Graduate Programs

Explore our Graduate Programs

Thank you for your interest in our program. The Department of Anthropology typically admits six to nine graduate students annually. Admission is offered only for the Fall term except under highly unusual circumstances. The application deadline is December 5th, for admission the following fall.  The University of Oregon supports every student, regardless of immigration status.

anth_graduate programs_kirstin sterner

Director of Graduate Studies 
Kirstin Sterner
ksterner@uoregon.edu
Office: 316 Condon

 

 


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Doctoral Degree

The UO Department of Anthropology offers the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree with a concentration in one of three subfields: Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, or Cultural Anthropology. While graduate students choose one subfield on which to focus their studies, many follow an interdisciplinary path that bridges between subfields, as well as to different disciplines. This approach is encouraged in our department, which is distinctive in its commitment to the integration of the anthropological subfields via our five areas of expertise and focus.

PhD Requirements



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Choosing a Subdiscipline

Each prospective graduate student should select an anthropological subdiscipline (Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology, Biological Anthropology). Although a core subdiscipline needs to be identified for your application, we recognize that anthropological work today is highly interdisciplinary and an interest in more than one subdiscipline is encouraged and supported.

Subdisciplines

Funding Graduate Studies

Nearly all graduate students in the Department of Anthropology receive funding for all or most of their graduate study. Most graduate students are supported through departmental Graduate Teaching Fellowships, which are teaching assistant positions that involve leading discussion or lab sections.

Funding and Research Support


Prepare for the Professional World

The goal of virtually all the students in our graduate program is to obtain a PhD in preparation for an academic career in research/teaching or for a career as a professional anthropologist doing applied work. We rarely admit students whose sole aim is to obtain a master's degree, except in the case of a student interested in obtaining a master's so s/he can work professionally in the field of Cultural Resource or Heritage Management.

Career and Professional Development


Our Graduate Students

Our graduate program attracts outstanding students from across the nation and around the world. Students in the program work closely with a primary advisor, who supervises their graduate training through formal coursework and supervised research and teaching activities.

Resources for the Graduate Community


Events

Department of History Coffee Hour
Nov11
Department of History Coffee Hour Nov 11 McKenzie Hall
Book Launch: "Thinking Nietzsche with Africana Thought"
Nov12
Book Launch: "Thinking Nietzsche with Africana Thought" Nov 12 McKenzie Hall
Jeremiah Public Lecture: "From Chicago to Phanom Rung: The Return of a Khmer Lintel and Pilaster to Thailand"
Nov12
Jeremiah Public Lecture: "From Chicago to Phanom Rung: The Return of a Khmer Lintel and Pilaster to Thailand" Nov 12 McKenzie Hall
Creative Writing Reading Series Presents: Jan Verberkmoes, Poetry
Nov12
Creative Writing Reading Series Presents: Jan Verberkmoes, Poetry Nov 12 Knight Library
Graduate School Fair 2025
Nov13
Graduate School Fair 2025 Nov 13 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
WiT Tech + Connect
Nov13
WiT Tech + Connect Nov 13 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Symposium in Honor of Professor David C. Johnson
Nov13
Symposium in Honor of Professor David C. Johnson Nov 13 Center for Advanced Materials Characterization in Oregon (CAMCOR)
CAS CareerLab Headshots
Nov13
CAS CareerLab Headshots Nov 13 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Geography Colloquium Series: “Aesthetics in Cartography: A Genealogy of ‘Really Good’ Maps”
Nov13
Geography Colloquium Series: “Aesthetics in Cartography: A Genealogy of ‘Really Good’ Maps” Nov 13 Condon Hall
Non-Profit Job Shadow Day
Nov14
Non-Profit Job Shadow Day Nov 14 Non-profits across Eugene/Springfield!