About PhD Program,
Our Ph.D. program in anthropology is designed to provide a broad background in the field with a primary emphasis on sociocultural anthropology, biological anthropology, or archaeology. The degree prepares students for careers in academia, consulting, or other applied professions in the discipline.
The major foci of research and instruction in sociocultural anthropology include religion, law and politics, ethnicity, gender, history and anthropology, problems of social change and economic development, culture and the environment, cognition and culture, and medical/psychological anthropology. The study of the Islamic world, East and Southeast Asia, and Africa are the greatest strengths among our sociocultural faculty and students.
In biological anthropology, our faculty and students primarily study living and fossil human and non-human primates, including their evolutionary morphology, behavior, genomics, and sensory adaptations. For more information on ongoing research in biological anthropology, visit our laboratories page.
Finally, the major foci in archaeology include human-environment interactions, urbanism, households, and material culture viewed in deep historical perspective. Faculty and students are primarily interested in Mesoamerica, North America, and the Mediterranean. To learn more about research and fieldwork in archaeology, click here.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
As part of our holistic approach to admissions, we no longer require the GRE General Test. The admissions committee fully recognizes that there are many components to your application, and that GRE scores have a limited scope of predictive power in the evaluation of a candidate for their long-term success as a student. However, if you feel that your scores will strengthen your application, you are welcome to submit them to be considered as part of the admissions committee holistic review.
For information about TOEFL or IELTS scores and minimum requirements listed: here
The Admissions Committee of the Department of Anthropology usually makes its decisions for the Ph.D. program by late-February and early April for the M.A.P.A. program. The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences will send you an email, directing you to a secure website where you can view the decision. If you wish, you may email or call the department at anthro@bu.edu or 617-353-2195.
PhD Funding Coverage,
Each year, Boston University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GRS) offers incoming Ph.D. students Dean’s Fellowships, which include full tuition, a living stipend, and health insurance for five years; along with a new summer stipend beginning in 2021.
For more information on financial aid for doctoral students, visit the GRS page on fellowship aid.
Application Requirement,
- Online application form(includes: subfield of interest, world region of interest)
- Resume/CV
- Transcripts
- Personal statement/statement of purpose (A statement –of no fewer than 200 words and no more than 5 pages — describing your qualifications and the objectives of your educational program. Report any research activities, publications, independent studies, and memberships in academic, professional, or honorary societies. Account for time that has elapsed between formal studies.)
- Writing sample
- Three letters of recommendation
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (minimum requirements listed here)
- A $95 application fee must be paid in order for your application to be considered complete. This fee is non-refundable. Information on fee waivers for PhDapplicants is available on the GRS website.
Application Deadline,
Dec 20, 2024
Application Fee,
- A $95 application fee must be paid in order for your application to be considered complete. This fee is non-refundable. Information on fee waivers forPhD applicants is available on the GRS website.
