Your Thoughts on Ranking Canadian Anthro PhD Programs

[Canis]

I would be interested to hear everyone's thoughts on Canadian PhD programs in terms of 'prestige.' Of course here in the U.S. I have a sense of how to rank schools - it's easy to 'feel' the prestige of degrees from Cornell, Duke, Columbia, etc. But with the Canadian programs?

 

How would you rank an anthropology PhD from University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, York University, Simon Fraser, and McGill? Any others within the top programs in Canada? Would McGill be at the top or would York or Toronto?

 

This question was inspired by discussions with my advisors about the post-PhD teaching job market, and the importance of a recognizable degree from a school considered to have 'prestige.' Obviously that's setting aside research fit, interests, funding, and all the other very important factors in deciding between schools.

 

 

[anthropologygeek]

Ut, UBC, and Albany are well recognized in the physical side at least and just as prestigious as any other physical programs

[Canis]

Ut, UBC, and Albany are well recognized in the physical side at least and just as prestigious as any other physical programs

 

Thanks for this feedback - much appreciated! My advisors have told me UofT, York, and UBC are the best Anthro programs in Canada - I wonder how Canadian students see them - and also wonder how U.S. schools see these degrees in terms of teaching?

[pears]

I have a fantastic professor who went to SFU, probably for research fit (prehistoric PacNW, social evolutionary theory). She's awesome, but it's hard to say whether the SFU PhD was helpful; she's a fantastic writer and editor, an all around great professor, and really involved in fieldwork and professional groups. That said, I got the impression from her class that UBC is very well regarded, and UofT. It probably depends on your area of focus, though.

[Canis]

I have a fantastic professor who went to SFU, probably for research fit (prehistoric PacNW, social evolutionary theory). She's awesome, but it's hard to say whether the SFU PhD was helpful; she's a fantastic writer and editor, an all around great professor, and really involved in fieldwork and professional groups. That said, I got the impression from her class that UBC is very well regarded, and UofT. It probably depends on your area of focus, though.

 

Thank you - SFU has some great faculty so that doesn't surprise me actually.

[Quirky]

I have a bit of a problem with this actually (respected programs with what I want to do), my interests lie in material/visual culture and museum anthropology of the Caribbean (more specifically The Bahamas), and I have found programs in the UK (Oxford, UCL, Cambridge) but can't seem to find any in North America. I've applied to UoT for a PhD in Anthropology because of their strong Caribbean studies and so on but where the heck can I get my material culture?

[lackingpatience]

I would be interested to hear everyone's thoughts on Canadian PhD programs in terms of 'prestige.' Of course here in the U.S. I have a sense of how to rank schools - it's easy to 'feel' the prestige of degrees from Cornell, Duke, Columbia, etc. But with the Canadian programs?

 

How would you rank an anthropology PhD from University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, York University, Simon Fraser, and McGill? Any others within the top programs in Canada? Would McGill be at the top or would York or Toronto?

 

This question was inspired by discussions with my advisors about the post-PhD teaching job market, and the importance of a recognizable degree from a school considered to have 'prestige.' Obviously that's setting aside research fit, interests, funding, and all the other very important factors in deciding between schools.

 

As a Canadian who applied to a bunch of these schools for undergrad, and some for post grad, in terms of overall prestige of the school UofT and McGill are highly regarded. That being said, I think the most important factor is the departmental focus. UBC's anthro department is very respected for it's work on Native/Indigenous culture, U of T has a great East Asian anthropology department, etc. I did my undergrad at McGill and absolutely loved the department - my research area is legal/political anthropology, something that McGill's department focuses on. 

 

I'm curious to know what Canadian schools have any name recognition in the states. Most people here seem to think that U of T and McGill (and perhaps UBC) are the most widely recognized internationally. 

 

All in all, I think department fit generally trumps prestige as you pointed out. Of course, my opinion might be a little biased as a proud McGill-er, but I was accepted to McGill and U of T for undergrad and am very happy with my choice so far  

[Canis]

Quirky: you're the only other student I've found on the forum so far who has applied to UofT for Anthropology Phd. I applied there as well. I spoke with lots of faculty and students and it sounds like they have a very hard time getting funding for international students. What did you hear when you talked to them while applying?

 

LackingPatience: McGill is the only Canadian university I had ever heard of until I applied to PhD programs. My advisors told me that they considered UofT, UBC, and York to also be very good schools, comparable to top US schools.