Admissions Overview | Deadline | Financial Assistance | Application Process | FAQ | Contact Us
M.A.A. Degree Overview | Ph.D. Degree Overview
Graduate Admissions
Overview
Thank you for your interest in our graduate programs. We encourage you to review information on our website concerning the M.A.A. or Ph.D. program, and to contact individual faculty members with whom you feel you may be interested in working. For general questions, please contact our Program Coordinator or Graduate Director.
We welcome applications to both our M.A.A. and Ph.D. programs. Applicants are expected to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (exceptions can be made if a student demonstrates relevant career experience beyond the bachelor's degree). A degree in Anthropology is recommended, but not required for admission. A basic familiarity with the discipline of Anthropology, however, is assumed.
Applicants will be asked to define their interest in one of the four subdisciplines (archaeology, sociocultural anthropology, biological anthropology, or linguistics). In addition, students are requested to identify one or more areas of research concentration in which they are interested (anthropology of environment, anthropology of health, or anthropology of heritage).
Students who are recommended for admission but lack preparation in a particular area (which will be noted in the department's letter) may be accepted to the program provisionally but are required to correct course or requirement deficiencies within the first year.
Students in either the M.A.A. or Ph.D. programs in the Department of Anthropology apply directly to the Graduate School at the University of Maryland for consideration: www.gradschool.umd.edu/gss/admission.html Simultaneous applications to both programs are not accepted. Students may apply to attend either of our degree programs on a part-time basis. If you are interested in attending on a part-time basis please indicate this in your application.
Application Deadline
The application deadline for Fall semester admission for all M.A.A. and Ph.D. applicants (both domestic and international), is December 15th. This program does not accept applications for Spring semester admission. All application materials (initial application, official GRE scores, all transcripts, statement of intent, resume/CV, writing sample, recommendations and ASF form) should be received by December 15th.
Financial Assistance
Graduate students at both the Master’s and Ph.D. level receive departmental awards of financial assistance for graduate school. If you would like to be considered for this merit-based assistance, please make sure you indicate this on your application (both on the University’s form and in the ASF portion of the application). Departmental awards typically come in the form of Fellowships or Teaching/Research Assistantships. For more information about these awards please see http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/.
Graduate students are also eligible to apply for need based awards through the Universities’ Office of Student Financial Aid. Need-based forms of financial aid, such as Federal Work-Study and student loans (Stafford, SLS, Perkins, etc.) are available through state and federal financial aid programs and require you submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Oftentimes, students who are not awarded departmental funding are able to find Graduate Assistantships in other departments through the University Human Resources’ website. Part-time employment within the department related to faculty research activities is also occasionally available and is advertised directly to graduate students.
One of the best ways to reduce your cost of attendance is through establishing residency in Maryland. Please review information on the Residency Classification Offices’ website to understand the procedures and deadlines for establishing Maryland residency.
Application Process
- Meet University of Maryland Graduate School minimum qualifications: http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/admssions_policies.htm
International applicants review this information for additional requirements: http://international.umd.edu/ies/97
- Define your degree objective, sub-discipline, and area of research concentration interests
- Contact department faculty members with whom you are interested in working
- Complete your initial online application at: www.gradschool.umd.edu/gss/admission.html and pay the appropriate application fee. Please note that this step should be complete before you request your GRE scores or transcripts be sent so that your materials can accurately be matched to your application.
- Take the GRE no later than November 15th. Request an electronic score report of your scores be sent to the University of Maryland College Park using the code #5814 no later than December 1st. Only an official score report sent directly from ETS will be accepted. Scores older than 5 years will not be accepted.
- Request official paper transcripts be sent from ALL Colleges and Universities ever attended to the address below. We recommend this step be completed by December 1st to ensure that your materials are received on time.
University of Maryland, College Park
Enrollment Services Operation – Attn: Graduate Admissions
Room 0130 Mitchell Building
College Park, MD 20742
- Start your Application Supplemental Form (ASF) no later than December 1st. At this point it is very important that you use the online form to fill in name and contact information for each of your recommenders (three minimum). Please use the button to manually “Send” recommendation requests to each of your recommenders (an email will be sent to them containing a link and login information). It is your responsibility to ensure that your recommenders have accessed and completed their recommendations by December 15th.
- Before December 15th, please make sure that you have filled out the entire ASF form and developed and uploaded your statement of interest and experience, a resume or CV, and writing sample (required for Ph.D. applicants only). Once you have submitted these materials please ensure that you have also submitted the overall ASF portion of your application.
- All materials (initial application, official GRE scores, all transcripts, statement of intent, resume/CV, writing sample, recommendations and ASF form) must be complete or received in order for your application to be considered complete. Please complete your application by December 15th for consideration for the following fall.
- It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all materials have been received by our Graduate program. Please feel free to contact our Program Coordinator for a check on the status of your application.
Review of Applications
Applications are reviewed by the Department's Graduate Admissions Committee. Faculty reviewers place considerable emphasis on the statements of purpose and experience and the letters of recommendation. Statements should exhibit an understanding of the graduate program's objectives and include a description of your views on the utility of anthropological knowledge in your particular area of interest. You also should indicate specific interest in one of the program's areas of concentration. The Department forwards recommendations for admission to the Graduate School, which makes the formal offer of admission. You should expect to receive notification of your admission status by the end of February.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many students are admitted ? What about diversity ?
Is an anthropology degree a prerequisite ?
What ABOUT GRE SCORES AND GPA ?
How important is the GRE exam ?
How many essays should I write ?
Where should I send my materials ?
Are deadlines different for overseas applicants ?
When are admission decisions made ?
What are my prospects for finding work ?
How many students do you accept each year? Can you provide some statistics on class diversity?
We admit an average of three to five Ph.D. candidates and 10-12 MAA candidates each year. In recent years the total number of students enrolled in the program averages around 37. Most ethnic minorities, as well as students from outside the USA, are represented. There are about three times as many women as men.
Must I have an undergraduate degree in anthropology in order to be accepted into your graduate program?
While the traditional applicant has taken a major in anthropology, the faculty have made exceptions in the past if they felt they could adequately train somebody in their field of interest. A majority of students arrive directly from undergraduate studies with a solid background in anthropology, but some are already professional anthropologists and others come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds.
In any case, applicants should be aware that the program assumes a knowledge of the discipline prior to beginning coursework.
What are the average GRE score and the average undergraduate GPA?
Our incoming students usually have a combined score of at least 1100 in the Verbal and Quantitative sections of the GRE and a GPA of 3.5. Each year, our program becomes increasingly competitive with regard to quantitative measures, in particular for the Ph.D. program.
How important are the GRE scores?
Standardized test scores are important, not only for admission but especially for consideration of fellowships, grants, and financial aid. We suggest that you take the time to prepare for the exams and, if you are not satisfied with your results, perhaps take them more than once.
The tests, however, make up only one part of a comprehensive review process that includes your statements of purpose and experience, your letters of recommendation, and your complete academic record.
You must tell the testing service to send your scores to the University of Maryland College Park. Our identification number is: 5814
How many essays are required for the admissions packet?
In addition to your statement of purpose and experience requested in the Application Supplemental Form (ASF), you are welcome to upload additional information in the ASF including a writing sample, resume, or CV.
I'm confused - Which materials should I send to the Graduate School and which to the Department of Anthropology?
You do not need to send materials to the department, all materials should be submitted electronically in the Application Supplemental Form (ASF) unless specifically required in paper form (for example transcripts).
Our Graduate School code is: ANTH
I am living overseas. Do I have a different application deadline to meet?
No. December 15 is the only application deadline for the graduate programs. Applications received after December 15 will be considered in the next year's admissions cycle.
When can I expect to know if I have been admitted? Do you have an early decision option?
We usually finalize decisions by late February. We do not have an early decision option.
Will I be able to find a job?
Our M.A.A. students have an excellent record of using this degree in work placements. UMD graduates work in international and national organizations, for a variety of sectors, and in a multiplicity of areas of application. Some M.A.A. students go on to study for a Ph.D. either here or at another institution.
Our Ph.D. program is quite new (begun in 2007) and we do not yet have graduates. We anticipate that our Ph.D. graduates will receive competitive placements in both academic and non-academic positions.
Have questions or need more information? Contact Us!
Prospective students are encouraged to communicate directly with faculty in the area of their interest. Additional information pertaining to the Department of Anthropology and its graduate programs can be obtained from the department’s website. For additional general information pertaining to the department’s graduate programs please contact our Program Coordinator or Graduate Director.
Michael Paolisso, Graduate Director
1111 Woods Hall
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone 301-405-1433
Fax: 301-314-8305
Archilline Tablada ("Archie"), Program Coordinator
1111 Woods Hall
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone 301-405-1423
Fax: 301-314-8305 |
