Graduate Application Deadline: January 10
All required application materials must be submitted by this date to ensure full consideration for admission and financial aid. Applications that are received complete can be processed much faster than those received in separate communications.
Students are admitted to the graduate program in the spring for study beginning in the fall semester. Students are not generally admitted for study beginning in the spring semester.
Graduate Criteria
We encourage students from various backgrounds to seek admittance. In addition to students with bachelor's or master’s degrees in anthropology, our current graduate students have backgrounds in public health, English, history, psychology, journalism, biology and zoology. Recent graduates had majors in economics, law and Spanish literature. We feel that the breadth of anthropology as a discipline is enriched by the skills and knowledge of various other disciplines.
Admission and aid are decided by an examination of previous academic work, references, test scores (the GRE is strongly recommended by the department but not required), and the personal statement of interest. Applicants should not feel bound by the page limit implied in the graduate school application for the personal statement. Write a careful, thoughtful essay showing how anthropology at Syracuse relates to your goals and interests. When possible, a sample of recent work (a term paper, chapter of an M.A. or honors thesis, book review, etc.) should be included with your application. Visits to campus and personal interviews by applicants are welcome.
Graduate Application Materials
- Online application and $75 application fee**
- Unofficial transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended (admitted students must have official transcripts submitted from their degree-granting institution(s))
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Resume or CV
- Personal statement
- GRE scores, recommended but not required.
- English proficiency exam scores (TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo are accepted) for international students
**Students facing financial hardship can request an application fee waiver.
Admitted Graduate Students
Admission decisions and next steps information will be communicated via email to the address you provide in your online application. Additional information can be found on the graduate admission website.
Graduate Financial Aid
Our policy on student loans is that students must show progress on a yearly basis
for the department to support repayment deferral.
2024 Forever Orange Scholarship Program
We are happy to continue our support of the Forever Orange program! Syracuse University Class of 2024 graduating seniors are eligible to apply for our master’s program and, if admitted, will receive a guaranteed 50% tuition scholarship! Please visit the Graduate School website for additional details on eligibility, participating programs and application instructions.
University Fellowships
Claudia DeLys Scholarship in Cultural Anthropology
The Claudia DeLys Scholarship in Cultural Anthropology is an endowed fund that provides support for field research leading to the Ph.D. degree, dissertation writing and pre-dissertation field work. Two or three awards are made annually.
South Asia Center / U.S. Department of Education
U.S. citizens interested in studying South Asia are eligible for National Resource Fellowships through the South Asia Center. In 2022-23, South Asia fellowships are expected to provide a stipend of $15,000, plus tuition for 24 credit hours. Fellowships to study language in South Asia during the summers are also available through the South Asia Center.
Graduate Assistantships
The University offers nine-month teaching assistantships up to two years for M.A. students and four years for Ph.D. students. For the 2022-23 academic year, they are valued at $11,375 per semester, plus tuition; there are also occasionally full-tuition scholarships available for qualified graduate students.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
The maximum duration of teaching assistantships is two years for M.A. students and four years for Ph.D. students. Students with teaching assistantships are expected to work 20 hours per week during the academic year. Duties usually involve teaching discussion sections and marking essays, assignments and examinations in lower division undergraduate courses.
Advanced students, especially those who have completed their doctoral fieldwork, are eligible for other teaching opportunities.
Contact
Request information about our graduate program.
Correspondence and questions regarding graduate funding should be addressed to the Graduate Director, Professor Robert Rubinstein.
Department of Anthropology
209 Maxwell Hall, Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY 13244
Phone: 315.443.3837