mutualist007

You have a good plan and the background to support it. I see no issues there. Good luck!

I'm starting my list as well for either molecular anthropology programs or Health and human biology type programs. Taking all suggestions. Also, is it true that some of the UK schools only require part time residence? I ask because I am considering all options as I wrap up the Master's degrees.

^BUMP^ My guess is that no part-time PhD programs exist. I have heard that some places do not mind accepting students who are working.

Option 3 is really just a last chance, last resort option. I would choose that if that was the only way I could meet my income and life needs. I am really hoping to find a combination of 1&2

I concur. Anthro club was was fun but took time away from research related work. As an officer it took a lot of my time, though it went toward good things like organizing events and arranging guest lectures. Make sure clubs don't take time away from original research, field experiences and presenting at conferences.

In regards to your husband's career - go slow and maybe suggest a mobile service where everything he needs is on a truck and not connected to a building. Angie's List and other online referral systems are good - there may even be a guild. Pregancy - may obviously present some hurdles. Travel is necessary, but I've known PhD candidates and others who travel only in the summers or at most 4 months at a time. In other words, they do it in non-contiguous blocks. What is your subfield? If you went to Law School I would suggest pursunig Legal and political Anthropology and "study up" at political systems in the Americas. You could definitely do this in short bursts of travel without having to do a Malinowski. Subfield choice will matter as far as travel is concerned. Archaeology (including Bioarch) and Cultural Anthropology will probably require the most travel. You might could get away with less field time doing Molecular or maybe Forensic Anthropology. Not sure about linuguistic anth. Good luck!

I have an undergraduate background in Anthro and I am working on a dual Masters in Public Health and Anthropology. I do not think the fully funded and bonded PhD path is for me (starting family and work) unless I get lucky and find a place close to family that has a lab and also has great funding. In lieu of that I am interested in part-time residency programs either outside the US or in the US if they are offered. Here are the alternative options I am considering: 1. Enroll in a research based, minimal coursework (for weak areas not previously covered and relevant to research) program abroad or US, part time resident and from distance. 2. Find a program that allows students work full time off-campus and attend school part time. 3. Get a funded PhD in something else (Genetic Epidemiology) and then hope that I may can get a teaching job in Anthropology or work and teach adjunct. Do programs exist that allow student's these options? Will I be competitive or have a chance teaching Anthropology if I end up with a closely related degree outside Anthropology like Public Health or Bio? Thanks!

The few I know about now (limited to where I can move) are UTK, UFL, UOK, and KU. I am also looking for part-time residency programs in the US or abroad.

I am looking too and tagging along. I am working on a dual Masters in Anthro and Public Health and hope to also speak with professors working genetic epidemiology. I will post my recommendations soon.

Does anyone know anything about this? I prefer on site classes, but this could be a viable option that gives me more flexibility to work and attend classes. Thoughts on the reputation of the program?

I would prefer the Canadian system to the one in the US. I sometimes view US accreditation as akin to being part of a paid membership club.

Which schools do not require the GRE? I would check their accreditation status and background them maybe.

The short version: I am going into my second year of my Masters work in medical anthropology, but I am having issues with thesis research. False starts and closed doors restricting access to interviews and information, with a serious conflict of interest (company's demands) that short circuited IRB approval. So now I am on the hunt again. Like anthropology, I discovered public health late and feel like I am hurrying to catch up. Two of my recent biological anthropology classes included a lot of epidemiology and public health articles, and I found a new thirst for knowledge. But I am afraid that my undergraduate degree in anthropology is not a highly preferred background among committees for epidemiology programs. Here are my questions/concerns: Should I take more biology classes? This fall I will be taking intro to molecular biology and a biostatistics course to fulfill my research skills requirement; Should I take more? What kinds of thesis research in medical or biological anthropology would help make me a better MPH candidate? What kinds of organizations would let me volunteer and collect data? Or should I find people to interview on my own. What else should I do to increase my chances of being accepted? PS - Not talking about top ranked schools - mostly unranked or underneath the top 20 ranked programs (whatever that means). My undergrad GPA was 3.82 and my current graduate GPA is 4.01 - I plan to retake the GRE to move it from 1100 range to whatever the new equivalent for 1250-1350 would be.

I am working on a Masters in Anthropology right now and I am having a bugger of a time getting "ins" for ethnographic research. I oroginally focussed on biological anthropology and archaeology as an undergraduate, came in to graduate school with that in mind and then found myself more interested in human health. I then picked up the mantle of medical anthropology. And then, I still found that it was extrememly difficult getting in on research opportunities. Where should I look to gain access to an internship and research? I have had zero luck so far; well I did have on opportunity, but it ended up being a conflict of itnerest becaseu the compnay was a genetic geneology company that was asking me to do marketing assignments that conflicted with my ability to speak to outside clients objectively. I am also looking for general advice on how to prepare. I am mostly interested in epidemiology, but I might consider environmetal. I suspect the PH administrator I spoke with last winter expected me to come in pursuing health promotion because of my interest in medical anthropology. I am taking an undergraduate class in Molecular Biology and taking Biostatistics for Public Health this fall. What else should I consider to beef up my prior coursework? I will start my own thread, but I would be extremely grateful if perhaps, some of these neophyte questions were answered here.

Definitely

I hate to say it but it looks like I hijacked this thread. I just hope the op got something useful from it all. Learn something from the good comments here. My message to them: Be about as perfect as possible AND have a silver tongue. I admit, I very am pessimistic and cynical right now. More than ever I feel that Bourdieu was right. I curse myself for not being fully invested in "playing the game" and positioning myself better. "Capital" dependence is inescapable. But here are quotes from the responses above that haunt me: "don't look back" & " - their brains just deal with academia differently."

Qualifications... makes sense. We call them comprehensive exams. I was more literal than you think. By social I mean literally, social aspect as in building rapport and the whole chewing the fat and getting to know someone. I guess I'm so anxious about the future and the present that I find it hard not to be in "business" mode and tunnel visioned when I am on campus. It might be time to ask straight up what I can do to be more "competitive". I don't want to have the "competitive mindset" but its a must when you are behind (assuming so because some have funding and I don't) and you are making a life commitment to a field of study. And we all know from conversations about school rankings and funding that the field is very competitive. Double that for finding a job when you graduate. I don't think it's needy at all when you take success seriously. I'm trying to understand logically where I am ranked and if I am not in the top tier, then I should probably consider another career option.

I'm new to this side of the forum and I hope I can learn more and network the library sciences world. Currently, I'm an anthropology graduate student that would like to double up and earn an MLIS degree. My goal is to work as a research specialist in an academic library, and hopefully still be able to contribute to anthropology (and invent new recipes and write a few novels). I am also interested in digital curation as a research interest and career skill. Because I am still in my first Masters program I need a school with an online component, but I still would like to take some classes on campus or during special break sessions. Thanks!

Thanks for starting this thread! I am currently in an Anthropology masters program, but I would like to have both degrees and focus on research. Even though I worked in instruction before, I know now that I in no way a political player or socializer, which (I know) I think is required to be successful in teaching and obtaining tenure.

You seem overly qualified.... Wow. I agree with the others that it must be an issue of "fit". You may not be allowed to have your own research agenda. I've come to think of "fit" as applying to be a staff member on the faculty member's research team.

What are quals? How important is the social and exposure factor to getting funding? I am starting to feel that there are a lot of social and cultural capital compatibility issues that are important that I am missing or do not understand.

I replied but decided to not steal thunder with my own woes. I don't think age should matter but I do believe that it becomes an exponentially increased factor later. It seems that there is a huge surplus of graduates in their early to mid 20s who are very eager and privileged with time and resources to devote a lot of time and money to pursuing anthropology. Makes it hard to compete if you've been bridled and yoked with post-college responsibilities. And it IS a competitive ranked system with privileged access to study materials and funding. Do you have time to travel and spend weeks or months or years in research? Can you save money by living with 2-3 roommates? That's what the over 30 crowd is up against. You still have time, and you are in a good location with lots of good schools. Have you considered Archaeology and Museum studies?

I am going into my second semester and just received a letter in the mail saying I would not be receiving funding next semester (again). Honestly, I do not know what to do. I know some people are gung ho about debt, but the reality is I will be stuck with it and I don't know if I can sink down another 5 grand next semester. So to address the original post, I wouldn't accept and go to those schools unless they offered a funding package up front. Or the next question will be; How do you get funding after attending one semester? Think about it. The question is really a big one. Besides grades and GRE, what does one do to earn notice and get funding after being admitted?

I would say our cross-listed classes are 15% graduate students approximately - There are about 35 +/-5 students in the classes; about 5-6 in each class are graduate students. Don't get me wrong, I think the profs are great and the school is great, and though I will be repeating material, I expect it will be a good practice and reinforcement, and different anyway because different faculty will be teaching it. I didn't mean to put it down; I was merely surprised and curious if what I experienced was normal.

I took your suggestion ktel... but I now find I have to make time as in be around when people are available to interact. My problem is that I live off campus and have to jet out after class, or I have not been hanging around for the impromptu convos.