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Admission Requirements 

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program, please review the for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.

Admission

An applicant must meet  plus these departmental requirements to be considered for admission to the program:

1. An undergraduate major in anthropology comparable to that at 51����.
2. Reason Statement.
3. Three letters of recommendation.
4. A writing sample such as a relevant term paper, article submission, etc.

Applicants without an undergraduate major in anthropology can meet the first requirement in either of two ways:

1. By having completed junior-level courses in three of the four subfields of anthropology (archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, or linguistics) with grades of B or better. These courses may be taken at any accredited college or university if they were not part of the applicant’s undergraduate career. Applicants also may take them as special students at 51����. Applicants planning to take such courses should check with the Director of Graduate Studies to verify that the courses will be acceptable.
2. Applicants lacking courses in anthropology may be admitted to the program and be allowed to take the core classes and advanced seminars without deficiencies under certain conditions. For example, an applicant with an outstanding GPA who has an undergraduate major closely related to their proposed field of specialization could be admitted under this option.

Application deadlines for admission to the program are January 15th for the following Fall semester and September 15th for the following Spring semester. Applicants requesting financial assistance may have other deadlines to be considered eligible. Contact the department’s Director of Graduate Studies for specific financial aid deadlines.

Credits and Courses

Students in the Master’s degree program in Anthropology are required to take a minimum of 30 credits, 15 of which must be obtained in courses numbered 700 or above. Required courses differ by concentration (requirements for students seeking to acquire a Certificate in Museum Studies are listed on that page).

Archaeology Concentration

Biological Anthropology Concentration

Cultural Anthropology Concentration

Anthropology MS with Museum Studies Certificate

Students completing any of the three above concentrations can also earn the Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies as outlined below. The student must select methods, advanced seminar, and electives courses appropriate to their concentration in consultation with their advisor. 21 credits are required for the Anthropology, MS¹, and 18 credits must be completed for the Certificate program, for a total of 39 credits.

¹

Students may request a waiver for any of the above required courses for the Anthropology MS degree except the advanced seminar. To request a waiver, a student must submit a letter to the Graduate Studies Committee. Requests must be accompanied by documentation demonstrating that the student is competent in the subject area of the course for which the waiver is sought. A waived course must be replaced by an anthropology course numbered 700 or above. Museum Studies courses cannot be waived.

Students must maintain a B (3.0) average or better overall. The three core courses must be completed with an average of 3.0 or better. Students with a grade below a B in a core course subsequently accepted into the PhD program must retake the course until they achieve a grade of B or better.

A thesis is required of all students; students may apply up to 6 credits of Research/Thesis courses toward meeting the minimum credits for the degree. The thesis must be formatted in accord with Graduate School requirements. Students will submit an electronic copy of the thesis to the Graduate School and a signed, unbound “hard” copy to the Department of Anthropology.

Application to all graduate programs are completed through the 51���� Graduate School. Please see their website for detailed information about the application process and contact them with questions.

We also have provided information about applying to one of the anthropology graduate programs and our admissions criteria:

How to apply for the MS in anthropology

Teaching and Research Assistantships are the primary form of financial support for Anthropology graduate students. These positions provide a salary and tuition remission. Some small scholarships are also available. Click below for more details.