Anth Handbook 17sep11

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New York University

Department of Anthropology

GRADUATE

STUDENT

HANDBOOK

2011-2012



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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

1. Programs at a Glance

1. MA in Physical Anthropology—Human Skeletal Biology Track

2. PhD Programs1. Archaeology

2. Biological/Physical

3. Sociocultural/Linguistic1. Culture and Media Certificate

2. Program Requirements in Detail: All Graduate Programs

1. Advisement

2. Coursework 3. Full-time Student Status

4. Maintenance of Matriculation5. Leaves of Absence

6. Master’s Degree7. Probationary Status

3. Program Requirements in Detail: PhD Programs Only

1. Transfer credits2. PhD Petition

3. Skills Courses

4. Teaching Assignments

5. Doctoral Dissertation Research Design and Funding6. PhD Comprehensive Examinations

1. Biological Anthropology2. Archaeological, Sociocultural, Linguistic Anthropology

7. Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Degree

8. Doctoral Dissertation

9. PhD Degree

4. Selected Funding Information

1. GSAS Funding

2. Departmental Funding3. External Research Funding4. Funding/milestone roadmap for PhD students



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Appendices—Administrative Forms

I. Change of Advisory CommitteeII. Biannual AdvisementIII. Inter-University Doctoral Consortium RegistrationIV. MA Paper CommitteeV. MA Title Page Sample

VI. Master’s Paper Readers’ ApprovalVII. Master’s Paper Readers’ Evaluation (Dept.)VIII. Qualifying Paper CommitteeIX. Qualifying Paper Title Page SampleX. Qualifying Paper Readers’ ApprovalXI. PhD Petition Cover SheetXII. Dissertation Proposal Oral Defense Form



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INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the NYU Department of Anthropology. All students in our programs

have come to the department through a highly competitive process. This handbook

outlines the requirements and procedures that help define passage through our graduate programs.

Over the course of their matriculation in the department, students are expected to

be in regular contact with their Advisory Committees and the Director of GraduateStudies (DGS) as they move through their program requirements, fine-tuning them to

meet their particular needs. The Chair and Associate Chair of the Department, working

with the DGS and the Departmental Administrator, oversee student financial aid packages, teaching assignments , and internal department fellowship monies. Students

should be in regular contact with the current Graduate Secretary for routine

administrative needs.

Please note that this handbook supplements the requirements and procedures of the

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), with which department practices must

be consistent. An electronic copy may found online at:

http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.pp.manual



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1. R EQUIREMENTS AT A GLANCE

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN ANTHROPOLOGY

1. MA Program in Physical Anthropology—Human Skeletal Biology Track

1.1. a. Program Requirements

Formal requirements include the satisfactory completion of 36 points of coursework (24

points of required courses; 12 points of electives) and acceptance of a written master’sthesis. These are typically completed within two years of full-time work, but may be

pursued more flexibly on a part-time basis. In any case, GSAS requires that all program

requirements be fulfilled within 5 years of matriculation.

1.1. b. Funding

There is currently a small amount of competitively awarded funding for first-year students. If awarded, this funding usually amounts to a total of 8 credits of funding in the

first year of study, and is non-renewable. Funding requires full-time enrollment.

Teaching assignments may occasionally be available to students in the MA program.

1.1. c. Transfer CreditsStudents who have done graduate work elsewhere may be able to transfer credits for

some courses toward their NYU MA, if these courses have NOT been counted toward anMA or MS earned elsewhere. A maximum of 12 credits may be transferred toward the

NYU MA. Requests for transfer credits must be approved within the first year of

matriculation.

1.1. d .Course Requirements

• Foundation Course (4 pts; must take one or approved equivalent)

G14.1000 Departmental Seminar OR G14.3210 PhD Seminar I

• Core Courses (12 pts; must take all or approved equivalent)

G14.1516 Human OsteologyG14.1520 Interpreting Human Skeletal Morphology

G14.1517 Biological Variation among Human PopulationsOR G14.339x Human Genetics and Biology

• Field Training Internships (usually 4 pts; must take at least one)

G14.2550 Field methods in archaeology

G14.3990-3999 Laboratory internshipsG14.3910-3919 [pre-approved, non-NYU field schools]

• Statistics (3-4 pts; must take one or approved equivalent):

G23.2030 Statistics in BiologyG23.2303 Introduction to Biostatistics

G89.2228 Intermediate statistical methods (3 pts)G89. 2244 Multivariate statistics (3 pts)

• Elective Courses (up to 20 pts; These must include at least one “recommended

elective” and may include up to 4 points of research credits beyond the

internship.



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1.2. PHD PROGRAMS IN ANTHROPOLOGY

1.2.a. Coursework

• A total of 18 graduate courses (72 credits @ 4 credits/course)—typically 3

courses/semester for 6 semesters —is required for the PhD in Anthropology.

• Each sub-discipline has its own course requirements, listed below. These include

both obligatory core courses and more specialized elective courses.

1.2.b. MA Degree

• Except for those who receive transfer credits for prior graduate work, students in

all of the Anthropology PhD programs are expected to begin by completing anMA in Anthropology, normally by the end of the 2

ndyear of matriculation.

Courses taken for the MA count toward the PhD.

• Requirements for the MA in Anthropology include 36 credits (usually 3semesters of coursework), as well as submission of an MA Paper (or, for those

who have transferred partial credit from a previous MA degree, an equivalent

Qualifying Paper), written in consultation with 2 members of the NYUAnthropology faculty.

1.2.c. Transfer Credits

• Students who have done graduate work elsewhere may be able to transfer creditsfor some courses or for a prior MA toward their NYU PhD.

• Final decisions about transfer credits must be made before the end of the 2nd

semester of matriculation (see 3.1a below).

• Students who transfer credits for one or several courses from a prior MA (but not

for the whole degree) must submit a Qualifying Paper, essentially identical to the paper required for the NYU MA, by the end of the 4

thsemester of matriculation.

The rationale for such a Qualifying Paper is the same as the MA, in that the

department wishes to ensure the same quality of research among all students.

Students transferring credit, however, may not receive an NYU MA, as credits areapplied to the student’s first year of work (not to later, PhD work). According to

GSAS, the same credits from one degree (e.g., the first, external MA) may notapply toward another (e.g. the second, NYU MA), regardless of the disciplines

involved. In the absence of this MA process, the Qualifying Paper satisfies the

same requirement.

• Students entering the program with a prior MA in Anthropology and who chooseto not transfer credits will receive the NYU MA in Anthropology, but only upon

the routine submission of a request by the DGS and Graduate Secretary indicating

that this duplication of disciplinary degrees is recommended by the departmentgiven our program requirements.

1.2.d. Funding

• All PhD students at NYU receive multi-year funding packages (MacCracken

Fellowships), contingent upon satisfactory progress toward the degree, which

cover the full cost of tuition. Typically these also include ten semesters of stipend.

• If a student is awarded full transfer credit for a prior MA, his/her MacCracken

Fellowship will be reduced accordingly (usually by 1 year).

• Students who secure external funding for graduate training (e.g. NSF Graduate

Training Fellowship, Javits Fellowship) may combine this support with aMacCracken Fellowship, as negotiated between the Department and GSAS. The



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total level of support will be at least that of a standard MacCracken and, in mostcases, will cover a longer period of time and/or additional forms of support (e.g.

summer funding).

• MacCracken funding may be used for dissertation fieldwork or laboratory

research (usually undertaken in the 5th

year of matriculation), but ideally such

work is supported by external funding. In the latter case, the MacCracken

Fellowship is suspended during the dissertation research period, and resumed

subsequently.• Faculty advisors expect to work closely with students to secure external

funding for dissertation research.

• NYU funding is guaranteed only through the five (or four) years of theMacCracken Fellowship, but further support may be available competitively

through the department or GSAS.

• Students earn extra money from any teaching assignments they take. Thedepartment makes every effort to allocate teaching assignments such that all

students have the possibility of earning (and “banking”) the equivalent of an extra

year of MacCracken Fellowship support. (See sections 3.4 and 4.4)

• With the exception of teaching assignments, students are considered ineligible for

any NYU funding beginning in the 8th

year of matriculation. (NB: This clock stops during any period of externally-funded field research.) Under most

conditions, students should be able to complete the degree before eligibility for NYU funding runs out.

1.2.e. Non-coursework Requirements

• Except for students receiving “blanket” transfer credits for an entire MA received

elsewhere, all students must submit an MA/Qualifying paper by the end of the

4th

semester. Permission to continue toward the PhD is contingent on approval of

this paper as pre-PhD caliber by 2 members of the department faculty.

• During the 2nd

year, students prepare a PhD petition in consultation with their

advisory committee. In this document, the student defines his/her area of researchspecialization and outlines a plan for acquiring the necessary training for the

dissertation project envisioned. The faculty as a whole must approve the petitionfor the student to continue in the program. This is done via circulation of student

petitions among faculty, followed by discussion of and vote on petitions at an

early March faculty meeting. Students wishing to transfer credit for an entire,

prior MA must submit this petition in their first year of matriculation.

• During the 3rd

or 4th

year, each student designs a dissertation project and submits

proposals for external research funding to support original field or laboratory

research. A formal oral hearing of a completed research proposal must bescheduled with the student’s 3-member advisory committee at least by the end of

the fourth year, preferably prior to submission of proposals to external agencies.• By the end of the 4

thyear (usually during the 3

rdyear for biological

anthropology), students take comprehensive PhD exams. Biological

Anthropology students take standardized exams in three of the major areas of that

subdiscipline. In the other subdisciplines, the PhD exams are tailored to eachstudent’s research interests, and developed in close consultation with a 3-person

PhD committee.

• Once a student has passed this exam, completed all PhD coursework, and satisfied

all other requirements for the PhD except the dissertation s/he is eligible for theMaster of Philosophy (MPhil) Degree, and has earned the formal status of PhD



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Candidate.

• Most students spend the 5th

year conducting dissertation research, supported by

external funding. Biological Anthropology students, especially those whose

research is laboratory-based, often begin their research sooner and complete itearlier.

• Students are expected to finish writing the thesis within 2 years of completing

the dissertation research.

• The completed dissertation is defended at a final oral examination conducted bya 5-member committee that must include at least 3 members of the NYU faculty.



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1.2.1. PHD PROGRAM IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

1.2.1.a. Required Courses:

All or most of these courses should be completed in the first year. They are all required

for the MA degree (generally completed by the end of the second year) and include:

ANTH-GA3210 Departmental Seminar [team taught course across 2 of

anthropology’s subfields] OR approved substitute ANTH-GA2213 History of Archaeological Theory

OR ANTH-GA1636 History of Anthropology

ANTH-GA2214 Archaeological Methods and Techniques ANTH-GA 3217 Archaeological Professionalization

At least one area course.

Those offered include:Prehistory of the Near East/Egypt I and II

European Prehistory I and II

Prehistory of South AsiaMedieval Archaeology

African Prehistory

1.2.1.b. Elective Courses

Students are encouraged to take additional method and theory courses, such as

Technology in Pre-Industrial Societies

Prehistoric ArtGender Issues in Archaeology

CeramicsFaunal Analysis

Environmental Archaeology

Social and Symbolic Archaeology

Contemporary Archaeological Theory

Although not required, it is recommended that students also take courses in HumanOsteology and in Paleoanthropology. Students are encouraged to take at least one course

from each of the archaeology faculty members.

..



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1.2.2. PHD PROGRAM IN BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Required Courses:


anthropology’s subfields]

ANTH-GA3217 or 3218 Seminar in Physical Anthropology I or II (or equivalent)

All 3 of the New York Consortium for Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP) corecourses

Seminar in Professional Development

Three NYCEP internships (i.e., a research-based experience) must be completed

informally or for credit (as research courses). At least one internship must be undertaken

with a non-NYU NYCEP faculty, and one internship must be in an area outside of thestudent’s main research focus (i.e., morphology/paleontology, primate ecology/behavior,

or genetics/molecular systematics). The MA/Qualifying paper at NYU counts as one

internship.



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1.2.3. PHD PROGRAM IN SOCIOCULTURAL/LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY

Required Courses:


anthropology’s subfields]

ANTH-GA1010 Social Anthropology: Theory and Practice

ANTH-GA1040 Linguistic Anthropology ANTH-GA1636 History of Anthropology

At least one Ethnographic Traditions course, selected in consultation with the

advisory committee Professionalization Seminar a no-credit course collectively run by the social

anthropology faculty to consider such practicalities of our profession as proposal-

writing, fieldwork, presentations at professional meetings. Students are expectedto participate each semester that they are in residence.

1.2.3.a. Certificate in Culture and Media

This program is an option for students enrolled in the PhD program inSociocultural/Linguistic Anthropology. Culture and Media students must fulfill all of the

requirements for that PhD program (listed above), as well as the additional Certificaterequirements listed below. With the exception of Sight and Sound (6 points) and Video

Production (8 points), all Culture and Media requirements count toward the PhD in

Anthropology.Culture and Media students take a total of 86 points, usually including 3 courses

(12 points)/semester for 6 semesters, 1 summer course (Sight and Sound , usually after the2

ndyear of matriculation), and 2 courses (8 points) during the 4

thyear of matriculation.

• Required Courses:

ANTH-GA1215 Culture & Media I: History of Ethnographic Film (prerequisite toall others)

ANTH-GA1216 Culture & Media II: Ethnography of MediaCINE-GT2002 Cultural Theory and the Documentary

CINE-GT1998 Sight and Sound OR CINE-GT1999 Sight and Sound Documentary

(summer; prerequisite for ANTH-GA1218-19)

ANTH-GA1218-19 Video Production ( 2 semester studio class, usually taken in the3

rdyear )

Approved elective in Cinema Studies

• Conferral of Certificate

Early in the semester when a student expects to complete all requirements for theCertificate (usually spring of the third year) s/he must register for conferral.

This is done by contacting Li Cao at the Registrar: 212- 998-4845 [email protected]. Registration for certificate conferral prompts the NYURecording Office to issue a copy of a Check Sheet to the student and to thedepartment’s Graduate Secretary. The Check Sheet details all requirements thatmust be completed by the student in order for the certificate to be awarded andsignals any that remain outstanding (e.g. incomplete coursework). The student isresponsible for contacting the Graduate Secretary in regard to clearing up thesematters, well in advance of the deadline specified on the Check Sheet.



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2. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS IN DETAIL

REQUIREMENTSRELEVANT TO ALL GRADUATE PROGRAMS

2.1. Advisement

• All incoming graduate students are assigned a 3-person Faculty Advisory

Committee (including one designated as chair) by the DGS and department chair,

based on their understanding of each student’s research interests.

• Each student works with his/her advisory committee throughout the program.Students may change the composition of this committee after consulting with its

chair and getting approval from the DGS. Such adjustments are regularly made asa result of changes in student research interests, or as faculty leave or join the

department. Students may recompose their committees either as part of the petition process (see 3.1.c) or by submitting an Application for Change in

Advisory Committee form to the DGS. (See APPENDIX 1).

• Formal advisement is held once each semester, usually on the last Friday of

October and on the last Friday of April . At least one week prior to advisement,each student submits a brief written progress report and statement of future

plans to each member of his/her advisory committee (See APPENDIX 2).

2.1.a. Advisement Day is divided into 20-minute time slots and held in 4 or 5

neighboring offices. Each student and his/her faculty committee is given a specific

appointment time and room. During the advisement meeting, the committee discusses thestudent’s progress in the program to date, courses to be taken in the upcoming semester,

and other matters relating to the student’s performance and needs. The committee chair

signs a form indicating the courses to be taken, and appends a brief statement indicatingany important issues that must be resolved or other plans relevant to the student’s

progress toward the degree. These reports become part of the student’s file.

2.1.b. Round-Up is held once a year, in early May. At this all-day meeting of the full

faculty, all graduate student files are individually reviewed. Drawing on input from allrelevant faculty, each student’s progress, as well as particular achievements or

difficulties, are noted. A brief note (of congratulations, encouragement, notice of probation, as appropriate) is sent to each student over the signature of the department

chair.

2.2. Coursework

2.2.a. Registration through “Albert” Students may register online for courses approvedby their advisory committee. In addition to course registration, NYU’s “Albert” system

allows students to change address information, view transcripts, and review financial aidinformation. Students can access Albert through the NYU Home page athttps://home.nyu.edu.

2.2.b. Consortium Courses. Beginning in their second year, PhD students may takecourses through the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium (IUDC). This consortium of nine local universities offers students the opportunity to take courses necessary for theirparticular research interests when students can demonstrate that comparable courses arenot offered at NYU. As with all NYU courses, consortium course selection must beapproved by the student’s advisory committee. Registration for consortium courses



13requires signatures from both NYU and the host university (SEE APPENDIX 3). See:http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.scholarlyprograms.interuniversitydoctoralconsortium

2.2.c. Incomplete grades. Students are expected to complete all current coursework bythe end of each semester. Under exceptional circumstances, they may request an

incomplete (“I”) from the instructor of a particular course, but faculty are not obliged to

grant such requests.

GSAS regulations stipulate that any student who fails to complete by mid-summer at least 2/3 of all of the course points for which s/he has registered since first

matriculating at NYU will not be considered to be “in good standing,” and will be placedon Academic Probation (see below).

GSAS requires that incomplete work be completed within a year from the

beginning of the semester in which the course was taken (e.g. fall semester courses must

be completed by the beginning of the following fall semester). For work completedwithin this time frame, the course instructor submits a Change of Grade form to the

Departmental Graduate Secretary.

The department will place a student on Academic Probation if they have anyremaining incompletes on their transcript by the start of classes each fall.

Requests for any further extensions must be clearly justified in writing andsubmitted well in advance of this deadline to the DGS, who must seek approval from theGSAS Vice-Dean.

The transcript grade for coursework that has not been completed according to the

guidelines above will revert to an “F” and the student will need to register for another course to make up these missing credits. GSAS funding will not cover the tuition for

extra courses needed for this reason.

2.3. Full-time Student Status

Most students need to maintain full-time student status until they obtain theirtarget degree in order to maintain eligibility for student loan deferrals, student visas, or

various kinds of financial aid or medical insurance. Full-time status may be maintained inseveral ways:

• Course load. Enrollment in at least 12 points (usually 3 courses)/semester• Equivalencies. Involvement in any combination totaling at least 40 hours/week of

coursework, research, MA or PhD thesis write-up, PhD Exam preparation,teaching assignments.In general, the Graduate secretary routinely completes the paperwork required to

certify full-time equivalency for all students who have completed all or most of theircourse requirements within the past several years and who are continuing to progresstoward the target degree.

Students who have completed all course requirements for the target degree and

who have not been making regular progress but who nevertheless wish to maintain full-or part-time student status need to make a special request to the DGS.

2.4. Maintenance of Matriculation

GSAS requires that students maintain NYU matriculation from the time of theirinitial registration until the granting of their final degree. This may be done by severalmeans:

• enrollment for at least 1 point of course credit during the fall and springsemesters

• students who are no longer taking courses must register each semester for



14Maintenance of Matriculation (MAINT-GA4747).

Doctoral students in good standing can be granted up to 6 semesters of Maintenance of Matriculation fee waivers (typically to cover the post-courseworkperiods of research design/PhD exams and 2 years of thesis write-up.) Up to 4 semestersof additional Maintenance of Matriculation fee waivers may be awarded to coverexternally-funded periods of dissertation field-research.

Students may be definitively dropped from NYU rosters or charged substantialback fees before being awarded their degree if they have not maintained continuous NYU

matriculation beginning with their initial course enrollment until the granting of their

final degree.

2.5. Leaves of Absence

A student in good standing who is obliged to withdraw temporarily for reasonsbeyond their control, due to

National service,Serious illness, orCompelling personal reasons

may request a leave of absence (LOA) from the DGS, who must seek approval from theGSAS Vice-Dean. If the LOA is approved, the student’s status is maintained, andreadmission is assured at the end of the leave.The following considerations apply:

• No maintenance of matriculation fees accrue during an approved LOA;• A LOA may not exceed one year;• The period of an approved LOA counts toward time-to-degree limits;• A student on LOA is ineligible for full-time or half-time equivalency; • Foreign students on LOA generally may not remain in the U.S.

2.6. Masters Degree2.6.a. Coursework/grades: All MA degrees in Anthropology require a total of 36 creditsof coursework (usually 9 courses), as well as satisfactory completion of anMA/Qualifying paper (see 2.6.c.). No student may receive more than two grades below a“B” for any courses approved for the MA (within the department or elsewhere). Astudent who receives two grades below “B” will be placed on Academic Probation (see2.7 below). A third grade below “B” will result in termination from the program.

2.6.b. Time to degree: GSAS requirements specify that students complete the MA withinfive years from initial matriculation (including leaves of absence). Failure to meet thistime-to-degree requirement may result in termination from the program.

2.6.c. MA/Qualifying Paper: No later than the fall of the second year, each studentselects an MA/Qualifying Paper Committee, consisting of a supervisor (1st reader) anda 2nd reader, from among the NYU Anthropology Department faculty. 1 These may—butneed not necessarily—include two members from the student’s initial AdvisoryCommittee.

By signing the “MA/Qualifying Paper Committee Form” (see Appendices) both

1 For students in the Human Skeletal Biology MA Program: this is undertaken in the spring of the

first year.



15faculty members accept this responsibility and approve the paper topic.

In exceptional cases, students may request that an additional (3rd) reader fromanother NYU department be added to the MA/Qualifying Paper committee.

Early on, the student should come to a clear understanding with this committeeregarding arrangements for consultation, as well as expectations for theMA/Qualifying Paper’s content, scope, and length. Generally the paper issimilar in these respects to a peer-reviewed journal article within the student’s

sub-discipline (e.g. about 30 – 50 double-spaced pages in length). The MA/Qualifying Paper must be submitted to the MA/Qualifying Paper

committee during spring semester of the second year of matriculation by datesspecified each year. A full draft is normally due at least by the first Friday inApril, and the final draft by the beginning of May.

For students in the MA program in Skeletal Biology, the MA committee evaluatesthe paper on a Pass/Fail basis.

For students in the PhD program, the MA/Qualifying Paper committee awardsone of three evaluations of the completed paper:

(i) Of a quality to warrant continuation in a PhD program;(ii) Acceptable as a “terminal” MA paper, i.e. the MA degree will be

awarded, but the student is not qualified to continue on to a PhD degree; or(iii) Failed.

In the latter two cases:The MA/Qualifying paper may, at the student’s request, be submitted to thefaculty as a whole for confirmation or reversal of that judgment.If the student chooses to remain in a PhD program, s/he will be placed onAcademic Probation (see 2.7 below) until an MA/Qualifying paper is approvedas pre-PhD work. Failing such approval by the end of fall semester of the 3rd year,the student will be terminated from the program. NB: Faculty members do not read MA/Qualifying papers between mid-May and

the beginning of fall semester.

Once the MA/Qualifying paper has been approved by the MA/QualifyingPaper Committee, the student must submit the following documents (pleasesee Appendices) to the Anthropology Graduate Secretary, each signed by the

1st and 2nd readers:

(i) One original copy of the MA/Qualifying Paper title page(ii) Two green GSAS approval forms (MA only)(iii) PhD students only: One departmental evaluation form

2.6.d. Conferral of Degrees. A Commencement ceremony is held once a year, in earlyMay, but NYU confers degrees three times a year: in September, January, and May.GSAS posts a strict deadline for completion of all degree requirements (usually 8-10 days

before conferral of the degree).Students must apply for graduation at least 3-4 months before they expect to

complete all requirements for the degree. This is done by• registering on Albert [students in the MA program]• contacting Li Cao at 212-998-4845 or [email protected] [students in PhD programs]

Application for a degree prompts the NYU Recording Office to issue a copy of aMasters Check Sheet to the student and to the Anthropology Department’s GraduateSecretary. The Check Sheet details all requirements that must be completed by thestudent in order for the degree to be awarded and signals any that remain outstanding



16(e.g. incomplete coursework, unpaid Maintenance of Matriculation fees, etc.). Thestudent is responsible for contacting the DGS or Graduate Secretary in regard to clearingup these matters, well in advance of the deadline specified on the Check Sheet.

If a student fails to complete all degree requirements by the deadline for thegraduation for which s/he initially applied, it is a simple matter to re-apply for the nextdegree date. On the other hand, if a student completes all degree requirements but has notapplied in time for a given graduation date, degree conferral may be delayed. That is,

there is no penalty for applying too early for a degree, but there may be a penalty forapplying too late.

2.7. Probationary Status

A student who fails to make satisfactory progress toward his/her degree goal willbe placed on Academic Probation. The student will receive a formal letter from theDGS, copied to the GSAS Vice-Dean. This letter lays out the reasons for probation andthe conditions that must be met in order to reverse this status. If these conditions are metby the stated deadline (generally, the end of the next full semester from the date of theletter), probation will be reversed and will leave no trace in the student’s record. If, on theother hand, the conditions for reversing probation are not met within the stated time

frame, the student will be terminated from the program. Termination will be signaled by aformal letter from the DGS.

While a student is on academic probation, s/he is not considered to be in “good

standing” and will be ineligible for certain forms of GSAS support (e.g. Maintenance of Matriculation fee waivers, conference travel funds, ability to reserve or withdrawfellowship funds [see 3.4.b. below]).Academic Probation may be triggered in several ways:

Grades: a student whose GPA falls below 3.0 or who receives two gradesbelow “B” will be placed on probation. A third grade below “B” will result intermination from the program.

Failure to meet specific degree requirements in a satisfactory or timely

manner: Examples:*a student who fails to complete in due time at least 2/3 of the

credit hours for which s/he has registered*a student who turns in a failing MA/Qualifying paper.*a student in the PhD program who has not submitted an MA/

Qualifying Paper evaluated as “pre-PhD” AND a PhDpetition acceptable to the full faculty by the beginning of the third year of matriculation.

Exceeding time-to-degree limits. A student who has not completed the degreewithin GSAS time-to-degree limits (5 years for the MA; 7 years for PhD[credit for prior MA]; 10 years for MA + PhD) may, if s/he is making

acceptable progress toward the degree, be placed on Academic Probation forup to 2 years pending completion of the degree. Alternatively, s/he will beterminated from the program.

Students have the right to appeal a probation decision, the conditions imposed forreversing this status, or termination. They may do so by addressing the DGS in writingwithin one month of receipt of the formal letter announcing these decisions. If thedepartment’s response is unsatisfactory, a written appeal may be made to the GSAS Vice-Dean.



173. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS IN DETAIL:

PERTINENT TO PHD PROGRAMS ONLY

3.1. Transfer Credits

Students who have undertaken prior graduate work elsewhere may request to transfercredit for an entire prior MA (more common for Archaeology or Biological students) orfor one or several courses (more common for Sociocultural students). In all cases, such

requests must be initiated by the end of the first semester of matriculation and finalizedby the end of the second semester.

Students are occasionally admitted to the PhD program with credit for a prior MAor MSc. Otherwise, those wishing to transfer “blanket credit” for an entire

prior MA must apply to do so, after consultation with their advisory committee,by initiating the PhD petition process a year early, i.e. during their first year of matriculation (see 3.2 below). Approval of the petition during the first year willresult in the transfer of credit for the prior MA, and means that no MA/QualifyingPaper is required. Students receiving full credit for a prior MA typically completetheir NYU course work in 2 years (rather than 3); their NYU funding is adjustedaccordingly.

Students wishing to transfer credits for one or several courses must first obtainapproval from their advisory committee and then contact the DGS. Normallystudents not applying for a “blanket transfer” of credits for an entire prior MAmay transfer no more than 8 credits from prior graduate work. Transfer credits forcourses counted toward a prior earned MA or MSc may not be applied to theNYU MA in Anthropology. Students receiving such transfer credits therefore donot generally earn an NYU MA in Anthropology. They are nonetheless requiredto submit a Qualifying Paper, identical in all respects to the MA/Qualifyingpaper described above (2.6.c.). They also submit their PhD petitions during theirsecond year of matriculation, and ultimately must complete the 72 (or 86 for PhD+ Certificate) credits required for the NYU PhD minus the credits transferred.

Students who ultimately do not continue on to the PhD may be awarded an NYUin MA in Anthropology upon completion of all NYU MA requirements,independent of any transfer credits awarded.

3.2. PhD Petition

All students admitted to NYU PhD programs are expected to successfully complete the

doctorate, but entry to a PhD program is confirmed through a petition process. This offers

students the opportunity—once they have acquired some graduate school experience—tomake well-informed assessments of their scholarly goals and to consider, along with their

advisory committee and the departmental faculty as a whole, whether their talents and plans are well-suited to pursuit of the PhD in Anthropology.

3.2.a. Timing. Students wishing to transfer blanket credit for a prior MA in

anthropology must submit a petition by the February due date in their first year of

matriculation. If their petition is granted, full credit for their prior MA will be

transferred toward the NYU PhD and all 1st

year coursework at NYU will be applied to

PhD requirements. A student whose petition is rejected will normally be required tofulfill the requirements for the NYU MA, and will be invited to resubmit a PhD petition

the following year. All other students submit a petition in February of the second year of

matriculation. Acceptance of the petition indicates faculty approval to continue graduatework beyond the MA, and is granted on condition that the student submits a pre-



18

doctoral quality MA/Qualifying paper by the end of the second year of matriculation.

3.2.b. Content. In the petition, the student sketches the research area in which s/heexpects to work, as well as a plan for work ahead. It is NOT intended to be a research

proposal. Rather it should convey a clear idea of the kind of proposal the student

expects to develop over the next several years, and a well-considered road map for

acquiring the specific training needed in order to effectively design and carry outsuch a project. [See Appendix XI]

For archaeology and sociocultural/linguistic students, this plan includes

identifying three scholarly areas in which the student plans to take PhD comprehensive

examinations during the third or fourth year of matriculation. These exam areas

correspond to identifiable specialty areas within the student’s sub-discipline; they point

to the scholarly literatures within which the specific research project will be situated (andwhich the student aims to master), as well as ultimately defining the student’s

professional identity within the discipline. This makes the petition process an excellent

early exercise in each student’s professionalization. In close consultation with theadvisory committee, students define their own exam areas; these usually include one

geographic specialty and two topical specialties. Students are expected to take the PhDComprehensive Exam at least by the end of spring semester of the 4

thyear of

matriculation.

Biological anthropology students usually take their Comprehensive Exams

midway through the third year of matriculation; these consist of a set in-class exam on

each of three standard areas in the sub-discipline (with a choice of questions within eachexam).

3.2.c. Faculty Advisory Committee. Students are expected to prepare their petitions in

close collaboration with a faculty advisory committee comprising three (occasionally

four) permanent members of the Anthropology Department faculty.2

All members of

this committee must sign off on the petition before it can be submitted to the full faculty.They may—but need not necessarily—include all or some of the members of the

student’s initial advisory committee (see 2.1 above).This committee should be chosen as a function of the specialty areas in which

the student plans to develop expertise in the context of Comprehensive Exam preparation

and as part of a more long-term professional identity. Typically, each member of the

faculty advisory committee works with the student on one exam area, although thecommittee may agree to other arrangements.

Students are encouraged to maintain more informal intellectual relationships with

other members of the departmental faculty. But they should compose their facultyadvisory committee with a clear eye toward the substantive areas of expertise that will be

most pertinent to the research specialties they envisage.

3.2.d. Dates. The student should initiate discussion with his/her advisory committee by

the end of the semester before s/he expects to submit the petition, and should plan to

submit a draft petition to these advisors by the first day of spring semester, allowingsufficient time to work through several drafts.

The specific due date for submission of the final draft to the Graduate Secretary

2Advisory committees for Archaeology students must include at least 2 permanent members of the

department, but the third member may, with the approval of the advisor, be from outside the department.



19

(signed off by all members of the advisory committee) will be posted each year, but isgenerally about February 15.

All faculty members review all petitions over the subsequent weeks. Approval

decisions are made at a faculty meeting held by early March.Occasionally, a petition is sent back for revision. Any revisions must be

resubmitted by April 1 for approval by the full faculty.

A student whose petition has not been approved by the full Anthropology

Department faculty by the end of spring semester of the second year of matriculationwill be terminated from the PhD program.

3.3. “Skills Courses”

While there is no formal language requirement for the PhD in Anthropology,many projects depend on some degree of proficiency in a foreign language, or training ina specific subject area not offered at the graduate level.

For students at the PhD level only, GSAS will cover up to 12 credits of tuitioncosts for academic-year undergraduate language or other training courses, referred to as“skills courses” in GSAS terms. These do not count toward the graduate degree. The

office of the GSAS Vice-Dean will consider requests to go above this 12-credit limitunder exceptional circumstances. Any student wishing to register for such anundergraduate-level skills course must contact the Graduate Secretary in advance,providing the course name and number, in order for the department to seek permissionfrom GSAS.

In the rare instances that skills courses—such as reading courses with substantiallanguage components—are offered at the graduate level, such courses will count towardthe PhD, pending the usual consultations with the faculty advisory committee.

Often, necessary language skills are best acquired through intensive summertraining. Students needing to develop foreign language skills for their dissertation

research should begin to explore summer training and funding possibilities as early

as possible in their NYU career.



203.4. Teaching Assignments

GSAS funding does not include an obligation to teach, but teaching assignmentsfor extra income are available to all PhD students and occasionally to those in the MA

program. All PhD students are expected to teach for a minimum of two semesters during

their matriculation and most will teach for at least 4 to 6 semesters, beginning in their

second year of matriculation.

3.4.a. Types of teaching. The Anthropology Department offers two kinds of teachingassignments to its students:

Adjunct Instructors (AI) teach two sections or two labs in large lecture

courses (usually Intro or MAP [NYU core curriculum])

Course Assistants (CA) , are usually assigned to more specialized classeswith no sections but particular grading needs or lab-intensive course work;

CAs are responsible for grading and other assistance, but usually do little

or no classroom teaching.

3.4.b. Teaching Income. AI assignments pay roughly twice as much as CA assignments,

generally corresponding to the difference in time investment required for each type of

position. AI pay is about the same as half of the MacCracken stipend for a givensemester; CA pay is roughly equivalent to one quarter the semester’s MacCracken

stipend.

3.4.c. Fellowship Reserve. During teaching semesters, students have the option of

“banking” with GSAS the equivalent of their teaching pay, in the form of withheldquarter-portions of their MacCracken stipend up to 100%. This reserve may be redeemed

at any time while the student is matriculated in good standing and still eligible for NYU

support (usually until 7 years after first matriculation, with the clock stopped for periodsof externally funded off-campus dissertation research). It is most frequently used to

support either post-MacCracken semesters or summers. Students are strongly advised to

build a Fellowship Reserve through GSAS because Fellowship Reserve is paid out at higher MacCracken rates in effect at the later

time of redemption.

With careful management of guaranteed MacCracken Fellowships and a Fellowship

Reserve built up during teaching semesters (ideally combined with at least one year of external research support), students should be assured adequate support for the 7 or 8

years required to complete the degree (see 4.4 below).

3.4.d. Assignments. The Chair and Associate Chair of the Department, in consultation

with the DGS and the Departmental Administrator, oversee teaching assignments. As far

as possible, these assignments are allocated so as to assure that all students needing such support get a combination of teaching

assignments that will allow them to “reserve” the equivalent of one year of

MacCracken support by the end of their 4th

year of matriculation3; and

assure that all PhD students ultimately experience both general courses in their sub-discipline (usually AI assignments) and more specialized courses relevant to

their specific research interests (usually CA assignments).

3This will usually not apply to students receiving such non-NYU support as Javits or NSF graduate

training fellowships. They can nonetheless expect to be offered at least 2 semesters of teaching assignmentsduring their matriculation.



21

Every effort is made to take into account graduate student research expertise andtraining needs, but priority is given to providing that all students receive the minimum

financial support promised. Teaching assignments are ultimately also driven by

undergraduate enrollment patterns. Initial assignments for each academic year are madein late spring, but these are always adjusted up to the last minute and are not guaranteeduntil the course itself starts.

3.5. Doctoral Dissertation Research Design and Funding

Although MacCracken Fellowships may be used to fund dissertation research,students are expected to apply to external funding agencies for research support, ideallyholding their last year or two of MacCracken funding (together with the Fellowshipreserve described in 3.4.c above) for the post-research write-up period.

3.5.a. At least by the third year of matriculation, students should be actively cataloguing

potential sources of dissertation funding, together with their deadlines and otherapplication requirements. These should include sources relevant to most anthropologydoctoral students as well as smaller agencies pertinent to the student’s specific research

interests.

3.5.b. At least by the beginning of the fourth year of matriculation, students should beworking closely with their advisory committees to design a specific dissertation project

and craft a fundable proposal that can be adjusted to the stipulations of various fundingagencies. Research proposals are a special and challenging genre of writing; studentsshould allow ample time to work through multiple drafts with their advisors. NB: Competition for dissertation funding is fierce and most funding agencies have

strict annual (or semi-annual) deadlines for submission of dissertation proposals.

Failure to complete a polished proposal by the posted deadlines will result in serious

delays in progress toward the degree.

3.5.c. Dissertation Proposal Oral Hearing. The Department of Anthropology requiresthat a dissertation proposal be formally approved by each student’s advisory

committee. The NYU IRB also requires such approval as a condition for awardingresearch clearance. Both requirements are satisfied by an oral hearing of a dissertationproposal. This consists of a meeting (approximately one to two hours) of the student

and his/her 3-member advisory committee to discuss a near-final version of a researchproposal (SEE APPENDIX XII).

This hearing must be held at least by the end of the fourth year of matriculation,but it will ideally be scheduled shortly prior to the deadline for major proposal

submissions in order to give the student the opportunity for a final round of input from

the advisory committee before submission to external funders.Students should NOT prepare a special version of the dissertation proposal for

this purpose; rather the hearing should focus on a version of the proposal that actually

will be (or has been) submitted to a funding agency.

3. 5.d. Human Subjects and Animal Welfare Reviews. Any NYU-affiliated student orfaculty member who undertakes research (externally funded or not) based on livinganimals or human subjects must submit his/her proposal for clearance by the NYUInstitutional Review Board (IRB). Many granting agencies will not release research funds



22to an awardee without documentation of such clearance.

The NYU IRB always includes one member of the Anthropology Departmentfaculty. As soon as the student has drafted a near-final research proposal, s/he should givea copy to that faculty member and arrange a meeting to discuss how best to presenthis/her proposal to the IRB.

The IRB subcommittees (UCAIHS for Human Subjects; UCAW for animalwelfare) meet about once a month, and frequently send proposals back for further

clarification or revision of protocols. To avoid delays in launching research, it is criticalto begin the process early by seeking the advice of our departmental faculty

representative. IRB clearance is generally granted for one year and is easily renewable. That is,

there is no penalty for getting clearance well before the beginning of actual research, butserious delays may result from postponing the process. See:

http://www.nyu.edu/ucaihs/ [human subjects]or

http://www.nyu.edu/uawc/ [animal welfare]

3.6. PhD Comprehensive Examinations

PhD exams constitute an important rite of passage for our doctoral program.Scheduled toward the end of formal coursework and before dissertation research, they aremeant to test the student’s competence to undertake original doctoral-level research. Astudent who has passed these exams (sometimes called “qualifying exams”) has earnedthe formal status of PhD Candidate (also known as “ABD,” with all-but-dissertation leftto complete). Even within a single department, however, they may take somewhatdifferent forms.

3.6.1. Biological Anthropology

3.6.1.a. Timing. In general, all students take their comprehensive exams during theirthird year of matriculation (or during the second year, for those who have received“blanket” credit for a prior MA). A standard exam is set once each year, and is usuallyscheduled for the end of the Fall semester or beginning of the Spring semester.

3.6.1.b. Format. The comprehensive examination in biological anthropology consists of anin-class written exam, given over a period of three days during the course of a single week.The exam tests students on three core areas of research in biological anthropology:

i. Primate behavior and socio-ecologyii. Genetics, evolutionary theory, and human biologyiii. Fossil record, paleoanthropology and phylogenetic analysis.

For each exam, students are expected to answer 4 questions from a choice of 8-10 within atime limit of 4 hours.

3.6.1.c. Reading Materials required for exam preparation include:i. A series of key books and edited volumes that cover all areas of physical

anthropology and related disciplines. These aim to provide essential background andreference materials necessary to grasp the primary literature, and include many that studentswill have encountered in courses.

ii. The current literature in biological anthropology, primatology, and related



23disciplines published in leading scientific journals over the past five years.

3.6.1.d. Marking and Results

The exam essays in each of the areas are graded by at least two faculty members.

Each essay is scored using the following scale: Excellent = 3, Good = 2, Fair = 1,

Unsatisfactory = 0. Essays may be awarded intermediate scores of 2.5, 1.5 or 0.5.Students who obtain an average score below 1.0 for two or more essays in any area will

be required to retake the exam in that area by the end of the following semester after thefirst attempt. Failure to receive a passing grade on any one part of the exam within thistime frame will constitute definitive failure of the exam, and the student will beterminated from the program.

3.6.2. Archaeological, Sociocultural, and Linguistic Anthropology

3.6.2.a. Timing. Intensive preparation for the PhD exams should begin no later than fallof the 4th year of matriculation. The exam itself is ideally taken in early April; it mustbe completed at least by the end of May of the 4th year. NB: Most funding agencies will not activate dissertation research fellowships until the

PhD comprehensive exams have been satisfactorily completed. Faculty members do not

read PhD exams between early June and late August.

3.6.2.b. Format The comprehensive examination in Archaeological4, Sociocultural, andLinguistic Anthropology consists of a ten-day take-home exam, for which the student isexpected to develop one, 10-page (double-spaced) essay for each of three exam areas.Typically the student picks up his/her exam questions from the Graduate Secretary at9:30 on a Friday and returns three completed essays ten days later, by 9:30 on Monday.

• Each essay may include up to 3 pages of Endnotes, and must include a separatebibliography that is normally 5-10 pages in length. Bibliography and citationsmust follow a standard scholarly format (e.g. as specified in American

Anthropologist style sheet). Each should also have a cover page with the student’s

name, the name of the area examined, the question asked, and the date the essaywas turned in.

• Each essay should display the student’s synthetic and analytic abilities, balancingcomprehensive knowledge of scholarship in the examination area with a sense of the student’s own approach.

3.6.2.c. Preparation. The student is expected to work very closely with his/her advisorycommittee, usually the three (or four) faculty members identified in the PhD petition, toprepare three PhD exam areas. These generally include one geographically-defined areaand two topically defined areas; they should correspond to 3 areas of scholarly

specialization within which the student situates his dissertation research, as well as the

areas in which s/he expects to teach and publish after receiving the PhD. Most frequently,the student works with one faculty member on each exam area, although the advisorycommittee may agree to other arrangements.

• For each exam area, the student prepares a bibliography in consultation withrelevant faculty advisor(s). This bibliography is essentially the student’s proposal

4 Students in Archaeological Anthropology may choose instead to sit for three consecutive, full-day, in-class examinations, on the basis of questions prepared in the same manner as above.



24for the scholarship s/he intends to master in preparation for the exam (andsubsequent research/teaching/publishing). It should cover a broad range of material within the given area, typically organized around a strategically-chosenselection of 4-6 topical rubrics; it should include a judicious selection of classic orbasic material, as well as relevant cutting-edge or highly specialized work. It isnormally 5-10 pages in length.

Students should be collecting ideas for their PhD bibliographies throughout their

matriculation. All three of their exam bibliographies should be finalized and approvedby the relevant faculty advisors at least by the first day of spring semester of the 4 th yearof matriculation.

• For each exam area, one or several synthetic questions are developed from the

approved bibliography in each area. The student should clarify with eachfaculty advisor the processes for constituting exam questions. Most frequently,the student works these up out of discussions with the faculty advisor. The advisorthen chooses (and may edit) one question for use on the exam.

3.6.2.d. Marking and results. All three essays are read and graded (Pass/Fail) by all

members of the advisory committee, with added weight given to the specialist

member(s) in each area. When all committee members are in residence, the student willbe informed of examination results within two weeks of submission. Due time allowancewill be made if a committee member is away.

• If a student receives a failing grade in one or several exam areas, s/he will bepermitted to retake the exam by the end of the semester following the firstattempt. Failure to receive a passing grade on any one part of the exam within thistime frame will constitute definitive failure of the exam, and the student will beterminated from the program.

3.7. Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Degree

Students are qualified for the MPhil degree once they have completed allrequirements for the PhD except dissertation research/write-up. Arguably the leastknown and most arcane graduate degree in existence, the MPhil is nonetheless a usefulplace-holder, and students are urged to acquire it. Most temporarily list it on their CVs asa convenient indicator of when they reached the ABD or “all but dissertation” milestone(including comprehensive exams), but ultimately replace it with the PhD.

As for the MA and PhD, students should apply for this degree at least 3-4

months before they expect to complete all requirements (i.e., at the beginning of springsemester of the 3rd year for most biological anthropology students; at the beginning of spring semester of the 4th year for most others). This is done by contacting Christopher L.James at the Registrar: [email protected] or 212-998-4803. If a student fails to complete all

degree requirements by the deadline for the graduation for which s/he initially applied, itis simple to re-apply for the next degree date without penalty.

Application for a degree prompts the NYU Recording Office to issue a copy of aCheck Sheet to the student and to the Anthropology Department’s Graduate Secretary.The Check Sheet details all requirements that must be completed by the student in orderfor the degree to be awarded and signals any that remain outstanding (e.g. incompletecoursework, unpaid Maintenance of Matriculation fees, etc.). Application for the MPhilthus provides early warning for any PhD requirements that may inadvertently remainunmet.



25

3.8. Doctoral Dissertation

3.8.a. Write-up. Students are encouraged to be in regular contact with all three membersof their advisory committee as their writing progresses. Doctoral dissertations inanthropology are expected to be between 250 and 500 double-spaced pages in length .Texts that run substantially under or over these limits must be approved in advance by the

committee chair.GSAS has very strict formatting guidelines and submission procedures for

dissertations. Students will save considerable time and trouble by familiarizingthemselves with these early on in the writing process. Comprehensive information can befound online at:

http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.life.dissertation.html

3.8.b. Defense. GSAS requires that the dissertation be defended before a five-member

committee of examiners, selected by the student in consultation with his/her advisorycommittee. These must include at least three full-time members of the GSAS faculty, andgenerally includes the student’s 3-person advisory committee.

• If one or both of the remaining readers are not GSAS faculty members, theymust be approved through the Vice-Dean’s office. The approval process should beinitiated at least several months in advance through the DGS.

NB: Depending on the circumstances, outside dissertation readers may be approved for

one specific thesis defense, or for a period of up to three years at a time (for multiple

theses).

• Students are required to distribute a complete draft of the dissertation to allmembers of the examination committee by at least a month prior to the defense

date.• At least four of the five examiners must be physically present for the defense. If

one examiner is unable to attend s/he may instead send a written report (usually

including some questions for the candidate), which will be read aloud during thedefense.

• The defense itself lasts about two hours. It usually begins with a ten-minuteopening statement from the candidate, followed by questioning from all membersof the committee, generally beginning with those examiners who have been leastinvolved in the dissertation process.

• A successful oral defense requires that at least 4 of the 5 examiners vote to

approve. After a successful defense, the candidate may be asked to make furtherrevisions of the dissertation before depositing it. The chair of the advisorycommittee is typically delegated to supervise these.



263.9. PhD Degree

3.9.a. Time to degree limits. GSAS requires students who receive full credit for a priorMA to complete the NYU PhD within seven years of initial matriculation (includingany time spent on Leave of Absence). Students who complete an NYU MA as part of their PhD work have ten years from initial matriculation to complete the NYU PhD(including LOAs).

• A student who exceeds these limits will be placed on Academic Probation by the

GSAS Vice-Dean. This means that the student is NOT “in good standing,” andmay therefore be ineligible for certain kinds of GSAS support (see section 2.7above).

• Based on documented progress toward the degree and specific plans for a

timely completion, the DGS may request on the student’s behalf up to two 1-yearextensions on the time-to-degree limit. Students who fail to complete the degreeafter exceeding posted time-to-degree limits by two years may be dropped fromthe program.

3.9.b. Conferral of Degree. NYU confers degrees three times a year: in September,January, and May. GSAS posts a strict deadline for completion of all degree requirements

(usually 8-10 days before the graduation date).Students must apply for graduation at least 3-4 months before they expect to

complete all requirements for the degree. This is done through registering on Albert.Application for a degree prompts the NYU Recording Office to issue a copy of theCheck Sheet to the student and to the department’s Graduate Secretary. The Check Sheetdetails all requirements that must be completed by the student in order for the degree tobe awarded and signals any that remain outstanding (e.g. incomplete coursework, unpaidMaintenance of Matriculation fees, etc.). The student is responsible for contacting theGraduate Secretary in regard to clearing up these matters, well in advance of the deadlinespecified on the Check Sheet.

If a student fails to complete all degree requirements by the deadline for the

graduation for which s/he initially applied, it is a simple matter to re-apply for the nextdegree date. On the other hand, if a student completes all degree requirements but has notapplied in time for a given graduation date, degree conferral may be delayed. That is,there is no penalty for applying too early for a degree, but there may be a penalty for

applying too late.

3.9.c. Commencement. A Commencement ceremony is held once a year, in early May.Students who have completed all degree requirements—including deposit of the thesis—by the posted GSAS deadline for the May degree are eligible to participate in the annualcommencement ceremony. (This includes all those who completed the degree in time forgraduation the previous January or September).

Exceptionally, a student who is not certain to have deposited his/her thesis by theMay deadline may request permission to participate in the Commencement ceremony. Awritten request should be made to the DGS by the advisor, confirming the following:

• that the student has submitted a draft of the dissertation to his/her fullexamination committee;

• that the student is expected to have successfully defended the dissertation by thedeposit deadline for the May degree.



27

4. SELECTED FUNDING INFORMATION

4.1. GSAS Funding

4.1.a. Conference Travel. Each year students in MA or PhD programs may apply for upto $500 through the GSAS Dean’s Student Travel Grant Program to present papers atconferences and workshops. First-time applicants in PhD programs are generally assured

funding. MA students and repeat applicants in PhD programs are funded on the basis of alottery. Funds are awarded three times a year: be sure to check application deadlines wellahead of time. Information can be found at:

http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.travelgrant

4.1.b. Summer Predoctoral Fellowships. Funding for exploratory summer research isavailable for students who will be within one year of completing all PhD requirementsexcept the dissertation by the summer for which funds are sought. Students must benominated by the department, and final selection is made by the GSAS Honors andAwards Committee. The deadline is usually in early February. For further information,

see:http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.life.fellowships

4.1.c. Dean’s Dissertation Fellowships (Write-Up). GSAS offers competitive fundingfor the last year of the dissertation write-up. Students must be nominated by thedepartment, and final selection is made by the GSAS Honors and Awards Committee.The deadline is usually in early October. For more information, see:

http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.life.fellowships

4.2. Departmental Funding

One award is made each year to an advanced PhD student inSociocultural/Linguistic anthropology from the Annette B. Weiner Fund for Cultural

Anthropology to help support field research at either the pre-dissertation or dissertationlevel. To be eligible, students must have applied elsewhere for field research funding.Selection is made by a departmental faculty committee each spring.

4.3. External Research Funding

• PhD students are encouraged to apply for external funding to supportpredissertation summer research (especially for the summer prior to submission of dissertation research proposals) as well as summer language training as needed.

• All PhD students are expected to apply to external funding agencies to support

dissertation research.



284.4. Funding/Milestone Roadmap for PhD Students



29APPENDICES

I.


New York University

APPLICATION FOR CHANGE IN ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Student Name Date Last, First

Current Committee (Head)

Proposed Committee (Head)

Reason for Change:

Director of Graduate Studies Signature



30

II.

PRE-ADVISORY STATEMENT FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

To be completed with a copy submitted to each member of your advisory committee by

[often the first Friday in April]

PREVIOUS COURSEWORK

Course Title Professor Grade Credits

Total Credits _________

CURRENT COURSES

Course Title Professor Credits

Expected Total Credits __________________

COURSES PLANNED FOR Fall 2009 SEMESTER

Course Title Professor Credits

Please attach to this form a TYPED, double-spaced rationale (1-2 pages) for what you plan to take, including a description of your progress to date and anyother information that will make the advisory session more profitable for you.



31

III.



32



33

IV.

Department of AnthropologyNew York University

MA PAPER COMMITTEE

The undersigned have agreed to serve as first reader and second reader, respectively,for the MA Paper of:

Name of Student

The Paper’s topic is:

DateSignature of First Reader

DateSignature of Second Reader



34

V.

TITLE

by

Student Name

A thesis in the Department of Anthropology submitted to the faculty of the GraduateSchool of Arts and Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Arts at New York University.

Month Year

Reader I

Reader 2



35

VI.

New York University

Graduate School of Arts and Science

MASTER THESIS READER SHEET

(APPROVAL OF TWO READERS IS REQUIRED)

Memorandum to: Professor

Please read the attached Master's Thesis of the following graduation candidate and besure to indicate specifically whether you approve or disapprove it.

Student Name: UID#

Department:

NO INDELIBLE MARKS SHOULD BE MADE ON THE MANUSCRIPT ITSELF

Please return the signed title page, and reader sheet and the manuscript by internal

registered mail or in person to the Department Administrator. The department will

submit the signed title page and two reader sheets to the Office of the University

Registrar - Graduation Services.

Approved Not Approved

When a thesis is rejected, it is desirable that adetailed statement of the reason for the rejection be filed

Comments:

Print Full Name of Reader Signature of Reader Date



36

VII.

New York University

Department of Anthropology MA Approval Sheet for

Students in the Doctoral Program

(Approval of two readers is required)

Memorandum to: Professor _______________________________________________________

Please indicate whether the attached Master’s thesis is approved as pre-PhD. work,approved for a terminal MA degree, or not approved. In the latter two cases, thestudent may request a departmental review.

Student Name: __________________________________________________________

Please return the signed title page, two reader sheets and two departmental approval

sheets. The Departmental Approval Sheets will remain in the student’s file.

□ Approved as pre-PhD. work

□ Approved for a terminal MA degree

□ Not approved

Comments:

_________________________________ ___________________________ ______ Name of Reader Signature of Reader Date

Departmental faculty review requested: □ Yes □No



37

VIII.


New York University

QUALIFYING PAPER COMMITTEE

The undersigned have agreed to serve as Chair and Reader, respectively, for theQualifying Paper of:

_____________________________________________

Name of Student

The Paper’s topic is:

________________________________________________________________________

_________________________

________________________________________________________________________

_________________________

________________________________________________________________________

_________________________

____________________________________________ Signature of Chair Date

____________________________________________

Signature of Second Reader Date



38IX.

TITLE

by

Student Name

A Qualifying Paper in the Department of Anthropology at New York University.

Month Year

Reader 1

Reader 2



39

X. New York University

Department of Anthropology Qualifying Paper Approval

Sheet

(Approval of two readers is required)

Memorandum to: Professor ________________________________________

Please indicate whether the attached Qualifying Paper is approved as pre-PhD. work. If

not approved, the student may request a departmental review.

Student Name: __________________________________________________________

Please return the signed title page, two reader sheets, two departmental approval sheets,

and the manuscript both electronically and in paper copy to the Graduate Secretary. TheDepartmental Approval Sheets will remain in the student’s file.

□ Approved as pre-PhD. work

□ Approved for a terminal M.A. degree

□ Not approved

Comments:

_________________________________ _________________________________

___________ Name of Reader Signature of Reader

Date

Departmental faculty review requested:□Yes □ No



40

XI.

PETITION FOR ADMISSION TO THE PhD PROGRAM

Department of AnthropologyNew York University

Date submitted

Name

ID#

Address

Street City State Zip

Phone

MA DEGREE: Date Expected Date Received

Proposed Major Field

Areas of Special Interest [1]

[2][3]

Proposed Advisors: Approval Signatures:

Principal

Second

Third

[Fourth]

SEE INSTRUCTIONS ON REVERSE SIDE

PROVISIONAL PROGRAM OF STUDY



41

A statement of your provisional program of study for the PhD degree should be

attached. It should be typed, double-spaced and not exceed five pages.

The program should be drawn up with the advice and approval of your

advisors. It is NOT a proposal for writing a PhD dissertation. Rather, it is an

outline of your (see reverse side) interests and goals, and how you can best use

your time to fulfill them in the PhD program. The statement should include:

[1] A statement of why you have selected the three areas of interest and howthey fit in with your proposed career and research interests in anthropology.

[2] A list of relevant courses you have already taken and propose to take.These should be justified with a statement of how they meet your needs and

goals. Courses should not be chosen just because they are available next year inthe anthropology department. The full resources of the university and theconsortium program should be considered to best fulfill your requirements.

[3] Some idea of what your PhD dissertation topic will be, how you chose itand how it fits into the larger anthropological picture.

[4] A statement of the time frame in which you expect to complete allrequirements for the PhD degree.

Signature Date



42

XII.

MEMORANDUM TO: Director of Graduate Studies

FROM: The PhD Advisory Committee

DATE:

RE: Oral Interview on Research Proposal

The following members of the advisory committee attended an oral interview on thedoctoral research proposal of:

and have formally approved it.

The title of the proposal is:

Name

Committee Head

Documents

Anth Handbook 17sep11