Why Pursue a PhD in Anthropology
Environmental anthropology develops empirical understandings of how humans culturally construct and organize their environments, as well as the power relations embedded in these activities. The overarching research agenda is one of praxis, the merging of theory and practice toward new syntheses, new ways of understanding, and new forms of engagement. At base, therefore, environmental anthropology is an applied social science, expressly directing anthropological knowledge toward the resolution of real-world problems.
The doctoral program in Anthropology at UTSA will prepare leading professionals for applied fields as well as academic research and teaching careers. Graduate course offerings view environmental anthropology through multiple lenses: political economy, landscape ecology, cultural ecology and evolution, medical anthropology, and primate conservation and behavioral ecology.
Research Opportunities
Faculty research specializations include:
- Archaeology of the Maya lowlands and Andean South America
- Archaeology of Texas and the Greater Southwest
- Primate behavioral and conservation ecology in Southeast Asia and Africa
- Conservation and mining practices in the South Pacific
- Indigenous and environmental politics in lowland and Andean South America
- The cultural anthropology of Texas and the Plains
- Medical anthropology of the U.S.-Mexico border region
Admission & Application Requirements
Applications are submitted through the UTSA Graduate Application. Please upload all required documents (listed below) on your UTSA Graduate Application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure completion and submission of the application, a nonrefundable application fee, and all required supporting documents are on file with UTSA by the appropriate application deadline.
| Anthropology (PhD) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Admission is only available for the Fall semester | ||
| Required Degree | Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or have proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution. | |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) Departments may consider GPA of last 60 semester credit hours | |
| Coursework | 18 credit hours in an area related to this graduate degree and at least 12 hours must be at the upper-division level. | |
| Transcripts* | Required from all institutions attended; international transcripts must be recorded/translated to English | |
| Credential Evaluation | Required if you have earned university-level credit from foreign institutions. Submit an evaluation of your transcripts from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) directly from the graduate admission application platform | |
| English Language Proficiency | 550 TOEFL Paper / 79 TOEFL Internet / 6.5 IELTS / Duolingo 100 | |
| Purpose Statement | Required | |
| Resume | Required | |
| Letters of Recommendation | 3 academic or professional reference(s) demonstrating your attributes for successful completion of this program (you will request these through the Graduate Admissions Application; let your recommenders know of your deadline to ensure submissions are on time) | |
| Writing Sample | Required | |
| *Unofficial transcripts will be taken into consideration for admissions; however, if admitted into the program, you must submit official transcripts to the University. | ||
Application Deadlines
Applicants are encouraged to have their admission file completed as early as possible. All applications, required documents and letters of recommendation, if applicable, must be submitted by 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time on the day of the deadline. Deadlines are subject to change.
| Anthropology (PhD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing on Admission Decision: Students can expect to hear back on an admission decision within 4 to 6 weeks after December 1. | |||
| Application Deadlines for: | Priority | International | Domestic |
| Fall 2025 | December 1 | December 1 | |
| Spring | Not Available | Not Available | |
| Summer | Not Available | Not Available | |
Funding Opportunities
Anthropology Student Funding OpportunitiesCareer Options
UTSA prepares you for future careers that are in demand. The possible careers below is data pulled by a third-party tool called Emsi, which pulls information from sources like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, online job postings, other government databases and more to give you regional and national career outlook related to this academic program.
While in a doctoral program, a student may earn a master’s degree provided the following conditions are satisfied:
- A student must be admitted to candidacy.
- A student is eligible to receive a master’s degree upon completion of University-wide requirements and any additional degree requirements specific to the program.
- The Doctoral Studies Committee, Department Chair, and the Graduate Associate Dean of the College must recommend students for the degree.
- The student must apply for graduation by the published deadline the semester prior to awarding the doctoral degree.
- All required coursework in the doctoral program at the time of admission to candidacy must have been taken within the previous six years.
- If the master’s degree requires a thesis, the degree cannot be awarded on the basis of the doctoral qualifying examination.
- Students will not be approved for an additional master’s degree in the same field in which an individual has previously received a master’s degree.
Typically, our graduate courses are offered on weekday afternoons. Classes may either meet once a week for three hours or twice a week for 1.5 hours each. We do not currently offer night or weekend classes.
