Graduate

A holistic approach to anthropology

Our curriculum produces graduates trained in a holistic approach to the discipline, with a focus in a major subfield and optional in-depth concentration. You gain research experience, working with internationally recognized faculty as mentors and guides. We consider teaching experience a critical part of our graduate program and make every effort to provide you with teaching opportunities as part of your training.

Our graduates place at a high rate around the world in academic institutions and research centers, as well as in other professions. The primary purpose of our graduate program is to develop professional anthropologists for service in universities, colleges, museums, and applied fields.

One discipline, four fields of study

Our curriculum is designed to provide a general background in the discipline as well as specializations in the four fields of anthropology: archaeology, bioanthropology, linguistic anthropology, social-cultural anthropology.

In addition, you have the option to pursue concentrations that combine studies across the four subfields, including Archaeology and Social Context, Food Studies, Medical Anthropology, and Paleoanthropology. Each of the special concentrations involve faculty from two or more subfields, and engage with faculty in other departments. Concentration studies are in addition your primary subfield of study.

Learn about our Ph.D.

Research on campus + in the field

We offer exceptional resources for graduate education that include research opportunities with collections in our affiliated labs and research centers, and an outstanding information technology environment on campus. Our students also benefit from our strong affiliation with area studies programs at IU, and adjunct faculty in other departments and in the professional schools.

You have a variety of options to pursue field research either independently, or in many cases as part of established research networks and multidisciplinary teams. Our faculty combines methodological approaches in innovative ways, and graduate students are encouraged to become engaged in this process with us.

View our research  Meet our faculty

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My experience at IU was just the best. Not only did I learn how to be an anthropologist, I learned to love the breadth of our field. Training beyond my specialization was critical as history, health, and so much more has come up in my research.

Jeff Cohen, Ph.D. ’94, IU Anthropology; Professor, Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University