Program Requirements
All new Neotropical Environment students will be encouraged to spend the month of August (prior to September admission) in Panama to take their first core course and familiarize themselves with the country.
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Required Courses (18 credits)
If admitted to Ph.D. 2.
Note: To ensure that students understand prior research, they must define three subfields that intersect with the thesis topic.
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ANTH 602 Theory 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Anthropology : A survey of theories and methods employed in anthropology.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Galaty, John (Fall)
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ANTH 603 Theory 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Anthropology : A survey of theories and methods employed in anthropology.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Hyde, Sandra (Winter)
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ANTH 609D1 Proseminar in Anthropology (3 credits)
Overview
Anthropology : A survey of professional skills in the field of anthropology.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Stevenson, Lisa (Fall)
Students must register for both ANTH 609D1 and ANTH 609D2
No credit will be given for this course unless both ANTH 609D1 and ANTH 609D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
ANTH 609D1 and ANTH 609D2 together are equivalent to ANTH 609
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ANTH 609D2 Proseminar in Anthropology (3 credits)
Overview
Anthropology : A survey of professional skills in the field of anthropology.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Stevenson, Lisa (Winter)
Prerequisite: ANTH 609D1
No credit will be given for this course unless both ANTH 609D1 and ANTH 609D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
ANTH 609D1 and ANTH 609D2 together are equivalent to ANTH 609
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ANTH 701 PhD Comprehensive Examination
Overview
Anthropology : A comprehensive examination of two topics (one thesis related, one cognate field), set by the program committee, that must be successfully passed by all doctoral candidates in order to continue in the doctoral program .
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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ANTH 702 PhD Proposal Defence
Overview
Anthropology : Preparation and defence of a dissertation proposal that surveys relevant literature, develops a research question(s), identifies a methodology to test the question, and outlines the limitations and implications of the proposed work.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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BIOL 640 Tropical Biology and Conservation (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Long-term research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute will be organized and synthesized to examine historical assembly and ecological maintenance of tropical communities. This synthesis will draw on phylogenetic concepts for historical insight and will examine the probable resilience of these communities to global change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
Terms: Summer 2025
Instructors: Leung, Brian (Summer)
Restriction: students enrolled in Neotropical Environment Option (NEO) or permission of the instructor
Fees: Graduate students requesting registration in the Neotropical Environment Option pay a fee of $919.56. This fee is used to support the costs associated with transportation and housing while in Panama.
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ENVR 610 Foundations of Environmental Policy (3 credits)
Overview
Environment : Analysis of current environmental policies to reveal implicit and explicit assumptions regarding scientific methods, hypothesis testing, subject/object, causality, certainty, deities, health, development, North-South concerns for resources, commons, national sovereignty, equity. Discussion of implications of such assumptions for building future environmental policies.
Terms: Summer 2025
Instructors: Umana-Kinitzki, Carmen (Summer)
Restriction: Enrolment in the Graduate Environment Option or enrolment in the Neotropical Environment Option (NEO) or permission of the instructor.
**Due to the intensive nature of this course, the standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines do not apply. Add/drop is the second lecture day and withdrawal is the fourth lecture day.
Complementary Courses (6 credits)
6 credits, at the 500, 600, or 700 level, selected from courses within and/or outside the department relevant to the student's research area and in consultation with the student's supervisor and advisory committee. At least 3 of the 6 credits must also be pre-approved by the Neotropical Environment Director.
Elective Courses (0-24 credits)
A maximum of 24 credits at the 500 level or higher can be taken inside or outside the Department (e.g., language training, methodological training, history or regional studies courses).
Language Requirement
A language examination, normally French, must be passed before an oral examination of the research proposal may be scheduled. Francophone students can satisfy the language requirement by demonstrating competency in English. The purpose of the language requirement is to ensure that the student has access to anthropological literature in at least two languages. Under special circumstances, a language other than English or French may be substituted, provided that there is sufficient anthropological literature on the student's research topic in that language.
The Ethics application and the language exam must be submitted before the proposal defence. They can be submitted at any point during PhD2 and PhD3 (before the date of the proposal defence is chosen.)
If admitted to Ph.D. 1.
In addition to the above requirements, 15 credits from courses at the 500 level or higher within and/or outside of the Department relevant to the student’s research area in consultation with the student’s supervisor and/or PhD committee.
