cornell university anthropology phd

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Anthropology ph.d. (ithaca), field of study.

Anthropology

Program Description

Graduate training in the Field of Anthropology emphasizes sociocultural anthropology, with an additional concentration in archaeological anthropology. Biological anthropology is primarily an undergraduate program. Substantively, the Field of Anthropology combines humanistic and social scientific approaches in innovative ethnographic research, emphasizing culture as a productive process and anthropologists as engaged in understanding and defending cultural diversity. Geographically, our greatest depth is in Asia (East, South, and Southeast), but the Americas, Europe, and Africa all also figure importantly. The Field of Anthropology has strong ties with all the geographic area programs, as well as faculty active in many other interdisciplinary programs, including joint appointments with Asian American Studies, Latina/o Studies, American Indian and Indigenous Studies, and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

The graduate program in anthropology is highly individualized and interdisciplinary. Only four courses and a field research proposal are required; thus, the bulk of students' work in language, area studies, or other training is individually designed in consultation with the Special Committee. Individually-tailored examinations occur after approximately the first year of course work (the Qualifying Exam), the second or third year (the Admission to Candidacy, or A Exam), and after completion of the thesis (the Defense or B Exam). Most graduate students in the Field of Anthropology complete one to two years of intensive field research. All doctoral candidates are also expected to teach at some point: most students first get experience as assistants in both introductory and mid-level courses; later, many design and teach courses of their own in the Knight Writing Program. A vigorous colloquium series enriches the intellectual environment for both students and faculty.

The Field of Anthropology primarily admits candidates seeking a Ph.D. because of the lack of funding for, and employment with, only an M.A. With very rare exceptions, every student admitted to the Ph.D. program receives funding to support five years of on-campus study. Graduate students apply for additional funding from Cornell or from major external sources such as NSF, Fulbright, SSRC, and Wenner-Gren to conduct both preliminary and dissertation field research. Most students complete the Ph.D. within seven years and most have gone on to find academic employment at major colleges and universities in the U.S. or abroad.

Contact Information

266 McGraw Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY  14853

Concentrations by Subject

• archaeological anthropology
• socio-cultural anthropology

Visit the Graduate School's Tuition Rates page.

Application Requirements and Deadlines

Fall, Dec. 15; no spring admission

Requirements Summary:

A committee, chaired by the director of graduate studies and consisting of three additional faculty members, evaluates all applications for admission and financial support. Applications should also include a writing sample such as a term paper, an honors thesis, or a research report. The deadline for receipt of completed applications is December 15.

• all  Graduate School Requirements , including  English Language Proficiency Requirement  for all applicants
• Academic Statement of Purpose limited to 2 pages or approximately 1,000 words
• Personal Statement
• three recommendations
• writing sample limited to 35 pages double-spaced (including all notes, images, bibliography)

Learning Outcomes

Make an original, substantial, and publishable contribution to Anthropology

• Identify and pursue new research opportunities within one's field
• Think originally and independently to develop concepts and methods

Demonstrate advanced Anthropological research skills

• Create new knowledge through the generation, analysis, and synthesis of primary and secondary source materials
• Identify and access appropriate sources of relevant information
• Critically analyze and evaluate one's own findings and those of others
• Master application of relevant research methods, technical skills, and languages

Demonstrate commitment to advancing Anthropological scholarship

• Show understanding of the history of Anthropology and the development of current theoretical debates
• Keep abreast of current advances within one's field and related areas
• Show commitment to professional development through engagement in professional societies, publication, applied, and/or outreach activities
• Teach effectively by presenting and disseminating knowledge in the field to students, professionals, and members of the public

Demonstrate professional skills

• Adhere to ethical standards of the discipline for using sources, artifacts, and remains; interacting with human subjects; and working with colleagues
• Write and speak effectively to professional and lay audiences about issues in the field
• Actively compete for major intramural and extramural research grants

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Table of Contents

• Graduate Program

Introduction and Application Requirements

Our faculty expertise in the global study of race and Blackness in the traditional disciplines of English, anthropology, literature, history, politics, philosophy, sociology and art history makes Africana studies at Cornell a significant resource for graduate students who want to engage in the interdisciplinary study of Black people in Africa, the African diaspora and around the globe.  There are few departments or programs that match our strengths in:

• Black political, cultural, philosophical and artistic thought and practice in global perspective
• Global studies in black popular and mass culture 
• Race in relation to the study of gender and sexuality

While we have particular expertise in the study of Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States, we support and encourage the study of black people everywhere in the world. 

Africana Studies offers a Ph.D. program with full funding, which includes paid tuition, health insurance and a stipend.

Application Requirements Summary:

• All graduate school requirements, including the TOEFL Exam or the IELTS Exam for Non-Native English Applicants (Scores must be sent electronically (e-delivery) to the Cornell University Graduate Admissions, Caldwell Hall e-download account. E-delivery may also be referred to as an e-TRF by your test center.)
• Statement of purpose    
• Writing sample
• Personal Statement
• Three signed letters of recommendation on letterhead   
• GRE general test not required
• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA 
• The deadline to apply for the Fall 2024 term is January 15, 2024
• Cost to apply is $105.  For more information, please see the Graduate School website.

To apply now, visit the Graduate School website.

*Please be advised that the majority of our faculty are not working on the graduate committee or directly involved with the admissions process, nor do they individually determine final decisions. For questions about graduate admissions specifically, please contact the FAQ. If you have further inquiries, please contact [email protected] . 

Graduate education at Cornell is designed to accommodate the specific interests, objectives and development of individual students who work out a program of study in consultation with a special committee selected by the student from the membership of the graduate faculty. This procedure, commonly referred to as "the committee system," takes the place of uniform course requirements and uniform departmental examinations and is intended to encourage freedom and flexibility in the design of individual students' degree programs. Such a system requires adaptability on the part of both faculty and students, and requires of each student a high degree of initiative and responsibility.

Required Courses

There are four required courses and a dissertation proposal workshop that introduce students to the field of Africana studies:

I.   Seminar in Africana Studies I: Historical, Political and Social Analysis

II.  Seminar in Africana Studies II: Cultural, Literary and Visual Analysis

III.  Topics class in Africana History or Theory (Chosen in consultation with the DGS)

I.   A supporting methods course: Students are required to take a supporting methods course. This course is chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor and may be taken in Africana Studies and Research Center (ASRC) or in a related field.

Workshop on Dissertation Proposal Development  

8 additional courses:

Students must also complete, by the end of their second year, a minimum of eight additional courses, chosen in their field of research emphasis and selected in consultation with their advisor. Of these eight additional courses, one course per semester must be taken with a core faculty member in the ASRC. Students will develop a program of study within major and minor areas of concentration by their second year. Within each track, students will select a geographic area of concentration, e.g. Africa, the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America, or emerging studies of the global African diaspora. In regards to course load, in order to remain in good academic standing, students are expected to complete at least three courses per semester. Students are strongly encouraged to enhance their learning and training by striving to complete more than the minimum courses. The ASRC Ph.D. Program will only accept the transfer of graduate courses from other institutions under extremely rare circumstances and after the submission of a petition to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).

Required Courses for students who matriculated before Fall 2019

There are two required courses that introduce students to the field of Africana studies: 

• Seminar in Africana Studies I: Historical, Political and Social Analysis
• Seminar in Africana Studies II: Cultural, Literary and Visual Analysis 

Students complete the required seminars during the first year and, in consultation with their special committee, develop a program of study within major and minor areas of concentration over the following year. Within each track, students will select a geographic area of concentration, e.g. Africa, the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America, or emerging studies of the global African diaspora. Students take a minimum of ten additional courses in Africana studies and related fields before taking the qualifying exam (Q exam) by the end of the second year of graduate study. Students are strongly encouraged to enhance their learning and training by striving to complete more than the minimum courses. The ASRC Ph.D. Program will only accept the transfer of graduate courses from other institutions under extremely rare circumstances and after the submission of a petition to the DGS.

Special Committee

The DGS serves as the student's main academic adviser and provisional chair during the first semester of residence and during that period will assist the student in beginning the process of forming a special committee. Because the special committee is charged with guiding and supervising all of a student's academic work, it is important to establish this committee as soon as possible. The expectation is that a student will select at least one member of their committee no later than the end of the first year of graduate study. The entire special committee should be chosen and assigned in "Student Center" by the end of the fall semester of the second year of graduate study and the chair of the committee will become the candidate's dissertation advisor. The two other members of the committee represent fields of study (the "minor fields") in which the student also has a strong interest and will become competent to teach. The DGS will serve as a temporary member of the student's special committee until there is a full complement of functioning members. Minor members may be chosen from related fields outside the department, but the chair must be in the graduate field of Africana studies. Any changes or additions to the special committee before the A Exam can be assigned through Student Center. A student's special committee chair is charged with certain formal responsibilities: 

• Approving the student's choice of courses for each semester
• Recommending at the end of each semester that the student be awarded appropriate residence credit. One "unit of  residence" is awarded for a semester's satisfactory full-time study. Fractions of a unit may be awarded for part time or not wholly satisfactory study.
• With the other special committee members, conducting the Qualifying Exam (Q Exam)
• Conducting the Admission to Candidacy Examination (A Exam) with the whole special committee
• Approving the dissertation with the committee after conducting a formally scheduled final examination (B Exam)
• Recommending the conferral of the degree. This recommendation must be unanimous. The committee is expected to meet with the student at least once a year.

The goal of a Q exam is to test whether the student has the necessary qualifications for continuation in the program. 

The content of the exam is decided in consultation with the student’s committee chair. Passing the Q Exam is required to remain in good academic standing. 

The process and content for the Q exam should be discussed with second-year Ph.D. students early in the fall semester, and the exam must take place no later than the fourth semester of graduate study. 

The Q Exam is comprised of both a written and an oral portion. Each student, in consultation with his or her committee chair, will choose one of the 20-25 page research papers written during a previous semester at Cornell and work with his or her chair to enhance and revise it in preparation for submitting it to the full committee. This paper will form a significant part of the student's oral qualifying exam that must be taken by the end of the fourth semester of study. The Q Exam itself consists of a presentation by the student and questions from the committee. 

At the conclusion of the exam, the committee offers the student its written assessment of progress in developing the knowledge and skills necessary for a Ph.D. in Africana studies and makes recommendations for further study. At this time, the committee should also take the opportunity to propose how the language requirement is to be satisfied, or whether it has been satisfied already. Committee chairs must report the results of Q-exams to the DGS, along with information about the language requirement. 

This exam will determine whether the student will remain in good academic standing.  Students with incompletes are not eligible to take the exam.

No later than the end of the third year, each student will take an “A” Exam (Admission to Candidacy Examination), demonstrating proficiency in one major and two minor fields. Successful completion formally admits the student to candidacy for the doctoral degree.

After two years of coursework, Ph.D. students will take the A exam in the spring semester of the third year.

The examination is taken after a student has earned at least two registration units of credit. Unless special permission is obtained from the Dean, all doctoral students must attempt the Examination for Admission to Candidacy before beginning their seventh semester of registration in the Ph.D. program.

Advancing to the A Exam

In order to advance to scheduling the A exam, the student should first clear their dissertation topic with their special committee and submit a draft of their dissertation proposal to their special committee members.

Outline of the A Exam

The A exam will cover one major and two minor concentrations, and is partly oral and partly written.

This exam consists of written responses to questions from each of the committee members, followed by an oral examination based on the responses to the questions. The content and timing of the A exam is negotiated between the student and their special committee. Although there is variability in each A exam experience – the questions and timing are tailored to the interests and goals of each individual student – the exam is typically a “take-home” exam comprised of a minimum of three separate questions (one from each committee member; if a student has more than three committee members, additional members may choose to collaboratively write an exam question for the student, may write a fourth question, or may substitute the dissertation proposal for a question. The student should consult with their committee chair and the other committee members, who will be charged with outlining how the question from the fourth committee member will be incorporated). The student may have anywhere from two days to one week to respond to each of their committee members’ questions. The response time should be agreed upon at least one month before the exam is scheduled. Students may also be required to submit reading lists, syllabi, and/or a dissertation proposal as part of the A exam.

Protocols for Scheduling, Etc.

Students and faculty must adhere to Graduate School protocols for completing the A exam, including scheduling the exam and submitting exam results. These protocols include policies for Faculty Participation (including expectations for faculty and student attendance and regulations regarding remote participation), Location of Examinations, Scheduling Examinations, and Examination Results. Once a student has received the exam questions and the exam has been scheduled, the student is expected to complete all exam questions during the semester in which the exam is initially scheduled. Any rescheduling that delays the exam beyond the semester in which it was initially scheduled will only be approved under extremely rare circumstances, and the student will have to petition the DGS for permission to do so.

Upon passing the A exam, the student advances to Ph.D. Candidacy status. By the time of the A exam, the student should have identified and explored a doctoral dissertation topic. If the student plans to do fieldwork, a great deal of planning and preparation is necessary. Almost all foreign countries require graduate students to be attached to an institute or agency, so all such arrangements must be completed in advance. Students must also ensure that human subjects protocols are approved if this kind of research is germane to their dissertation research and writing. See the Institutional Review Board for Human Participants regulations at https://www.irb.cornell.edu/

Similarly, applications for travel and research funds are typically made eight to twelve months prior to the initiation of fieldwork.

A Note on Failing the Exam

ASRC adheres to the Graduate School policy outlined in the following link:  https://gradschool.cornell.edu/policies/code-of-legislation/

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-progress/requirements-milestones/exams/exams-required-for-ph-d-degree/

Language Requirement and Registration Units

Language proficiency.

All students must demonstrate proficiency in one language other than English. This requirement can be satisfied by taking a proficiency exam or by taking the relevant language course. 

Registration Units

Ph.D. candidates at Cornell must complete at least six registration units. One registration unit is equivalent to one semester of fulltime study. Students entering the Ph.D. program may be granted a maximum of two registration units for a master's degree earned at another institution if that degree is relevant to the doctoral program. However, no commitment regarding transfer of registration units may be made until the special committee has had an opportunity to judge the student's accomplishments.

Teaching Requirement

Teaching assistant.

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree in Africana studies must complete at least three semesters of carefully supervised teaching as a teaching assistant during their third and fourth years. Following admission to candidacy, students will have the option of teaching in the undergraduate writing seminar program.

Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) 

First cti requirement:    .

In the second year of Africana Ph.D. program, candidates are expected to complete the  Cornell Teaching Assistant Online Orientation

The TA Online Orientation includes essential information to accelerate new TAs on the path to success in their teaching roles, as well as details about campus teaching support resources. It should take approximately 4-5 hours to complete all 5 modules in the orientation. 

The Orientation is comprised of the following modules:

• Module 1: Welcome to Cornell 

An overview of teaching at Cornell and the roles of teaching assistants at the university. 

• Module 2: Getting Ready to Teach

Preparing for the first day of class, warming up the learning environment, and tips for working with a teaching team.

• Module 3: Teaching Essentials 

Strategies for engaging students, leading discussions, implementing group work, assessing student learning, and grading. 

• Module 4: Cornell Policies and Resources

Introduction to Cornell University policies and resources related to teaching. 

• Module 5: Next Steps

Opportunities for developing your teaching skills and preparing for your future career. 

Second CTI Requirement: 

Candidates must also complete either 

• The University-Wide GET SET Teaching Conference in the Fall Semester
• One of the Institutes on Special Topics offered in the Spring Semester

Other Requirements

Colloquium/presentation.

Doctoral candidates will be required to give a departmental colloquium/presentation in the early stages of dissertation research and writing and a public colloquium/presentation at a later stage. Students must also defend the final dissertation in an oral exam

Graduate School Requirements

Plus, all graduate school requirements https://gradschool.cornell.edu/polices/degree-requirements.

• Annual Student Progress Review

In the spring semester of each academic year, Ph.D. students in the Africana studies program will complete a Student Progress Review (SPR) https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-progress/requirements-milestones/student-progress-review/ .  Using the SPR form, students are asked to reflect on their recent accomplishments, identify challenges, and set goals. Committee chairs then review their students’ SPR forms and enter constructive feedback. Chairs indicate whether progress has been excellent, satisfactory, needs improvement, or is unsatisfactory. Feedback that is documented on the SPR will be made available to the student, all members of the student’s special committee, and the DGS/GFA of the student’s field. Students in years one to two should also include an updated description of research interests. 

Advanced students will update the DGS on progress towards formulating a dissertation question/problem or, if they are far enough along, progress on writing/defending a dissertation proposal or the completed dissertation. If a student has incompletes, the evaluation must include the names of the courses, dates of enrollment and plans for resolving the incompletes. In addition, the self‐evaluation should include a description of published work, conference presentations and/or grant/fellowship awards for the academic year. 

The review will be based on the students' grades, papers, presentations, Q and A exams, publications and teaching in order to determine if they are making satisfactory progress toward the completion of the program. 

Visit the Grad School website for more details on policies.

Africana Studies Ph.D. Assessment

Faculty assess student performance through a variety of direct and indirect measures; these include:

• Assignment of registration units, which record student progress semiannually
• Official milestones such as qualifying exams (Q exam), administered early in an academic program, admission to candidacy exams (A exam) which assess breadth and depth in the discipline, the defense of the thesis (B exams)
• Public presentations of scholarly work
• Fellowships and special acknowledgements such as student awards for their work and travel grants
• Evaluation of student skills by TA supervisors or field experience supervisors, undertaken in a systematic way and with notes recorded consistently
• Annual faculty supervisor ratings from chairs and TA supervisors of knowledge, skills, and progress
• Student satisfaction with their learning and career preparation, collected through surveys, focus groups, or exit interviews

To learn more about Africana Studies Assessment Plan, go to Learning Outcomes and Associated Assessments

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/subject/africana-studies/africana-studies-phd-ithaca/#section-7

Graduate Student Profiles

Current Graduate Student Profiles

• Ph.D. Alumni
• Undergraduate Program
• PhD Student Handbook
• Department Faculty
• Graduate Field Faculty
• Current Graduate Students
• Munday Distinguished Lecture
• Faculty Publications
• Ph.D. Student Publications
• Visitor Information
• Reservable Space
• John Henrik Clarke Africana Library
• Support ASRC
• Department Staff & Contacts
• History of Africana Studies at Cornell
• Support Africana Studies & Research

Academic Department

Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of the human condition from the deep past to the emerging present. The field is unified by its commitment to engaged field research that seeks to enhance understanding across boundaries of culture, nation, language, tradition, history and identity. A holistic discipline, anthropology regards economy, politics, culture and society as inseparable elements of humanity’s complex long-term history. A bridge between the humanities, social, and natural sciences, anthropology documents the diversity of our communities and examines the consequences of our commonalities. Because it engages directly with communities around the world, anthropology has a unique capacity to bring the entire human experience to bear on vital questions of sustainability, equality, and mutual understanding that will shape the future of the planet.

Cornell’s Department of Anthropology is one of the most respected programs in the world with a long tradition of innovation and a legacy of leadership in the discipline. The work of its faculty traces the human career from the emergence of the species to the formation of 21st century post-colonialism. Our ethnographic, archaeological and biological research links empirical observations to critical theoretical approaches. Key themes in ongoing research projects and teaching profiles include: medicine and culture; politics, inequality and sovereignty; economy, finance, corporations and law; materiality and aesthetics; gender, personhood and identity; ethics and humanitarianism; humans and animals; colonialism and post-coloniality. Our students and faculty work around the globe from Ithaca, India and Indonesia to the Caribbean and Central America, from Japan, Africa and Nepal to China and the Caucasus, from the circumpolar North to the Global South. The Anthropology Collections, housed in McGraw Hall and used in a range of courses, include over 20,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects whose origins span the globe and represent over 500,000 years of human history.

Associated Faculty

• Chloe Ahmann
• Adam Clark Arcadi
• Caitie Barrett
• Daniel Bass
• Sherene Baugher
• Sarah Besky
• Jonathan Aaron Boyarin
• Magnus Fiskesjö
• Frederic Wright Gleach
• Seema Golestaneh
• John S. Henderson
• Saida Hodžić
• David Holmberg
• Kurt A. Jordan
• Hayden Kantor
• Lori Khatchadourian
• Paul Kohlbry
• Stacey A. Langwick
• Sturt Manning
• Kathryn March
• Hirokazu Miyazaki
• Viranjini P Munasinghe
• Paul Nadasdy
• Alex Nading
• Jess Marie Newman
• Juno Salazar Parreñas
• Rachel E. Prentice
• Natasha Raheja
• Lucinda E.G. Ramberg
• Nerissa Russell
• Samantha Sanft
• Paul Steven Sangren
• Vilma Santiago-Irizarry
• Meredith F. Small
• Adam T. Smith
• Noah Tamarkin
• Yohko Tsuji
• Matthew Velasco
• Sofia A. Villenas
• Thomas Peter Volman
• Marina Welker
• Andrew C. Willford

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• Editing Instructions
• AAA Homepage
• Cornell University, Department of Anthropology

http://anthropology.cornell.edu

The department’s strengths are reinforced by the Cornell programs in which they participate, including the East Asia Program, South Asia Program, Southeast Asia Program, Latin American Studies Program, Institute for European Studies, Asian American Studies Program, American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program, Latino Studies Program, Jewish Studies Program, Africana Studies and Research Center, Cornell Institute for Public Affairs, Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. Anthropologists also participate in the Cornell Institute of Archaeology and Material Studies, which coordinates the teaching and research of faculty drawn from a number of fields in the University; the institute offers an undergraduate major and masters degree in archaeology and doctoral degrees through the participating fields, including anthropology. The graduate program in anthropology at Cornell University is unusually flexible in that each student’s program is administered by a Special Committee composed of a chair representing the major in anthropology and 2 additional members representing the minors of the student’s choice. Each student’s program of study is developed by the student in consultation with the members of his/her committee who may represent as many as 3 different fields within the Graduate School. This flexibility permits students to develop either subdisciplinary or area interests and to combine these in a personally meaningful way. Of some 80 fields of graduate work offered at Cornell, anthropology students have minored in linguistics, development sociology, physiology, history, mathematics, ecology, psychology, and various area studies, among others. Linguistic training is offered through the Department of Linguistics. Training in skills relevant to human biology can be obtained within the Department of Anthropology or in the Division of Biological Sciences.

The Anthropology Major

The Anthropology major is flexible, enriching, and transformative. You will work together with your advisor on designing a meaningful major course plan that addresses your interests, expands your worldviews, and prepares you for your desired professional career or graduate school. The major provides a general grounding in three subfields of anthropology (sociocultural anthropology, anthropological archaeology, and biological anthropology) and a detailed focus on your chosen area or areas of interest. Our rich course offerings will allow you to design a course plan that prepares you for US-based and globally oriented careers in law, medicine, education, nonprofit and social justice work, development and foreign service, business, and others.

Bianca Garcia '23 said the following about majoring in Anthropology:

I came to Anthropology, like many other bright-eyed freshmen who enroll in our courses, I think, not entirely knowing what I was signing up for. In searching for a major to list on my application, Anthropology seemed like a fair enough choice: I had had my hand at “ethnography” for a high school research project, and studying culture sounded apt as a Filipina-American born and raised in multicultural Hong Kong.  Four years down the road, I can say that there could not have been a better choice in curriculum for me. This degree has spoken to every part of myself that I’ve ever been proud of and uncovered parts that I’ve since grown to love. 

Read more about Bianca's experiences in this feature article and this extraordinary journey article .

Requirements

No prerequisites are required to declare the anthropology major. Majors and advisors collaboratively build a program of study that reflects the student’s individual interests and furthers their goals.

A minimum of ten courses are necessary to complete the major. To complete the major, students must take:

• One course of 3 or more credits in each of the three subfields (sociocultural, archaeological, biological) from the list below.

      Sociocultural - ANTHR 1400 , ANTHR 2400 , ANTHR 2421 , ANTHR 2468

      Archaeological - ANTHR 1200 , ANTHR 2201 , ANTHR 2245 , ANTHR 2430 , ANTHR 2729

      Biological - ANTHR 1300 , ANTHR 2310 , ANTHR 3235  

• ANTHR 3000 - Introduction to Anthropological Theory
• Two other courses of at least 3 credits at the 3000 level.
• Two 4000-level courses of at least 3 credits each, one of which must be a seminar course in your senior year with a research paper or project component ( ANTHR 4263  is not a seminar course and does not fill the requirement).
• An additional two elective courses of at least 3 credits each, which may be in cognate disciplines with the approval of your advisor.
• Transfer credits may apply to the major by application to the DUS.

Exceptions to these requirements may be granted if a written petition is approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  (submit the petition to [email protected] )   

No S–U credits or First-Year Writing Seminars may count toward the major. A letter grade of C– or better is required in all courses counted toward the major.

How to Apply to the Anthropology Major

No prerequisites are required to enter the anthropology major.  To apply to the major, fill out and submit the Anthropology Major Application and Course Plan  and submit a  Major Proposal  write up to  [email protected]

We recommend that you take courses that appeal to your interests and that cut across anthropological subfields and the faculty’s areas of specialty. You may find our Pathways through the Anthropology major a useful resource. Pathways represent some common interests and trajectories that support student career interests. They are not rigid sets of requirements but simply road maps through the department’s diverse and rich course offerings.

After admittance to the major, we will put you in touch with your Anthropology advisor.  Majors and advisors collaboratively build a course plan that reflects the student’s individual interests and furthers their goals. Go to your advisor’s regularly scheduled office hours as soon as possible to discuss your course plan. In addition to advising you on the course plan, your advisor is also available to discuss other aspects of your study, such as study abroad, research in Anthropology, field schools, our honors program, and internships in Anthropology.

Cornell Anthropology offers a supportive honors program that helps students prepare for, design, conduct, and write up anthropological research. Our courses help you imagine your topic and design an appropriate methodology for conducting your honors research; we strongly recommend you take one or more methods courses before conducting your honors research. Your faculty advisor and honors thesis advisor help you design your research and apply for funding and human subjects approval . Our year-long honors workshop guides you through all stages of thesis writing.

Cornell Anthropology students have conducted honors research on topics such as:

• A Sister’s Hope: Finding Peace at the Intersection of Murals and Police Brutality.
• Issues in Contemporary Public Art: A Conversation
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Culture: Conflicts as CBT Converses with its New Publics.
• The Molo Story and Other Narratives About Healing With Food.

We encourage you to identify an appropriate topic for a thesis by discussing it with your faculty advisor and other professors with relevant expertise. A Cornell anthropologist (which may be a faculty member in the department or in the graduate field of Anthropology) must agree to supervise your research and serve as your thesis advisor.

Admission to the Honors Program requires an overall GPA of 3.3 or greater and a 3.5 GPA in the major. In addition, the student should have no outstanding Incompletes in courses for the Major (provisional admission with Incompletes is possible at the discretion of the DUS). Under special circumstances, a student with an overall GPA of 3.0 may petition for admittance to the Program.  

Apply in the second semester of junior year (requests for late admission may be considered, but in no case later than the second week of the first semester of the senior year).

Review the guidelines and procedures for undergraduate honors in anthropology

Complete and submit the Honors Program Application .  

Honors in Anthropology are awarded for excellence in the major, which includes overall GPA and the completion of an honors thesis.

Students write the honors thesis over two-semesters involving eight credits of coursework. During their first semester of Honors work, students register for (1) Anthropology 4983, Honors Thesis Research (3 credits) with their thesis advisor and (2) Anthropology 4991, Honors Workshop I (1 credit). During their second semester of Honors work, students typically register for (1) Anthropology 4984, Honors Thesis Write-up (2 credits) with their thesis advisor and (2) Anthropology 4992, Honors Workshop II (2 credits).

The thesis advisor is responsible for guiding the scholarly development of the thesis. We encourage students to meet weekly with their thesis advisor and discuss thesis progress.

The honors workshop provides additional support and structure for your writing goals. The honors workshop will help you develop a feasible timeline toward completion of the thesis and will provide a context for sharing ideas and feedback (both editorial and substantive) as your thesis progresses.

Study Abroad

The Department of Anthropology encourages students to consider a semester of study abroad or off-campus study. Anthropologically-relevant study abroad options, using existing Cornell Abroad and off-campus options, can enrich your major and teach you invaluable anthropological skills. After reviewing Cornell Abroad offerings and the Nilgiris Field Learning Center offerings, discuss your study abroad options with your major advisor.

The Global Health Program

The Cornell University Global Health Program offers a minor in global health.  This program is intended to compliment any academic major as the University and provide students with basic knowledge about global health, as well as the necessary skills and experience to build their own unique global health career.  For more information, visit the  Global Health website .

Nilgiris Field Learning Center

The  Nilgiris Field Learning Center (NFLC)  is a unique partnership that aligns Cornell faculty and students with experts and community members in the Nilgiris, the “blue hills” of southern India. The NFLC learning community explores nutrition and health, land use, cultural practices, and livelihoods in a region recognized for both its biological and cultural diversity. Students develop ethnographic research skills in a collaborative, field-based environment.  Cornell brings strengths in the ecological and social sciences in collaboration with the applied fields of regional planning and policy analysis. Our partner, the Keystone Foundation, works with indigenous communities in the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve focusing on livelihoods, conservation, culture and identity, and market-based social enterprise. The vibrant Keystone campus is located in Kotagiri, a hill station in the Western Ghats. Cornell course credits for the NFLC can be used to satisfy requirements for the anthropology major and minor.  

• The NFLC learning community explores nutrition and health, land use and livelihoods in a region recognized for its biodiversity.
• Students develop research skills in an engaged, field-based environment.
• Projects address community-identified issues:
• Community wellness and changing approaches to healing
• Dietary diversity, eating habits and sourcing patterns in local food systems
• Contested forest lands as space for food, farming and trade
• Infant feeding practices in the context of maternal health and social networks
• Water and waste infrastructure in an urbanizing environment

Contact Professor  Andrew Willford  for more information about NFLC.

Independent Study

Specialized individual study programs are offered in Anthropology 4910, Independent Study Undergraduate, a course open to a limited number of juniors and seniors who have obtained consent and supervision of a faculty member. The credit hours for this course are variable. Students select a topic not covered in regularly scheduled courses in consultation with the faculty member who has agreed to supervise the course work.

For More Information

For more information on the Undergraduate Major in Anthropology, contact our Director of Undergraduate Studies:

Paul Nadasdy

[email protected] Office: McGraw 201

• Guidelines and Procedures for Undergraduate Honors
• How to Write the Major Proposal  
• Minors in Anthropology
• Transfer Credits
• Graduate Program
• Department of Anthropology PhD Handbook
• Engaged Anthropology
• Activism and Social Justice
• Environment
• Global Economy and Inequality
• Health and Medicine
• Law and Politics
• Adjunct/Affiliated Faculty and Post-docs
• Anthropology Graduate Students
• Core Department Faculty
• Emeritus Faculty
• Graduate Field Faculty
• Anthropology Faculty: Recent Books
• Freedman Award Information
• More Books by Anthropology Faculty
• Student Research in Anthropology
• Anthropology Collections
• Department Contacts
• Department History
• Student Groups