A Handbook for the Anthropology Doctoral Program by Pitt Students
The Graduate Handbook is written and revised regularly by the Graduate Studies Committee and in consultation with students as a guide to current graduate students and new faculty. This not only outlines the formal curriculum in Anthropology, it charts a course for successful completion of the PhD program, modeled after recent graduate students. The timeline will help prospective and current students keep on top of credit hours, language requirements, fellowship applications, comprehensive examinations, and scheduled completion of the doctoral dissertation.
Petitions
You must petition the Graduate Studies Committee several times during your studies. With the exception of MA transfer credits, the GSC accepts the petitions listed below at any time during the year; however, if students have pressing petitions and need approval on a shorter timeline, they will need to have submitted their petitions a minimum of three weeks prior to the scheduled faculty meeting. (Faculty meetings typically fall on Fridays, and the schedule of meetings is available via the Department’s Outlook Calendar.)
Petition requests should be sent to the GA, along with any supporting documents.
Course Petitions
Students must petition the GSC to have courses taken outside of the University of Pittsburgh count toward the 30 credits required for the MA or the 72 credits required for the PhD. Students can transfer up to 30 credits from another approved degree-granting graduate program (12 towards formal coursework and 18 towards informal coursework). Students are no longer required to petition to approve graduate-level courses from other Pitt departments; instead, students should consult with mentors on course selection. Unlike other kinds of petitions, these can only be made twice per year: October 1 and March 1.
Method and Theory Requirements
If students wish to waive or substitute different classes for the method and theory requirement other than those listed within the Department of Anthropology, then they must petition the GSC for approval.
Master’s Advisory Committee
Graduate students who would like to earn a concurrent MA degree must petition the GSC for approval of a master’s advisory committee.
Comprehensive Exam Committee
Graduate students must petition the GSC for approval of a comprehensive exam committee. This must be done for each comprehensive exam. External committee members (graduate faculty from other institutions) must also be approved by the grad office. Contact that GA/DGS for information about this process.
PhD Dissertation Committee
The GSC must also be petitioned for the approval of a PhD/Overview committee (i.e., the "dissertation committee"). Once approved by the GSC the student’s PhD dissertation committee will go to the full faculty for final approval. It is recommended that students do this well in advance of their scheduled overview.