Ph.D. and Designated Emphasis Advising

In addition to policy matters, various departmental committees are responsible for awarding funds for presentations at scholarly meetings, funds for summer fieldwork, and nominations for fellowships. Students should contact their faculty advisor for issues related to academic and professional development, courses, academic milestones, etc.

Ph.D. program requirements

Designated emphasis requirements

A designated emphasis (DE) broadens a graduate student’s learning experience by adding coursework, training, and/or research work from another field. Students from other graduate programs across campus who wish to complete a designated emphasis in anthropology should reference the requirements at the link above and then contact the graduate program coordinator at adgc@ucsc.edu to request a designated emphasis intake and planning form.

Anthropology graduate student handbook

Our department’s graduate student handbook is the go-to resource that our Ph.D. students use to find important information, policies, and answers to common questions about topics including academics, grading, financial aid, campus employment, and more.

Special topics for Ph.D. students

Enrolling in an independent study

Learn more about incorporating independent study into coursework through degree requirements. To plan for and enroll in independent study, follow the steps below.

Step 1

Student meets with faculty sponsor and agree to an outline of the proposed work to be completed before filling out the petition.

Step 2

Log in to your UCSC Google account and access the Graduate Individual Studies Petition, enter your name, select your faculty sponsor, and complete all fields.

Step 3

Complete the form in DocuSign. Once the student has signed the form, it will be sent to the faculty sponsor to review and e-sign.

Step 4

Student saves the completed form for their records and enrolls in ANTH 297, 298, or 299 class using the class number provided via DocuSign.

Teaching assistant employment

Faculty must supply a brief statement about the nature of the work (i.e., how many sections, additional meetings, etc.). Instructors should complete the TA Description of Duties Form and share it with their TA(s) at least 30 days before the beginning of the quarter.

Teaching Assistants (TAs) should have an average workload of 20 hours per week. That may vary from week to week, with less hours in some weeks and more in others, but no more than 220 hours in a quarter. TAs are expected to hold office hours and attend class regularly. The TA appointment continues up to the day that course reports are due to the Registrar, which is slightly after the end of the quarter.

Part-time and In-Absentia statuses

Once a student has advanced to candidacy, they may choose to apply for part-time status, reducing fees by about half. In-absentia students conducting field research outside of the local campus area, pay 15% of the Registration Fee and Educational Fee (though non-residents of California must pay full non-resident tuition when applicable).

Human research protections

UC Santa Cruz is committed to conducting research with adherence to the highest ethical and legal standards. The primary role of the UCSC Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to protect the safety, rights, and welfare of human subjects in research conducted by UCSC investigators. Please visit the Human Research Protections Program/IRB page for guidance and closely review posted guidelines, training requirements, forms, and related resources.

If your proposed research will involve human subjects, you must submit your plans to the UCSC IRB. Submissions must be reviewed, and a determination must be made before the research begins. There are no provisions for retroactive approval of research protocols. Failure to comply may have serious consequences, including the suspension or termination of research, allegations of research misconduct, and personal civil and criminal liability. Be sure to confirm with the Office of Sponsored Projects whether your funding agency has any requirements for human subjects research at the time of your application.

Getting approval to conduct research with human subjects

Step 1

If needed, contact the Office of Research Compliance Administration (ORCA) at orca@ucsc.edu and discuss your intent to apply for external funding that requires human subjects’ approval.

Step 2

Ascertain your faculty advisor’s willingness to act as Primary Investigator (PI) for your research proposal, and wait for confirmation. Work with your PI to review human protection/IRB guidelines.