Graduate Program

Application Instructions and Information

Admission to the Anthropology Graduate Program at UT-Austin is highly competitive and your application should be prepared with care. A seriously constructed Statement of Purpose, an interest in areas in which our faculty have teaching and research expertise, and an application that is complete and filled out carefully with all necessary information are of importance. Although the department places no specific restrictions on GRE or GPA scores, the Office of Graduate Studies may choose to deny applicants with extremely low scores.

The Anthropology Department admits new students only in the fall; we do not have spring admission. THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS DECEMBER 15. All materials MUST be received by this date in order for your application to be considered. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

(I) Application to the Gradute School at UT-Austin
(II) Application to the Department of Anthropology.

(I) Application to the Graduate School (The Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC)) processes applications for U.S. and International graduate admission into the University of Texas at Austin. U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents should review GIAC's information page for U.S. applicants. International applicants should review GIAC's information page for International applicants.

GIAC strongly encourages that you use the online application.

The following application materials must be received by GIAC by December 15th:

• Texas Common Application for Admission to Graduate Study (U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents only) or Texas Common Application for Students from Other Countries (international applicants)
• Official report of GRE scores; the report is mailed directly from the testing agency
• Official report of TOEFL scores (international students only); the report is mailed directly from the testing agency
• Official, sealed set of transcripts from all universities attended
• Certification of financial responsibility (international students only)
• Application fee payment (U.S.- $50.00; non-U.S. - $75.00)

Please send these materials to:

GIAC
The University of Texas at Austin
PO Box 7608
Austin, TX 78713-7608
Telephone: (512) 475-7390

Notes regarding the Texas Common Application
Selecting a Major
When filling out the Texas Common Application, after selecting your target University and type of application, you will be asked to identify your major from a drop-down menu. Applicants who are applying the Archaeology, Linguistic, Physical, or Social Anthropology should select Anthropology. Applicants who are applying to the Folklore, Public Culture and Cultural Studies Program should select Anthropology (Folklore and Public Culture). If you choose to use the paper application you will also be asked to provide a major code. For Anthropology, the major code is 606200; those applying to the Folklore & Public Culture program should use major code 606201. Please note that while students in the Folklore & Public Culture program receive an M.A. or Ph.D. in Anthropology, admission is decided by the Folklore and Public Culture Admissions Committee. This is a separate admissions committee from the one that decides admission for archaeology, linguistic, physical, and social anthropology. If you are interested in applying to a sub-discipline under the 606200 major code AND the Folklore and Public Culture Program, then two separate applications must be submitted. If you are interested in Classical Archaeology, please apply to the Department of Classics (major code 623200. For more information, please visit http://www.utexas.edu/depts/classics.

Selecting an Area of Interest or Specialty within your Major
On page two of the Texas Common Application you will beasked to identify an Area of Interest or Specialty within your Major, if applicable. Those students applying to the Anthropology major code, should enter the sub-discipline to which they are applying: Archaeology, Linguistic, Physical, or Social. If your research involves more than one of these sub-disciplines, please enter both. Additionally, students applying to either Anthropology or Anthropology (Folklore and Public Culture) should indicate interest in the Activist, African Diaspora, or Mexican Borderlands Concentrations in this space as well. As the number of characters allowed in this box are fairly limited, please feel free to use abbreviations as necessary.

Degree you will seek
Though the application provides you with four options to choose from in response to this question, the Anthropology Department offers only an M.A. or a Ph.D. Even if you intend to complete both an MA and a PhD in the Department, please only select the Ph.D. option if you will have already earned an M.A. by the time you begin studies at UT.

(II) Application to the Department of Anthropology

The procedure outlined below is the same for both major codes, as are all the required documents and deadlines. The only exception is that applicants to Anthropology (Folklore and Public Culture) should send these materials to the attention of the Folklore and Public Culture program.

Hard copies of the following application materials must be received by the Anthropology Department by December 15th:

• Unofficial or duplicate copy of the GRE score report
• Unofficial or duplicate copy of TOEFL score report( for international students only)
• Unofficial or duplicate copy of the full set of transcripts from all universities attended
• Supplemental Information for Graduate Program sheet (PDF) or curriculum vitae (CV)
• Three letters of recommendation: Please make sure your letter writer fills out the Request for Reference form. Letters may be sent directly to the department by the letter writers; if letters are sent by the applicant, they must be in a sealed envelope with the letter writer's signature across the seal.
  Those applying to both majors do not need to ask their letter writers for two sets of recommendation letters. Simply include a note in your application to either program requesting that your letters be copied by the Department to be included in your other application.
• Statement of Purpose detailing your research interests and goals. Though the Anthropology Department employs a holistic approach to admissions, the Statement of Purpose is quite possibly the most important part of your application. Your Statement should clearly demonstrate your ability to clearly articulate a research proposal and to situate that research within the discipline. Faculty will be looking for students with well-developed research interests which are compatible with their own.
• Writing sample: for students applying to the Ph.D. program, a copy of your MA thesis or report is required; for students applying to the MA program, a writing sample related to your area of study can benefit your application, but it is optional, not required

Please note that we do not require the supplemental information sheet.

Application materials for Anthropology should be sent to:

Graduate Admissions Coordinator
Anthropology & Archaeology
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station C3200
Austin, TX 78712-0303

Application materials for the Folklore and Public Culture Program should be sent to:

Folklore and Public Culture
Anthropology & Archaeology
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station C3200
Austin, TX 78712-0303