Ph.D. in
Anthropology
Leah Sanchez is a digital anthropologist who studies how intellectual property laws affect the creativity and livelihoods of artists who sell their work online.
about
OUR PROGRAM
A programmatic powerhouse. Full financial aid and funding. A lens-worthy location.
The reasons students choose the UC Irvine School of Social Sciences for their graduate
pursuits are many. The Department of Anthropology within social sciences is known
for its collegiality, creative teaching and research, and leading role developing
new methods, theory and applications of anthropological knowledge. Faculty and graduate
students are known for their research in economic anthropology, the anthropology of
law, migration studies, urban and environmental studies, science and technology studies,
security studies, and data studies. UCI anthropology graduate students move through
a carefully designed series of courses that focus in the first year on the field’s
history and theory then in the second year on ethnographic methods and research design.
Graduate students also take a wide array of elective courses, both in and outside
the department. Many pursue concentrations in critical theory, feminist studies, or
medicine, science and technology studies.
Learn more about research specialties...
recent
RANKINGS
#01
university committed to economic diversity and upward mobility
- New York Times College Access Index
#02
"coolest school" for sustainability
- Sierra Magazine
#06
best college in the nation
- Money Magazine
#09
best public university in the U.S.
- U.S. News & World Report
And UCI anthropology is widely recognized as the top department for experimental ethnography.
quick
FACTS
LOCATION
Campus is located less than 10 miles from Newport Beach.
FUNDING
Admitted students receive 6-7 years of guaranteed funding.
FOCUS
Research focuses on social and cultural anthropology.
DEGREE
Ph.D.; a master's degree is earned while in pursuit of the Ph.D.
ENROLLMENT
Full-time, on-campus with housing.
FIELDWORK
Oftentimes outside of the U.S. - is a requirement for dissertation research.
recent
JOB PLACEMENTS
Cal State Long Beach
Filene Research Institute
Rice University
Smith College
Swiss Academy of Sciences
Tufts University
UNESCO
UC Riverside
University of Notre Dame
University of Pittsburgh
University of Wisconsin
U.S. National Parks Service
Wellesley College
research
SPECIALITIES
Modernity and development
Environmental problems and politics
Politics, law and economy
Ethnographic research methods
Science, technology and medicine
graduate
SPOTLIGHT
Jennifer Zelnick, UCI anthropology, received prestigious NSF fellowship to support her graduate research on Cambodian deportees
Anthropology grad student Akil Fletcher wins National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship for his work on racism in online gaming
what makes us
UNIQUE
UCI's campus is beautiful, rotating around Aldrich Park, a 19-acre botanical garden. The campus is also less than 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean and beaches.
UCI anthropology offers admitted students 6-7 years of guaranteed funding. Faculty and students also have a very strong record earning competitive research funding from agencies like the National Science Foundation, the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Social Science Research Council, Fulbright Foundation, and Ford Foundation. This past year, UCI anthropologists brought in $1 million in external grant funding.
UCI anthropologists publish widely, reaching anthropological, interdisciplinary and public audiences - through journal articles, books, films, digital exhibits, sound installations and other media. UCI anthropologists also have diverse career paths - in academia, business and the public sector.
UCI's campus community is notably diverse, and is known for supporting first generation students.
In 2015 and 2017, the New York Times ranked UCI as the #1 university doing the most for the American dream. In 2020, Money Magazine ranked UCI the #6 best college in the U.S. and U.S. News & World Report ranked UCI the #9 public university in the U.S.
A top 10-ranked program with research strengths in theory & methodology.
So what are you waiting for?
APPLY TODAY
UCI anthropology is vibrant in many ways! Please contact us if you have questions
about our application process.
Department Chair
Justin Richland
j.richland@uci.edu
Graduate Director
Mei Zhan
mzhan@uci.edu
Graduate Admissions Director
Eleana Kim
eleana.kim@uci.edu
Graduate Advisor
Jennifer Gerson
jennifer.gerson@uci.edu
949.824.4074