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Graduate Study in Anthropology

The Department of Anthropology's doctoral program offers advanced training in social/cultural anthropology and archaeology. Although there are uniform requirements for the Ph.D. degree, each field of specialization offers an array of opportunities for training and research topics reflecting the interests of the faculty. Consequently, the department seeks applicants with a defined interest in one of the broad fields of specialization within anthropology, and whose interests match the range of research orientations of the faculty.

Social and Cultural Anthropology

The program's major focus is social/cultural anthropology. Through ongoing departmental and interdepartmental seminars, the faculty is dedicated to marrying the best in both the social science and humanities traditions. In recent years, faculty members have been concerned with the development of ethnography as a method and with the analysis of social discourse toward a broadly conceived cultural criticism of institutions in many different societies that are experiencing historic and global conditions of modernity. This has made collaboration and exchanges with literary critics, philosophers, historians, linguists, sociologists, and political scientists an integral part of the graduate program in anthropology.

Additionally, the program offers exposure to styles of argument and reasoning across a range of contemporary theoretical issues. We emphasize the reading of primary sources of theory that have inspired the definition of central programs in anthropology. As essential preparation for doctoral research, explicit attention in instruction is paid to fieldwork and to skills in the conception and writing of ethnography.

Students interested in medical anthropology may take advantage of the extension resources of the Texas Medical Center through ties established with the University of Texas School of Public Health and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. In addition to work at Rice, degree credit may be given for formal courses offered at the Schools of Public Health and Biomedical Sciences.

Archaeology

The archaeology faculty seeks students with research interests complementary to their own. Faculty research writing is ongoing in several fields: the emergence of complex societies and urbanism, settlement studies, origins of food production, the Late Stone Age and Iron Age in Africa, and historical archaeology.

This specialization emphasizes research skills in the library, field, and laboratory - making use of the excellent laboratory and computer facilities at Rice. These skills will be tested by means of three research papers, at least one of which must be an original data paper. In addition to research on the dissertation topic, all students are encouraged to develop at least one analytical skill, such as remote sensing, archaeological statistics, osteology, geomorphology, and pedology.

Degree Requirements

• Two years of full-time scholarly study in residence at Rice.

• Competence in one scholarly foreign language.

• Satisfactory completetion of required coursework.

• Satisfactory completion of the three qualifying papers in distinct fields of specialization.

• Satisfactory completion of a research proposal.

• Satisfactory completion of a dissertation.

Plan of Study

Course Work . Each entering student is required to successfully complete a professional seminar (ANTH 601); a seminar on theories of modernity and postmodernity (ANTH 615); a grant-writing seminar (ANTH 602); a yearlong sequence in the history of anthropological theory (ANTH 506 and 507); and a yearlong practicum in pedagogy (ANTH 650).

In addition, seminars and tutorials can be arranged on any topic relevant to a student's training, and where appropriate, these can be conducted in supervisory consultation with scholars in other disciplines at Rice as well as with adjunct faculty.

Special Papers . During the first three years of study, each student will prepare three substantial papers, each emphasizing an analytical, research, and writing skill appropriate to the field of specialization. The subjects of the papers and their scheduling are major considerations in the ongoing consultations between students and their advisers.

The Research Proposal . Before being advanced to Ph.D. candidacy, a student must prepare a satisfactory proposal for dissertation research. The thought and planning for this proposal are a culmination of two years' training, and its assessment is, therefore, a major emphasis in the program of study.

Doctoral Dissertation . Following approval of the proposal, a dissertation committee will be appointed, which may include others than the student's original advisory committee. Dissertations ordinarily will be based in substantial part upon field research.

 

Graduate Study at Rice

Graduate study is offered in two broad categories: research-oriented programs leading to the M.A., M.S., and various doctoral degrees, and professional programs which primarily provide advanced course work and lead to master's degrees in certain specified disciplines. Graduate programs at Rice usually require full-time study. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy is a awarded for original studies in anthropology, applied physics, biochemistry and cell biology, bioengineering, chemistry, computational and applied mathematics, computational science and engineering, computer science, ecology and evolutionary biology, economics, engineering (chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical), English, environmental science and engineering, French studies, geology and geophysics, German and Slavic studies, history, linguistics, materials science, mathematics, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religious studies, space physics and astronomy, and statistics. The Master of Science degree may be obtained in all engineering fields, computer science, materials science, and space physics and astronomy. The School of Architecture offers the degrees of Master of Architecture, Master of Architecture in Urban Design, and Doctor of Architecture. Completion of a master's degree requires two or more academic years. The Shepherd School of Music offers the Master of Music (M.M.) and the Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degrees. The minimum hourly requirements for the M.M. degree vary from 43 to 57 according to major area. The Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management provides programs leading to the degrees of Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) and Master of Accounting. Completion of the M.B.A. degree requires a minimum of two academic years in residence at Rice and 60 credit hours. The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) is a professional degree program for students wishing to qualify for secondary-school teaching following a liberal undergraduate education. The program normally requires the completion of 11 advanced courses.

 

Living and Housing Costs

Houston has a reasonable cost of living for a major city. The new Graduate Apartments, opened in summer of 1999, offers housing at moderate cost and is close to campus. Contact Student Housing or The Graduate Student Association for information regarding other housing options.

Financial Aid

Most thesis students at Rice are supported by fellowships or research assistantships, but very few teaching assistantships are awarded. In addition to the merit-based aid described above, the Office of Financial Aid offers need-based aid in the form of loans and College Work Study to graduate students who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or refugees.

The University

Rice University, a privately endowed, nonsectarian, coeducational institution, was founded in 1891 as the William Marsh Rice Institute, dedicated to the advancement of letters, science, and art. The university occupies a 300-acre tree-lined campus located one block northwest of the Texas Medical Center and approximately three miles southwest of Houston's central business district. With an undergraduate enrollment of 2,600 and a graduate enrollment of 1,400, Rice's student body is relatively small. The overall student-teacher ratio is less than 10:1. Houston is the fourth largest city in the nation and the leading commercial, financial, and industrial city of the South and Southwest. In addition to Rice, there are seven other colleges and universities located in Houston. The Texas Medical Center contains the largest concentration of health care facilities in the world. It is the site of a number of major medical schools including the Baylor College of Medicine, the Texas Woman's University, Texas A&M Universities' College of Nursing, and the University of Texas's School of Medicine, School of Public Health, and Dental Branch, as well as numerous hospitals and medical libraries. The Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Grand Opera, and the Houston Ballet give regular performances downtown. Several of Houston's five major museums, including the Museum of Fine Art are located within easy walking distance of the Rice campus. Two major-league professional sports franchises are located in the city. Galveston and the beach are 45 miles to the southwest.

Rice Info

RiceInfo provides easy computer access to a tremendous wealth of information on life at Rice. You can view course schedules, review the Rice University General Announcements (academic catalog), social calendars, Honor Council abstracts and constitution, the Graduate Student Association Yellow Pages, Houston and Texas weather, the Rice campus directory and more. You can access our RiceInfo over the Internet at http://rgs.rice.edu/