anthropology phd australia

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The School of Culture, History & Language (CHL) is a community of research experts and academics dedicated to investigating and learning with, and about, the people, languages, and lands of Asia & the Pacific.

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At CHL, there are plenty of study options to suit your needs. Do a straight degree, or customise your studies to your strengths, passions and goals.

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As an integral component of the University’s research focus, CHL prides itself in its strong and versatile research presence across disciplines.

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CHL Anthropology

Meet our experts, useful references, related resources, anthropology stories, digital resources.

#8 in the world in the QS Rankings

#1 in Australia in the QS World Rankings

Research leader on South, East & Southeast Asia and Oceania

Strong emphasis on long-term ethnographic fieldwork

One of the largest communities of experts anywhere

Professor Assa Doron

Professor Matt Tomlinson

Associate Professor Tanya Jakimow

Associate Professor Jane Ferguson

Senior Lecturer Eva F Nisa

Dr Tom Cliff

Future Fellow, Dr Natasha Fijn

ARC DECRA Fellow (from June 2023) Dr Muhammad Kavesh

Emeritus Professor Alan Rumsey

Emeritus Professor Kirin Narayan (India)

Emeritus Professor Ken George

Emeritus Professor Kathryn Robinson

Professor Mark Mosko

Professor Andrew McWilliam (Indonesia)

Professor Kalpana Ram

Dr Justine Chambers (Burma)

Dr Thiruppugazh Venkatachalam

Dr Anthea Snowsill

Anthropology is the study of human diversity. 

It brings rich insights to the most critical questions of our time. The kind of knowledge that anthropology teaches is invaluable, especially in the turbulent, volatile and globalised world in which we live today.

As a field of study, it is uniquely placed to interpret the widest range of social phenomena — from migration to religious fundamentalism, online communities, social movements, contemporary indigenous cultural expression and identity politics, consumption and commodification, and the changing forms of social identity.

Ranked number 6 in the world for anthropological study and research, ANU is Australia’s centre for research and training in this versatile and relevant discipline. We prepare our students to address key global issues and build better understandings of different people and different cultures, gaining insights into the complex processes facing all of humanity such as migration, globalisation and climate change.

Dr Natasha Fijn's documentary on Mongolian herds

ANU Anthropology Cross-campus Seminar Series

CHL Anthropology co-hosts public seminars with our colleagues in the College of Arts and Social Sciences. Come join us on Monday afternoons during the regular semester teaching periods!

Monographs in Anthropology

Monographs in Anthropology is an Open Access series with ANU Press. Our titles join theory and ethnography with a sharp focus on societies in Asia and Oceania.

The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology (TAPJA)

The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology publishes social and cultural anthropological research with a focus on the Asia Pacific region, including Australia.  

The Familiar Strange

ANU Anthropology

The cruise ship professor.

Hairdressing, Maggi Noodles, E-waste and More

Dr Eva Nisa awarded DECRA 2020

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• Faculty of Arts
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Anthropology and Development Studies

Our programs investigate the diverse ways that people today interact, organise and find meaning in their lives. We analyse the processes of social, economic, political and cultural change that underlie poverty, inequality and insecurity in the contemporary world.

Anthropology and Development Studies at Melbourne

Anthropology.

Anthropology is the study of the many societies and cultures of the world and their complex interaction. Anthropology’s global scope is complemented by a local focus and this unique perspective is made possible by participating in the daily life and language of the communities we study. Contemporary social anthropology asks broad and detailed questions about what it means to be human in a globalising world, as well as providing a critical vantage point from which to reflect on ourselves and others.

Development Studies

Development Studies is an interdisciplinary field of research and teaching that addresses processes of social, economic, political, ecological, and cultural change. It critically examines the actors, institutions, practices, and ideologies that are involved in those processes of change and is oriented towards both improving and critiquing the tools, practices and policies of development. Through our research and teaching, we engage with and advance ongoing global debates on poverty, inequality and insecurity in the contemporary world.

View our staff

Family members video a shadow performance at a school in Lucknow, India. Amanda Gilbertson.

A construction worker repairing a Macedonian-flag coloured scaffolding net without protection harness. Fabio Mattioli.

Researching Transnationalism Online. Andrew Dawson.

Local cultural research at the Kulu Language Institute, Solomon Islands. Debra McDougall

Activities in a coal mining site along the foothills of Nagaland, Northeast India. Dolly Kikon

Explore our research

Research projects undertaken by our academic staff are diverse and multi-disciplinary.

Towards Planning and Designing an African Migrant Wellbeing Framework in Australia

This project aims to explore and analyse the wellbeing of African migrants and develop a sustainable settlement and wellbeing framework in Australia.

Economic, Political and Cultural Brokers at a Resource Frontier in Papua New Guinea

How local brokers emerge, mediate flows of resources and manage (or exacerbate) contradictions, conflict and inequities.

Risk, responsibility and experience: Exploring complex relations with alcohol

This project explores how risk and responsibility towards alcohol are understood and enacted.

New Regional Labour Circuits in the South Pacific: Gender, Culture and Transnationalism

This project investigates the transforming contemporary Pacific.

Women’s collective action and the village law in Indonesia

How women are driving change and shaping pathways for gender-inclusive development in rural Indonesia.

Class troubles: Tackling social inequality in Indian schools

This project aims to investigate whether affirmative action education policies can assist in breaking down social inequality.

Explore more of our research

Study with us

Our Anthropology and Development Studies courses teach the diverse ways that people today interact, organise and find meaning in their lives. You’ll explore the processes of social, economic, political and cultural change that underlie poverty, inequality and insecurity in the contemporary world.

Undergraduate

• Bachelor of Arts Anthropology Major
• Bachelor of Arts Development Studies Minor
• Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours)

Graduate coursework

• Master of Development Studies
• Master of Develoment Studies (Specialisation in Gender and Development)
• Master of Leadership for Development

Graduate research

• Doctor of Philosophy – Arts

Meet our Anthropology and Development Studies staff

Our Anthropology and Development Studies staff are leading researchers and teachers in a range of areas including power, inequality, poverty, governance, identity, health, education, globalisation, conflict and security, migration and displacement, urbanisation, technology, environmental issues, leadership, and the relationship between citizens and the state.

A/Prof Erin Fitz-Henry

A/Prof Kalissa Alexeyeff

Prof Andrew Dawson

Dr Anne Decobert

A/Prof Rachael Diprose

A/Prof Bina Fernandez

Dr Jeff Garmany

Dr Amanda Gilbertson

Dr Paul Green

Dr Hannah Harewood Gould

Prof Ghassan Hage

Prof Lan Anh Hoang

Dr Orhan Karagoz

Prof Tamara Kohn

Dr Matthew Mabefam

Dr Nadeem Malik

Dr Fabio Mattioli

A/Prof Debra McDougall

A/Prof Monica Minnegal

Dr Rebekah Plueckhahn

Dr Lesley Pruitt Wolf

Dr Denisse Rodriguez Quinonez

Dr Violeta Schubert

Dr Cynthia Sear

Dr Adrian Watts

Dr Sarah Webb

Dr Alex D'Aloia

Anthropology and Development Studies honorary staff

You can search for courses, events, people, and anything else.

School of Social Sciences

Anthropology, discipline lead | andrew mcwilliam.

Anthropologists at Western Sydney University undertake fundamental and innovative research into pressing contemporary moral and ethical issues. Focal areas include adaptation to environmental change; migration and globalisation; the politics of identity and place making; post-conflict studies, gender and sexuality, crisis and transformation in Iceland; and religion and spirituality.

Our emphasis on engaged research in Australia and the Asia Pacific enhances Anthropology’s growing reputation as a key discipline in Social Science at Western. We publish analytically acclaimed ethnographic studies with high citation rates in international publishing houses and academic journals. Anthropologists at Western are also managing editors for The Australian Journal of Anthropology (TAJA), the official journal for the Australian Anthropological Society (AAS) and a leading publisher of quality ethnographic analyses of contemporary issues.

Our research-led teaching supports undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD training in Anthropology, including a pioneering Bachelor of Anthropology degree with opportunities for funded student immersion placements in domestic and international destinations.

Academics for this Discipline

• Professor Pranee Liamputtong
• Professor Andrew McWilliam
• Dr Helena Onnudottir, Senior Lecturer
• Associate Professor Anna Pertierra
• Dr Geir Presterudstuen, Senior Lecturer
• Professor Cristina Rocha
• Professor Juan Francisco Salazar Sutil
• Dr Hannah Sarvasy
• Associate Professor Malini Sur
• Professor Heather Horst
• Professor Mary Hawkins

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School of Social Sciences

Department of Anthropology and Development Studies

The Department of Anthropology and Development Studies is concerned with issues of social and cultural difference, inequality, vulnerability, risk, exclusion and social justice.

The study of Anthropology is concerned with fostering a better understanding social and cultural difference. Development Studies, as well as Peace and Conflict Studies, have emerged out of a concern to examine why some countries are less socially and economically developed than others or suffer from protracted periods of conflict and instability.

Our teaching

The Department of Anthropology and Development Studies offer a range of programs, including a Bachelor of International Development as well as majors in Anthropology and International Development, as well as postgraduate and honours degree options.

Anthropology   can be studied as a  major, minor, or individual elective course .

International Development   can be studied as an undergraduate degree , a  major, minor or individual elective course.

Study Anthropology    Study International Development

Our research

The Department of Anthropology and Development Studies work across a range of themes of relevance to our concern for highlighting social and cultural difference, as well as aspects of inequality, vulnerability and risk.

We are actively engaged in teaching and research that promotes greater understanding of the complex social and cultural worlds in which we engage.

Our research has been undertaken in a wide range of countries, including: Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Uganda, Vanuatu and Vietnam. We work with a wide range of national and international organisations, including: AusAID/DFAT, Australian Civil-Military Centre, Cardno Emerging Markets, Coffey International, European Union, Mott MacDonald, MTV EXIT, Nike Foundation, OECD, South Australian Government, UK Department for International Development, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNRISD, World Bank.

Our Publications

Barlow, M., & Drew, G . (2021). Slow infrastructures in times of crisis: unworking speed and convenience. Postcolonial Studies, 24 (2), 212-233.

Drew, G. (2021). Coca-Cola and the Moral Economy of Rural Development in India. South Asia: Journal of South Asia Studies, 44 (3), 1-21.

Drew, G. (2021). Nature can heal itself: Divine encounter, lived experience, and individual interpretations of climatic change. In D. L. Haberman (Ed.), Understanding Climate Change Through Religious Lifeworlds (pp. 72-90). Indiana University Press.

Drew, G . (2021). Will the water revolution be centralized? investigating the "downscale" and "upscale challenges of urban rainwater harvesting. In B. Thakur, R. R. Thakur, S. Chattopadhyay, & R. K. Abhay (Eds.), Resource Management, Sustainable Development and Governance Indian and International Perspectives (1st ed., pp. 143-158). Springer.

Drew, G. , M. G., D., Jyotishi, A., & Suripeddi, S. (2021). Water insecurity and patchwork adaptability in Bangalore’s low-income neighbourhoods. Water International, 46 (6), 900-918.

Dundon, A. (2021). Online dating profiles, shifting intimacies and the language of love in Papua New Guinea, The Australian Journal of Anthropology, 32 (3), 229-242.

Hemer, S. (2021). Global health, tuberculosis and local health campaigns: Reinforcing and reshaping gender and health inequalities in Lihir, Papua New Guinea. In N. Bainton, D. McDougall, K. Alexeyeff, & J. Cox (Eds.), Unequal Lives: Gender, Race and Class in the Western Pacific (pp. 131-156). ANU Press.

Hoogenraad. H. & A. Dundon . (2021). Shifting states of love & intimacy, The Australian Journal of Anthropology, 32 (3), 219-228.

Skinner, W. (2021). Making homemade wine, online. Ethnologie française , Vol. 51 (3), 577-587.

Skuse, A. and Dowling, M. (2021) 'Refugees, Media Representation and Counter-Narrative: An Analysis of TEDxKakumaCamp'. In S. Borden (Ed.) The Routledge Companion to Media and Poverty. Routledge.

Skuse, A., Rodger, D. , Wilmore, M., Humphreys, S., Dalton, J., & Clifton, V. (2021). Solving 'wicked problems' in the app co-design process. Convergence, 27 (2), 539-553.

Wanner, T. (2021). Foreign aid, the soft power of sport, and the Sustainable Development Goals: An analysis of Australia's sport for development in the Pacific program. In Siefken, K., Varela, A.R., Waquanivalu, T. & Schulenkorf, N. (Eds.). Physical Activity in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (Chapter 7). Routledge.

Wanner, T. , Palmer, E., & Palmer, D. (2021). Flexible assessment and student empowerment: advantages and disadvantages–research from an Australian university. Teaching in Higher Education , 1-17.

Drew, G. R. (2020). Political ecologies of water capture in an Indian 'smart city'. Ethnos, 85 (3), 435-153.

Dundon, A. (2020). Introduction. In A. Dundon, & R. Vokes (Eds.), Shifting States: New Perspectives on Security, Infrastructure and Political Affect . Routledge.

Dundon, A . (2020). 'Looking for a nice face': Shifting states of marriage and intimate citizenship in Papua New Guinea. In A. Dundon, & R. Vokes (Eds.), Shifting States: New Perspectives on Security, Infrastructure and Political Affect. Routledge.

Dundon, A. (2020). 'Looking for a nice face': Shifting states of marriage and intimate citizenship in Papua New Guinea. In A. Dundon, & R. Vokes (Eds.), Shifting States: New Perspectives on Security, Infrastructure and Political Affect . Routledge.

Dundon, A ., & Vokes, R. (Eds.) (2020). Shifting States New Perspectives on Security, Infrastructure, and Political Affect . Routledge.

Fratini, A., & Hemer, S. R. (2020). Broadcasting Your Death Through Livestreaming: Understanding Cybersuicide Through Concepts of Performance. Cult Med Psychiatry, 44 (4), 524-543.

Harris, C., Hemer, S. R., & Chur-Hansen, A. (2020). Emotion as Motivator: Parents, Professionals and Diagnosing Childhood Deafness. Medical Anthropology, 40 (3), 1-14.

Harris, C., Hemer, S ., & Chur-Hansen, A. (2020). "It's an emotional rollercoaster" the spatial and temporal structuring of affect in diagnosing childhood hearing loss. Emotion, Space and Society, 37 , 7 pages.

Hemer, S. (2020). Crouch, Elizabeth (Betty) 1917-1996. In M. Allbrook (Ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography . Australian National University.

Hemer, S. R . (2020). Shock, anger and bad deaths in Lihir: A reanalysis of grieving in Papua New Guinea. Death Studies, 45 (1), 1-23.

Hutchings, S., & Rodger, D. L. (2020). A.B.Original, Reclaim Australia. In J. Stratton, J. Dale, & T. Mitchell (Eds.), An Anthology of Australian Albums: Critical Engagements (1 ed., pp. 211-223). Bloomsbury Academic.

Lord, A., Drew, G ., & Gergan, M. D. (2020). Timescapes of Himalayan hydropower: promises, project life cycles, and precarities. WIREs Water, 7 (6), e1469-1-e1469-15.

Rodger, D. L . (2020). Defining Authenticity in the Mid-2000s Australian Hip-Hop Scene: Constructing and Maintaining ‘Underground’ Status at a Time of Increasing Popularity. The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology , 21 (2), 159-177.

Silverman, G. S., Baroiller, A., & Hemer, S. R . (2020). Culture and grief: Ethnographic perspectives on ritual, relationships and remembering. Death Studies, 45 (1), 1-7.

Skinner, W. W. (2020). Liberty and order: wine and the South Australian project. In P. Howland, & J. Dutton (Eds.), Wine, Terroir, Utopia: Making New Worlds (pp. 58-74). Routledge.

Skinner, W. W. (2020). Wine, geology mapping and the value of place in McLaren Vale. The Australian Journal of Anthropology , 31 (1), 85-100.

Skuse, A. J. (2020). Claiming the State: the political economy of social welfare access in rural South Africa. In H. Ware, & J. I. Lahai (Eds.), Governance and Societal Adaptation in Fragile States (pp. 189-209). Palgrave MacMillan.

Tually, S., Skinner, W ., Faulkner, D., & Goodwin-Smith, I. (2020). (Re)building home and community within and through the social housing sector: lessons from a South Australian approach. Social Inclusion, 8 (3), 88-101.

Vokes, R., & Dundon, A. (2020). A Thrice-Told Crisis: Rethinking the Anthropology of the State. In A. Dundon, & R. Vokes (Eds.), Shifting States: New Perspectives on Security, Infrastructure and Political Affect (4-37). Routledge.

Williams, S., & Drew, G . (2020). ‘Co-creating meeting spaces’: feminist ethnographic fieldwork in Bangladesh. Gender, Place and Culture, 27 (6), 831-853.

Cattelino, J., Drew, G. R. , & Morgan, R. A. (2019). Water flourishing in the Anthropocene. Cultural Studies Review, 25 (2), 135-152.

Drew, G. (2019) Magnesium. In 'An Anthropogenic Table of Elements'. Cultural Anthropology .

Drew, G. (2019). Pushing back Delhi’s ‘day zero’ centralised efforts needed for rainwater harvesting. Economic and Political Weekly, 54 (43), 41-48.

Hemer, S. R . (2019). Sexuality, family planning and religion in Papua New Guinea: Reproductive Governance and Catholicism in the Lihir Islands. The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology , 20 (4), 295-311.

Nursey-Bray, M., Palmer, R., Meyer-Mclean, B., Wanner, T. , & Birzer, C. (2019). The fear of not flying: Achieving sustainable academic plane travel in higher education based on insights from South Australia. Sustainability (Switzerland) , 11 (9), 22 pages.

Rodger, D. (2019). Forging Traditions: Continuity and Change in the Mid 2000s Australian Hip-Hop Scene. Ethnomusicology Forum , 217-240.

Skinner, W. W. (2019). ‘A gift from God’: autochthonous grapes and wine heritage on the island of Hvar, Croatia. Journal of Wine Research , 30 (4), 294-311.

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Students can undertake a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or a Masters of Philosophy (MPhil) through RSPH in research areas of anthropology, biostatistics, demography, epidemiology, sociology, or any combination of these.

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Anthropology.

• Arrow-right #19 in the world for Anthropology

Major overview

Available in these courses

Anthropology studies what it means to be human in a globalising world, providing a critical vantage point from which to reflect on ourselves and others. Its distinctive methodology, based on intense, long-term participation in people's daily lives, allows for ideas to develop out of local experience and knowledge.

This major explores the extraordinary variety of cultural and social forms found around the globe, focusing on the diverse ways people interact, organise their relationships, and find meaning in their lives.

A major in Anthropology will expand your horizons by challenging the assumptions behind what we take for granted in society, and enhance your empathy for the perspectives of others. You’ll apply these lessons not just in theoretical inquiry but in designing your own ethnographic projects.

Through self-reflection, and a heightened appreciation of cultural diversity, this major will enhance your ability to meet goals and challenges - both in the workplace and personal life.

Related study areas

• Arts, humanities and social sciences
• Social and political science

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PhD and MPhil applications in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

CASS HDR (Higher Degree by Research) programs

Graduate research degrees are available in more than 20 disciplines in the arts, humanities and social sciences within the College of Arts & Social Sciences (CASS). Students who wish to undertake a graduate research program at ANU can do so through either a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Master of Philosophy (MPhil).

Depending upon your research field, the major component of both research programs is usually a substantial written work (‘thesis’) which investigates a particular subject or issue. A research student works independently under the direction of a primary academic supervisor who forms part of a supervisory panel of academic staff (PhD candidates will have at least three panel members; MPHIL candidates will have at least two).

Prospective students are expected to have an agreed supervisor for their proposed projects before they make a formal application to a CASS research program. See Areas of Research below.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

PhD degrees are expected to submit their thesis for examination within four years (full-time study), or up to eight years part-time. A standard-format thesis is about 80,000 words, and makes a substantial contribution to the relevant scholarly literature, and demonstrates how their research relates to their discipline. It is also possible to submit a PhD in an alternative format (such as a composition, exhibition or other creative work) or by publication upon approval by your supervisory panel and School or Centre. School of Art and Design students normally produced a thesis by creative work (a combination of written exegesis and exhibition).

Master of Philosophy (MPhil)

Program duration for MPhil degrees is up to two years full-time and up to four years part-time. An MPhil thesis is normally limited to 60,000 words.

Applications

College schools and centres sit under two research schools: the Research School of Social Sciences (RSSS) and the Research School of Humanities & the Arts (RSHA).

Each research school has its own PhD and MPHIL programs – the program you apply for depends on the location of the academic staff member who has agreed to supervise your thesis. (See Areas of Research below.)

PhD Programs:

9520XPHD Doctor of Philosophy RSSS

Details and Application: https://programsandcourses.anu.edu.au/program/9520XPHD

9552XPHD Doctor of Philosophy RSHA

Details and Application: https://programsandcourses.anu.edu.au/program/9552XPHD

MPHIL Programs:

8520XMPHIL Master of Philosophy RSSS

Details and Application: https://programsandcourses.anu.edu.au/program/8520XMPHIL

8551XMPHIL Master of Philosophy RSHA

Details and Application: https://programsandcourses.anu.edu.au/program/8551XMPHIL

Areas of Research

Visit the Higher Degree Research page to browse areas of research within CASS. The College also supports interdisciplinary research through the Interdisciplinary and Cross-Cultural Research (ICCR) Program.

Schools and Centres hosting HDR candidates within the College:

Research School of Humanities & the Arts (RSHA):

School of Archaeology and Anthropology

School of Art & Design

School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics

School of Music

Research School of Social Sciences (RSSS):

Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research

Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies

Centre for Social Research and Methods

School of Demography

School of History

School of Philosophy

School of Politics & International Relations

School of Sociology

Minimum entry requirements

Admission to a Doctor of Philosophy program in CASS requires you to have completed an Honours degree at H2A level or above, or equivalent prior studies, such as a Master degree that includes a significant research component. Admission to a Master of Philosophy program in CASS requires you to have completed an Australian Bachelor degree or equivalent, with an overall grade of distinction. 

Generally it is a requirement that you have completed your tertiary studies in the discipline in which you are planning to do research. Please note that exceptions to this may be made with relevant approvals.

At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific requirements, and the University's English Language Admission Requirements for Students . Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry. 

Commencement

You can apply at any time throughout the year and commence at any time throughout the year (except the end of year University close down period). Please note that deadlines apply for those wanting to be considered for scholarship, as listed below. If you are successful in gaining a scholarship, your scholarship conditions may state that you must start by a particular date. For the main domestic and international scholarships rounds the deadline to commence your program (if successful in gaining a scholarship) is the 31st of March in the following year. If you apply to commence between 1 January and 31 March, please select the Summer session, not Semester 1. This is because many HDR courses run during the Summer session, and you need to be enrolled in the Summer session to take those courses. 

The College requires research students to complete postgraduate/research coursework (the equivalent of one semester full-time study) as part of their degree. Coursework may include training on research methods, ethics and other topics as deemed appropriate by your supervisory panel and School/Centre.

Students enrolled in Higher Degree Research programs are expected to be in attendance for the duration of the program (full-time is 40 hours per week and part-time is 20 hours per week) unless approval is given by the Delegated Authority for the student to be an external PhD degree candidate. On campus candidates will be expected to physically attend ANU as a full time student for 18 months or for a part time student for 24 months. Periods of absence on fieldwork, conference attendance, or in pursuit of the program at another institution do not count towards this attendance period. External candidates must spend a minimum of 4 weeks (consecutive or non-consecutive) per year of the program at ANU.

External candidates must note their periods of time in residence at the ANU in their Annual Reports. The written approval of the appropriate Delegated Authority is required for any variation to these attendance requirements. If you intend on applying to be externally based you should discuss this option with your proposed supervisor (Chair of Panel) and should also note this in your application for admission. Once enrolled, to gain formal approval to be externally based you will need to complete the Application for External Attendance in Research Program .

Preparing for your application

Research proposal.

To be considered for the PhD or MPhil program, prospective students must submit a research (or thesis) proposal for review. When contacting potential supervisors or Graduate Research convenors they will most often expect that you have already prepared a draft research proposal. The proposal is often utilised as an indicator to assess the quality and originality of your ideas, your skills in critical thinking, the projects feasibility, and how the research fits within the School or Centres current research focus and supervision capacity.

The length of the proposal required varies between different Schools and disciplines. As a guide you should aim for between 2 and 5 pages. On advice from your potential supervisor or Graduate Research Convenor you can adjust your initial proposal to fit within the School or Centres guidelines.

Please note that your initial research proposal should be viewed as a starting point or work in progress. In your first year of candidature your research proposal will most often be refined such as through: detailed literature reviews, coursework courses completed, supervisors and other academic colleagues.

In writing your research proposal you should consider:

• The field of research or topic of investigation
• Your primary research objective or central research question to address
• The value of your research and the contribution it will make to your field
• The context and background of your research
• Your research strategy and methods

What should I include in my thesis proposal?

• Title: A precise and informative description of the project. Avoid acronyms and phrases such as "A study of . . ."
• Abstract: A summary of the proposed research (approx 300 words) that includes the key research question or hypothesis, the rationale for the research, and the method to be employed in the study
• Aims & significance: A clearly focused statement of the overall purpose of the proposed research (i.e., why is it important?)
• Research questions and/or hypotheses: the questions that the proposed research will address and/or the hypotheses that will be tested
• Literature review: A preliminary review of the key research that has already been carried out in the field and identification of the gaps in the literature that the proposed research aims to fill
• Methodology: An explanation of what type of data will be required to answer the research questions or test the hypotheses and how the data will be collected and analysed
• Timetable: An indication of how the research will be carried out over the duration of a full-time (3 years for PhD, 2 years for MPhil) or part-time (6 years for PhD, 4 years for MPhil) candidature
• Resources: An indication of the funding that will be required over the course of the candidature (e.g., for fieldwork) as well any special materials or training that may be necessary for the successful completion of the project
• Institutional fit: A statement on why CASS is an appropriate 'home' for the project and an indication of potential supervisors/advisors
• Bibliography: A list of references cited in or relevant to the proposal

Finding a supervisor

Identifying a potential primary supervisor is an important part of any graduate research application. Browse the  Researchers database  to find and contact a potential supervisor to support your application. In most cases the School or Centre location of your potential supervisor will determine which School or Centre within CASS you will reside in.

Please note that once you have found a potential supervisor, any offer of supervision will be subject to you being formally offered admission to the program and meeting any conditions (if applicable).

Application Queries

If you have any technical difficulties when applying you should contact the Admissions Office:

Domestic enquiries | International enquiries

After you have completed your application, the normal timeframe for an outcome is six to eight weeks. If you are applying for an ANU administered scholarship, in order for us to prepare your application as best as possible you should try to aim to submit your application well in advance of the final closing deadline (2 to 3 weeks prior to the deadline). If you are applying for an externally administered scholarship such as the Endeavour Awards, you should apply well in advance of your deadline (try to leave at least 6 to 8 weeks prior to the deadline).

Scholarships

Admission and ANU administered scholarships for HDR degrees are applied for together in the one application for admission (an online form). If you are interested in being considered for an ANU administered scholarship you should indicate this in the relevant sections of the application.

In order to be eligible to be considered for a scholarship you must have the equivalent of H1 honours (first class honours). The Scholarship ranking process is very rigorous, each applicant must first be internally ranked and recommended by their School or Centre for the Scholarship round. Then a central College HDR Scholarship round committee assesses and ranks each applicant. Many criteria are taken into account such as the applicants:

• Academic record (including GPA)
• Research Proposal
• Referee reports & questionnaires
• Publications
• Prizes, Awards and Scholarships
• Relevant professional experience
• English language competency
• Ranking relevant to others in the graduate research field or discipline area

Following this there is often a University level ranking committee that ranks applicants put forward by the College to reach a final ranked list of applicants.

Information on scholarships is available at the  ANU Apply online portal

Domestic students

Domestic research students at ANU are covered by the Fee Offset scholarship offered under the Australian Government Research Training Program ( AGRTP ) where the cost of your tuition is paid by the Commonwealth Government.

Research students are required to pay other associated costs such as the Services and amenities fee .

International students

Information on Fees is available at the ANU Apply online portal . 

HDR transfers

If you are currently undertaking an PhD or MPhil at another Australian university, you will still need to apply to ANU as normal. If you are given an offer of admission before you can be enrolled you will need to provide the following:

• Your program commencement date and withdrawal date (if already withdrawn)
• A statement of your RTS (or AGRTP) consumption to date (in EFTSL - Equivalent Full Time Student Load).
• Dates and durations of any periods of leave (other than recreational leave).
• Whether your enrolment was full or part-time.

Please note these details can be obtained from your university administration.

So we can determine your eligibility for Scholarships please advise if you have been in receipt of any Scholarships under your current (or previous) Higher Degree by Research programs (such as an APA scholarship). 

Please also note that before you can enroll at ANU, the enrolments office will also require Proof of withdrawal from your current University. You can provide this information to us once you have received an offer letter from ANU.

Contact us 

For further information, assistance or enquiries please contact us at: [email protected] .

AUSTRALIAN ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY

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Australian Anthropological Society

Welcome to the Australian Anthropological Society

Find out more about, 101 ways to disrupt your thinking.

THE AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGY

Acknowledgement of sovereignty.

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Major in Anthropology

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Related majors

International relations, browse all majors.

• Anthropology
• Careers in Anthropology
• Honours in Anthropology
• Anthropology Staff
• Research in Anthropology
• Student Support

Why choose Anthropology

Working as a social scientist to understand the contemporary world

Investigating cultures and societies both far away and at home

Anthropology is a truly global discipline and our staff represent this diversity with their research in Australia, Chile, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and other countries.

The presence of the UQ Anthropology Museum, located at the St Lucia Campus, affords students a valuable and relevant teaching and research resource for academics, students and the public.

Undergraduate

Anthropology is offered as:.

• a major or extended minor in the  Bachelor of Arts
• a major in the  Diploma in Arts
• an elective as part of other degrees offered by UQ
• a field of study in the  Bachelor of Arts (Honours)

Postgraduate

Similar programs to anthropology:.

• Grad Cert in Museum Studies
• Master of Museum Studies

Higher Degree Research

• Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Satisfy your interest for research and your intellectual curiosity under the supervision of internationally recognised academics.

What our graduates are doing

Mr alistair vaughan.

Anthropologist, Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) 

Alistair is currently working as an Anthropologist at the Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) in Western Australia. YMAC is the native title representative body for the Traditional Owners of the Pilbara, Murchison and Gascoyne regions of Western Australia and represents 24 different Aboriginal Traditional Owner groups, each with their own distinct country, culture and identity. These living culture are maintain through languages, ceremonies beliefs, music, art, laws and creation stories. Alistair found his honours’ experience with the academic community active within the School of Social Science enabled the provision of a quality learning environment and an excellent opportunity to build meaningful and lasting networks.

During the mid-semester break in 2012, Alistair undertook an Aurora Anthropology Internship with Miriuwung Gajerrong Corporation in Kununurra, Western Australia. Alistair said “the internship with MG Corporation was an unforgettable experience in so many ways and left an indelible mark in his mind of the Kimberley region and peoples who call it their home”. It has given Alistair insights into many of the concepts he studied during the process of his undergraduate education and enabled him to apply these concepts to practical, real life settings.

Alistair graduated with an Honours degree in Anthropology in December 2013.

Our undergraduate study areas

• Archaeology
• Archaeological Science
• Criminology & Criminal Justice
• Development
• Health & Social Policy
• Environment & Society
• Social Science

• Programs and Courses

Anthropology

A major offered by the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences

• Total units 48 Units
• Areas of interest Anthropology
• Major code ANTH-MAJ
• Academic career Undergraduate
• Academic Contact Trang Ta
• Introduction

Learning Outcomes

Requirements, relevant degrees.

Anthropology is the study of cultural differences and similarities in a globalised world. As a field of study anthropology is uniquely placed to interpret the widest range of contemporary social phenomena - from migration to religious fundamentalism, online communities and new social movements, contemporary indigenous cultural expression and identity politics, consumption and commodification, and many changing forms of social relationships. The School of Archaeology and Anthropology offers a diverse range of undergraduate courses which cover these themes and more.

The discipline's distinctive methodology—long-term ethnographic fieldwork—provides anthropologists with finely grained and in-depth understandings of complex social phenomena. With a commitment to a comparative and holistic framework, anthropologists' treatment of cultural diversity provides insights into the different ways people comprehend their place in the world and relationships to each other, as well as new ways for us to think about our own relationships and society. It is an ideal foundation for a contemporary liberal-arts degree. Students of non-English languages can find anthropology especially useful.

• demonstrate understanding of the major dimensions of analysis of societies and cultures (e.g., gender, religion, personhood, identity, violence, emotion, state, nation, globalisation);
• demonstrate understanding of both directed and unintended processes of change (e.g., culture and development, applied anthropology);
• demonstrate understanding of the interrelation of technique and theory in the recording and describing of cultures (e.g., film); and
• demonstrate understanding of the intersection of bio-social and material dimensions of social life.
• Bachelor of Arts (BARTS)
• Bachelor of Asian Studies (BASIA)
• Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)—Humanities and Social Sciences (AHUSS)

This major requires the completion of 48 units, of which:

A maximum of 12 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses

A minimum of 6 units must come from completion of 3000-level courses

The 48 units must consist of:

12 units from the completion of the following course(s):

ANTH1002 - Culture and Human Diversity: Introducing Anthropology (6 units)

ANTH1003 - Global Citizen: Culture, Development and Inequality (6 units)

24 units from the completion of the following course(s):

ANTH2005 - Traditional Australian Indigenous Cultures, Societies and Environment (6 units)

ANTH2009 - Culture and Development (6 units)

ANTH2017 - Culture, Social Justice and Aboriginal Society Today (6 units)

ANTH2025 - Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective (6 units)

ANTH2026 - Medicine, Healing and the Body (6 units)

ANTH2129 - Crossing Borders: Migration, Identity and Livelihood (6 units)

ANTH2130 - Violence and Terror (6 units)

ANTH2132 - Food for Thought: Anthropological theories of food and Eating (6 units)

ANTH2134 - States and Citizens: Anthropological Perspectives (6 units)

ANTH3010 - Supervised Research in Anthropology (6 units)

ANTH3014 - Indonesia Field School: Contemporary Change in Indonesia (6 units)

ANTH3016 - Indonesia Field School Extension (6 units)

ANTH3059 - Doing Ethnography: Practicum on Applied Anthropology (6 units)

ARCH3108 - Animal and Plant Domestication (6 units)

ASIA2516 - Indonesia: Politics, Society and Development (6 units)

BIAN2015 - Human Skeletal Analysis (6 units)

BIAN2064 - Anthropology of Environmental Disasters (6 units)

BIAN2119 - Nutrition, Disease and the Environment (6 units)

BIAN3113 - Human Evolution (6 units)

BIAN3124 - Evolution and Human Behaviour (6 units)

BIAN3127 - Primate Behaviour and Conservation (6 units)

ENVS2017 - Vietnam Field School (12 units)

LING2015 - Language, Culture, Translation (6 units)

PASI2001 - Pacific Studies in a Globalizing World (6 units)

PASI2002 - Australia in Oceania in the 19th and 20th centuries (6 units)

PASI3001 - Politics and Development in the Contemporary Pacific (6 units)

PASI3013 - Environment and Development in the Pacific (6 units)

Responsible Officer: Registrar, Student Administration / Page Contact: Website Administrator / Frequently Asked Questions

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Palaeoanthropology Research Laboratory (PEARL)

About PEARL

Palaeoanthropology is the scientific investigation of human evolution focusing on evidence provided by the human fossil, archaeological and palaeoecological records. It’s necessarily multidisciplinary in its approach and has traditionally involved specialists in fossil human anatomy, evolutionary biology and systematics, palaeolithic archaeology, primate biology, geology and palaeoecology.

But there’s much more to a bone than meets the eye! With the remarkable advances in molecular tools over the last decade or so, paleoanthropologists also work closely with specialists studying ancient biomolecules (DNA, proteins etc.) to comprehensively understand the course of human evolution and the factors that drove evolutionary change, human ecology and our uniquely human adaptations.

The Palaeoanthropology Research Laboratory (PEARL) focuses on understanding human evolution in its broadest sense with a focus on wide ranging evidence from the geohistorical record from the Quaternary Period, or around 2.75 million years ago until recent times. Members of PEARL work on or collaborate with colleagues on projects examining fossil human remains, undertaking field survey and site excavation, studying cultural materials including stone tools and rock art, analysing stable isotopes for dietary and ecological analysis, examining ancient DNA and proteomes, and modelling evolution.

We have collaborative research projects in Southwest China, Malaysian Borneo, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, as well as working with colleagues from other regions like Thailand and Australia.

The lab is run by Associate Professor  Darren Curnoe , a biological anthropologist, evolutionary biologist and archaeologist. He is also a science writer and communicator, the Director of ESSRC, and a Chief Investigator and co-leader of the Education and Engagement Program in the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage.

Academic staff

A/Prof. Darren Curnoe Dr Ceridwen Boel

PhD students

Raynold Mendoza Matthew Stewart 

Web and media

https://theconversation.com/columns/darren-curnoe-2101

In this section

Australasian Biogeography and Natural Classification

Geological Evolution, Ore Deposits, Exploration and Energy (GEODEE)

Human geography

Palaeoecology Lab

Prehistory and palaeoenvironment of Australia, New Guinea and the Pacific

Rip current and surf hazard research

Soil science

The Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre

The PRECISE Network

UNSW IceLab