Overview

The Department of Anthropology at UC Davis awards M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Anthropology.

Welcome

The Department of Anthropology offers a highly regarded graduate program organized into two distinct but related wings: Evolutionary and Sociocultural. 

Evolutionary (E-Wing) anthropologists take a broad comparative approach to understanding human and non-human primate biology and behaviors in ecological and social contexts across space and through both recent and deep time (e.g., archaeology, paleoanthropology). 

Sociocultural (S-Wing) anthropologists cultivate a critical perspective toward taken-for-granted assumptions about humans and the social and ecological world they make and inhabit. Through ethnographic, comparative, and philosophical inquiry into how people understand and organize their worlds, sociocultural anthropologists reveal the contingency of knowledges, institutions, practices, and inequalities that may appear natural or inevitable.

We invite you to explore our website to learn more about our graduate program in Anthropology. To our incoming 2026–2027 cohort: welcome to our vibrant and collaborative academic community!

 

Group smiling behind UC Davis brick sign on campus (photo)

 

If you are interested in applying to the Ph.D. in Anthropology at UC Davis, please visit the Admissions page. Applications are due December 15. 

Admission Information

About 60 graduate students are currently registered in our graduate program. New students are accepted for the fall quarter only. Admission depends primarily on the student’s prior academic record as shown by transcripts, the statements of purpose and research interests, and letters of recommendation. The Admission page details application requirements.

Students are primarily admitted into the Ph.D. program and may apply to receive an M.A. in the course of completing their degree requirements. However, the Evolutionary Anthropology program is admitting students who wish to obtain only an M.A. degree. Please consult with the E-Wing faculty you are interested in working with before selecting the M.A. rather than the Ph.D. degree program. Applications for the Terminal M.A. in Evolutionary Anthropology are due by March 15; admission is contingent about the space available in the program. 

Program Strengths

Our graduate program's greatest strengths are its flexibility in meeting the intellectual needs of individual students, the high level of cooperation and collaboration that exists within the graduate student community, and interdisciplinary approaches to scholarship. Our annual departmental research conference enables graduate students to present their research to faculty and other students.

The Department of Anthropology is organized within two discrete wings:

 

Each student is admitted to either the E-Wing or the S-Wing. While most requirements are uniform across the entire department, be aware of some distinct subdisciplinary requirements, noted in the Evolutionary areas of specialization and the Sociocultural areas of specialization sections.

Outstanding Opportunities

Students gain insights and knowledge not only from our own nationally recognized faculty members, but also from eminent scholars visiting from other institutions. The UC Davis Department of Anthropology's graduate program focuses on the development of scholars who will contribute original and rigorous intellectual evaluation to the field of study.

Degrees

Most of our students are admitted to the graduate program in Anthropology for doctoral study only; they complete M.A. requirements in the normal course of the Ph.D. program. The focus of the Anthropology graduate program is the development of scholars who will contribute original and rigorous intellectual evaluation to the field of study through the Ph.D. program. The program provides a bridge between established research and new methodologies and approaches. Enrollment is limited to ensure perpetuation of a flexible, research-oriented program and close faculty-student contact. Applicants preferably should have a good general background in at least one area of anthropology. The academic requirements for the doctorate include successful completion of several graduate seminars and/or graduate statistics courses, a written preliminary examination, a pre-dissertation research project, an oral qualifying examination, and an acceptable doctoral dissertation.

Advice and Counsel

The Evolutionary and Sociocultural Wings have separate graduate advisors. The Dean of Graduate Studies appoints each graduate advisor as the official liaison between students, the department and Graduate Studies. Ultimate responsibility for graduate education rests with the Graduate Council of the Academic Senate, but students should regard the departmental graduate advisor as the primary authority on all matters pertaining to their degree requirements. The graduate faculty advisor must sign applications for examinations, candidacy for degrees, and other official transactions, and the graduate staff advisor is responsible for maintaining accurate records of each student’s progress in the graduate program.

Graduate Diversity

The graduate community at UC Davis values a diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds and experiences among its students with the knowledge that a diverse student body strengthens the research, scholarship and teaching of all members of our community. As a part of our commitment to diversity, numerous resources, events and professional staff are positioned to meet the needs of our diverse graduate students as they achieve their professional, educational and career goals.

Visit the Office of Graduate Studies' Graduate Inclusive Excellence website to read the latest initiatives, such as the Graduate Studies Anti-Racism Initiative.