May 09, 2024  
2024-2025 General Catalog 
  
2024-2025 General Catalog

Anthropology and Cultural Resource Management - PhD


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College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

The PhD program in Anthropology and Cultural Resource Management trains a new generation of scholars to engage with and manage cultural resources and their derivative data in a time of rapidly changing political and biophysical environments. The program design meets the logistical, intellectual, and economic needs of 21st-century students by providing access to a blended post-graduate education built around skill-based certifications and the advanced degrees required by academia and for professional practice in government and private-sector cultural resource management (CRM).

Students who complete a doctoral program in Anthropology and Cultural Resource Management will have the skills necessary to identify, interpret, and conserve cultural resources; analyze the interplay between humans and their environment; and communicate the importance of cultural resources and long-term population data to various stakeholders. The program leverages USU faculty strengths in social-ecological and evolutionary theory, data analytics, cultural resource management, and museum studies to create student-centered outcomes focused on transferable skills and competencies in theory, data analytics, and communication.

Program Requirements

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.

All PhD coursework must be completed with a grade of B or higher. Exceptions for grades below a B can be offered for a maximum of 6 credits, at the discretion of the supervisory committee. Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree. Credits in the following areas are not acceptable in a degree program: foreign languages (unless included in an approved Program of Study), continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, military science, and courses numbered below 3000.

To fulfill USU graduate residence requirements, at least 33 semester credits for the doctoral degree must be taken from Utah State University and be part of an approved Program of Study. At least three semesters, two of which must be consecutive, of full-time registration in residence at Utah State University, is required.

Doctoral candidates must pass a written comprehensive examination in their major area of specialization, and successfully write and defend a dissertation proposal and dissertation before their supervisory committee.

Completion of the PhD requires the approval of the following forms by the School of Graduate Studies:

  • Supervisory Committee
  • Program of Study
  • Application for Candidacy
  • Thesis Approval
  • Appointment for Examination
  • Record of Examination
  • SGS and library review and approval

I. Requirements for Students Entering With a Master’s Degree


PhD students who have already earned a master’s degree in Anthropology or a closely related field are required to earn a minimum 33 credits from USU to complete their doctoral degree (30 credits if the student received their MS in Anthropology from USU).

Students can follow one of several tracks as they earn a PhD. These include a traditional PhD consisting of a suite of core and elective courses, or a student can combine two certificates with a set of core courses. Students can also base their degrees on a single certificate, but in such cases, will need to choose an additional six elective courses to round out their degree. Regardless of the format, a Doctoral degree consists of 68-72 credit hours of coursework, comprehensive exams, internship, and dissertation. A minimum of 12 dissertation credits is required if the student has a master’s degree and a minimum of 18 dissertation credits is required if the student is entering the program with only a bachelor’s degree. The semesters during which a student registers for dissertation credit should correspond as closely as possible to the semesters in which the dissertation work is done and faculty supervision is provided.

1. Traditional Track


2. Certificate Concentration Tracks


Students may base their PhD Curriculum on the combination of two certificates and a set of core classes or a single certificate, a set of core courses, and an additional six electives.

Archaeological Date Analytics (18 credits)


Certificate Curriculum

Additional Core Courses

To be determined in consultation with supervisory committee.

Cultural Resource Management Policy, Advocacy, and Administration


Museum Administration and Collections Management Policy


3. Dissertation Research (12 credits)


Completion of 12 credits of dissertation research.

4. Archaeology Field School


Please note: an approved field school or equivalent experience is required for admission as a matriculated student. Field school credits do not count toward the MS degree.

II. Requirements for Students Entering with a Bachelor’s Degree


Exceptionally well-qualified applicants who have completed an undergraduate degree in Anthropology or a closely related discipline and who demonstrate outstanding potential for success in the pursuit of doctoral-level training may be considered for admission directly into the PhD program. A minimum of 59 credits beyond the Bachelor’s degree are required for the doctoral degree for students who enter the program without first completing a master’s degree. Specific minimum requirements include the following:

1. Traditional Track


2. Certificate Concentration Track


Students may base their PhD Curriculum on the combination of two certificates and a set of core classes or a single certificate, a set of core courses, and an additional six electives.

Archaeological Data Analytics (18 credits)


Certificate Curriculum

Additional Core Courses

To be determined in consultation with supervisory committee.

Cultural Resource Management Policy, Advocacy, and Administration (18 credits)


Museum Administration and Collections Management Policy (18 credits)


3. Dissertation Research (18 hours)


Completion of 18 credits of dissertation research.

4. Comprehensive Exams


Master’s degree granted upon completion of comprehensive examinations.

5. Archaeology Field School


Please note: an approved field school or equivalent experience is required for admission as a matriculated student. Field school credits do not count toward the MS degree.

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