Prospective Students - Graduate

Anthropology

Areas of Study and Research

The department expects graduate students to maintain a breadth of competence in core anthropological issues, theories, and practices through the master's degree with studies becoming increasingly specialized as students approach the PhD. Students will pursue a primary specialization in any of the major subfields of anthropology: archaeology, cultural, or biological anthropology. Additional information about specific areas of specialization and other requirements for the degree may be found on the department website at www.colorado.edu/anthropology or by contacting the graduate program assistant at anthro@colorado.edu.

Degrees Offered

MA
Requires a minimum of 30 hours of graduate level course work: examinations cover particular subfields of anthropology.

MA/MBA
This is a dual degree program, requiring 30 hours of graduate level work in anthropology (3 hours of which may be an approved elective in the MBA program) and 43 hours of MBA course work in the Leeds School of Business. For contact information and other details, please see the Information Page at: http://leeds.colorado.edu/uploadedFiles/_Documents/Academic_Programs/MBA/MBA-MA%20Anthro.pdf.

PhD
Requires an MA in anthropology or equivalent degree (as assessed by CU anthropology faculty) and sponsorship of a student’s candidacy by a faculty member. There is a minimum of 30 hours advanced graduate course work. The foreign language requirement can be met if a student has received a C or better in a fourth semester undergraduate course or if facility in a foreign language can be assessed and documented by other means approved by the Graduate Committee. Depending on the specific research planned, doctoral students may be asked to acquire an additional language or other skills. Preliminary exams are based on the student’s field of interest. The dissertation is typically based on fieldwork or laboratory research.

Admission

Graduate School Minimum Admissions Standards
Individual graduate departments may have additional or more restrictive standards by which they evaluate graduate applicants. However, the Graduate School at CU-Boulder has established minimum standards for graduate admission. Applicants must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or have done work equivalent to that required for such a degree.
   
2. Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as judged by the student’s scholastic record.
   
3. Have adequate preparation to enter graduate study in the chosen field.
   
4. Have at least a 2.75 (2.00=C) undergraduate grade point average. Note: Applicants who cannot meet this undergraduate standard may still be eligible for consideration for regular admission if they have completed 9 semester hours of relevant graduate course work with at least a 3.25 average.

Anthropology Admissions Requirements
Students entering the program are enrolled either in the master's or doctoral program, depending on whether or not they hold a master's degree in anthropology. Students with an MS in museum sciences from the University of Colorado at Boulder may be admitted to the PhD program on condition of completing deficiencies in course work. Students with a master's degree in a closely related discipline may also be considered for admission to the PhD program on a case-by-case basis, and should expect to fulfill all the core course requirements of our graduate program.

Applicants must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university; applicants to the PhD program must hold a master's degree in anthropology, as above.
2. Have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.00.
3. Provide University of Colorado Graduate School Application: Parts I and II
4. Provide one official transcript from each college or university attended. Second transcript required if admitted.
5. Provide GRE scores — verbal and quantitative. Department code: 1702.
6. Provide four letters of recommendation.
7. Provide a nonrefundable application fee of $50—either by credit card with your online application or made payable to the University of Colorado. The fee for international applicants is $70.
8. Provide a statement of purpose. Attach a statement to your application identifying how your academic and professional aspirations and expectations can be specifically met by the faculty and curriculum of the CU Anthropology Graduate Program.
9. Mail transcripts and other materials not submitted online to the Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado at Boulder, 233 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0233. International applicants should send all materials directly to International Admissions. See: www.colorado.edu/prospective/international/apply/ grad-process.html.

Minimum Standards for Applicants
Research experience is highly recommended. For archaeology applicants, this includes fieldwork. GRE required of all applicants, with a recommended minimum score of 50th percentile or above

Financial Support Available
Financial support and tuition waivers may be offered to outstanding PhD and MA students in the form of teaching or research assistantships. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for national fellowships (NSF, SSRC, FLAS, etc.)

Application Information and Deadlines   Fall admission Yes Application deadline January 15 International application deadline December 1 Financial assistance application No application required   Spring admission No   Summer admission No

Contact Information

University of Colorado at Boulder
Department of Anthropology
Hale 350C
233 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0233
Phone: 303-492-7947
Fax: 303-492-1871
E-mail: anthro@colorado.edu
Website: www.colorado.edu/anthropology