciplines as well as participation in study abroad programs.

Sociocultural Anthropology

At the heart of sociocultural anthropology is an exploration of the possibilities of difference and the craft of writing. Sociocultural anthropology at Columbia has emerged as a particularly compelling undergraduate liberal arts major. Recently, the number of majors in sociocultural anthropology has more than tripled.

Students come to sociocultural anthropology with a wide variety of interests, often pursuing overlapping interests in, for example, performance, religion, writing, law, ethnicity, mass-media, teaching, language, literature, history, human rights, art, linguistics, environment, medicine, film, and many other fields, including geographical areas of interest and engagement. Such interests can be brought together into provocative and productive conversation with a major or concentration in sociocultural anthropology. The requirements for a major in sociocultural anthropology reflect this intellectual expansiveness and interdisciplinary spirit.

Archaeologists study the ways in which human relations are mediated through material conditions, both past and present. Particular emphases in the program include the development of ancient states and empires, especially in the indigenous Americas; the impact of colonial encounters on communities in the American Southwest, the Levant and Africa; and human-animal relations in prehistory, religion and ritual, and the archaeology of the dead.

Themes in our teaching include the political, economic, social, and ideological foundations of complex societies; and archaeological theory and its relationship to broader debates in social theory, technology studies, and philosophy. Faculty members also teach and research on questions of museum representations, archaeological knowledge practices, and the socio-politics of archaeology. The program includes the possibility of student internships in New York City museums and archaeological fieldwork in the Americas and elsewhere.

Majors and concentrators should consult the director of undergraduate studies when entering the department and devising programs of study. Students may also seek academic advice from any anthropology faculty member, as many faculty members hold degrees in several fields or positions in other departments and programs at Columbia. All faculty in the department are committed to an expansiveness of thought and an independence of intellectual pursuit and advise accordingly.

Senior Thesis

Anthropology majors with a minimum GPA of 3.6 in the major who wish to write an honors thesis for departmental honors consideration may enroll in ANTH UN3999 SENIOR THESIS SEM IN ANTHROPOL . Students should have a preliminary concept for their thesis prior to course enrollment. Normally no more than 10% of graduating majors receive departmental honors in a given academic year.

• Nadia Abu El-Haj (Barnard)
• Lila Abu-Lughod
• Partha Chatterjee, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology
• Myron L. Cohen
• Zoe Crossland
• Terence D’Altroy
• Ralph L. Holloway, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology
• Claudio Lomnitz
• Mahmood Mamdani
• Brinkley Messick
• Rosalind Morris
• Elizabeth Povinelli
• Nan Rothschild (Barnard, emerita )
• David Scott, Department Chair
• Lesley A. Sharp (Barnard)
• Michael Taussig, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology
• Paige West (Barnard)

Associate Professors

• Catherine Fennell
• Severin Fowles (Barnard)
• Marilyn Ivy
• Brian Larkin (Barnard)
• John Pemberton
• Audra Simpson

Assistant Professors

• Vanessa Agard-Jones
• Naor Ben-Yehoyada
• Hannah Rachel Chazin
• Maria Jose de Abreu
• Ellen Marakowitz
• Karen Seeley

Adjunct Research Scholar

Guidelines for all anthropology majors and concentrators.

No course with a grade of D or lower can count toward the major or concentration. Only the first course that is to count toward the major or concentration can be taken Pass/D/Fail.

Courses offered in other departments count toward the major and concentration only when taught by a member of the Department of Anthropology. Courses from other departments not taught by anthropology faculty must have the approval of the director of undergraduate studies in order to count toward the major or concentration.

Major in Anthropology

The requirements for this program were modified on January 29, 2016.

The program of study should be planned as early as possible in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies.

The anthropology major requires 30 points in the Department of Anthropology.

Sociocultural Focus

Students interested in studying sociocultural anthropology are required to take the following courses:

Archaeology Focus

Students interested in studying archaeological anthropology are required to take the following courses:

NOTE: Students wishing to pursue an interdisciplinary major in archaeology should see the Archaeology section of this Bulletin.

Biological/Physical Focus

Students interested in studying this field should refer to the major in evolutionary biology of the human species in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology.

Concentration in Anthropology

The anthropology concentration requires 20 points in the Department of Anthropology.

Students interested in studying sociocultural anthropology are required to take the following course:

Students interested in studying archaeological anthropology are required to take the following course:

Students interested in pursuing study in this field should refer to the concentration in evolutionary biology of the human species in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology.

Fall 2024 Sociocultural Anthropology

ANTH UN1002 THE INTERPRETATION OF CULTURE. 3.00 points .

The anthropological approach to the study of culture and human society. Case studies from ethnography are used in exploring the universality of cultural categories (social organization, economy, law, belief system, art, etc.) and the range of variation among human societies

ANTH UN2004 INTRO TO SOC ＆ CULTURAL THEORY. 3.00 points .

This course presents students with crucial theories of society, paying particular attention at the outset to classic social theory of the early 20th century. It traces a trajectory of writings essential for an understanding of the social: from Saussure, Durkheim, Mauss, Weber, and Marx, on to the structuralist ethnographic elaboration of Claude Levi-Strauss and the historiographic reflections on modernity of Michel Foucault. We revisit periodically, reflections by Franz Boas, founder of anthropology in the United States (and of Anthropology at Columbia), for a sense of origins, an early anthropological critique of racism and cultural chauvinism, and a prescient denunciation of fascism. We turn as well, also with ever-renewed interest in these times, to the expansive critical thought of W. E. B. Du Bois. We conclude with Kathleen Stewart’s A Space on the Side of the Road--an ethnography of late-twentieth-century Appalachia and the haunted remains of coal-mining country--with its depictions of an uncanny otherness within dominant American narratives

ANTH UN3040 ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY. 4.00 points .

Open to majors; all others with instructor's permission.

Prerequisites: an introductory course in anthropology. Comprehensive and in-depth engagement with foundational and contemporary theoretical concepts and texts in Anthropology. Required of all Barnard students majoring in Anthropology (including specialized tracks). Permission of instructor required for non-majors. Not open to First Year students. Prerequisite: an introductory (1000 level) course in Anthropology

ANTH UN3091 Disability. 4.00 points .

This course centers disability in its many manifestations and meanings – as an embodied, social, and cultural experience, as an organizing discourse in local and global contexts, as an analytic framework, and as a position from which to approach, think about, and engage in the world. Together, we will seek to understand disability in diverse settings and contexts through ethnographic texts, autobiography, documentary film, and essays, drawing primarily from works in anthropology but also more broadly from the interdisciplinary traditions known as (Critical) Disability Studies. Throughout the semester, we will move between considering disability in more and less specific and categorical terms. We will ask what the stakes are – intellectually, socially, politically - for different ways of doing, thinking, and representing disability. What becomes apparent when we consider, say, the experiences of deaf young adults in India working together to learn Indian Sign Language, or physically disabled adults in the United States whose disabilities must be situated within histories of racialized poverty and urban neglect? What happens – what are the resonances and the tensions – when we put these settings into conversation? Through our engagements with materials analyzing these and many other instances, we will think together about what it means to study and think with disability from different disciplinary perspectives, different methods, and different media

ANTH UN3321 INFRASTRUCTURES. 4.00 points .

Infrastructures are the built networks moving goods, commodities, people, energy, waste organizing human action in modern societies. This course critically examines the work of infrastructures globally. It examines issues of urbanism, racial infrastructures, infrastructural breakdown and emergency, postcolonial infrastructures, climate change, and extraction

ANTH UN3605 Against Dystopia. 4.00 points .

Ideas of dystopian futures haunt present-day imaginings of the climate crisis. Such futures are typically characterized by worsening inequality, disastrous weather effects, and deeply disrupted social relations. Apocalyptic imaginaries also tend to invoke an individualist politics oriented around struggle over scarce resources. But what about those for whom the present is already post-apocalyptic? What about political configurations that insist on solidarity, mutuality, care, and justice to create liberatory futures? Just solutions to the climate crisis are only as capacious as the imagination of what the problems are, how the present came into being, who is most affected, and who gets to decide what futures are created. This interdisciplinary course engages ethnographic work alongside theorizations of contemporary life and other world-building genres, including climate fiction, visual art, and poetry. In doing so, the course offers an argument against the fatalism of dystopia and seeks to imagine what reparative methods centering climate justice could look like

ANTH BC3808 Punishment Culture. 4.00 points .

What is punishment, and what might attention to punitive practices teach us about the cultures in which they are used? Modern American culture is so saturated with punishment that it is difficult to know where to begin such an investigation. From childhood education to mass incarceration and from the crafting of financial futures to the training of horses and dogs, punishment is ubiquitous and often unquestioned. In many cases, punishment is the thread that connects allegedly disparate institutions and produces allegedly unforeseen forms of violence. In this course we will question both the practice and its prevalence, combining a genealogy of the concept with case studies in its modern use

ANTH UN3823 ARCH ENGAGE: PAST IN PUB EYE. 4.00 points .

Enrollment limited to 15. Enrollment Priorities: Seniors and Juniors in ARCH or ANTH

This course provides a panoramic, but intensive, inquiry into the ways that archaeology and its methods for understanding the world have been marshaled for debate in issues of public interest. It is designed to examine claims to knowledge of the past through the lenses of alternative epistemologies and a series of case-based problems that range from the academic to the political, legal, cultural, romantic, and fraudulent

ANTH BC3871 SENIOR THESIS SEMINAR I. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: Limited to Barnard Anthropology Seniors. Offered every Fall. Discussion of research methods and planning and writing of a Senior Essay in Anthropology will accompany research on problems of interest to students, culminating in the writing of individual Senior Essays. The advisory system requires periodic consultation and discussion between the student and her adviser as well as the meeting of specific deadlines set by the department each semester. Limited to Barnard Senior Anthropology Majors

ANTH UN3879 THE MEDICAL IMAGINARY. 4.00 points .

Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor's permission required. Non anthropology majors require instructor's permission.

How might we speak of an imaginary within biomedicine? This course interrogates the ideological underpinnings of technocratic medicine in contexts that extend from the art of surgery to patient participation in experimental drug trials. Issues of scale will prove especially important in our efforts to track the medical imaginary from the whole, fleshy body to the molecular level. Key themes include everyday ethics; ways of seeing and knowing; suffering and hope; and subjectivity in a range of medical and sociomedical contexts. Open to anthropology majors; non-majors require instructor’s permission. Enrollment limit is 15

ANTH UN3888 ECOCRITICISM FOR THE END TIMES. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. This seminar aims to show what an anthropologically informed, ecocritical cultural studies can offer in this moment of intensifying ecological calamity. The course will not only engage significant works in anthropology, ecocriticism, philosophy, literature, politics, and aesthetics to think about the environment, it will also bring these works into engaged reflection on living in the end times (borrowing cultural critic Slavoj Zizeks phrase). The seminar will thus locate critical perspectives on the environment within the contemporary worldwide ecological crisis, emphasizing the ethnographic realities of global warming, debates on nuclear power and energy, and the place of nature. Drawing on the professors long experience in Japan and current research on the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster, the seminar will also take care to unpack the notion of end times, with its apocalyptic implications, through close considerations of works that take on the question of ecocatastrophe in our times. North American and European perspectives, as well as international ones (particularly ones drawn from East Asia), will give the course a global reach

ANTH BC3911 SOCIAL CONTEXTS IMMIGRATN LAW. 4.00 points .

Examines the historical and contemporary social, economic, and political factors that shape immigration law and policy along with the social consequences of those laws and policies. Addresses the development and function of immigration law and aspects of the immigration debate including unauthorized immigration, anti-immigration sentiments, and critiques of immigration policy

ANTH BC3932 CLIM CHNG/GLOBAL MIGR/HUM RGT. 4.00 points .

While the existence of processes of anthropogenic climate change is well established, predictions regarding the future consequences of these processes are far less certain. In no area is the uncertainty regarding near and long term effects as pronounced as in the question of how climate change will affect global migration. This course will address the issue of climate migration in four ways. First, the course will examine the theoretical and empirical literatures that have elucidated the nature of international migration in general. Second, the course will consider the phenomena of anthropogenic climate change as it relates to migration. Third, the course will consider how human rights and other legal regimes do or do not address the humanitarian issues created by anthropogenic climate change. Fourth, the course will synthesize these topics by considering how migration and climate change has arisen as a humanitarian, political, and economic issue in the Pacific. Human Rights elective

ANTH UN3997 SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH. 2.00-6.00 points .

Prerequisite: the written permission of the staff member under whose supervision the research will be conducted

ANTH UN3999 SENIOR THESIS SEM IN ANTHROPOL. 4.00 points .

Enrollment limited to 15. Open to CC and GS majors in Anthropology only.

Prerequisites: The instructor's permission. Students must have declared a major in Anthropology prior to registration. Students must have a 3.6 GPA in the major and a preliminary project concept in order to be considered. Interested students must communicate/meet with thesis instructor in the previous spring about the possibility of taking the course during the upcoming academic year. Additionally, expect to discuss with the instructor at the end of the fall term whether your project has progressed far enough to be completed in the spring term. If it has not, you will exit the seminar after one semester, with a grade based on the work completed during the fall term. Prerequisites: The instructors permission. Students must have declared a major in Anthropology prior to registration. Students must have a 3.6 GPA in the major and a preliminary project concept in order to be considered. Interested students must communicate/meet with thesis instructor in the previous spring about the possibility of taking the course during the upcoming academic year. Additionally, expect to discuss with the instructor at the end of the fall term whether your project has progressed far enough to be completed in the spring term. If it has not, you will exit the seminar after one semester, with a grade based on the work completed during the fall term. This two-term course is a combination of a seminar and a workshop that will help you conduct research, write, and present an original senior thesis in anthropology. Students who write theses are eligible to be considered for departmental honors. The first term of this course introduces a variety of approaches used to produce anthropological knowledge and writing; encourages students to think critically about the approaches they take to researching and writing by studying model texts with an eye to the ethics, constraints, and potentials of anthropological research and writing; and gives students practice in the seminar and workshop formats that are key to collegial exchange and refinement of ideas. During the first term, students complete a few short exercises that will culminate in a substantial draft of one discrete section of their senior project (18-20 pages) plus a detailed outline of the expected work that remains to be done (5 pages). The spring sequence of the anthropology thesis seminar is a writing intensive continuation of the fall semester, in which students will have designed the research questions, prepared a full thesis proposal that will serve as a guide for the completion of the thesis and written a draft of one chapter. Only those students who expect to have completed the fall semester portion of the course are allowed to register for the spring; final enrollment is contingent upon successful completion of first semester requirements. In spring semester, weekly meetings will be devoted to the collaborative refinement of drafts, as well as working through issues of writing (evidence, voice, authority etc.). All enrolled students are required to present their project at a symposium in the late spring, and the final grade is based primarily on successful completion of the thesis/ capstone project. Note: The senior thesis seminar is open to CC and GS majors in Anthropology only. It requires the instructor’s permission for registration. Students must have a 3.6 GPA in the major and a preliminary project concept in order to be considered. Interested students should communicate with the thesis instructor and the director of undergraduate study in the previous spring about the possibility of taking the course during the upcoming academic year. Additionally, expect to discuss with the instructor at the end of the fall term whether your project has progressed far enough to be completed in the spring term. If it has not, you will exit the seminar after one semester, with a grade based on the work completed during the fall term. Enrollment limit is 15. Requirements: Students must have completed the requirements of the first semester of the sequence and seek instructor approval to enroll in the second

ANHS GU4001 THE ANCIENT EMPIRES. 3.00 points .

CC/GS/SEAS: Partial Fulfillment of Global Core Requirement

The principal goal of this course is to examine the nature and histories of a range of early empires in a comparative context. In the process, we will examine influential theories that have been proposed to account for the emergence and trajectories of those empires. Among the theories are the core-periphery, world-systems, territorial-hegemonic, tributary-capitalist, network, and IEMP approaches. Five regions of the world have been chosen, from the many that could provide candidates: Rome (the classic empire), New Kingdom Egypt, Qin China, Aztec Mesoamerica, and Inka South America. These empires have been chosen because they represent a cross-section of polities ranging from relatively simple and early expansionist societies to the grand empires of the Classical World, and the most powerful states of the indigenous Americas. There are no prerequisites for this course, although students who have no background in Anthropology, Archaeology, History, or Classics may find the course material somewhat more challenging than students with some knowledge of the study of early societies. There will be two lectures per week, given by the professor

ANTH GU4196 Mexico’s Disappeared Practicum. 4.00 points .

This practicum is an exercise in engaged pedagogy. The academic work we do will be conducted for the benefit of the cause of Mexico's now over 110,000 disappeared persons. Students will be engaged in a sustained research effort to development a "context analysis" of disappearances in the state of Zacatecas (Mexico)-- an exercise in social study that focuses on the economic, political, social, and criminological context in which disappearances occur. Research is done in coordination with Mexico's National Commission for the Search of the Disappeared. Alongside the practical, real-world, objective, this Practicum is designed to perfect research skills in the social sciences PREREQUISITE: Spanish language comprehension is compulsory for 60％ of those enrolled

ANTH GU4282 ISLAMIC LAW. 3.00 points .

ANTH GU4653 Art beyond Aesthetics: Decolonizing approaches to representation. 4.00 points .

This course is a combination of lectures, seminar participation, and group practicums which probes the possibility of a decolonial art research practice. This course introduces students to western approaches to politics and art through a sustained engagement with critical Indigenous and anticolonial theories of human relations to the more-than-human world. It is a mixture of lectures, class discussion, and individual practicums which lead to final projects that combine image and text

ANTH UN1007 THE ORIGINS OF HUMAN SOCIETY. 3.00 points .

Mandatory recitation sections will be announced first week of classes.

An archaeological perspective on the evolution of human social life from the first bipedal step of our ape ancestors to the establishment of large sedentary villages. While traversing six million years and six continents, our explorations will lead us to consider such major issues as the development of human sexuality, the origin of language, the birth of “art” and religion, the domestication of plants and animals, and the foundations of social inequality. Designed for anyone who happens to be human

ANTH UN2031 Corpse Life: Anthropological Histories of the Dead [Previously Archaeologies of Death and . 4 points .

The awareness of mortality seems to be a peculiarly human affliction, and its study has been a key theme of 20 th century philosophy. This class will address the question of human finitude from outside of the western philosophical tradition. Anthropologists have shown that humans deal with the challenge of death in diverse ways, which nevertheless share some common themes. During the semester we’ll look at case studies from across the world and over time and also explore the ethics and politics of disturbing the dead. The evidence of past human mortuary assemblages will provide some of our key primary texts. We’ll analyze famous burials such as those of Tutankhamun, the Lord of Sipan, and Emperor Qin’s mausoleum, containing the celebrated terracotta warriors, but we’ll also consider less well-known mortuary contexts. We will also critically examine the dead body as a privileged site for anthropological research, situating its study within the broader purview of anthropological theories of the body's production and constitution.

ANTH UN3007 ARCHAEOL BEFORE THE BIBLE. 3.00 points .

Please note that this is not a class on “biblical archaeology”. It is a course about the politics of archaeology in the context of Israel/Palestine, and the wider southwest Asia region. This course provides a critical overview of prehistoric archaeology in southwest Asia (or the Levant - the geographical area from Lebanon in the north to the Sinai in the south, and from the middle Euphrates in Syria to southern Jordan). It has been designed to appeal to anthropologists, historians, and students interested in the Ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Studies. The course is divided into two parts. First, a social and political history of archaeology, emphasizing how the nature of current theoretical and practical knowledge has been shaped and defined by previous research traditions and, second, how the current political situation in the region impinges upon archaeological practice. Themes include: the dominance of "biblical archaeology" and the implications for Palestinian archaeology, Islamic archaeology, the impact of European contact from the Crusades onwards, and the development of prehistory

ANTH UN3151 Living with Animals: Anthropological Perspective. 4 points .

This course examines how humans and animals shape each other’s lives. We’ll explore the astounding diversity of human-animal relationships in time and space, tracing the ways animals have made their impact on human societies (and vice-versa). Using contemporary ethnographic, historical, and archaeological examples from a variety of geographical regions and chronological periods, this class will consider how humans and animals live and make things, and the ways in which humans have found animals “good to think with”.  In this course, we will also discuss how knowledge about human-animal relationships in the past might change contemporary and future approaches to living with animals.

ANTH BC3234 Indigenous Place-Thought. 4.00 points .

This seminar considers what it means to be of a place and to think with and be committed to that place—environmentally, politically, and spiritually. After locating ourselves in our own particular places and place-based commitments, our attention turns to the Indigenous traditions of North America, to accounts of tribal emergence and pre-colonial being, to colonial histories of land dispossession, to ongoing struggles to protect ecological health and land-based sovereignty, to the epistemological and moral systems that have developed over the course of many millennia of living with and for the land, and to the contributions such systems might make to our collective future. The seminar’s title is borrowed from an essay on “Indigenous place-thought” by Mohawk/Anishinaabe scholar Vanessa Watts

ANTH UN3663 The Ancient Table: Archaeology of Cooking and Cuisine. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: None Prerequisites: None Humans don’t just eat to live. The ways we prepare, eat, and share our food is a complex reflection of our histories, environments, and ideologies. Whether we prefer coffee or tea, cornbread or challah, chicken breast or chicken feet, our tastes are expressive of social ties and social boundaries, and are linked to ideas of family and of foreignness. How did eating become such a profoundly cultural experience? This seminar takes an archaeological approach to two broad issues central to eating: First, what drives human food choices both today and in the past? Second, how have social forces shaped practices of food acquisition, preparation, and consumption (and how, in turn, has food shaped society)? We will explore these questions from various evolutionary, physiological, and cultural viewpoints, highlighted by information from the best archaeological and historic case studies. Topics that will be covered include the nature of the first cooking, beer-brewing and feasting, writing of the early recipes, gender roles and ‘domestic’ life, and how a national cuisine takes shape. Through the course of the semester we will explore food practices from Pleistocene Spain to historic Monticello, with particular emphasis on the earliest cuisines of China, Mesoamerica, and the Mediterranean

ANTH GU4175 WRITING ARCHAEOLOGY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission.

Like fiction archaeology allows us to visit other worlds and to come back home again. In this class we'll explore different genres of archaeological texts. How do writers contribute to the development of narratives about the past, what are the narrative tricks used by archaeologists, novelists and poets to evoke other worlds and to draw in the reader? What is lost in the translationfrom the earth to text, and what is gained? There is an intimacy to archaeological excavation, an intimacy that is rarely captured in archaeological narratives. What enlivening techniques might we learn from fictional accounts, and where might we find narrative space to include emotion and affect, as well as the texture and grain of encounters with the traces of the past? How does archaeological evidence evoke a particular response, and how do novels and poems work to do the same thing? What is the role of the reader in bringing a text to life?  Enrollment limit is 15.  Priority:  Anthropology graduate students, archaeology senior thesis students.

ANTH GU4345 NEANDERTHAL ALTERITIES. 3.00 points .

Enrollment priorities: Graduate students, and 3rd & 4th year undergraduates only

Using The Neanderthals partly as a metaphorical device, this course considers the anthropological, philosophical and ethical implications of sharing the world with another human species. Beginning from a solid grounding in the archaeological, biological and genetic evidence, we will reflect critically on why Neanderthals are rarely afforded the same reflexive capacities, qualities and attributes - agency- as anatomically modern humans, and why they are often regarded as lesser or nonhuman animals despite clear evidence for both sophisticated material and social engagement with the world and its resources. Readings/materials are drawn from anthropology, philosophy, ethics, gender studies, race and genetics studies, literature and film

Physical Anthropology

 spring 2024 sociocultural anthropology.

ANTH UN1008 THE RISE OF CIVILIZATION. 3.00 points .

CC/GS/SEAS: Partial Fulfillment of Global Core Requirement Mandatory recitation sections will be announced first week of classes. $25.00 laboratory fee.

Corequisites: ANTH V1008 Corequisites: ANTH V1008 The rise of major civilization in prehistory and protohistory throughout the world, from the initial appearance of sedentism, agriculture, and social stratification through the emergence of the archaic empires. Description and analysis of a range of regions that were centers of significant cultural development: Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus River Valley, China, North America, and Mesoamerica. DO NOT REGISTER FOR A RECITATION SECTION IF YOU ARE NOT OFFICIALLY REGISTERED FOR THE COURSE

ANTH UN2005 THE ETHNOGRAPHIC IMAGINATION. 3.00 points .

Introduction to the theory and practice of “ethnography”—the intensive study of peoples’ lives as shaped by social relations, cultural images, and historical forces. Considers through critical reading of various kinds of texts (classic ethnographies, histories, journalism, novels, films) the ways in which understanding, interpreting, and representing the lived words of people—at home or abroad, in one place or transnationally, in the past or the present—can be accomplished. Discussion section required

ANTH UN2028 THINK LIKE AN ARCHAEOLOGIST. 4.00 points .

$25 mandatory lab fee.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to methods and theory in archaeology – by exploring how archaeologists work to create narratives about the past (and the present) on the basis on the material remains of the past. The course begins with a consideration of how archaeologists deal with the remains of the past in the present: What are archaeological sites and how do we ‘discover’ them? How do archaeologists ‘read’ or analyze sites and artifacts? From there, we will turn to the question of how archaeologists interpret these materials traces, in order to create narratives about life in the past. After a review of the historical development of theoretical approaches in archaeological interpretation, the course will consider contemporary approaches to interpreting the past

ANTH BC3223 Gender Archaeolxgy. 4.00 points .

This seminar critically reexamines the ancient world from the perspective of gender archaeology. Though the seedlings of gender archaeology were first sown by of feminist archaeologists during the 70’s and 80’s, this approach involves far more than simply ‘womanizing’ androcentric narratives of past. Rather, gender archaeology criticizes interpretations of the past that transplant contemporary social roles onto the archaeological past, casting the divisions and inequalities of today as both timeless and natural. This class challenges the idea of a singular past, instead championing a turn towards multiple, rich, messy, intersectional pasts. The ‘x’ in ‘archaeolxgy’ is an explicit signal of our focus on this diversity of pasts and a call for a more inclusive field of practice today

ANTH UN3465 WOMEN, GENDER POL-MUSLIM WORLD. 3.00 points .

Practices like veiling, gendered forms of segregation, and the honor code that are central to Western images of Muslim women are also contested issues throughout the Muslim world. This course examines debates about gender, sexuality, and morality and explores the interplay of political, social, and economic factors in shaping the lives of men and women across the Muslim world, from the Middle East to Europe. The perspective will be primarily anthropological, although special attention will be paid to historical processes associated with colonialism and nation-building that are crucial to understanding present gender politics. We will focus on the sexual politics of everyday life in specific locales and explore the extent to which these are shaped by these histories and the power of representations mobilized in a global world in the present and international political interventions. In addition to reading ethnographic works about particular communities, we read memoirs and critical analyses of the local and transnational activist movements that have emerged to address various aspects of gender politics and rights

ANTH UN3467 WOMEN/GENDER-MUSLIM WORLD-DISC. 0.00 points .

ANTH UN3604 As If: Anthropologies of the Future. 4.00 points .

This seminar engages--through science fiction and speculative fiction, film, and companion readings in anthropology and beyond—a range of approaches to the notion of the “future” and to the imagination of multiple futures to come. We will work through virtual and fictive constructions of future worlds, ecologies, and social orders “as If” they present alternative possibilites for pragmatic yet utopian thinking and dreaming in the present (and as we’ll also consider dystopian and “heterotopian” possibilities as well)

ANTH UN3661 South Asia: Anthropological Approaches. 4 points .

This course draws on ethnography, history, fiction, and other genres to think about diverse peoples and places in the region known as South Asia. Rather than attempt to fix or define "South Asia" as a singular category, we will explore how particular social and scholarly categories through which dimensions of South Asian life have come to be known (such as caste, class, religion, gender, sexuality, disability, and kinship) are experienced, negotiated, and reworked by actual persons in specific situations. By examining both categories and practices, we will ask: What kinds of relationships exist between the messiness of everyday life and the classifications used by both scholars and "local" people to describe and make sense of it? How do scholarly and bureaucratic ideas not merely reflect but also shape lived realities? How do lived realities affect the ways in which categories are named and understood? In addressing such questions, categories sometimes thought of as stable or timeless emerge as, in fact, contingent and embodied. 

ANTH UN3800 Black Death. 4.00 points .

he term ‘black death’ circulates in scholarship and public discourses often without a clear definition or attribution to a specific thinker. It can do this because the term is commonsensical—naming the unfortunate relationship between Black people and death. This seminar surveys death as an object of inquiry, metaphor, political occasion, and inspiration for aesthetic creation. Reading texts and engaging other materials across disciplines, genres, and media while focusing on Anthropology and African American Studies, the course recognizes that the threads of race and death are inherently global and connected to European colonial imperial expansion, racism, capitalism, and modernity. Throughout the course we ask: What is the relationship between Black people or “blackness” and death? Is “black death” unique? How do we take seriously ubiquitous legacies of antiblack violence while also accounting for socio-historical specificity? What are the attendant practices, creations, and modes of thinking and being responsive to black death? At the end of the course, students will have honed skills in close reading, critical thinking, and thoughtful discussion through the study of race and death. This is an advanced level course; students should have taken at least one course introductory critical race theories course (or similar) prior to enrolling

ANTH UN3821 Native America. 4 points .

CC/GS/SEAS: Partial Fulfillment of Global Core Requirement Enrollment limited to 40.

This is an undergraduate seminar that takes up primary and secondary sources and reflections to: a) provide students with an historical overview of Native American issues and representational practices, b) provide students with an understanding of the ways in which land expropriation and concomitant military and legal struggle have formed the core of Native-State relations and are themselves central to American and Native American history and culture, and c) provide students with an understanding of Native representational practices, political subjectivity, and aspiration.

ANTH UN3829 ABSENCE/PRESENCE. 4.00 points .

Enrollment limited to 15.

Prerequisites: Open to undergrad majors; others with the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: Open to undergrad majors; others with the instructors permission. Across a range of cultural and historic contexts, one encounters traces of bodies - and persons - rendered absent, invisible, or erased. Knowledge of the ghostly presence nevertheless prevails, revealing an inextricable relationship between presence and absence. This course addresses the theme of absent bodies in such contexts as war and other memorials, clinical practices, and industrialization, with interdisciplinary readings drawn from anthropology, war and labor histories, and dystopic science fiction

ANTH BC3872 SENIOR THESIS SEMINAR II. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: Must complete ANTH BC3871x. Limited to Barnard Senior Anthropology Majors. Offered every Spring. Discussion of research methods and planning and writing of a Senior Essay in Anthropology will accompany research on problems of interest to students, culminating in the writing of individual Senior Essays. The advisory system requires periodic consultation and discussion between the student and her adviser as well as the meeting of specific deadlines set by the department each semester

ANTH UN3880 LISTENINGS: AN ETHNOG OF SOUND. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. We explore the possibilities of an ethnography of sound through a range of listening encounters: in resonant urban soundscapes of the city and in natural soundscapes of acoustic ecology; from audible pasts and echoes of the present; through repetitive listening in the age of electronic reproduction, and mindful listening that retraces an uncanniness inherent in sound. Silence, noise, voice, chambers, reverberation, sound in its myriad manifestations and transmissions. From the captured souls of Edison’s phonography, to everyday acoustical adventures, the course turns away from the screen and dominant epistemologies of the visual for an extended moment, and does so in pursuit of sonorous objects. How is it that sound so moves us as we move within its world, and who or what then might the listening subject be?

ANTH UN3893 THE BOMB. 4.00 points .

This course investigates the social history of nuclear arms in the context of World War II and the Cold War, exploring their ramifications for subjects and societies. We consider historical, ethnographic, medical and psychiatric accounts of the bomb’s invention and fallout, including the unknowable bodily injuries caused by radiation and the ecological contamination inflicted on indigenous communities where atomic weapons were tested. Throughout the course, we investigate government propaganda designed to produce political subjects who both endorse and fear nuclear imperatives; who support expanding militarization and funding for weapons development; and who abide escalating political rhetorics of nuclear aggression

ANTH UN3933 ARABIA IMAGINED. 4.00 points .

As the site of the 7th century revelation of the Quran and the present day location of the sacred precincts of Islam, Arabia is the direction of prayer for Muslims worldwide and the main destination for pilgrimage. Arabia also provides a frame for diverse modes of thought and practice and for cultural expression ranging from the venerable literature of the 1001 Nights to the academic disciplines of Islam and contemporary social media, such as Twitter. We thus will approach Arabia as a global phenomenon, as a matter of both geographic relations and the imagination. While offering an introduction to contemporary anthropological research, the course will engage in a critical review of related western conceptions, starting with an opening discussion of racism and Islamophobia. In the format of a Global Core course, the weekly assignments are organized around English translations of Arabic texts, read in conjunction with recent studies by anthropologists

ANTH UN3935 ARABIA IMAGINED-DISC. 0.00 points .

ANTH UN3939 ANIME EFFECT: JAPANESE MEDIA. 4.00 points .

Culture, technology, and media in contemporary Japan. Theoretical and ethnographic engagements with forms of mass mediation, including anime, manga, video, and cell-phone novels. Considers larger global economic and political contexts, including post-Fukushima transformations. Prerequisites: the instructor's permission

ANTH UN3947 TEXT, MAGIC, PERFORMANCE. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. This course pursues interconnections linking text and performance in light of magic, ritual, possession, narration, and related articulations of power. Readings are drawn from classic theoretical writings, colonial fiction, and ethnographic accounts. Domains of inquiry include: spirit possession, trance states, séance, ritual performance, and related realms of cinematic projection, musical form, shadow theater, performative objects, and (other) things that move on their own, compellingly. Key theoretical concerns are subjectivity - particularly, the conjuring up and displacement of self in the form of the first-person singular I - and the haunting power of repetition. Retraced throughout the course are the uncanny shadows of a fully possessed subject --within ritual contexts and within everyday life

ANTH UN3998 SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH. 2.00-6.00 points .

ANTH GU4108 Film at Low Temperatures: Cinemas of the Arctic. 4.00 points .

This seminar explores the screen cultures of the Indigenous peoples of the Polar and Circumpolar regions of Canada, The United States, Russia, Scandinavia, and Greenland as they exist at the unstable boundary between cinematic object and creative subject. Viewing work by Indigenous filmmakers, we will draw on from Indigenous Studies, Cultural Anthropology, and Film Studies to examine the complicated role of film in the Arctic

ANTH GU4116 Sympathy, Librlism, ＆ Conduct of Care. 3.00 points .

. This seminar examines the distribution and obligations of care under late liberalism. We work from classical approaches to human sentiment (e.g. Hume, Adam Smith) to explore the relationship of forms of care {management, empathy) to different modes of statecraft. In particular we examine links between imperial colonialism and liberal democracy in terms of different techniques of administering social difference (e.g. race, multiculturalism, class, population, ...). We critically investigate the role of the discipline of anthropology within this rubric and read several ethnographies that dwell on the interrelation of care and vulnerability. Across the course, we scrutinize what types of subjects care, for whom, and to what effect

ANTH GU4123 Historical Anthropology. 4.00 points .

This is an introduction to the interdisciplinary approaches of historical anthropology, in sources, methods and conceptualizations. Taking studies of differing Muslim societies by leading anthropologists as examples, we will examine the possibilities of this mode of inquiry. Students will give seminar presentations on the readings and complete a semester paper

ANTH GU4221 Community-Based Archaeology, Heritage, and Public Engagement. 4.00 points .

What is community-based archaeology? What constitutes a community, and what are the stakes of making claims to community? How does a community come into being around archaeological sites or contested heritage? In what ways does community archaeology align with or differ from public archaeology? How has public engagement been imagined in relation to descendant communities? Can collaborative research designs, foundational to community-based research, be developed in public archaeology? This seminar will explore the methodological boundaries of public and community-based archaeology and heritage. Using case studies from New York City and elsewhere, we will consider the ways in which concepts such as dialogue, process, flexibility, collaboration, activism, and sustainability are essential to an engaged and community responsive archaeology. We will also examine a diversity of methodological approaches that facilitate the integration of these ideas in on-the-ground practice

ANTH BC2012 LAB METHODS ARCHAEOLOGY. 4.00 points .

Only the most recent chapters of the past are able to be studied using traditional historiographical methods focused on archives of textual documents. How, then, are we to analyze the deep history of human experiences prior to the written word? And even when textual archives do survive from a given historical period, these archives are typically biased toward the perspectives of those in power. How, then, are we to undertake analyses of the past that take into account the lives and experiences of all of society’s members, including the poor, the working class, the colonized, and others whose voices appear far less frequently in historical documents? From its disciplinary origins in nineteenth century antiquarianism, archaeology has grown to become a rigorous science of the past, dedicated to the exploration of long-term and inclusive social histories. “Laboratory Methods in Archaeology” is an intensive introduction to the analysis of archaeological artifacts and samples in which we explore how the organic and inorganic remains from archaeological sites can be used to build rigorous claims about the human past. The 2022 iteration of the course centers on assemblages from two sites, both excavated by Barnard’s archaeological field program in the Taos region of northern New Mexico: (1) the Spanish colonial site of San Antonio del Embudo founded in 1725 and (2) the hippie commune known as New Buffalo, founded in 1967. Participants in ANTH BC2012 will be introduced to the history, geology, and ecology of the Taos region, as well as to the excavation histories of the two sites. Specialized laboratory modules focus on the analysis of chipped stone artifacts ceramics, animal bone, glass, and industrial artifacts. The course only demands participation in the seminars and laboratory modules and successful completion of the written assignments, but all students are encouraged to develop specialized research projects to be subsequently expanded into either (1) a senior thesis project or (2) a conference presentation at the Society for American Archaeology, Society for Historical Archaeology, or Theoretical Archaeology Group meeting

ANTH GU4346 LAB TECHNIQUES IN ARCHAEOLOGY. 3.00 points .

“Laboratory Methods in Archaeology” is an intensive introduction to the analysis of archaeological artifacts and samples in which we explore how the organic and inorganic remains from archaeological sites can be used to build rigorous claims about the human past. In 2023, this course will focus on pre-contact and post-contact assemblages from the New York-metro area, including materials from the legacy collections of Ralph Solecki. Participants will be introduced to the history, geology, and ecology of the New York area and specialized laboratory modules focus on the analysis of chipped stone artifacts, ceramics, animal bone, glass, and a range of post-contact artifacts. The course only demands participation in the seminars and laboratory modules and successful completion of the written assignments, but all students are encouraged to develop specialized research projects to be subsequently expanded into either (1) a thesis project or (2) a conference presentation at the Society for American Archaeology, Society for Historical Archaeology, or Theoretical Archaeology Group meeting

ANTH GU4148 HUMAN SKELETAL BIOLOGY II. 3.00 points .

Enrollment limit is 12 and Intructor's permission required.

Recommended for archaeology and physical anthropology students, pre-meds, and biology majors interested in the human skeletal system. Intensive study of human skeletal materials using anatomical and anthropological landmarks to assess sex, age, and ethnicity of bones. Other primate skeletal materials and fossil casts used for comparative study

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Application Management

Welcome to the columbia university graduate school of arts and sciences application..

GRADUATE PROGRAM

THE PH.D. PROGRAM

Formal requirements for :

M.A. degree Courses : Thirty (30) points of courses at or above the 4000 level, taken for a letter grade (of B or higher) by the end of the third semester. All students are required to take MDES GR5000 (Theory and Methods 1: Politics, Economy, and Society), offered in fall semester, and MDES GR5001 (Theory and Methods 2: Literature and Textuality), offered in spring semester. In consultation with the DGS, they design a program of additional seminars and language courses. Students must also enroll in MDES GR6008 (MESAAS Research Colloquium), a forum for peer discussion of M.A. papers or theses, in the third semester. At least two thirds of the total courses must be in MESAAS (or taught by MESAAS faculty). Though a B grade indicates basic requirements have been met, generally only A level grades signal strong academic performance. Language: Proficiency in one MESAAS language, demonstrated by successfully completing a two-semester course at the intermediate level or higher with a grade of at least a B, or by passing an equivalent exam. Note: Elementary and intermediate-level language classes, even when taken as part of the preparation for satisfying the language requirement, are not graduate-level (4000 or above) classes and therefore do not meet the requirement of thirty (30) points of graduate courses. Residence Units: Completion of two full Residence Units is required for granting the MA degree. A Residence Unit is one semester of full-time study. Students must fill out an application for the MA degree with the Registrar at the beginning of the term in which the MA will be completed. Please click through to SSOL to apply for the degree. Advisor and Ph.D. faculty sponsor: The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) is the advisor for all graduate students upon entering the program. In consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, each student asks an approved Ph.D. faculty sponsor in MESAAS to become the student’ s sponsor, usually by the end of the first year, but no later than the start of the third semester.

The M.A. Papers : Students in the Ph.D. program complete the requirements for the M.A. degree by submitting two seminar papers for review and discussion before a committee of two MESAAS faculty members no later than the end of the third semester. The work consists of two seminar papers written during the student’s first year or during the summer, (at least one must be in a MESAAS seminar), revised, typically during the following summer, in the light of written comments from the seminar instructor. Each paper should be about 8,000 words in length and at least one paper should demonstrate a capacity for original research. The M.A. papers review committee is formed of the professors in whose course the papers were written (if one was written for a course outside the department, the other committee member is the advisor). Students must submit an application to the department for the oral review of their Master’s papers no later than three weeks before the review. The committee awards either a “pass” or a “fail” on the strength of the written work and the oral review. A pass may be awarded either with or without permission to continue to the M.Phil. In the case of exceptional MA papers, considered to be of publishable quality, the committee may recommend departmental “distinction.”

M.Phil. degree

Courses : A second semester of MDES GR6008 and at least four MESAAS (or advisor-approved) courses at or above the 4000 level beyond the 30 points (obtained through course work or Advanced Standing) required for the M.A. degree. Students generally complete the coursework for the M.Phil. no later than fall of the third year. In their second semester of the MESAAS research colloquium students workshop and discuss oral exams, grant proposals, and the dissertation prospectus. As with the MA, at least two thirds of the total courses for the M.Phil. must be in MESAAS. Exceptions to this rule, rarely given, must be approved by both the advisor and DGS. Those awarded advanced standing must be sure to include MDES GR5000 and MDES GR5001 (Theory and Methods 1 and 2) and one semester of MDES GR6008 in their course work for the M.Phil.

Languages : Language requirements for the M.Phil. degree are completed by the end of the third year. The dissertation sponsor is free to set higher standards, depending on the student’s field and project, but the minimum language requirements are: High proficiency in a first MESAAS language (usually the one used to fulfill the M.A. language requirement), proficiency in a second MESAAS language, and reading competence in a third language (a research language, meaning a modern language other than English in which there is a substantial body of scholarship in the student’s field of study). High proficiency is normally achieved by completing a fourth-year language course or the equivalent, and proficiency by completing coursework at the intermediate (second-year) level or the equivalent. Reading competence is demonstrated by taking a proficiency exam, or the rapid readings and translation course (or equivalent) offered by other Columbia language departments.

Grants : Those who plan to conduct research abroad in the fourth year must submit applications for external fellowships by the first half of the third year, and sometimes earlier. This may require preliminary work on the prospectus during the fall, and possibly the preceding summer, at the same time as preparation for the M.Phil. examinations.

Oral Examination : By the end of the second year, they should also have finalized their M.Phil. reading lists. They should reach out to potential examiners to begin planning their lists at the beginning of the spring term their second year. At least two of the three examiners should be members of MESAAS (one will be the advisor). After completing the required coursework and language training, students take the oral exam, usually at the start of the sixth semester (exam period is the 3 weeks before spring break). The exam is held in three areas, which are determined by the student in consultation with a three-member M.Phil. committee.

Reading lists are prepared by the student and each normally covers about twenty-five books or a commensurate number of articles (one book = 4 or 5 articles). In contrast to the dissertation prospectus (see below), which concentrates on a specific scholarly question, a reading list for an M.Phil. area covers a broader range of scholarship, encompassing the main literature and debates in a field of teaching and research. An application must be filled out one month prior to the exam and all language requirements must be fulfilled prior to the exam. The MPhil exam is taken on a pass/fail basis. Students may not retake the exam and failure of the MPhil exam will result in the termination of candidacy in the PhD program.

Dissertation Prospectus : Prior to beginning the writing of the dissertation the student submits a dissertation prospectus, by the end of their third year. In its broadest outline the prospectus is a proposal that explains in detail the thesis project, the critical and theoretical instruments used to approach it, and the original contribution that the proposed project entails in terms of the existing relevant scholarship on the subject. Approximately 20-30 pages in length, it should provide a clear statement of the scholarly problem to be addressed (in the form of a central question), a review of existing scholarship that elaborates the significance of the project’s central question, and a discussion of the student’s theoretical and methodological orientation to the project. The prospectus should also contain a provisional outline of the dissertation as a whole, a plan of research (including discussion of the texts and/or archives to be consulted, research sites chosen), and a bibliography of several pages.

The plan of research should also include a tentative plan for the project’s development in the form of a research schedule and a tentative chapter outline and description. The aim of the prospectus is to persuade the committee of the significance and plausibility of the proposed research and its guiding question, rather than to anticipate its potential conclusions. The prospectus is prepared in consultation with the advisor(s) who determine when the document is ready. It is defended orally before at least three members of the candidate’s Ph.D. committee (at least two should be MESAAS faculty).

A Prospectus defense application and an electronic copy of the Prospectus must be submitted to the department a minimum of at least three weeks prior to the exam. The Prospectus is circulated to department faculty and graduate students as well, who are invited to attend the defense. To remain in good academic standing, the department requires students to fulfill M.Phil. requirements by the end of the third year of study (the second year if in cases of advanced standing). In exceptional cases and only with the approval of the DGS and adviser, students may meet these requirements later. But GSAS requires all students to complete M.Phil. requirements no later than May of the fourth year. Students who do not meet this deadline will not have their stipend disbursed for the ensuing fall semester, and will be terminated from the PhD program. Residence Units: Completion of six residence units (semesters of full-time study).

Post-M.Phil. Ph.D. requirements After defending the dissertation prospectus, students pursue their research, often in the archives located in MESAAS regions (ideally, with the support of external fellowships). They also establish a timeline for the completion of their dissertation chapters. It is important to develop a regular schedule for writing, and to stay in close contact with the dissertation sponsor and committee throughout the writing process. All post M.Phil. students must circulate work in progress (chapters/essays/grant proposals) for feedback in the MESAAS Dissertation Colloquium.

Thus, post M.Phil. students are required to enroll in the MESAAS Dissertation Colloquium, MDES GR8008, a non-credit course that supports the writing of the dissertation every semester they are in residence. Students not in residence must enroll at least one semester a year. The colloquium provides a forum in which the entire community of MESAAS dissertation writers meets, bridging the department’s different fields and regions of research and serving as a valuable forum for feedback. The colloquium convenes regularly, on a schedule that is drawn up at the start of every term, with the oversight of the department chair. Each meeting is devoted to the discussion of one or two pre-circulated pieces of work or some aspect of professional development. All enrolled students share in the process of peer review by reading and providing feedback on others’ submissions. As with all graduate seminars, registration alone is not acceptable, lack of attendance and nonparticipation will result in the loss of good academic standing. Students who are abroad on field work/research are exempt, once verified by the DGS. All other cases must be discussed with the DGS and approved in advance on a case by case basis.

Additionally, per GSAS requirements, students must hold Dissertation Progress Meetings. Beginning in the semester following the defense of their prospectus, students should meet once each semester with their advisor and at least one other faculty member on their dissertation defense committee to receive timely feedback on their dissertation work and regular support throughout the dissertation-writing process. The DGS (sometimes in collaboration with GSAS) works to support students in the accomplishment of this expectation.

The advisor(s), in consultation with the student, chooses the four other members of the student’s dissertation defense committee. Three must be in place directly after the prospectus defense and the fourth should be selected within a year of the defense. The fifth should be added no later than the start of the last year of writing. The sponsor (not the student) asks them to serve on the committee and asks one of them to chair the defense when the time comes. The advisor and at least two other members of the committee must be MESAAS; at least one committee member must hold an appointment outside MESAAS. The remaining member can be MESAAS or external faculty. Rules governing the constitution of the committee and the deadline for distributing the dissertation to its members are specified by the GSAS Dissertation Office. Students should familiarize themselves thoroughly with the dissertation regulations and deadlines well in advance of their defense date.

Abbreviated Doctoral Program Structure Y1 ● Take classes as widely as possible to fulfill degree requirements and work with possible mentors. ● Identify seminar papers to revise for M.A. by end of May. Make revisions over the summer. ● Choose advisor at the end of year. Y2 ● First term – workshop papers in the Research Colloquium, revise and submit, and pass MA exam by mid Dec. ● Second term – establish oral fields with examiners, begin reading, draw up lists. Finalize lists with examiners by end of May. ● Teaching Fellowship Y3 ● First term – apply for research grants for Y4. Prepare for orals. ● Second Term — Oral exams (end Feb-early March) and Prospectus submission and defense (by end of May) ● Teaching Fellowship Y4 ● Research (on Dissertation Fellowship or outside research grant). Y5 ● Writing. ● First term – apply for external completion grants for Y6. ● Teaching (TF, Core Preceptorship or Teaching Scholars Program), DF (if not already used), or outside grant. Y6 (and 7 if received outside grant) ● Writing and/or teaching and/or applying for external completion grants. ● First term – Job and Postdoc applications.

Other Information for Doctoral Study 

Transfer Credit:  In some instances, Transfer Credit may be granted to doctoral students who have completed relevan t graduate-level coursework elsewhere. This requires approval of the DGS and advisor. Students are advised to go to the GSAS Transfer Credit page for further information. Up to eight credits can be transferred, beyond which students obtain one semester of advanced standing (and less time to finish their degree). 

Financial Aid:  GSAS offers a comprehensive program of financial aid, including fellowships and appointments in teaching, to Ph.D. students. All Ph.D. students admitted to the program receive the prevailing annual stipend, summer research support, and appropriate tuition and health fees through the sixth year, provided that they remain in good academic standing. They receive five years of summer support and can apply to the department for a sixth year under certain circumstances. Ph.D. students are expected to apply for both internal and external grants (grant writing is one of the topics covered in MDES GR6008, the Research Colloquium taken by all pre-M.Phil students). They must apply to external grants (usually for research) at least once in their first four years and often also again to complete writing. Please consult the Fellowship Listings on the website for a full list. 

Teaching requirement:  Beginning in the second year, students receive training and experience in teaching by serving as Teaching Fellows to assist faculty in undergraduate classes. The six-year Ph.D. fellowship includes four years in the position of Teaching Fellow. The timeline may vary depending on field research and external fellowships, but most students serve as Teaching Fellows for 3-4 years. GSAS requires doctoral students to serve as a Teaching Fellow for a minimum of one year.

Departmental colloquia:  Students and faculty should keep Thursdays from 4-6 pm free, since most Thursdays throughout the academic year the department holds some form of colloquia. MESAAS faculty (and sometimes scholars doing related work from other departments or universities) present their current research in the form of pre-circulated papers at the Faculty Colloquium. Other colloquia (including the Research Colloquium and the Dissertation Colloquium, but also less formal meetings and workshops, as well as job talks) dedicated to the intellectual and professional development of the MESAAS community are scheduled in this time slot. Graduate students are expected to attend colloquia and other talks regularly and to contribute to the intellectual life of the department. 

Summer research and language study:  The department encourages students to use the summers following the first and second years for intensive language training and for travel abroad to make preliminary investigations of libraries, archives, and other potential research sites. Preliminary research trips are especially intended to aid students in preparing for their grant applications (deadlines are typically the fall of the third year but some are earlier), and drafting their dissertation prospectus.

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Structure a course of study towards your specific intellectual and practical interests in the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program at UBC Anthropology.

The PhD in Anthropology at UBC Vancouver is based upon a combination of residency, coursework, a comprehensive examination and dissertation, and is expected to be completed within six years. A new comprehensive examination guideline has been approved in Spring 2023.

PhD Degree Requirements

A student first gains full standing as a doctoral candidate within the Department by completing the following requirements:

• 24 months residency
• Minimum 18 credits of coursework
• A research proposal approved by the supervisory committee
• Satisfactory performance in the comprehensive examination

Coursework requirements for the PhD

The minimum 18 credits of coursework normally includes:

• ANTH 506 (the pro-seminar) (3 credits)
• ANTH 500 (History of Anthropological Thought), (6 credits)
• An advanced methodology course in the appropriate area (ANTH 516, 517, or 518) (3 credits)
• Two additional courses (6 credits)

If students have previously completed these courses, they should consult with their supervisor to determine an alternative course. Students who have taken an equivalent course to ANTH 500 at the MA level at a different university may apply to the Anthropology Graduate Students Committee (AGSC) to be released from the requirement.

Students may also be required as a condition of admission to take other courses to gain mastery of core subjects in the discipline. Up to 12 credits may be taken in the form of supervised reading courses where appropriate graduate seminars are not available and upon the agreement of instructors. The 18 credits of core courses will normally be in anthropology at the graduate level. The Supervisory Committee may require additional coursework, beyond 18 credits, including courses at the undergraduate level, in order to prepare students for research in their chosen field.

All doctoral students are required to complete a comprehensive examination successfully. After passing the comprehensive examination and defending the research proposal, the students reach candidacy.

Once they have attained candidacy, students are “ABD” (so have completed all degree requirements but the dissertation). They then undertake a substantive independent research project normally based in large part on field research which forms the basis of their dissertation. The candidate completes the degree upon successfully defending their dissertation in the University doctoral defence.

The major requirement for the PhD is completion of a research dissertation meeting UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requirements.

As soon as possible after admission to the program, and no later than the end of the first term of study, the student must meet with their Supervisory Committee to complete the Graduate Program Record (available from the Graduate and Undergraduate Program Coordinator).

In addition to biographical information and details of work done prior to admission to the PhD program, it will include details of the proposed course of study i.e., course numbers, titles, credit values, and names of instructors).

Once completed, the Graduate Program Record form must be submitted to the Anthropology Graduate Studies Committee (AGSC) for review and approval.

The Graduate Program Record is a permanent guide and record of progress in which courses, grades, information on the dissertation, leaves, and other pertinent information is entered. The student and the Supervisory Committee must review the record at least once a year (in April) and preferably more often. Significant alterations in an approved program — including changes in coursework, dissertation topic, and committee membership as well as leaves — must be reported to the AGSC for approval before being recorded in the Graduate Program Record.

Leave policy

UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies allows leaves for personal, or medical reasons. Graduate students may also receive parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child. Leave requests must be submitted by the Graduate Advisor and reviewed by the Dean of UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

PhD Dissertation

The PhD dissertation is intended to be an original and significant contribution to knowledge. In most cases, it entails original research involving fieldwork in the form of ethnographic studies, archaeological excavation and analysis, or archival research.

Supervisory Committees supervise and bear ultimate responsibility for approving research carried out by PhD candidates. It is critically important that PhD candidates keep their Supervisory Committees well informed of their research activities.

Evaluation of Progress

Students must meet with their Supervisory Committee at least once each term. The Supervisory Committee and course instructors prepare a detailed evaluation in April to submit to the Anthropology Graduate Studies Committee (AGSC). If in the considered opinion of the Supervisory Committee and the AGSC, a student does not make satisfactory progress, they may be required by the Department to withdraw. The AGSC notifies students and their Supervisory Committee of their status in the program each May.

Unless the circumstances are exceptional, a student who has not received a degree at the end of six winter sessions will be required to withdraw.

Extensions can only be granted by UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies which must be petitioned by the AGSC on behalf of a student.

The Anthropology Standing Committee will review the file of any graduate student in the PhD program who receives a grade below 75% (“B”) in either the graduate seminar the History of Anthropological Thought (ANTH 500) or in one of the graduate methods courses (ANTH 516, 517, or 518).

Doctoral Comprehensive Examination

To demonstrate their comprehensive knowledge, students will prepare three sets of annotated bibliographies that engage with broad theoretical topics, an ethnographic area, or other topics appropriate for their subdiscipline. The reading lists will be developed by the student in consultation with their PhD committee, and each set will contain 30 sources with no more than 15 pages of annotations.

Under the supervision of their committee and based on their readings and annotations, students will proceed to write, within one month, two bibliographic essays of up to 25 pages each that identify the major contributions to two of the theoretical topics or ethnographic areas that they have studied. These written essays will be similar to those in the Annual Review of Anthropology in delineating current developments and main themes of research (including not only a critical analysis of existing literature, but also a discussion of emerging directions, gaps and opportunities). The student’s supervisory committee approves the bibliographic essays as completed to a competent standard. Once approved by the supervisory committee, the written essays are not subject to further examination. The student’s PhD committee should meet with the student to provide feedback on the essays in the period between their completion and their defence of their research proposal.

In consultation with their supervisory committee, students will prepare a research proposal of no more than 25 pages. The research proposal will summarize work on this topic, the significance of the proposed research, and will clearly describe how the work will be carried out. Once all the recommended revisions to the proposal have been completed, the student’s supervisory committee will recommend that the student proceed to a defence of their research proposal.

The student’s supervisory committee approves the readings, annotations, bibliographic essays and research proposal as completed (along with the research proposal), before recommending that the student proceed to the defence of their research proposal. (The supervisor must submit a memo to the AGSC chair and cc: the Graduate Program Coordinator to affirm this recommendation.) The supervisor may suggest two possible examiners from the Department of Anthropology, but the Examining Committee as a whole must be approved by the AGSC Chair. The supervisor is in charge of contacting the potential examiners. Examinations must be completed no later than three months prior to the G+PS deadline and must take place during one of the two examination periods:

• Spring- March/April/May during their second year
• Fall- October/November- final opportunity during students’ third year in the program

Advisors of students who are unable to complete their examinations during these periods may petition the AGSC for an extension or to hold the exam in another month. In any case, students must complete their exams before the end of the third year.

The format of the PhD proposal defence is similar to a dissertation defence. The Anthropology Graduate Studies Committee appoints two examiners with relevant expertise in the student’s area of research, as well as an examination chair. At the defence, the student gives a 20 to 30-minute presentation on their proposed research without reading from their proposal. The examiners then ask two rounds of questions about the proposed research. The examination chair may also ask for questions from the audience at the end of the first round of questions. After the second round of questions the student and audience leave the room while the examining committee deliberates. The examination is evaluated both on the strength of the written proposal and the strength of the student’s presentation. The committee may: (1) decide to pass the research proposal without revisions; (2) ask for minor or major revisions either under the supervision of the student’s committee or under the supervision of the entire examining committee; or (3) fail the student on the examination. The examination chair may cast a deciding vote if the committee is divided in their assessment. If a student fails their examination, they may revise their research proposal and schedule a second examination, which would be their final opportunity. Students who successfully complete the defence of their research proposal will be advanced to candidacy and are approved to begin their dissertation research, subject to ethical review approval if relevant.

These new provisions for the comprehensive exam process in Anthropology will go into effect as of March 1, 2023 . Students who began their PhD studies in 2022 or earlier have the option of taking a written comprehensive examination under the previous provisions if they so choose.

Anthropology and Education MA

Master of arts in anthropology and education.

The master program in Anthropology and Education is concerned with the cultural, social and linguistic dimensions of education. Our program offers insight to better understand inequalities, cultural differences, linguistic diversity, and the wealth of human life for educational purposes. We examine educational processes in schools and classrooms, in families, on street corners, in community centers, in churches, and in all other non-conventional education settings.

Anthropology is well positioned to answer some of the toughest questions of education and policy-making because of its emphasis on spending time with and learning from  people . The program highlights participatory ethnography: engaging in and observing human activities and conversing with people as a means of improving education and collaborating with local groups and organizations. As one of the only master programs in Anthropology and Education in the world, we offer a unique outlook on how to understand and support diverse approaches to education in and outside the classroom.

In addition to core Anthropology courses, we encourage our students to take courses with other departments and program at Teachers College and Columbia University, more generally. For example, many of our students take courses in the International and Comparative Education, Technology in Education, and Applied Linguistics programs.

Our program offers students related courses and concentrations in a highly individualized fashion. We strive to maintain smaller entering cohorts in order to magnify every student’s experience. Our students choose a concentration that most aptly fits their research or professional interests, while faculty work with students to create a course schedule that support these interests. Below is a list of concentrations that students can choose from:

• Urban Education
• Ethnographic Theory and Methods
• Culture and Communication  
• Education Beyond Schools
• Applied Anthropology

For more information about the requirements for our Master Programs, click below:

Master of Arts (MA) Degree Requirements

Integrative Project (IP) Requirements

Anthropology Program Handbook

Admissions Information

Displaying requirements for the Spring 2024, Summer 2024, and Fall 2024 terms.

Master of Arts

• Points/Credits: 32
• Entry Terms: Spring/Summer/Fall

Application Deadlines

• Spring: November 15
• Summer/Fall (Priority): January 15
• Summer/Fall (Final): April 1

Supplemental Application Requirements/Comments

• Online Degree Application , including Statement of Purpose and Resume
• Transcripts and/or Course-by-Course Evaluations for all Undergraduate/Graduate Coursework Completed
• Results from an accepted English Proficiency Exam (if applicable)
• $75 Application Fee
• Two (2) Letters of Recommendation

Requirements from the TC Catalog (AY 2023-2024)

Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 terms.

View Full Catalog Listing

The Master of Arts degree program in Anthropology and Education offers a disciplinary approach that carefully explores and contributes to the analysis and understanding of educational processes in all settings where education may proceed.

Administrators, counselors, evaluators, and research associates can improve their work through learning how anthropological methods are applied to educational problems, policy, and practice. Students should choose an area of emphasis from Urban Education or Ethnographic Methods for Education Analysis.

The program requires at least five courses (15 points minimum) in anthropology; courses (9 points) in Complementary/Other Concentration Courses (International & Comparative Education, applied linguistics, philosophy, psychology, sociology); and four other courses (8-9 points) that directly contribute to the emerging professional interest of the candidate or practical courses relative to future professional settings. The M.A. program requires an integrative project in addition to the 32-point program. M.A. students are also required to attend a bi-weekly one-hour MA Advising and Career Workshop, also to assist with the IP, for noncredit.

To satisfy program breadth requirements, master's students must complete two Teachers College courses (for this purpose a course is defined as one in which at least 3 points are earned) outside the major program.

• View Other Degrees

Program Director : Professor Grey Gundaker

Contact Person: Caitlin Quinn

Phone: 212-678-3309

Email: anthropology@tc.edu

A Student’s Journey on the Bridge to PhD Program

Columbia’s bridge to phd program supports eden shaveet in her journey as a public health infodemiologist..

Eden Shaveet

Eden Shaveet is about to ”graduate” as a public health infodemiologist from Columbia Engineering’s Bridge to PhD Program, designed to support students who’ve encountered barriers on their path to a graduate education in STEM. Shaveet, who holds an MS in health informatics and analytics from the Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM), is the first Bridge Scholar taken on by the Department of Computer Science.

Interest in infodemiology

While at Tufts, she maintained one of the highest GPAs in the TUSM program and won their 2023 Health Informatics and Analytics Academic Achievement award. A faculty member there mentioned “infodemiology” to Shaveet in passing and she was instantly intrigued. While she was already interested in epidemiology and information science, she’d never considered that the two fields could overlap.

Shaveet’s path to graduate school has been far from traditional. She completed secondary school through the Gateway to College program and received her BA with honors in psychology and behavioral health. During clinical internships as an undergraduate, Shaveet found herself gravitating more towards databases and decided to pursue informatics.

Coming to Columbia

Shaveet came to the Bridge to PhD Program in STEM to hone in on her computational skill set. She was already trained as a health informatician, but she recognized that pursuing computer science research and coursework as a bridge scholar would not only enhance her skills as an interdisciplinary informatician but also increase her competitiveness as an applicant for PhD programs in informatics and information science. She knew that the Bridge program catered to people like her -- those who came from nontraditional educational backgrounds or have been historically underrepresented in their fields. Being offered a spot in the program has been one of the most fulfilling training experiences of her life.

“The Bridge to PhD Program is an exceptional program led by exceptional people that cultivates capable and successful academics,” Shaveet said. “I'm lucky to be a part of it.”

Shaveet didn’t arrive at Columbia Engineering with a comprehensive background in computing -- she saw herself as a potential public health practitioner. But during her first hackathon, her team won the first-place Patient Safety award through the Patient Safety Technology Challenge, alongside this reporter’s team, at the 2023 DivHacks Hackathon —an unexpected feat, she admitted. After taking courses in computer science and conducting computational research, Shaveet feels like this is where she is meant to be: “It’s what has kept my attention.”

Using data to explore food-poisoning outbreaks

And now her specialty at Columbia has become just that: public health infodemiology. Her work is focused on using publicly available data from sources such as social media and discussion forums to explore outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. She appreciates that “at Columbia, it’s not just hobbyists” who are interested in this work, but researchers who are integrating it into public health departments, including the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Shaveet is working with Computer Science Professors Luis Gravano and Daniel Hsu on the Adaptive Information Extraction from Social Media for Actionable Inferences in Public Health team. She describes the research as “grounded in the idea that we can augment current methods in public health needs assessments and passive syndromic surveillance using…anywhere people congregate and self-disclose information that we can translate into a health status signal for a population.”

Next up? A PhD

Shaveet applied to a range of PhD programs while finishing up her studies, received several offers, and has recently accepted a place in Cornell’s PhD program in information science with a graduate minor in computer science. She’s not going far -- she’ll be based on the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island.

Shaveet credits the Bridge program for preparing her in ways that she didn’t expect and that she is very grateful for. “I really didn’t expect to be applying to PhD programs in computer science and informatics!” she said. A major confidence builder has been winning the National Science Foundation (NSF) Computer and Information Science and Engineering Graduate (CSGrad4US) Fellowship, which will fund three years of her PhD anywhere she decides to go.

Richard Hagen, the director of the Bridge to PhD Program, praised Shaveet’s stellar performance in the program: “Eden truly embodies the essence of the Bridge to PhD program at Columbia with her outstanding accomplishments and the prestigious grant she received. I am incredibly proud of her and excited to witness her continued success in higher academia.”

The Bridge to PhD at Columbia

Columbia Engineering’s Bridge to PhD Program features intensive research, academic, and mentoring experiences for post-baccalaureates seeking to strengthen their applications for graduate school and to prepare for the transition to a PhD student. Recent alumni have gone on to PhD programs at Columbia University, the University of Chicago, the University of Wisconsin, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Princeton University. Several recent alumni have also received prestigious awards from the NSF, including the Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

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Graduate Student Handbook (Coming Soon: New Graduate Student Handbook)

Phd program overview.

The PhD program prepares students for research careers in probability and statistics in academia and industry. Students admitted to the PhD program earn the MA and MPhil along the way. The first year of the program is spent on foundational courses in theoretical statistics, applied statistics, and probability. In the following years, students take advanced topics courses. Research toward the dissertation typically begins in the second year. Students also have opportunities to take part in a wide variety of projects involving applied probability or applications of statistics.

Students are expected to register continuously until they distribute and successfully defend their dissertation. Our core required and elective curricula in Statistics, Probability, and Machine Learning aim to provide our doctoral students with advanced learning that is both broad and focused. We expect our students to make Satisfactory Academic Progress in their advanced learning and research training by meeting the following program milestones through courseworks, independent research, and dissertation research:

By the end of year 1: passing the qualifying exams;

By the end of year 2: fulfilling all course requirements for the MA degree and finding a dissertation advisor;

By the end of year 3: passing the oral exam (dissertation prospectus) and fulfilling all requirements for the MPhil degree

By the end of year 5: distributing and defending the dissertation.

We believe in the Professional Development value of active participation in intellectual exchange and pedagogical practices for future statistical faculty and researchers. Students are required to serve as teaching assistants and present research during their training. In addition, each student is expected to attend seminars regularly and participate in Statistical Practicum activities before graduation.

We provide in the following sections a comprehensive collection of the PhD program requirements and milestones. Also included are policies that outline how these requirements will be enforced with ample flexibility. Questions on these requirements should be directed to ADAA Cindy Meekins at [email protected] and the DGS, Professor John Cunningham at [email protected] .

Applications for Admission

• Our students receive very solid training in all aspects of modern statistics. See Graduate Student Handbook for more information.
• Our students receive Fellowship and full financial support for the entire duration of their PhD. See more details here .
• Our students receive job offers from top academic and non-academic institutions .
• Our students can work with world-class faculty members from Statistics Department or the Data Science Institute .
• Our students have access to high-speed computer clusters for their ambitious, computationally demanding research.
• Our students benefit from a wide range of seminars, workshops, and Boot Camps organized by our department and the data science institute .
• Suggested Prerequisites: A student admitted to the PhD program normally has a background in linear algebra and real analysis, and has taken a few courses in statistics, probability, and programming. Students who are quantitatively trained or have substantial background/experience in other scientific disciplines are also encouraged to apply for admission.
• GRE requirement: Waived for Fall 2024.
• Language requirement: The English Proficiency Test requirement (TOEFL) is a Provost's requirement that cannot be waived.
• The Columbia GSAS minimum requirements for TOEFL and IELTS are: 100 (IBT), 600 (PBT) TOEFL, or 7.5 IELTS. To see if this requirement can be waived for you, please check the frequently asked questions below.
• Deadline: Jan 8, 2024 .
• Application process: Please apply by completing the Application for Admission to the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences .
• Timeline: P.hD students begin the program in September only.  Admissions decisions are made in mid-March of each year for the Fall semester.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the application deadline? What is the deadline for financial aid? Our application deadline is January 5, 2024 .
• Can I meet with you in person or talk to you on the phone? Unfortunately given the high number of applications we receive, we are unable to meet or speak with our applicants.
• What are the required application materials? Specific admission requirements for our programs can be found here .
• Due to financial hardship, I cannot pay the application fee, can I still apply to your program? Yes. Many of our prospective students are eligible for fee waivers. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a variety of application fee waivers . If you have further questions regarding the waiver please contact  gsas-admissions@ columbia.edu .
• How many students do you admit each year? It varies year to year. We finalize our numbers between December - early February.
• What is the distribution of students currently enrolled in your program? (their background, GPA, standard tests, etc)? Unfortunately, we are unable to share this information.
• How many accepted students receive financial aid? All students in the PhD program receive, for up to five years, a funding package consisting of tuition, fees, and a stipend. These fellowships are awarded in recognition of academic achievement and in expectation of scholarly success; they are contingent upon the student remaining in good academic standing. Summer support, while not guaranteed, is generally provided. Teaching and research experience are considered important aspects of the training of graduate students. Thus, graduate fellowships include some teaching and research apprenticeship. PhD students are given funds to purchase a laptop PC, and additional computing resources are supplied for research projects as necessary. The Department also subsidizes travel expenses for up to two scientific meetings and/or conferences per year for those students selected to present. Additional matching funds from the Graduate School Arts and Sciences are available to students who have passed the oral qualifying exam.
• Can I contact the department with specific scores and get feedback on my competitiveness for the program? We receive more than 450 applications a year and there are many students in our applicant pool who are qualified for our program. However, we can only admit a few top students. Before seeing the entire applicant pool, we cannot comment on admission probabilities.
• What is the minimum GPA for admissions? While we don’t have a GPA threshold, we will carefully review applicants’ transcripts and grades obtained in individual courses.
• Is there a minimum GRE requirement? No. The general GRE exam is waived for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. 
• Can I upload a copy of my GRE score to the application? Yes, but make sure you arrange for ETS to send the official score to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
• Is the GRE math subject exam required? No, we do not require the GRE math subject exam.
• What is the minimum TOEFL or IELTS  requirement? The Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences minimum requirements for TOEFL and IELTS are: 100 (IBT), 600 (PBT) TOEFL, or 7.5 IELTS
•  I took the TOEFL and IELTS more than two years ago; is my score valid? Scores more than two years old are not accepted. Applicants are strongly urged to make arrangements to take these examinations early in the fall and before completing their application.
• I am an international student and earned a master’s degree from a US university. Can I obtain a TOEFL or IELTS waiver? You may only request a waiver of the English proficiency requirement from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by submitting the English Proficiency Waiver Request form and if you meet any of the criteria described here . If you have further questions regarding the waiver please contact  gsas-admissions@ columbia.edu .
• My transcript is not in English. What should I do? You have to submit a notarized translated copy along with the original transcript.

Can I apply to more than one PhD program? You may not submit more than one PhD application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. However, you may elect to have your application reviewed by a second program or department within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences if you are not offered admission by your first-choice program. Please see the application instructions for a more detailed explanation of this policy and the various restrictions that apply to a second choice. You may apply concurrently to a program housed at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and to programs housed at other divisions of the University. However, since the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences does not share application materials with other divisions, you must complete the application requirements for each school.

How do I apply to a dual- or joint-degree program? The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences refers to these programs as dual-degree programs. Applicants must complete the application requirements for both schools. Application materials are not shared between schools. Students can only apply to an established dual-degree program and may not create their own.

With the sole exception of approved dual-degree programs , students may not pursue a degree in more than one Columbia program concurrently, and may not be registered in more than one degree program at any institution in the same semester. Enrollment in another degree program at Columbia or elsewhere while enrolled in a Graduate School of Arts and Sciences master's or doctoral program is strictly prohibited by the Graduate School. Violation of this policy will lead to the rescission of an offer of admission, or termination for a current student.

When will I receive a decision on my application? Notification of decisions for all PhD applicants generally takes place by the end of March.

Notification of MA decisions varies by department and application deadlines. Some MA decisions are sent out in early spring; others may be released as late as mid-August.

Can I apply to both MA Statistics and PhD statistics simultaneously?  For any given entry term, applicants may elect to apply to up to two programs—either one PhD program and one MA program, or two MA programs—by submitting a single (combined) application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.  Applicants who attempt to submit more than one Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application for the same entry term will be required to withdraw one of the applications.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences permits applicants to be reviewed by a second program if they do not receive an offer of admission from their first-choice program, with the following restrictions:

• This option is only available for fall-term applicants.
• Applicants will be able to view and opt for a second choice (if applicable) after selecting their first choice. Applicants should not submit a second application. (Note: Selecting a second choice will not affect the consideration of your application by your first choice.)
• Applicants must upload a separate Statement of Purpose and submit any additional supporting materials required by the second program. Transcripts, letters, and test scores should only be submitted once.
• An application will be forwarded to the second-choice program only after the first-choice program has completed its review and rendered its decision. An application file will not be reviewed concurrently by both programs.
• Programs may stop considering second-choice applications at any time during the season; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences cannot guarantee that your application will receive a second review.
• What is the mailing address for your PhD admission office? Students are encouraged to apply online . Please note: Materials should not be mailed to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences unless specifically requested by the Office of Admissions. Unofficial transcripts and other supplemental application materials should be uploaded through the online application system. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Office of Admissions Columbia University  107 Low Library, MC 4303 535 West 116th Street  New York, NY 10027
• How many years does it take to pursue a PhD degree in your program? Our students usually graduate in 4‐6 years.
• Can the PhD be pursued part-time? No, all of our students are full-time students. We do not offer a part-time option.
• One of the requirements is to have knowledge of linear algebra (through the level of MATH V2020 at Columbia) and advanced calculus (through the level of MATH V1201). I studied these topics; how do I know if I meet the knowledge content requirement? We interview our top candidates and based on the information on your transcripts and your grades, if we are not sure about what you covered in your courses we will ask you during the interview.
• Can I contact faculty members to learn more about their research and hopefully gain their support? Yes, you are more than welcome to contact faculty members and discuss your research interests with them. However, please note that all the applications are processed by a central admission committee, and individual faculty members cannot and will not guarantee admission to our program.
• How do I find out which professors are taking on new students to mentor this year?  Applications are evaluated through a central admissions committee. Openings in individual faculty groups are not considered during the admissions process. Therefore, we suggest contacting the faculty members you would like to work with and asking if they are planning to take on new students.

For more information please contact us at [email protected] .

For more information please contact us at  [email protected]

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Faculty - April 4, 2024

DC Native Brings Big Data Insights to the Political Analytics Program

• Political Analytics

Drawing from his roots as a DC native immersed in the political landscape,  Benjy Messner 's lifelong interest in campaigns and technology has fueled his passion to shape the next generation of political analysts.

Messner is a seasoned professional when it comes to data, analytics, and emerging tech who brings years of experience and insights in his new role as lecturer at Columbia’s  M.S. in Political Analytics graduate program. In his Big Data & Political Strategy course, Messner shows students how to combine massive amounts of data with political expertise to devise effective strategies.

In a recent interview with SPS, Messner shared his excitement for Columbia's commitment to nurturing students in the field of political analytics, recognizing the unprecedented institutional backing that promises to not only enrich their education but also streamline the hiring process for industry professionals like himself.

What should students expect from your course in the Political Analytics program? Big Data and Political Strategy is a course where students are learning to build and examine common data sets like predictive model scores, voter file data, and more, and synthesize that information with their knowledge of politics to come up with options for allocating resources to win campaigns. This is one of the hardest questions in politics, especially because there’s never a right answer or even several right answers, and I hope to help students understand what we’re trying to do, why, and how to do it, so they too can help campaigns win. What inspired you to specialize in political data, analytics, and technology? As a Washington, DC, native, I grew up with politics in my backyard. I was always interested in campaigns and in technology and data. I was lucky enough to get a job on a campaign in 2008 when this field was still in its infancy and was immediately hooked.

What was it that hooked you about political analytics? I was the deputy data director on the 2008 Coordinated campaign in Virginia, working to elect Barack Obama, Mark Warner, and other Democrats on the ticket. Several aspects of the process hooked me immediately, including the rush of winning such a historic election, as Virginia went “blue” for the first time since 1964, and the feeling of participating in a role where applying data and analytics could lead to such great outcomes.

What excites you about the M.S. in Political Analytics program?

As a practitioner, I’ve seen training programs for this kind of work come and go over the years. Seeing an institution like Columbia make a commitment to helping students grow in this area is exciting not just because of what it means for Columbia, but also because it’s the first time we as an industry have ever had this kind of institutional backing for people who want to get in the field. This should make it easier for people like me to hire, in addition to providing students with a great education.

What is your advice for students pursuing a career in political analytics?

I have three pieces of advice to share. First, build as many technical skills as you can. The more you know how to do, the more useful you are, the more you’ll be part of decisions, the more fun you’ll have. Second, don’t focus only on technical skills. Knowing how to present well, how to work with others, how to be part of a team are vital skills. Campaigns are one of the biggest team efforts there is.

And finally, “knock doors” at least once a cycle to stay in touch with reality. In the data and analytics ivory tower, one can become disconnected from actual voters on the ground, so knocking doors to advocate for one’s candidate is a good way to stay grounded. You get the voters’ names, some literature to distribute, and instructions on how to engage in a dialogue with voters. Then you go out and talk to actual people.

About the Program

The Columbia University  M.S. in Political Analytics program provides students quantitative skills in an explicitly political context, facilitating crosswalk with nontechnical professionals and decision-makers—and empowers students to become decision-makers themselves.

The final application deadline is June 1, 2024. The 36-point credit program is available part-time and full-time. For general information and admissions questions, please call 212-854-9666 or email politicalanalytics [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu

Benjy Messner

Lecturer, Political Analytics

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Howard university students awarded 2024 dow jones columbia university graduate school of journalism hbcu media collective fellowship.

WASHINGTON – Two Howard University students – Jada Ingleton and Jasper Smith – have been named as fellows of the 2024 HBCU Media Collective, a program led by Dow Jones and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. 

Ingleton and Smith are joining six other HBCU students selected by their deans and faculty members to participate in the program, which will run from May 29 through June 12. As a part of the program, participants will receive newsroom training conducted by The Wall Street Journal and work alongside experienced journalists at Dow Jones’s MarketWatch and Barron’s newsrooms. Fellows will also enroll in graduate-level courses at Columbia University. 

Now in its second year, the program, which was developed to enhance newsroom diversity and promote financial literacy for participating students, is adding an international component to help fellows gain greater awareness of global opportunities. As part of this year's extended program, students will also spend five days in London, gaining invaluable exposure to News Corp. assets such as Virgin Radio, talkSPORT, The Fifth, The Sun, and The Times. 

Ingleton, a senior journalism major with a minor in psychology from Pembroke Pines, Florida, finds her passion and foundation for journalism rooted in a deep connection with creative writing and editing. She has served as an editorial intern for Legacy Magazine and is a copy-editing intern for The Washington Informer. She also works as a writer for the Howard University News Service. Following graduation in May, Ingleton will stay in the DC area on fellowship with opportunities to freelance.  

Ingleton is excited to be among the best and brightest journalists and expand her skillset.  

“I am looking forward to making connections with professors and the people around us while learning so much about journalism and really seizing this opportunity,” Ingleton said, adding that the program will help expand her skillset while delving deeper into business reporting. 

Smith, a senior journalism major with a minor in sociology from Phoenix, Arizona, is thrilled to be part of the fellowship. Smith, who will end two years as Editor-in-Chief of The Hilltop at the conclusion of this academic year, is no stranger to the field of journalism. She completed an internship with The Arizona Republic last summer and has accepted an offer to work as a reporter with The Washington Post following graduation in May. Smith looks forward to learning more about the craft of journalism from the well-respected industry leaders with whom she will come into contact. 

“This is such a great opportunity as an emerging journalist,” Smith said, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to have professional journalists pour into her and meet other emerging reporters. “I can’t wait to delve more into my interests of business and higher education reporting.” 

Gracie Lawson-Borders, Ph.D., dean of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications, said Ingleton and Smith are wonderful examples of the caliber of students the school trains for careers in journalism.  

“The Cathy Hughes School of Communications is pleased that two of our talented students, Jasper Smith and Jada Ingleton, will be part of the HBCU Media Collective,” Lawson-Borders said. “Excellence is our expectation, and these two exemplify this goal.” 

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