Ph.D. in Anthropology Top Colleges, Syllabus, Scope and Salary

Ph.D. in Anthropology is a doctorate degree course that must be pursued for a minimum of two years and a maximum of six years, with a minimum of three years for candidates that switch their university after their master’s degree.

The compulsory areas of study include:

• Research methodology in anthropology
• Theoretical and methodical approaches in anthropology

The optional subjects consist:

• Advances in medical anthropology
• Perspectives in social-cultural anthropology
• Perspectives in development anthropology
• Advances in biological anthropology’.

Eligibility for this course requires having completed their masters degree in philosophy, while some colleges accept applicants with master’s degree graduates in any other discipline as well. For some universities it is compulsory to clear ‘National Entrance Test’ (NET) or other widely accepted all India level entrance tests. Once all the eligibility criteria is met, admissions are granted on the basis of an interview which takes place one month prior to the semester for which the candidate is seeking admission.

The course is best suited for those that are inclined towards philosophy and the humanities, and are capable of analytical, critical, and out of the box, subjective thinking and theorising.

Top Universities for this course include

• Gauhati University
• Punjab University, Chandigarh

The full time fee charged for the course in India ranges from 7,000 to 1.3 lac, and the average salary offered to such professionals is around 22 lacs per annum, increasing with experience and expertise.

Ph.D. in Anthropology: Course Highlights

Doctorate of Philosophy in Anthropology: What is it About?

The Course explores the paradigms in social and cultural anthropology and biological anthropology and the contribution of Indian anthropologists. The candidates under this course also examine the contribution of social reformers and thinkers to Indian culture and society and they are educated in the ethics of research. Fieldwork is carried out under the supervision of a professors or course advisor and they also carry out the assessments at the end of the semester.

The course is beneficial in terms of expanding the horizons of what is already known of humanity and human nature, and re-examining what we consider as truths in history and the contemporary world. Any doctorate course is essentially an exercise in the production of knowledge, but of course coursework is essential to build a base in order to explore further areas that haven’t been. This course expands on our world view and provides us with the opportunity to explore and present perspective that was perhaps earlier lacking. Humanities research courses are by nature subjective, and therefore research and data in these subjects is, more likely than not, qualitative. That makes this subject especially interesting since there are no such concretely set paradigms which you cannot break or cross in the pursuit of knowledge, and results may also be debatable and varied, but a theory can be brought into existence if it is sufficiently evidentially supported, despite opposing claims.

Graduates from this course are likely to be recruited into fields of research and academia, in colleges and universities, in clinics, in education institutions as part of the administration, in technical jobs for research projects, or as general managers, business development managers, sales promotion managers, curators, etc.

Ph.D. in Anthropology: top universities offering the course

Eligibility for Ph.D. in Anthropology

Candidates wishing to apply for the course need to have completed their master’s degree in philosophy, while some colleges accept applicants from master’s degree graduates in any other discipline as well. If the necessary entrance tests have been cleared at the master’s level, the candidates may be credited for the same and can bypass it while pursuing their Ph.D under the UGC. For some universities it is compulsory to clear ‘National Entrance Test’ (NET) or other widely accepted all India level entrance tests.

Ph.D. in Anthropology: Admission Process

In most institutes for Ph.D. in Anthropology candidates that fulfil the eligibility and have given their all India entrance test in the case of certain universities, can fill out the physical or online application forms.  In certain colleges the entrance test will not matter but the final admission would be granted on the basis of an interview of the candidate one month prior to when the semester the candidate is applying for commences.

Some such entrance tests held in the country for admission are:

• Gauhati University, Guwahati
• Punjab University, Chandigarh

Ph.D. In Anthropology: Syllabus and Course Description

The duration of this coursework is only one semester long, and the course has 4 compulsory papers and 4 optional papers, with 16 credits up for grabs.

Ph.D. in Anthropology: Career Prospects

Ph.D in Anthropology leaves options open for a career in research and academics, with job positions such as research scientists, assistant professors, or in the administration side of things at colleges, universities and other educational institutions. Apart from this one can also enter into medicine with the appropriate education to supplement it and work as a clinical psychologist, and once could also work as a technical director at a production house, overseeing all things technical. The job profiles are quite diverse in that sense and a doctorate degree is a great way to enhancing your résumé and expertise, thus getting paid a higher salary or securing a higher position in the enterprise than might have otherwise been possible.

Employment areas include colleges and universities, anthropology museums, social-cultural anthropology centres, conservation centres, heritage management companies, and etc.

A career as an anthropologist means a career as someone constantly engaged in the understanding of humanity as it is, as it was, and as it may be, and through theories and exploration perhaps even dictating how we perceive humanity, or the direction in which it is headed.

Some of the popular professional avenues open to successful graduates of the course are listed below with the corresponding salaries offered for the respective positions.

Candidate must have a master’s degree in relevant stream from any recognized university.

Fee of After Course Work :

• For ST/SC : Rs.1725
• For OBC/Gen : Rs.3925