UCL Anthropology

CLICK HERE to view the list of Current MPhil/PhD Students and Thesis Titles and PhD Personal Websites

The department offers two graduate research degrees, the MPhil in Anthropology and the PhD in Anthropology.

Both of these degrees have a minimum period of registration of two years for full-time students and three years for part-time students. The major difference between them is the depth of the research project undertaken and the length of the resulting dissertation.

The MPhil degree is designed for students who wish to follow an advanced research-based degree without intending to enter academic anthropology. It usually consists of a two-year programme in which the student may follow some graduate course work in the first year while preparing to complete his or her dissertation, based on non-field reading and research in the second year. The maximum length of the MPhil dissertation is 50,000 words.

The PhD is a full academic research degree which almost always involves field, museum or laboratory research. All students applying for the PhD (except those already holding the equivalent of the University of London MPhil degree) are initially enrolled in the M.Phil programme. However, completion of the MPhil is NOT a requirement for the PhD in Anthropology. Rather, after the first year of graduate study and the successful submission of a suitable 'upgrading proposal', the student transfers to PhD registration. (The MPhil registration counts towards the PhD registration period). The maximum length of the PhD dissertation 100,000 words.

All enquiries should be directed to the Postgraduate Tutor, Professor Katherine Homewood.

Doing Graduate Research

Graduate research work for the PhD is normally divided into three main stages:

1. The pre-field work or preparation stage, leading to the upgrading proposal.

During the first year students are expected to undergo training in methodology and skills to prepare for their specific research project. This would normally include extensive bibliographic research as well as undergoing training in methodological issues and attendance at courses chosen from the department's programmes, if relevant. If the project requires field work, then preparation should also include specific arrangements for research permission, language training and familiarisation with the country in which research is to be undertaken.

At the start of each academic year, all students are expected to draw up a specific work programme in conjunction with their supervisor. This will include a general résumé of the research goals and intended progress for that year as well as the courses offered within the department that the student is required to attend to prepare himself or herself for research.

2. The field work and data-collection stage

By the end of the first stage of research work, the student is expected to have prepared an upgrading proposal of normally not more than 10,000 words. This proposal should include a literature review, a summary of the research already carried out (if relevant) and a detailed outline of the proposed field or laboratory research to be undertaken. One purpose of the upgrading proposal is to examine the feasibility, timescale and logistical aspects of the programme. Each student is expected to give at least one talk at a relevant seminar prior to upgrading.

The upgrading proposal itself will be read and commented upon by three members of staff and the student will normally be required to defend orally his or her proposal. One of the purposes of the upgrading process is to ensure that the student is prepared for their fieldwork.

Please click here for the particulars of the upgrading procedures

While in the field students should where possible maintain regular contact with their supervisors and not be reticent about expressing any worries about problems they may be experiencing. The field work period is usually counted as study leave and this has implications for the level of fees paid.

3. The writing-up year

Full-time research students are expected to submit their theses within four years of initial registration. In order to meet this deadline, students are encouraged to begin writing-up as soon as they return from the field. To facilitate this it is expected that students will present chapters of their thesis to the relevant Thesis Writing Seminar, Round Table or Material Culture seminars.

The writing-up year can be a difficult year involving a considerable degree of self-discipline and, in some cases, financial hardship. To help aid completion, the department has a committee structure to assess progress of all senior graduate students and to provide relevant help to ease completion.

It should be noted that the College charges a fee for any thesis that is submitted late. This is defined as in excess of 12 months after completion of the student's prescribed period of study at UCL.

Supervision

All research students have a principal supervisor and a second supervisor. There is also provision for the formation of committees to oversee a student's progress where this appears desirable. Meetings with the principal supervisor are on a flexible basis suited to the student's particular needs. It is unusual, however, to meet less than once a fortnight and students working on some biological anthropology projects may be in almost daily contact with their supervisor.

In general, supervisors are expected to help a student construct a project that is feasible and of clear academic value. Supervisors may provide an initial set of references relevant to the chosen research, but students are expected to progress to more comprehensive knowledge of the necessary literature.

Supervisors continue to provide advice during the field work and writing-up stages and may recommend other individuals in the department and elsewhere that students should consult for expert advice. Further information on the role of the supervisors and on the relationship between student and supervisor may be obtained from the UCL Code of Practice for Graduate Research Degrees.

Training

The methodology and training components for an MPhil/PhD programme depend on both the nature of the individual project and the previous training of the student.

The present programme includes both compulsory and optional modular training elements in anthropologically relevant research techniques which continue throughout the first nine months of the programme. This training programme includes an introduction to the use of computers and statistics as well as to issues in research design and management common to most topics. The optional components are devoted to more specific research topics or more detailed quantitative data analysis and laboratory work.

For more information on our training program, and complementary programmes offered by the UCL Graduate School, go to Key Skills.