Application FAQs

The goal of the statement of purpose is to concisely communicate what qualifications you have for the graduate program you are applying to and to indicate what your future research interests are and who in the graduate program you are interested in working with. This document should not be a narrative on your life story or dreams of becoming an anthropologist (though it may include some aspects of those things), but is instead a way for you to communicate to the department that you have given serious thought to your qualifications for the graduate program, what you might do with that degree, and that you have done your research on the structure of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Arkansas.

Some topics you should consider including are: why you are interested in anthropology, what your career goals might be, what experience in anthropology (or related fields) you have previously had, what your academic achievements are and what might make you stand out as an excellent candidate for admission, faculty members you would like to work with and why, and what your past research experience and future research interests are.

Students are not expected to have a specific thesis program planned out but are encouraged to have given some thought to the specific areas of anthropology they are most interested in and how they would leverage their past experiences to maximize their time in graduate school. Students are also encouraged to consider how they can professionally and/or personally contribute to the department’s mission of promoting anthropological knowledge and moving forward in an increasingly complex world.

The deadline for application is December 1 to be considered for admission in the following fall. We do not typically admit students for the spring or summer semesters.

The minimum GPA for admission to the Graduate School is a 3.0 on the last 60 credit hours of academic coursework. In rare instances students may be admitted with a slightly lower GPA, but documentation of extenuating circumstances must be provided to justify admission.

No, GRE scores are not currently required to be considered for either the Anthropology MA or PhD program. However, students applying to the PhD program are strongly encouraged to submit GRE scores as part of their application packet to be considered for all possible funding opportunities through the graduate school.

Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to faculty to inquire about whether they are currently accepting students and to talk about their research interests.

Incomplete application packets will not be reviewed, so it’s important to make sure that all of your application materials have been properly uploaded to the graduate application portal via the Graduate School. Students that have contacted a faculty member to discuss their research interests are often more likely to be admitted.

All admitted students are automatically considered for a graduate assistantship in the Department of Anthropology. Awards are competitive, based on faculty evaluation of the academic abilities and professional promise of applicants, and the teaching needs of the department. Departmental graduate assistantships carry a stipend and tuition waiver, and partially cover health insurance fees. Applicants can inquire about current stipend levels by contacting the Director of Graduate Studies. Duties for GAs will vary depending upon the position but may include preparing and teaching courses, assisting faculty by developing classroom activities, grading, and holding review sessions. Students may be awarded funding for up to two years for MA students and up to four years for PhD students, although yearly renewal depends on department needs and the student's academic standing. Funding extensions after the initial two or four years will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

In addition to departmental funding, students may be eligible for other sources of funding via the Graduate School. The most common of these additional awards, often offered in conjunction with departmental funding, are the Distinguished Doctoral Fellowships (DDF) and the Doctoral Academy Fellowships (DAF). These funding sources are available only to PhD students; GRE scores are required to be considered for these awards.

Students applying to the MA and PhD programs are automatically considered for a departmental graduate assistantship. There is no additional paperwork you must complete to be considered for this source of funding.

Yes, the Graduate School requires that all applicants pay a fee to be considered for admission. For domestic students the fee is $60 and for international students the fee is $75. Waivers may be provided by the graduate school for full time employees of the University of Arkansas main campus, University of Arkansas summer REU participants, and senior citizens (60+, Arkansas residents only).

No, students are not typically admitted for the spring or summer semesters. Students wishing to defer an offer of admission until the spring should keep in mind that graduate assistantships are granted as an annual appointment, making it difficult to offer financial support for only one semester.

We do not generally assess applications submitted after the application deadline, but in rare instances we may consider a late application if you have procured independent funding to support your graduate work.

Entering graduate students need not have earned an undergraduate degree in Anthropology, though a baccalaureate in a related field is recommended and at least one course in each of the three subfields (archeology, biological anthropology, and cultural anthropology) is required. Students entering without the required courses may take them as deficiency courses here, though credit hours for deficiency courses do not count toward the graduate degree.

We do not currently offer online graduate courses that would allow a student to undertake their graduate work remotely.

Students often provide a class paper or a copy of their undergraduate honors thesis to satisfy the writing sample requirement of the application. Whatever you submit we encourage you to make sure that it is shorter than 20 pages and highlights your ability to summarize and synthesize research relevant to the topic of your paper. Ideally the writing sample also relates to your goals in the graduate program.

Timelines vary considerably by student and program. MA students are encouraged to complete their degree requirements within 2 years of admission (often graduating in the summer after their second full year of enrollment). PhD students are encouraged to complete their degree requirements within 4 years, though many extend their PhD research to a 5^th or 6^th year.

Students not currently enrolled in either undergraduate or graduate programs at the University of Arkansas are eligible to apply as a non-degree seeking student via the Graduate School. More information can be found at https://graduate-and-international.uark.edu/graduate/future-students/applying/non-degree-seeking.php

Yes, individuals are required to have previously completed an MA degree (or equivalent) before being admitted to the anthropology PhD program. Students without an MA degree can apply for the MA program and then after completion of their MA can reapply for the PhD program. Many students take this path.

We do not offer campus tours through the department, but tours are offered through the Graduate School (https://graduate-and-international.uark.edu/graduate/future-students/connect-with-us/campus-visit.php). If you do plan to visit campus, please reach out to the Director of Graduate Studies at anthgrad@uark.edu to schedule a visit to campus and meetings with faculty.