Graduate Student Resources
Departmental Graduate Committee, 2021-2022
Graduate Program Director (GPD): Diana Allan (Fall), Ismael Vaccaro (Winter)
Fellowships and Grants Officer: Lisa Overholtzer
Proseminar & Career Advisor: Sandra Hyde (Fall), Peter Johansen (Winter)
Coordinator for Language Requirement: Eduardo Kohn (Fall), Colin Scott (Winter)
Student Handbook
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PhD requirements (right click to open):
graduate_student_handbook_august2023_1.docx -
PhD requirements PRIOR to Fall 2017: Graduate Student Handbook PRIOR to Fall 2017
graduate_handbook_2013_1_0.pdf
Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities
Library Help for Anthro Students
Need help finding what you need at the library? View a 2015 proseminar on how to maximize McGill library's anthropology resources, or email the McGill library liaison for Anthropology directly: Ms. nikki.tummon [at] mcgill.ca (Nikki Tummon) (Tel: 514-398-5727). She is happy to answer questions or help with your library research, including bibliographic essays!
Guidelines for Submitting and Defending Your PhD Thesis Proposal
Request a Change of Status
To change your registration status as a graduate student, visit the Student Records page of the McGill website.
Apply to Graduate
A student must apply to graduate more than a month before the end of the term in which they hope to graduate. See details here.
Tips on Working with your Supervisor
The Graduate and Postdoctoral Support website offers research and evidence-based advice to graduate students and their supervisors on how to work together effectively and avoid common problems in supervision.
Practical Fieldwork Preparation Tips
The Reference Guide for Fieldwork includes helpful tips and practical advice on how to prepare for your ethnographic fieldwork.
Update Your Information on the Department Website
If you are a McGill Anthropology Graduate Student and would like to add or update your information or photo on the "People" pages of the Department website, please submit your revisions via the Graduate Student Information Form. Note: only currently registered graduate students have access to these forms. Please contact the gradprogram.anthropology [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Update%20information%20on%20website%20(Anthropology)) (Graduate Student Coordinator) if you have questions.
Research Facilities for Graduate Students
The Graduate Student Lounge, located in Leacock 836, is available for studying or small meetings and contains an array of Department resources in addition to a refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave. The lounge is kept locked at all times. Contact the Department administrative staff for access or to obtain a key.
The Centre for Society, Technology and Development (STANDD) provides some office space, computers and other facilities to students working on the interdisciplinary study of social and environmental development or related topics. For students specializing in international development or related topics, office space may also be available through the Institute for the Study of International Development (ISID). For students whose research relates to health or medicine, office space may also be available at the Social Studies of Medicine (SSOM) building.
Post-Graduate Students' Society (PGSS)
Visit the Post-Graduate Students' Society (PGSS), headquartered at Thomson House (3650 McTavish), for reasonably priced tasty eats, beer or for answers to your questions about being a graduate student at McGill. PGSS represents the interests of graduate students, and their Committee for Member Support works to protect the rights of graduate students and postdocs. PGSS also hosts a variety of parties and events; offers a range of leisure courses in everything from salsa, French, yoga and public speaking; organizes group activities such as trivia nights; and occasionally sells bargain tickets to Montreal area shows and other cultural events.
Anthropology Graduate Students Association (AGSA)
The Anthropology Graduate Students Association (AGSA) is comprised of graduate students enrolled in the Department of Anthropology. Its main purpose is to provide a forum through which graduate students can meet to discuss issues related to the program and student life at McGill. AGSA is linked with other elements of the university governance structure and acts as a representative body for the graduate students in the department. AGSA also organizes conferences and other academic forms as well as recreational and cultural events for its membership and other members of the anthropological community in Montreal and beyond. agsa.anthropology [at] mcgill.ca (Email AGSA)
Anthropology Resources
General Resources for McGill Anthropology Students
- Student Services
- Administrative Handbook
- Minerva
- eCalendar, including information on programs, courses and university regulations
- McGill Libraries
- Email the anthropology.asa.mcgill [at] gmail.com (Anthropology Students Association (ASA)) (comprised of undergraduates)
- Email the agsa.anthropology [at] mcgill.ca (Anthropology Graduate Students Association) (comprised of graduates)
General Resources for Anthropologists
- Canadian Anthropology Society / La Societe Canadienne d'Anthropologie: Includes news, conference updates, opportunities and other resources for anthropologists in Canada
- American Anthropological Association: Includes anthropology news, opportunities to network with other anthropologists, teaching materials (available via search), funding suggestions, field school listings and a career center with job postings
- Anthropological Resources on the Internet: A site dedicated to anthropological studies around the globe; includes news, web directories and more
- Index of the Royal Anthropological Institute: An index to current periodicals held in the Anthropology Library of the British Museum's Centre for Anthropology
Qualitative Research and Analysis Resources
- The QualPage
- Listserv Manual
- Great resource on anthropological research, methods and techniques as well as other relevant topics, including access to books published by Sage Publications and their tables of contents
- The U.S. Library of Congress, which includes a search engine that allows you to search the contents of the library
Career Planning
CaPS
McGill's Career Planning Service (CaPS) assists students in their search for a career following graduation as well as the pursuit of summer internships, part-time jobs and other employment opportunities while studying at McGill. CaPS hosts on campus recruiting events, job fairs and other career-oriented events year round, in addition to holding regular workshops on career planning and related topics. They can also help undergraduates with the decision to pursue and apply to graduate school. You can also visit the Career Resource Centre or set up a meeting with a career counselor who can help with your individual needs.
AAA Career Center
The American Anthropological Association's (AAA) Career Center offers ideas on how to use a degree in anthropology, the academic hiring process, and job seeking tips in addition to academic job opportunities.
SKILLSETS Career Guidance
SKILLSETS is a centrally-managed program jointly hosted by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and McGill's Teaching and Learning Services. They develop and promote interdisciplinary professional development offerings for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. They host workshops and other events focused on finding career opportunities, maximizing career skills, job applications and useful career training. Visit the SKILLSETS website for additional information on their career development opportunities.
Anthropology Job Links
This is a narrow sampling of the available sources for employment in anthropology, developed from the 2012 AAA Annual Meeting Jobs Fair and additional sources collected from students' present and past experience. McGill does not endorse or promote any of the organizations or references listed below.
General Job Listings
The National Association for the Practice of Anthropology (NAPA) maintains a well-organized listing of job opportunities in anthropology in the United States.
ShovelBums maintains an ongoing list of opportunities in archaeology and cultural resource management in the United States.
PreserveNet, run by Cornell, hosts job and internship listings related to historic preservation in the United States.
Canadian Association of Physical Anthropology / L’Association Canadienne D’Anthropologie Physique maintains job listings related specifically to physical anthropology.
Academic Jobs
The Canadian Anthropology Society / la Societé Canadienne d'Anthropologie runs a job search engine for academic anthropology opportunities in Canada.
The American Anthropological Association (AAA) runs an excellent jobs board for anthropology jobs in academia, mostly in the United States. Visit the Career Center page on their website regularly to search available opportunities.
Government Jobs
The governments of both Canada and the United States employ anthropologists in a variety of sectors.
- For Canada, visit the government Job Bank to find current employment opportunities.
- For the United States, visit USA Jobs to set up a search engine that emails you whenever an anthropology job becomes available.
- The US Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Health Services Research and Development Service (HSR&D) helps the VA develop innovative solutions to today's healthcare challenges. They work to improve the quality of healthcare for veterans by examining the effects of the organization, financing and management of healthcare services. Programs range from clinical research to the dissemination of research results and the application of these findings to clinical, managerial and policy decisions. Based in Washington, DC.
- The US Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducts medical research to improve health and save lives. Based in Maryland.
- The US Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) is a 2-year postgraduate program of service and on-the-job training for health professionals (including medical anthropologists) interested in the practice of epidemiology. Based in Georgia.
Non-Profit and Private Sector Jobs
Click on the "Career" or "Employment" tabs for the following websites to find out more about job opportunities in the non-profit and private sectors. Descriptions are drawn directly from the organization or company websites.
- Deloitte (Canada and USA): A large consulting firm that specializes in innovation and helping government, private and non-profit clients solve their biggest problems. Dedicated to identifying and exploring emerging opportunities on the edge of business and technology.
- Archaeological and Cultural Education Consultants (USA): Consulting firm that assists cultural resource managers with their public outreach needs and helps them provide the public with accurate, high-quality archaeological and cultural educational resources. Clients include agencies, organizations, communities and tribes. Based in Oklahoma.
- LTG Associates, Inc. (USA): The oldest and largest anthropologically based consulting firm in North America. They provide clients with customized consultations locally and globally from community program design, monitoring and evaluation to policy research and development. Although they are based in California and Washington, DC, they work on projects around the world.
- Manoff Group (USA): A qualitative research consulting firm that creates and applies innovative strategies and methods for solving problems in health, family planning, nutrition, environment and HIV/AIDS. Based in Washington, DC.
- Basin Research Associates (USA): A cultural resource management firm that provides cultural resource research and management expertise to government, industry and individuals throughout California and Nevada. They specialize in managing and completing small to medium sized archaeological and historic preservation projects. Associates generally have advanced degrees with expertise in archaeology and related fields.
- Asian Women's Shelter (USA): A non-profit that works to eliminate domestic violence by promoting the social, economic and political self-determination of women. Based in California.
- RAND Corporation (USA): A non-profit institution that specializes in public policy research, specifically helping to improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis. They work on a range of issues including families, health, environment, aging, technology, security and law. They hire research assistants, summer associates and communications analysts in addition to full-time researchers. Based in California, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
Museum Jobs
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) maintains a list of job and internship postings from museums of all kinds located throughout the United States. Postings include curatorial positions but also employment relating to community engagement and outreach.
Literature on Employment in Anthropology
These books can provide some guidance on seeking employment in anthropology, particularly if you are looking outside of academia.
- Doing Anthropology in Consumer Research by Patricia L. Sunderland and Rita M. Denny, Left Coast Press 2007
- Advancing Ethnography in Corporate Environments: Challenges and Emerging Opportunities edited by Brigitte Jordan, Left Coast Press 2012
- The Archaeology Graduate's Guide: From Student to a Career by Carol Ellick and Joe Watso, Left Coast Press 2011