Anthropology: Neotropical Environment (Ph.D.)
Offered by: Anthropology (Faculty of Arts)
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Program Description
All new Neotropical Environment students will be encouraged to spend the month of August (prior to September admission) in Panama to take their first core course and familiarize themselves with the country.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Required Courses (18 credits)
If admitted to Ph.D. 2.
Note: To ensure that students understand prior research, they must define three subfields that intersect with the thesis topic.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 602 | Theory 1. | 3 |
Theory 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of theories and methods employed in anthropology. | ||
| ANTH 603 | Theory 2. | 3 |
Theory 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of theories and methods employed in anthropology. | ||
| ANTH 609D1 | Proseminar in Anthropology. | 3 |
Proseminar in Anthropology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of professional skills in the field of anthropology. | ||
| ANTH 609D2 | Proseminar in Anthropology. | 3 |
Proseminar in Anthropology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of professional skills in the field of anthropology. | ||
| ANTH 701 | PhD Comprehensive Examination. | 0 |
PhD Comprehensive Examination. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A comprehensive examination of two topics (one thesis related, one cognate field), set by the program committee, that must be successfully passed by all doctoral candidates in order to continue in the doctoral program . | ||
| ANTH 702 | PhD Proposal Defence. | 0 |
PhD Proposal Defence. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Preparation and defence of a dissertation proposal that surveys relevant literature, develops a research question(s), identifies a methodology to test the question, and outlines the limitations and implications of the proposed work. | ||
| BIOL 640 | Tropical Biology and Conservation. | 3 |
Tropical Biology and Conservation. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Long-term research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute will be organized and synthesized to examine historical assembly and ecological maintenance of tropical communities. This synthesis will draw on phylogenetic concepts for historical insight and will examine the probable resilience of these communities to global change, pollution and biodiversity loss. | ||
| ENVR 610 | Foundations of Environmental Policy. | 3 |
Foundations of Environmental Policy. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Analysis of current environmental policies to reveal implicit and explicit assumptions regarding scientific methods, hypothesis testing, subject/object, causality, certainty, deities, health, development, North-South concerns for resources, commons, national sovereignty, equity. Discussion of implications of such assumptions for building future environmental policies. | ||
Complementary Courses (6 credits)
6 credits, at the 500, 600, or 700 level, selected from courses within and/or outside the department relevant to the student's research area and in consultation with the student's supervisor and advisory committee. At least 3 of the 6 credits must also be pre-approved by the Neotropical Environment Director.
Elective Courses (0-24 credits)
A maximum of 24 credits at the 500 level or higher can be taken inside or outside the Department (e.g., language training, methodological training, history or regional studies courses).
Language Requirement
A language examination, normally French, must be passed before an oral examination of the research proposal may be scheduled. Francophone students can satisfy the language requirement by demonstrating competency in English. The purpose of the language requirement is to ensure that the student has access to anthropological literature in at least two languages. Under special circumstances, a language other than English or French may be substituted, provided that there is sufficient anthropological literature on the student's research topic in that language.
The Ethics application and the language exam must be submitted before the proposal defence. They can be submitted at any point during PhD2 and PhD3 (before the date of the proposal defence is chosen.)
If admitted to Ph.D. 1.
In addition to the above requirements, 15 credits from courses at the 500 level or higher within and/or outside of the Department relevant to the student’s research area in consultation with the student’s supervisor and/or PhD committee.