The Medical Anthropology specialization assures broad training in contemporary theory and
method in anthropology to prepare students for both academic and non-academic positions.
Among specific fields of interest are gender and health, reproduction and sexuality,
ethnomedicine, chronic diseases, political economy of health, international health,
bioethics, and health, immigration and development. Courses in the medical anthropology track
explore health, healing, and ethics in cross-cultural perspective, including a focus on the
culture and practices of biomedicine. Our program has established links with the
SMU Women’s Studies Program and the
Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility
. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center also provides
opportunities for research and involvement with the Ethics in Science and Medicine Program.
Group A: Required Courses (General) (9 hours)
ANTH
5344 - History of Anthropology
ANTH
6312 - Contemporary Theory
ANTH
6302 or other statistics course
NOTE: The Statistics requirement
may be waived with a grade of B or better in an undergraduate course for which
the student submits a syllabus for review. Students may substitute STAT 2331 for
ANTH 6302 by enrolling in an independent study in ANTH and fulfilling all the
requirements for STAT 2331. Students may also enroll in STAT 5371 and 5372 if
they want Advanced Statistical Training. These courses will fulfill the
requirement and are strongly suggested. These options should be discussed
with the Director of Graduate Studies.
Group B: Required Courses in Ethnology(18
hours)
ANTH 5344 - Research Methods
ANTH 6320 - Regional Ethnography
ANTH 7333 - Data Analysis
ANTH 7341 - Current Literature
ANTH 7342 - Social Organization
ANTH 7351 - Research Strategies
and
ANTH 6034 - Teaching Seminar
Group C: Courses in Specialization
Core Courses (6 hours)
ANTH 5336 - Anthropology and Medicine
ANTH 6343 - Health and Medical Systems
Electives (21 hours of which 2
courses need to be on medical topics)
ANTH 5359 - Linguistics
ANTH 6307 - International Health
ANTH 6317 - Advanced Seminar in Ethnology: Gender and Health
ANTH 6384 - Global Issues and Development: An Overview
ANTH 6305 - Applied Anthropology
ANTH 6303 - Political Economy of Health (new course)
ANTH 63xx - Political
Economy of Health (New course)
ANTH 6344 - Global Population Issues: An Anthropological Approach
ANTH 6327 - Gendered Lives and Global Change
ANTH 6346 - Environmental Anthropology and Development
ANTH 6316 - Seminar in Ethnology (Special Topics)
WS 6300 - Advanced Feminist Theory
ANTH 6351, 6352 —Independent Studies
ANTH 6309/6390 - Current Issues in Anthropology
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MA General Examination
Students who wish to continue to the Ph.D. program are
required to show strong proficiency in a
General Examinationtaken at
the end of their second year of coursework. Entering students will be provided
with a
Bibliography
of key works in cultural anthropology and a set of guiding critical issues in
the field that will help to structure their reading of the items on the
bibliography. The bibliography, together with material covered in courses during
the first two years, will provide the foundation for the MA general examination.
The exam will be administered on the first day of the
spring semester examination period. Students will answer two of three possible
questions during the morning and two of three possible questions during the
afternoon. There will be a 1.5-hour time limit for each question. The questions
will be synthetic in nature and broad enough so that students can bring their
special knowledge (e.g.: in medical anthropology, in a particular region of the
world) to bear in answering the question.
The exam will be graded by two members of the cultural
anthropology faculty in residence at the time that the exam is administered.
Each question will be given either a "Pass with distinction", "Pass", "Low
pass",or "Fail" by each faculty member. In the case of a difference of opinion, a
third faculty member will read the question. The entire cultural anthropology
faculty in residence at the time of the exam will gather as a group to assess
and assign the overall grade on each student's exam. Admission to the Ph.D.
program is contingent on achieving a Pass or higher on the complete exam.
Students who receive a grade of "Low pass" on their exam are awarded a Masters
of Arts in Anthropology and will not be admitted to the Ph.D. program. Students
who fail the exams will not receive a degree and will not be allowed to continue
in the program. No students will be allowed to retake the examinations.
NOTE: Students in their
first year of residence when these changes take effect will also be expected to
take the General (MA) Examination at the end of their second year. Failure to
take these exams at the specified time can result in dismissal from the program.
Only serious extenuating circumstances will be considered as a reason for
postponement and these must be presented in the form of a well-documented
petition to the Department Chair for approval by a majority of the anthropology
faculty. No written exams will be given during the summer.
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Ph.D. Qualifying Committee
Upon successful completion of the General Exam, students
should establish their Ph.D. Qualifying Exam committee, including the Chair of
the committee, if they have not done so by that time. This Committee must be set
up in accordance with university guidelines and approved by the Committee Chair.
The list of members should then be filed with the Department Director of
Graduate Studies and the Dean of Research and Graduate Studies. Students should
begin to work with this committee to formulate their regional and theoretical
interests.
Ph.D. Qualifying Examination and the Ph.D. Proposal
Defense
The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination consists of two parts: a
take-home written exam and a proposal defense.
Written Exam
No later than the 6th week of the sixth
semester (or no later than the 6th week of the semester in which
students are completing course work) students will take a written Ph.D.
Qualifying Examination. This exam will be tailored to the student’s research
topic, and will be set and evaluated by the student’s Advisor and Committee.
There will be two questions in the area of specialization, one on the region of
research, the other on methodological and/or theoretical matters related to the
proposed research. This will be a take-home exam, with a time limit of one week.
Each answer should be no more than 15 typed double-spaced
pages (Times-Roman 12 point font, 1 inch margins). Each answer should include a
bibliography of sources referenced (not counted in the page limit). Students are
expected to comply with the Honor Code of the University when taking these
exams.
The Qualifying Examination will receive a written
evaluation from the student's committee. This will identify strengths and
weaknesses, and suggest areas of further study as necessary. A student may be
asked to rewrite a paper that does not show sufficient grasp of a subject area.
NOTE: Failure to take these
exams at the specified time can result in dismissal from the program. Only
serious extenuating circumstances will be considered as a reason for
postponement and these must be presented in the form of a well-documented
petition to the Department Chair for approval by a majority of the anthropology
faculty. No examinations will be offered in the summer.
Proposal Defense:
During the sixth semester students are expected to
complete the proposal of their planned research project. Students must submit
this proposal to members of their committee at least one month in advance of the
scheduled date of their proposal defense to allow time for revisions. All
faculty members on the students committee must receive a final version of the
proposal two weeks in advance of the proposal defense date. Late submissions
will not be accepted.
The Ph.D. Proposal Defense will occur no later than the
final day of classes of the final semester of course work (normally the sixth
semester). The proposal will be defended orally before the student's committee.
Suggestions for changes or improvements made by the committee during the defense
must be included in a final draft before it is submitted for funding.
It is the student’s responsibility to adhere to this
schedule, to insure adequate time for resubmitting revised drafts, and for
insuring that committee members will be available for the exam and defense. It
is the Advisor’s responsibility to schedule the exam and defense with the
assistance of the Departmental Administrative Assistant.
The Department’s Director of Graduate Studies, with the
assistance of the Departmental Administrative Assistant, is responsible for
tracking the student’s progress in completing course and language requirements.
The language requirement (explained elsewhere in this document) must be
successfully completed prior to the defense of the Ph.D. proposal.
Ph.D. Candidacy (ABD)
Ph.D. Candidacy is conferred upon the completion of 54
hours of coursework, completion of the language requirement, successful
completion of the written qualifying exam and successful defense of a
dissertation proposal.
Teacher Training and Teaching Practicum
During the second semester of the first year students are
required to take a one-hour non-credit teacher-training seminar (ANTH 6034). An
outline of this seminar is included in Appendix 3.
During the final semester of course work students will
enroll in a 3-credit teaching practicum. This practicum can take one of several
formats: team-teaching with a faculty member, team-teaching with another student
under the supervision of a faculty-member; teaching alone under the supervision
of a faculty member.
Preparing for the Ph.D. Dissertation
After successfully completing and defending their research
proposal, students must constitute their dissertation committee (which may be
the same as their Ph.D. qualifying exam committee). Students must communicate to
the Director of Graduate Studies, in writing, the composition of the Committee,
and must include a C.V. of the outside Committee member. Students will then
conduct their dissertation field research.
When they return from the field, students
enroll for an additional six hours of dissertation writing. Doctoral students
should complete their dissertations within five years after being admitted to
candidacy.
Committee members must receive a final draft of the
dissertation well in advance of the scheduled oral defense. (This draft must be
approved by all members of the committee before scheduling the oral defense.)
After consultation with the Chair of the Committee and all Committee members,
the student should schedule the defense through the Director of Graduate
Studies. Doctoral students are encouraged to complete their dissertations within
three to five years after being admitted to candidacy. Students defend their
Dissertations in an open forum to which all members of the University community
is invited. Any additional recommendations raised at that time should be
incorporated in the final version of the Dissertation.
The Dean of Research and Graduate Studies
does not permit students to claim full-time status (by registering for 8049) for
more than five years after admission to candidacy, whether they are full or part
time, and will not certify students as full-time after this period.
Post-Doctoral Teaching
Students who complete all Ph.D. requirements within six
years may be offered a one-year Visiting Assistant Professorship in the
Department, and the opportunity to teach three courses per semester for the next
two semesters.
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