Getting into Graduate School
The inside scoop
K. M. Ames, with revisions by V. Butler & J. Spoon.
Degree Programs
• Ph.D.
• M.A./M.S. (e.g. PSU)
Terminal Degrees
• Ph.D.
• Generally professional degree in sociocultural and
bioanthropology
• University Faculty – now even Community College (extremely
competitive, approx. 25%)
• Professional positions in Applied Anthropology (approx. 75%)
• NGOs, federal agencies, CRM, hospitals, private sector…
• Principal Investigator on grants/contracts
Terminal Degrees
• M.A./M.S.
• Cultural Resource Management
• Agency positions – archaeology, cultural anthropology
• NGOs and International Organizations (USAID, DFID,
etc)
• Hospitals
• Private sector (market research,
planning, design)
• Conflict
Ph.D. Programs
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Can enter directly from BA/BS program
Two to three years’ course work
Qualifying exams
Dissertation• 1 to 4+ years to complete
• Dissertation Defense
• Cross-training a must!
M.A./M.S. Programs
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Can enter directly from BA/BS
1 to 2 years class work
Qualifying exams or course work
Thesis – 1 to 2 years
Alternative programs
• Coursework
• Internships
Ph.D. programs
• Advantages
• Quicker (hence cheaper) if focused
• Often programs larger, more diverse faculty, other graduate
students
• More opportunities
• Sometimes better funded facilities, e.g. labs, libraries etc.
Ph.D. programs
• Disadvantages
• Can be large
• Faculty can be deeply involved in research, little time for students
• Negatively competitive
M.A./M.S. Programs
• Advantages:
• If terminal degree desired, M.A. in Ph.D. program secondary
emphasis
• Smaller, usually more student friendly, better access to faculty
• M.A./M.S. programs often geared towards specific vocational
skills
• Some firm owners prefer to hire M.A.s
• Opportunity to “gear up” for Ph.D. program
• “PhDs study the world but MA s run it!”
M.A./M.S. Programs
• Disadvantages
• Small
• Faculty
• Facilities
• Library
• Funding more difficult than for Ph.D.
• Research
Choosing the right school
• What do you want from graduate school (why
are you going)? What degree do you seek?
• Research the “Guide to Departments of
Anthropology”, published annually by the
American Anthropological Association. Available
in the Anthropology Office or in the library. Go
on line and check web sites
• Go on line and do key word searches (e.g.
anthropology, applied, health)
Choosing the right school cont.
• Do on-line bibliographic data base searches for
people doing work that interests you (google scholar them)
• Go to the library and read catalogs (less now)
• Talk to your academic advisor asking about benefits
and pitfalls of M.A. programs vs. PhD programs.
• Does Geography Matter?
• One thought: Don’t worry about location. Choose schools
on the basis of programs. Graduate school is short-term.
You can survive anywhere for a short time.
• On the other hand… grad school connections can set you up
for employment and there’s definitely regional networks
(connections through the work, regional organizations, etc.)
Questions to Ask (yourself)
• What do I want to do when I finish my graduate work?
• Do schools that interest me have faculty to prepare/train
me to do what I want to do? (This takes serious
homework)
• Is someone there interested in ME (this requires making
contact with faculty at schools of interest)?
• Am I married or otherwise attached? (Why? Graduate
school, early career years can be hard on relationships.
Are your significant others behind this?)
More Questions to Ask
• Do I need money to pay for school? (Can I go
without support?)
• Does school offer financial assistance (TA
positions, fellowships, loans, work-study)
• Do graduates get jobs when they finish?
• What percentage get appropriate jobs? (they
may not know)
• What placement assistance/job counseling will
Department offer?
Applications
• Transcripts – EVERY college/university you’ve ever attended;
forgetting one can be sufficient to disqualify you.
• GPA – check to make sure you meet GPA requirements. Don’t
waste your time or money applying to schools you’re not qualified
for. (Be self-critical here. Do I *really* qualify or am I wasting time
and money applying?)
• GRE scores – take GRE exams in the Fall before applying. GRE’s are
rarely admission killers. Good scores can offset a poor transcript,
while low scores can suggest grade inflation in a good transcript.
We (PSU Anthropology) find them to be a reasonably good
predictor of graduate school success. They are important. Ask if
the school has a GRE minimum.
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal Statements
Letters of Recommendation
• Salvation or Kiss of Death. Aside from transcript, probably the
most important piece of an application file.
• Choose your references carefully.
• Should be ACADEMIC, not employer (if you’ve been out of
school for awhile, this becomes a problem. Talk to someone
in the program about this).
• ASK referees IF willing – don’t assume willingness. (Ask “could
you and would you be willing to write a strong letter of
recommendation for me to go to the University of ______?”
Don’t be hurt if someone says no. Better to have an honest
answer than to be sabotaged by a bad letter.)
• Nurture relationships with at least THREE faculty over your
college career, who will be able to write you strong letters.
Best
if your letters come from faculty who can speak with detail about your strengths – and this is best
seen from ~400 level courses. Ask yourself how someone who’s only had you in Anthropology 101
could possibly write a strong letter.
Letters of Recommendation (2)
• Arrange to meet or talk with Referee on the phone to discuss your plan.
• Give referee
• A) list of all the programs you want to apply to
• B) Copy of your personal statement at least; possibly copy of your DARS, and a writing sample, if it
has been a while since the faculty had you in a class.
• Give referee adequate time to write letter. Referee needs to know whether there is a form, an openended letter, on-line or some combination.
• Referee needs to know whether the letters are returned to applicant in sealed envelope (some
schools) or directly to the Department or are on line (increasingly common)
• Make sure referee knows deadlines
• Discuss your application plans/schedule with referee. Don’t surprise them with a huge stack of
forms
• Remember, you’re not the only person needing letters.
• Email your referee if you are accepted. Promise, we want to know!
• Check with schools to which you’ve applied to make sure letters are there. It’s your responsibility to
make sure they are there. That means you may have gently nag a referee
• The organized approach you take to apply to grad school can be used by the faculty in their letter. If
you seem to have the application process under control, faculty can argue you will be a capable,
self-reliant graduate student.
Personal Statement
• Very important – most important for some programs
• Don’t be cute - be professional
• Includes:
• Why anthropology? (DO NOT TELL ME THAT YOU’VE ALWAYS BE
INTERESTED IN ANTHROPOLOGY. Way too general. AVOID “ROAD TO
DAMASCUS” STORIES). Be specific. Why exactly would you invest time
and money wanting to get an advanced degree in Anthropology? (If
your BA/BS is not in Anthropology, we need to know why you’re now
interested).
• Bring in specific examples of ways your undergraduate experiences
have given you the skills/framework required for graduate school.
• What subfield of Anthropology do you want to study? VERY
IMPORTANT! This becomes a factor in admission decisions when there
are limited slots in certain subfields.
Personal Statement 2
• Research the Program
• Why this program? (What/who about the program attracts you).
Again, a critical factor in admission decisions. Does the
Department actually have someone who can work with you.
• It helps to indicate that you’ve actually made contact with people
in the program – especially people with whom you may work.
• Show that you’ve familiarized yourself with the
department/program.
• Take time to read over all your materials carefully. Proofread.
Grammar and spell-check. In some Departments, this is the only
writing sample you’ll provide. If you can’t write a clear personal
statement, it isn’t likely that you’ll be able to write a decent
thesis or dissertation.
Writing sample
• Some schools ask for a writing sample (we do). Select the
paper that best reflects your skills and interests. When in
doubt, talk with your adviser.
• If the paper is a class assignment, don’t submit the version
with the faculty’s comments  . Take the paper and actually
correct it, edit it in light of those comments if possible.
Miscellaneous Notes
• Pay close attention to deadlines. Don’t wait until the last minute
• Spell check all inquiries, emails, etc.
• Check with program to make sure all relevant material is on file. But
don’t wait until its too late to do anything about it if not.
• Apply early (see above for reasons why)
• Find out when admissions decisions are supposed to be made. Give
Departments at least two full weeks past that point before
contacting. Stuff happens
• If you have multiple offers of admission, be choosy. It is tempting to
go where the money is; this may or may not be the best choice in
the long run.
• We’re here to help.
M.A./M.S. and PhD
in Applied Anthropology
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University of Memphis
University of North Texas
Wayne State University
Northern Arizona University
Oregon State University
New Mexico State
California State University, Long Beach and East Bay
San Diego State University
University of Maryland
University of South Florida
University of Arizona
University of Kentucky
Purdue University
NAPA Tools
http://practicinganthropology.org/careers/mentoring/mentorin
g_FAQ/
Good Luck!