About PhD Program,
Harvard University, based in Cambridge, MA offers a fully funded PhD in Archaeology. The Ph.D. program in archaeology provides informed, critical examinations of core issues in archaeology. Comprehensive training in principal methods and theories of anthropologically oriented archaeology. All students admitted to the PhD programs in Archaeology receive five years of full funding which includes four years of summer research funding. Typically, the first two years of graduate study are fully funded (tuition, health insurance, and stipend), during the third and fourth years, tuition and health insurance are covered and students receive their stipend via teaching fellowships.
Direction and support for Ph.D. candidates preparing for research and teaching positions in a wide variety of domains of archaeological practice.
In addition to a primary area of specialization, all students are expected to acquire a basic understanding of archaeology around the world as well as general knowledge of those aspects of ethnography, and biological anthropology that have particular relevance to their area(s) of interest in archaeology.
In certain cases, joint programs of study in archaeology and either biological anthropology or social anthropology can be arranged. The expectation is that the student will be able to complete the program in six years.
Each student will have faculty advisors whose research interests overlap with those of the student. For the first four semesters student’s progress will be overseen by an Advisory Committee, normally consisting of three archaeology faculty members. After the fourth semester, a dissertation committee will be formed based on the student’s domain(s) of specialization.
The progress of each student will be assessed annually by the archaeology program faculty, and this appraisal will be communicated to the candidate. An overall B+ average is expected of the student. Ordinarily no student whose record contains an Incomplete grade will be allowed to register for the third term (semester) following receipt of the Incomplete.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
For matriculation in the Fall of 2025, the Department of Anthropology at Harvard will be accepting PhD applications for the Archaeology program and the MD-PhD program. Applications for the PhD in Social Anthropology, as well as for the AM in Medical Anthropology will not be accepted. The temporary pause on graduate-level Social Anthropology admissions is due to limited advising capacity among departmental faculty. We expect to resume Social Anthropology admissions for the class matriculating in Fall 2026.
Decisions on admission are made by a faculty committee. The graduate admissions committee selects well-qualified applicants who represent a range of interests and backgrounds to form a diverse cohort. The committee reads and evaluates all applications and consults with other departmental faculty on areas of specific theoretical, topical, or regional expertise. There is no automatic allocation of slots in the program for specific areas. The committee also attempts to balance advising loads and priorities across the members of core departmental faculty who are actively engaged in graduate training.
PhD Funding Coverage,
All students admitted to the PhD programs in Archaeology and Social Anthropology receive five years of full funding which includes four years of summer research funding. Typically, the first two years of graduate study are fully funded (tuition, health insurance and stipend), during the third and fourth years, tuition and health insurance are covered and students receive their stipend via teaching fellowships. Full funding (tuition, health insurance and stipend) is also provided during the dissertation completion year. Students are expected to obtain external funding for their field research. For more information on funding and aid, please refer to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Funding webpage.
Application Requirement,
All application materials and instructions are available on the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences website. Most questions can be answered on the Harvard Griffin GSAS website or the information below. Additional questions about applying to the Ph.D. program in Anthropology should be sent to anthroadmissions@fas.harvard.edu. When applying to the Ph.D. program in the Anthropology Department, you must upload all supporting documents to your online application prior to submission – do not send any materials to the Anthropology Department.
A completed application consists of the following:
- Admissions Form (submitted online)
- Statement of Purpose (not to exceed 1000 words)
- Personal Statement (not to exceed 500 words)
- A copy of your transcript from each college/university attended
- Writing sample that should not exceed 20 pages (double-spaced), not including bibliography; do not send a longer sample with instructions to read a particular section
- Three letters of recommendation (must be submitted via the link provided. Do not send hard copies and we are unable to accept letters via dossier services)
- Recent TOEFL and/or IELTS scores (if required). If you are unsure, please refer to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions website
- A previous background of study in anthropology is not a prerequistite for admissions. However, successful candidates, whether they have studied anthropology previously or not, must be able to state clearly their interests in anthropology and demonstrate familiarity with intellectual issues in current anthropological theory and method.
Application Deadline,
The deadline to apply for Fall 2025 is December 1, 2024. Late applications will not be accepted.
Application Fee,
The application fee is $105 payable by credit card.
