About Master’s Program,
The graduate programs in Anthropology at Western build on a traditional four sub-disciplinary approach that incorporates Sociocultural Anthropology, Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, and Linguistic Anthropology. The department has three recognized streams of research at the master’s level and two at the doctoral level.
The different streams direct students to take courses directly relevant to their program of study. However, the program stresses the holistic view of the discipline of Anthropology and several courses intertwine the Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology, and Archaeology and Biological Anthropology streams. Furthermore, students are encouraged to draw on faculty and courses from outside their stream and even from other departments.
We believe that graduate learning is best when students and faculty can meet face to face, both in formal classroom settings and as part of the life of the department. Our graduate seminars are small and energetic, giving students an opportunity to hone their skills in a collegial atmosphere where close contact with everyone in the department ensures a rich and rewarding graduate experience.
Master’s Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Admission to the master’s degree requires a four-year degree, honours or the equivalent, in anthropology, or an equivalent background in social sciences and/or the intended specialty. Students who do not have a degree in anthropology may be required to take specific courses to fill in their background in preparation for admission to the graduate program. It is strongly recommended that those students pursuing the Archaeology and Biological Anthropology stream should take an undergraduate statistical methods course prior to entering the graduate program at Western. Please consult the Graduate Chair for clarification. Entrance to the MA program requires an average of at least 78% or a B+ for all available 3rd and 4th year courses.
Master’s Funding Coverage,
The Anthropology graduate program at Western offers a competitive funding package for eligible full-time students accepted to our graduate program. University funding packages are based on a combination of a Western Graduate Research Scholarship (WGRS) and/or compensation for employment as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) or Graduate Fellowship (GF).
Details of the graduate student financial support packages for 2025-26 have yet to be determined.
When students receive a provincial or national scholarship such as OGS or SSHRC, the university component of their funding will be modified to supplement the support provided by the external award.
Application Requirement,
- Personal and contact information
- Academic history
- Names and contact information for academic references (MA – 2 references, PhD – 3 references)
- Program specific supplemental questions
- Payment of application fee
- Supplementary documents (uploaded to the application – see below)
- Sample of work: One or two samples of your previous written work (totalling 15-20 pages)
- Statement of academic intent: A statement of your proposed research or thesis or research project (a maximum of 2 pages single-spaced)
- Transcripts: One electronic copy of university transcript from each post-secondary institution you have attended. Official* (hard copy) transcripts are required ONLY when we have granted conditional acceptance into our program. These should be mailed directly to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies following an offer of admission. Past or current students of Western do not need to provide transcripts for their academic history at Western.
- Curriculum Vitae(optional)
- Official English testing scores(if applicable – please see The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for minimum requirements.)
Application Deadline,
Jan 15, 2025
Application Fee,
Application Fee $125
