The doctoral program in Anthropology at the University of Ottawa features innovative training that brings together the existing strengths of anthropology (field work, ethnography, international experience, and multidisciplinarity) with a contemporary theoretical approach to the study of anthropology. Moreover, the doctoral program features a new curriculum that includes a professional development seminar and a comprehensive exercise that favours the integration of doctoral candidates into the labour market.
In a rapidly evolving social and environmental context, anthropology brings new critical perspectives to the problems and challenges of the contemporary world by highlighting the links between local problems and global issues. The method of inquiry grounded in field work, ethnography, allows the researcher to document in real time the complexity of phenomena all the while situating various themes, including medicine, the environment, new media, the city, politics, the economy and Indigeneity in diverse social and cultural contexts.
The School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies offers the doctoral program (Ph.D.) in Anthropology. This program is offered full time in French and in English. That being said, the three required doctoral seminars are offered only in French.
In accordance with University policy, assignments, exams, major research papers and theses can be written in French or in English.
The programs are governed by the general regulations in effect for graduate studies.
For the most accurate and up to date information on application deadlines, language tests and other admission requirements, please visit the specific requirements webpage.
To be admitted to the doctoral program in Anthropology, candidates should have a master’s in Anthropology (or equivalent) and have obtained a minimum GPA of 75 per cent (B+), which is calculated according to the guidelines of the University of Ottawa. A student who has a master’s degree with the minimum GPA but in a related field can also be considered for admission. The student may be required to enrol in some master’s courses in addition to their doctoral program requirements. The exact number of courses will be determined by the Graduate Studies Committee in Anthropology after review of the student’s file.
Admission to the program is dependent on the agreement of thesis supervision by a professor or professors who specializes in the student’s main field of interest. An application must include, in addition to transcripts and letters of recommendation, a letter that identifies: 1) the field of research; 2) the specific research theme that will guide the thesis; 3) the student’s linguistic competency (French and English) 4) agreement of thesis supervision by a professor. (Please note that the two required doctoral seminars are offered only in French.) The candidate should also include a one to five-page statement of their proposed doctoral research.
Language requirements
Students require sufficient competency in French in order to actively participate in three required courses offered only in French, and must be able to read texts in both French and English. Students must be able to engage in discussions and participate actively in French. Students who choose to take their remaining courses in English must be able to engage in discussions and participate actively in English. The School reserves the right to require students to take a language proficiency test.
The list of acceptable tests is indicated in the specific requirements of the program.
Fast Track from Master’s to Ph.D.
A fast track option from the MA to the Ph.D. program is possible. Students enrolled in the MA program in Anthropology at the University of Ottawa can be admitted to the Ph.D. program, and not be required to complete a thesis or Major Research Paper, provided they meet the following conditions outlined below:
- have completed five graduate courses in Anthropology (15 credits) with a minimum grade of A in each course
- have a letter of recommendation from their thesis or Major Research Paper supervisor as well as letters of recommendation from members of their thesis committee, if applicable
- have the approval of the School’s Graduate Studies Committee. The Committee will make a decision based upon the letters of recommendation and an assessment of the student’s aptitude for research.
The request to fast track must be made within 16 months from the student’s initial registration in the MA program and the request must be approved before the fourth session so as to allow the student to register to the Ph.D. program at the start of their fifth semester. Following the transfer to the Ph.D. program, the student must complete all of the requirements of the doctoral program, including the four required courses - professional development seminar, the comprehensive exercise, the thesis proposal and the thesis - as well as the five courses (15 credits) already completed. A student who transfers to the doctoral program but who does not complete the Ph.D. may receive the MA degree, providing they satisfy the requirements of the MA program.
The requirements of the PhD program are as follows:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory courses | ||
| ANT 8500 | Séminaire de doctorat 1 | 3 Units |
| ANT 8501 | Séminaire avancé de recherche en anthropologie 1 | 3 Units |
| ANT 9101 | Comprehensive Exercise | |
| ANT 9500 | Séminaire de développement professionnel en anthropologie 2 | 3 Units |
| Elective courses | ||
| 6 elective course units approved by the Graduate Studies Committee 3 | 6 Units | |
| Thesis proposal | ||
| ANT 9102 | Thesis Proposal 4 | 6 Units |
| Thesis | ||
| THD 9999 | Doctoral Thesis | |
Note(s)
- 1
Available in French only.
- 2
The Professional Development Seminar, which is a compulsory course, will be composed of workshops and presentations that will take place over two academic terms.
- 3
The two optional courses are normally chosen from a list of graduate courses in Anthropology. Note that the two doctoral seminars are offered only in French; students, however, can take their two optional courses in the official language of their choice.
- 4
At the end of the second term of the program, the student is expected to choose a thesis supervisor, and by the end of the third term of study, a thesis advisory committee should be finalized. The membership of the committee will be determined in line with the student’s research interests. The committee will be composed of a supervisor and two regular professors of the School. The committee’s role is to assist the student from the thesis proposal stage to the completion of the thesis, and thesis defense.
Research at the University of Ottawa
Located in the heart of Canada’s capital, a few steps away from Parliament Hill, the University of Ottawa ranks among Canada’s top 10 research universities. Our research is founded on excellence, relevance and impact and is conducted in a spirit of equity, diversity and inclusion.
Our research community thrives in four strategic areas:
- Creating a sustainable environment
- Advancing just societies
- Shaping the digital world
- Enabling lifelong health and wellness
From advancing healthcare solutions to tackling global challenges like climate change, the University of Ottawa’s researchers are at the forefront of innovation, making significant contributions to society and beyond.
Research at the Faculty of Social Sciences
The Faculty of Social Sciences represents a place of excellence in knowledge creation, research and training. Driven by both disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, research at the Faculty is rich, innovative and varied, contributing to the depth of understanding and breadth of discussions on a variety of issues nationally and internationally. This research, whether it be fundamental, theoretical, applied or action-oriented, is generated by our renowned expertise, ultimately culminating in applications designed to influence individual communities and the betterment of society.
We have identified five research themes which collectively represent a large proportion of the research undertaken at the Faculty of Social Sciences:
- International Studies
- Francophonie
- Public Policy
- Health, Well-Being
- Justice, Society
Facilities, Research Centres and Institutes at the Faculty of Social Sciences
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Citizenship and Minorities (CIRCEM), Centre for International Policy Studies (CIPS), Centre for Public Management and Policy, Centre for Research on Educational and Community Service (CRECS), Centre on Governance (COG), Human Rights Research and Education Centre (affiliation), Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies and Institute for Science, Society and Policy.
For more information, refer to the list of faculty members and their research fields on Uniweb.
IMPORTANT: Candidates and students looking for professors to supervise their thesis or research project can also consult the website of the faculty or department of their program of choice. Uniweb does not list all professors authorized to supervise research projects at the University of Ottawa.
ANT 5100 Contemporary Theory in Anthropology (3 units)
In-depth examination of the main theoretical currents in social and cultural anthropology. Focus on the development and the points of convergence and divergence of these currents, through examples and topical issues.
Course Component: Seminar
ANT 5101 Multimodal Anthropology (3 units)
Examination of the modalities and practices of research in anthropology: the manner through which research has unfolded, been felt, expressed or undertaken. Speech, gesture, smell, and gaze, as well as sound, touch, movement and images taken up as both topic and method. Addressing the implications of anthropological works and practices that are essentially mediated by forms of actual experiences.
Course Component: Seminar
ANT 5500 Théories contemporaines en anthropologie (3 crédits)
Examen approfondi des principaux courants théoriques contenporains en anthropologie sociale et culturelle. Développement de ces courants et leurs points de convergence et de divergence à l'aide d'exemples et de thématiques actuelles.
Volet : Séminaire
ANT 5501 Anthropologie multimodale (3 crédits)
Examen des modalités de pratiques et de recherche en anthropologie: manière à travers laquelle la recherche s'est passée ou a été ressentie, exprimée ou faite. La parole, les gestes et le regard, ainsi que le sonore, le touché, le mouvement et l'image tant comme thème que comme méthode. Exploration des oeuvres et pratiques anthropologiques qui sont pratiquement et essentiellement médiées par des formes d'expériences véritables, que cela implique des technologies ou des corps ou les deux.
Volet : Séminaire
ANT 6101 Anthropology of the Political, Rights and Power (3 units)
Combining theoretical reflections and ethnographic research, an examination of recent reconfigurations in global political processes: the emergence of new political spaces, forms and conflicts, critique of inequalities, political and religious movements, political authority and resistance, and postcolonial perspectives.
Course Component: Seminar
ANT 6102 Globalization and Capitalist Imaginaries (3 units)
Understanding how forces, connections, flux and dynamics of globalization articulate, transform and condition representations of the economy, of the political, of the social and of everyday life in a capitalist context. Critical debate of theories of power, imaginaries and practices in the links between the local and the global.
Course Component: Seminar
ANT 6103 The ''Culture'' Question in Anthropology (3 units)
Historical and critical in-depth analysis of the contributions and limitations of the notion of 'culture' in anthropology revolving around major issues in the discipline: identity transformations; decolonization; socio-economic upheavals and migration; global dynamics and problems of pluralism; multiculturalism and interculturalism.
Course Component: Lecture
ANT 6104 Indigeneities (3 units)
In-depth examination of global indigenous resurgence, including the revitalization of legal orders, governance systems, spiritualities and language. Anthropological studies of such subjects as colonialism, post-colonialism, decolonization and coexistence; resistance and resilience; healing, reconciliation and reparation; multiculturalism and cultural appropriation; ecologies.
Course Component: Lecture
ANT 6112 Medical Anthropology (3 units)
Epistemologies and practices of health, wellbeing, illness and disease. It will touch upon the encompassing issues of suffering, embodiment, new medical technologies, Western and non-Western medical traditions, alternative health practices, wellness movements, mental health, and the cultural construction of biomedical scientific knowledge.
Course Component: Lecture
ANT 6122 Environmental Anthropology (3 units)
In-depth analysis of research problems understood as environmental, underlining important questions of shared milieus in which humans and non-humans are entangled. Studies, grounded in ethnographic research, of different ecological and territorial issues.
Course Component: Lecture
ANT 6150 Methodology and Research Proposal in Anthropology (3 units)
In-depth reflection on how to conceptualize and shape a research proposal, providing students with the tools required to design a research project. From envisioned fieldwork, the seminar exploration of the inseparabiity of method and research problem.
Course Component: Seminar
ANT 6380 Selected topics (3 units)
Selected research topic in anthropology.
Course Component: Seminar
ANT 6501 Anthropologie du politique, droits et pouvoir (3 crédits)
Appréhender les reconfigurations récentes dans les processus politiques globaux à partir de réflexions théoriques et de terrains singuliers: émergence de nouveaux lieux politique, formes inédites de conflictualité, revendications de droits, critique des inégalités, mouvements politiques et religieux, l'autorité politique et résistance, et les perspectives postcoloniales.
Volet : Séminaire
ANT 6502 Mondialisation et imaginaires capitalistes (3 crédits)
Comprendre comment les forces et les connexions, les flux et les dynamiques de la mondialisation articulent, transforment et affectent les représentations de l'économie, du politique, du social et de la vie quotidienne dans un contexte capitaliste. Débat critique sur les théories qui portent sur le pouvoir, les imaginaires et les pratiques dans la relation entre le local et le global.
Volet : Séminaire
ANT 6503 Questions autour de la notion de «culture» en anthropologie (3 crédits)
Analyse historique et critique approfondie des apports et limites de la notion de « culture » en anthropologie autour de laquelle se concentrent les enjeux majeurs de la discipline : transformations identitaires, (dé)colonisation, bouleversements socio-économiques et migrations, dynamiques mondiales et problématiques du pluralisme, du multiculturalisme et de l'interculturalisme.
Volet : Cours magistral
ANT 6504 Autochtonies (3 crédits)
Examen approfondi de la resurgence autochtone dans le monde, y compris la revitalisation d'ordres juridiques, systèmes de gouvernance, spiritualité ou langue. Études anthropologiques de sujets tels que le colonialisme, post-colonialisme, décolonisation et coexistence; résistance et résilience; guérison, réconciliation et réparation; multiculturalisme et appropriation culturelle; écologies.
Volet : Cours magistral
ANT 6512 Anthropologie de la santé (3 crédits)
Épistémologies et pratiques de la santé, du bien-être et de la maladie. Questions concernant la souffrance, la corporéité, les nouvelles technologies, les traditions médicales occidentales et non-occidentales, les pratiques alternatives, les mouvements du bien-être, santé mentale et construction culturelle des savoirs scientifiques biomédicaux.
Volet : Cours magistral
ANT 6522 Anthropologie de l'environnement (3 crédits)
Analyse approfondie de problématiques dites environnementales qui soulèvent l'importante question des milieux partagés, humains et autre qu'humains. Études, à partir de recherches ethnographiques, de différents enjeux écologiques et territoriaux.
Volet : Cours magistral
ANT 6550 Méthodologie et problématique (3 crédits)
Réflexion approfondie sur la conception et la mise en forme d'une problématique de recherche afin de permettre aux étudiant-es de concevoir un projet de recherche. À partir des recherches de terrain envisagées, exploration de l'indissociabilité de la méthodes et de la problématique.
Volet : Séminaire
ANT 6780 Thèmes choisis (3 crédits)
Thème de recherche choisi en anthropologie.
Volet : Séminaire
ANT 6932 Lectures dirigées en anthropologie / Directed Readings in Anthropology (3 crédits / 3 units)
Cours individuel ayant pour objectif d'approfondir les connaissances de l'étudiant dans un domaine particulier ou de lui permettre de se familiariser avec un nouveau domaine. / Individual course aimed at deepening a student's knowledge of a particular area or at gaining knowledge of a new area.
Volet / Course Component: Cours magistral / Lecture
Prerequisite: Individual course aimed at deepening a student’s knowledge of a particular area or at gaining knowledge of a new area. The topic is selected and developed in consultation with departmental guidelines.
ANT 6933 Laboratoire expérientiel / Experiential laboratory (3 crédits / 3 units)
Participation active aux activités de recherche d’un des laboratoires de l’ÉÉSA sous la supervision d’un professeur. Cours individuel ayant pour objectif d’approfondir les connaissances de l’étudiant dans un domaine particulier ou de lui permettre de se familiariser avec un nouveau domaine. / Active participation in the research activities of one of the ÉÉSA laboratories under the supervision of a professor. Individual course using a research-based approach, aimed at deepening student's knowledge in a particular field or at exposing them to a new field.
Volet / Course Component: Laboratoire / Laboratory
ANT 7990 Projet de thèse / Thesis Proposal
Rédaction d'un projet de thèse. Soumission du projet au comité de thèse. Noté S (satisfaisant) ou NS (non satisfaisant). / Drafting of a thesis proposal. Submission of proposal to the thesis committee. Graded S (Satisfactory) / NS (Not satisfactory).
Volet / Course Component: Recherche / Research
ANT 7998 Mémoire / Research Paper
Volet / Course Component: Recherche / Research
ANT 8500 Séminaire de doctorat (3 crédits)
Appréhender de façon détaillée à partir de plusieurs thématiques anthropologiques contemporaines les enjeux théoriques et épistémologiques reliés à la discipline.
Volet : Séminaire
ANT 8501 Séminaire avancé de recherche en anthropologie (3 crédits)
Développement de la problématique de recherche en anthropologie. Analyse approfondie des préoccupations fondamentales de la discipline, dont le raisonnement anthropologique et les méthodes de travail essentielles, l'ethnographie, pour mener à bien des recherches doctorales.
Volet : Séminaire
ANT 9101 Comprehensive Exercise
Preparation of an annotated course syllabus; includes oral examination. Graded S (Satisfactory) / NS (Not satisfactory).
Course Component: Research
ANT 9102 Thesis Proposal (6 units)
Preparation, overseen by thesis supervisor, which must be approved by thesis advisory committee. Graded S (Satisfactory) / NS (Not satisfactory).
Course Component: Research
ANT 9500 Séminaire de développement professionnel en anthropologie (3 crédits)
Examen des possibilités d'emplois en anthropologie. Analyse des compétences transférables et préparation vers la transition au marché de l'emploi. Noté S (satisfaisant) ou NS (non satisfaisant).
Volet : Séminaire
ANT 95001 Séminaire de développement professionnel en anthropologie (Partie 1 de 2)
Examen des possibilités d'emplois en anthropologie. Analyse des compétences transférables et préparation vers la transition au marché de l'emploi. Noté S (satisfaisant) ou NS (non satisfaisant).
Volet : Séminaire
ANT 95002 Séminaire de développement professionnel en anthropologie (Partie 2 de 2) (3 crédits)
Examen des possibilités d'emplois en anthropologie. Analyse des compétences transférables et préparation vers la transition au marché de l'emploi. Noté S (satisfaisant) ou NS (non satisfaisant).
Volet : Séminaire
Préalable : ANT 95001.
ANT 9501 Exercice de synthèse
Exercice de synthèse composé d'un plan de cours annoté; comporte également une épreuve orale. Noté S (satisfaisant) ou NS (non satisfaisant).
Volet : Recherche
ANT 9502 Projet de thèse de doctorat (6 crédits)
Préparation, supervisée par le directeur ou la directrice de thèse, du projet de thèse, qui doit être approuvé par le comité de thèse. Noté S (satisfaisant) ou NS (non satisfaisant).
Volet : Recherche