About PhD Program,
The Ph.D. Program in Anthropology provides doctoral training in each of the discipline’s subfields: cultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. The program is committed to excellence in training students for careers in research and teaching, as well as non-academic occupations. We cultivate a supportive and creative atmosphere that encourages transdisciplinary engagement and innovative research from a solid grounding in disciplinary foundations, including basic knowledge of all subfields.
In addition to course work, students have opportunities for early fieldwork experience through faculty directed projects and summer research funding. With close faculty guidance, students in the program receive outside funding for their research at an exceptionally high rate. Students also acquire significant undergraduate teaching experience at the various colleges of the CUNY system and other colleges in the area while completing their degrees. Through the Graduate Center’s consortial arrangement with other institutions in the area, doctoral students can take courses at Fordham, The New School, Columbia, Princeton, Rutgers, Stony Brook, and New York Universities. In pursuing their research, they are also able to tap the rich resources of the city itself, from the nearby New York Public Library to the American Museum of Natural History and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The Program is committed to diversity among its students in terms of both research interests and backgrounds. Enrollment of students of African and Hispanic/Latino descent remains well above the national average. This commitment, combined with the investments of the Graduate Center administration and the expansive resources of the larger CUNY system have allowed us to craft a uniquely hybrid program of high quality and palpable energy.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
A minimum of 60 credits of approved course work is required for a PhD.
At least 15 credits of advanced level seminars or courses are required, unless exempted by the Executive Officer. In cultural anthropology, students are also required to take two area courses.
The student must demonstrate a reading knowledge of one foreign language appropriate to his or her field of specialization. The foreign language examination must be passed before the student is advanced to candidacy.
PhD Funding Coverage,
With more than 30 nationally prominent doctoral programs in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, The Graduate Center prepares students to become scholars, teachers, experts, and leaders across disciplines.
Every applicant to The Graduate Center’s doctoral programs (except those applying to social welfare, audiology, and nursing) will automatically be considered for five-year funding packages by their program. The aid we offer — including fellowships, tuition awards, and assistantships — is based on merit.
Application Requirement,
Applicants to the Cultural and Linguistic Anthropology subfields should limit their Statement of Purpose to no more than 750 words, but an additional writing sample is also required. Submit a writing sample of 8,000 words or less, for example a research paper, reflecting your scholarly and critical abilities. It should show how you pose and resolve some kind of intellectual problem, using either your own data or other sources. Self-contained papers are usually more successful than selections from theses. Please use a font of 11 or 12, with 1.5 spacing. For subfields other than Cultural and Linguistic Anthropology, a writing sample is optional. You may submit a writing sample, for example a research paper, reflecting your scholarly and critical abilities.
When all required items have been received, your file will be reviewed by the Anthropology Program’s Admissions Committees. The Program cannot keep track of specific materials for individual applicants, so it is your responsibility to ensure that your materials reach the Office of Admissions before the deadline. Decisions are usually made by early March.
Application Deadline,
Dec 15, 2024
Application Fee,
The nonrefundable fee is $75.
