Ph. D. in Anthropology

Facilities and Special Resources

The department maintains three research laboratories in archaeology and one biological anthropology research laboratory with HPLC, DNA sequencing, phytochemical quantification, and in-vitro testing capabilities. Additional departmental research facilities and resources include: the Cultural Systems Analysis Group (CuSAG), which focuses on applied research related to urban and community health and related social conditions; the Immigrant Life Course Program, which is focused on immigrant community issues in Prince Georges and Montgomery counties; the Center for Heritage Resource Studies (CHRS), which supports basic and applied research related to the heritage of cultural and environmental resources; the Genomic Models Research Group, which researches and develops biocultural population-based models to facilitate the interpretation of molecular genetic assessments of diverse human groups; and the Chesapeake Bay Program that applies cognitive anthropology approaches to study the cultural knowledge of various stakeholder groups involved in land and natural resource management issues.

The department maintains a cooperative research agreement with the National Park Service. Anthropology faculty members have received funding support from a number of major granting agencies and institutions, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Maryland Sea Grant, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, the United States Agency for International Development, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, the National Park Service, Court Services and Offenders Supervision Agency, and several local health care agencies such as the Baltimore City and Prince Georges County Health Departments, the AIDS Administration of the Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Liberty Medical Center of Baltimore, Maryland, as well as with a number of national and international NGOs.

There are a number of certificate programs available on campus that are appropriate for M.A.A. and Ph.D. students in anthropology, including certificates in Historic Preservation, Museum Scholarship and Material Culture, and Women’s Studies. Training in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing are available from the Department of Geography. The department maintains collaborative relationships with graduate programs in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics (BEES), Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Science (MEES) and the Department of Nutrition and Food Science.

Graduate students are provided with a study area, mail privileges, lockers, and have limited access to computers within the department. Nearby buildings house additional open-computer laboratories. The campus maintains eight libraries, including McKeldin Library, which serves as the main library, and Hornbake Library, which houses the National Trust for Historic Preservation Library Collection, among other collections.