Memorial University offers funding packages to academically eligible full-time graduate students, both Canadian and international, in eligible programs. Select Ph.D students will also automatically be considered for the School of Graduate Studies Dean's Doctoral Award (PDF), through a competitive process. The award is an additional amount of $5000 per year for up to four years.

The Ph.D in Archaeology is offered in pre-contact or historical archaeology, with an emphasis on, but not limited to: bioarchaeology, environmental archaeology, archaeological theory, the archaeology of Northeastern North America and the Arctic.

• View a list of completed Ph.D dissertations.

The choice of speciality will govern the selection of supervisor(s), courses, and dissertation topics. When candidates are accepted into the program, they will be assigned one or more supervisors. Candidates' programs shall be the responsibility of their supervisor(s), the graduate co-ordinator(s), and the Head of the Department. The choice of specialty will govern the selection of a supervisor and supervisory committee. This committee will be established for each student as per General Regulation 12b.

An applicant must normally hold a Master's degree with a specialization in archaeology or anthropology. In exceptional circumstances, a student who has spent three semesters in the M.A. program may be recommended for transfer into the Ph.D. stream.

Program of study

1. Students will normally be required to successfully complete two (2) courses during their first three semesters in the programme. The required courses are:

• ARCH 6000: Theory and Method in the Study of Archaeology and Prehistory
• ARCH 6001: Interpretive Methods in Archaeology
• Additional courses at the discretion of the supervisory committee.

2. The supervisory committee may require the candidates to complete additional graduate courses, if a candidate's records suggest a deficiency in some area(s).

3. All candidates must demonstrate a reading knowledge of a second language to be determined in consultation with the supervisory committee. This language will normally be a language in which there is a substantial body of literature in either Archaeology and/or Anthropology. A language exam will be set and marked by an authority determined by the Head of the Department and the Dean of Graduate Studies (see General Regulation G2d) and must be completed before the Comprehensive Examination is undertaken.

4. The Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination shall be administered in accordance with General Regulation H. The examination shall consist of two (2) exams followed by an oral presentation that summarizes the exams and addresses any critical feedback from the committee. Candidates will prepare for these examinations by undertaking supervised readings on the topics developed by the five members of their comprehensive exam committee. The comprehensive examination process begins in the second year of the candidate's program.

5. The candidate must submit a written thesis proposal for presentation to the department two months following completion of his/her comprehensive examination.

6. As stated in the General Regulations for Graduate Studies, the time limit for completion of the degree is 7 years.

7. Residency: the Department requires a minimum residency of two years for Ph.D. students.

8. Submission of dissertation and the oral defense of dissertation will follow General Regulation J4 (PDF).