Cultural Anthropology

The graduate program in Cultural Anthropology aims to provide students with a thorough grounding in both current theory and methods of research. Issues that concern the faculty include transnational and national processes; political economy and history; identity and ethnicity; popular culture, the media and advertising; culture and the individual; religion; public health; aesthetics; and class, gender, and race relations. The program as a whole takes a comparative perspective that encourages field research in diverse societies, including the contemporary United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and the African Diaspora, South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Interdisciplinary work in other departments and programs is encouraged. 

18 graded courses

• At least 10 must be regular courses listed or cross-listed at or above the 500 level, including:
  • 2 Theory Courses:  focused on core debates and themes within the history of socio-cultural anthropology and related fields.
    • CULANTH 801 and CULANTH 802 - Theories in Cultural Anthropology
  • 1 Research Method Course: Taken in the spring of your second year, this course focuses on ethnographic methods, using the students summer fieldwork as the basis of the exploration.
    • CULANTH 803 - Research Methods/Portfolio Seminar
  • 1 Grant Writing Seminar: Taken in the fall of your third year, this course focuses on the development of the dissertation research proposal and the preparation of grant proposals; it will also allow students to work further on their portfolios.
    • CULANTH 804 - Grant Writing
• 8 additional courses
  • No more than 5 (non CULANTH) courses may be Individual Research/Individual Reading courses (independent studies).
    • We recommend that 3 independent studies courses be reserved for the spring of the third year, when you are preparing for the Portfolio Workshop.
  • At least 2 courses in a discipline outside of Cultural Anthropology. You may, however, take more than 2 courses outside of Cultural Anthropology.

Typical Course of Study

• Applicants must submit their applications and supporting documents online. There is an $80.00 application fee.
• All requested supporting documentation should be uploaded electronically via the online application. An official hard copy of your transcript will only be requested after admission. We strongly encourage you to apply by December 1 and no later than December 8. If you apply later, there may not be time for all your supporting documents (transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) to arrive by the time our departmental reviews begin in early January. An incomplete file may affect your consideration. All supporting documents must be electronically submitted along with your application to the Duke Graduate School. They should not be submitted directly to the department. 
• The statement of purpose is an especially important part of the application as it gives applicants a chance to describe their research interests. There is no single way to write a good statement of purpose, but click for some sample statements of purpose from successful recent applicants.
• At the beginning of their statement of purpose in the application, all applicants must also list three keywords best describing their research interests and geographical area of study (for example: Mass Media, Indigenous Rights, Latin America). 
• Applicants must upload a roughly 10-20 page sample of relatively recent written work electronically via the online application or to grad-admissions-center@duke.edu by December 8.
• December 8: Departmental deadline for submission of Ph.D. applications for admission and award for the fall semester. 

Scholarships

Graduate students are awarded fellowships, scholarships, and teaching and graduate assistantships to the fullest extent permitted by available funding. Graduate Fellowships provide tuition plus a living stipend for 5 years, contingent on continued appropriate progress toward the Ph.D. degree. Stipends and fellowships require service in the form of teaching and/or graduate assistance. Other university awards are given on a competitive basis to outstanding students. These include the James B. Duke Fellowships, International Fellowships, and Deans' Fellowships.

You are also encouraged to seek fellowships for graduate study in Anthropology that are awarded by non-university agencies, as these frequently offer high stipends and several years of continuous support. Various university and external funding sources provide awards for pre-doctoral and doctoral research, including field research in Anthropology, and students are encouraged to apply for these at the appropriate time. Some additional funding as well as part-time teaching positions may be available to students beyond the fifth year.