GRADUATE STUDIES

Master's Degree

The Department of Anthropology awards both MA and MS degrees. After a student has finished the necessary course work and qualifying exam s/he must submit a "Petition to Graduate - Master's Candidate" Form (obtained from the Graduate Coordinator in the department office). This form allows the student to designate the MA or MS degree which will be approved by the Graduate School on the basis of grades and the types of courses that have been taken. Students who want to receive a MS degree should consult with the major professor as soon as possible after admission to determine which courses are appropriate to satisfy the MS requirement.
 

Double Degree is two degrees from two separate graduate majors. This usually occurs at the MA level. To receive a double degree you must 1) satisfy all of the requirements from both majors, 2) meet the graduate school credit requirements for both majors, and 3) have no more that 25% overlap.
 

Dual Degree is two degrees, one from which is granted from a graduate major and the other granted from one of the profession schools (Medical School, Law School or the School of Veterinary Medicine). You must be admitted to both programs and must satisfy all requirements for each degree. If you have any questions contact the Graduate Coordinator at 262-2868.
 

Joint Master's Degree

In order to pursue a Joint Master's degree a student must submit a single proposal approved by both majors (departments). This proposal will include the reasons for seeking a joint degree and the course work involved to complete the degree. This proposal must be submitted no later than the beginning of the second year of graduate study. The requirements for a Joint Master's are available from the Graduate Coordinator and are outlined in the Graduate School Student Handbook.
 

Ph.D. Degree

Because the Ph.D. program is not based on completion of course work alone, the guidance of a prospective Ph.D. candidate and the development of his/her program beyond the point of admission is a matter for mutual arrangement between the student and the personnel of the major field in which s/he is specializing. Students will have completed the Graduate School Ph.D. requirements by the time s/he has reached the Preliminary Examination stage. In some cases, s/he may complete the Preliminary Examination without having completed the minor requirements, but until all requirements have been completed, s/he cannot be advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D.

Guidance through the Ph.D. program is provided by the major professor in addition to the Ph.D. Advisory and Reading Committee.
 

Ph.D. Advisory and Reading Committee.

The permanent major professor in consultation with the student will select two additional appropriate faculty members, at least one from the same major field as the major professor, to act as the Ph.D. Advisory Committee for the student. This committee is responsible for the guidance of the student in completion of requirements in the major field, minor field, language competence, and dissertation. It functions as the Reading Committee for the candidate's dissertation.
 

Ph.D. Final Oral Exam Committee

The Ph.D. final oral committee must consist of at least 5 current graduate faculty members from the University of Wisconsin-Madison who are of either assistant, associate, or full professorial rank; with at least one of the five from outside the major department.
 

Joint Major for Ph.D. Degree.

At the Ph.D. level, each of the departments concerned must stipulate the required content of its portion of the doctoral program. Passing Preliminary Examinations in both departments is expected. The departments will place on file with the Graduate School the nature of their requirements for those involved in joint programs. The intention to pursue a joint degree should be indicated to the Graduate School no later than the beginning of the second year of graduate study.
 

Minor Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
 

Ph.D. candidates in Anthropology must elect a minor subject in a single related field or in various departments which will be selected in consultation with the candidate's advisor. A GPA of 3.0 must be maintained in the minor. All courses must be 300 level or above, taken after the bachelor's degree (or equivalent). Ordinarily, only one course (maximum 3 credits) of independent study is allowed (for instance 699, 799, 999). You may not use 990 or 890 (research and thesis) courses for your minor. The number of credits you are allowed to use from prior to admission to the Ph.D. major is decided by the minor department. Courses with grades of S (satisfactory) or CR (credit) are acceptable.
 

There are two options for completion of the minor. Whether the student selects Option A, or Option B, the minor is designed to represent a coherent body of work, and should not simply be an after-the-fact ratification of a number of courses taken outside the major department. To ensure coherence, a minor program must be approved by the appropriate department no later than half-way through the minor course sequence and a copy of the minor agreement placed on file in the Department.
 

Credits earned toward a Master's degree at another university may be used to satisfy some of the requirements for the minor, provided these credits are not in Anthropology.
 

Explanation of Options:
 

(1) Minor Option A. To satisfy Minor Option A, a student must complete at least 10 credits from a degree program outside his/her major department. Some minor department require more credits, i.e., History Department requires 12 credits. One course cross-listed with the major may be used for the minor so long as it is staffed by the minor department and is not applicable to any requirements of the major. Be sure to check with the minor department on their minor requirements.
 

(2) Minor Option B. To satisfy Minor Option B, a student must complete at least 10 credits from two or more degree programs outside or from within another field in his/her major department. One course cross-listed with the major may be used for this minor so long as it is staffed by one of the outside programs, and is not applicable to any requirements of the major; or 10 credits of course work from one field (or area of specialization) other than the major area of study. Intersectional students must meet the minor course requirements outside the departmental sections represented on their faculty committee. The Option B distributed minor is approved by the chair of the major department.
 

Criteria for Student Progress

• Cumulative Grade Point Average. A GPA of 3.5. No less than 3.0 during the 1st year; must have a 3.5 thereafter.
   
• Course Load. Full-time course load of 9-12 credits per semester. The full-time course load for Teaching Assistants who are not dissertators has been set at a minimum of 6 credits. Full-time for dissertators is 3 credits.

Incompletes

• Students are not permitted to carry more than 3 incomplete credits at any one time.
• Incompletes in excess of 3 credits are counted as "F" for purposes of GPA until removed.
• Incompletes must be made up by the end of the following semester during which the student is registered. Incompletes not cleared by that time become "unsatisfactory grades."

Examination Schedule (Please see sectional requirements for further details.)

1. Graduate students are encouraged to take the Qualifying Examinations no later than the fourth (4th) semester in residence.
2. They must pass the Qualifying Examinations no later than the sixth (6th) semester in residence.
3. They will normally take the Preliminary Examinations no later than the third (3rd) semester in residence after passage of Qualifying Examinations.
4. They must pass the Preliminary Examinations no later than the fifth (5th) semester following passage of the Qualifying Examinations.

• Dissertation Topic Approval
  Graduate Students must have an approved Ph.D. dissertation proposal no later than the semester following passage of the Preliminary Examination.
• Dissertation Completion
  Students must complete and defend the doctoral dissertation within five years after passage of the Preliminary Examination.
• Progress Criteria for students may be waived in special circumstances, such as illness late in the semester. This is to be stated in writing, and approved by the student's advisor. For Archaeology and Biological Sections, it must also be approved by the section and signed by the Department chair. Students will be notified of progress criteria upon passage of Qualifying and Preliminary Examinations and upon achievement of Dissertator Status.
• Leaves of Absence
  The Department policy is that students may request a leave of absence for up to one year for predissertators. Dissertators must be registered even while doing field work. The written leave of absence guarantees reentry to the program if the student applies to the graduate school for readmission within the specified time period. Students are not guaranteed readmission into the program if requested after the specified time period but within the 5-year time frame offered by the Graduate School. Students will be considered with the new admission pool of students.

The criterion listed above applies equally to all students whether or not they are financially supported. Students are also responsible for meeting all Graduate School regulations. The Department will notify students of relevant progress criteria at appropriate times during graduate study (e.g., after passage of qualifying and preliminary examinations). If a student does not meet appropriate progress criteria, the student will be dropped from the graduate program.