This spring the Administration approved an interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Participatory Research to be housed in Anthropology. The certificate will certify completion of training in the theoretical bases, rationale, methodologies, challenges, and motivation for carrying out research in equitable partnership with the community that the research is intended to benefit.
Relevant participatory methods, ethical considerations, and research paradigms come from diverse sources across campus, including professional schools such as Public Health and Social Work and the College of Arts and Sciences, especially its humanities and social science departments – anthropology, geography, history, city and regional planning, and sociology. The Certificate program provides faculty mentorship and guidance to help students develop facility with methods for their respective projects, connects graduate students with each other and with faculty and community experts, and establishes forums for discussing, sharing and refining participatory ethics and methodologies. It also aims to provide opportunities for students in all fields to gain experience by linking them to ongoing projects.
UNC-CH has a strong history of community-engaged participatory research, particularly in Public Health. The Department of Anthropology is pleased to play a role in building this tradition. Anthropology professor Dorothy Holland will serve as the first Director of the Certificate Program.
Learn more about the Graduate Certificate in Participatory Research →