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Graduate Admission Process

All applications are submitted online through the Office of Admissions website. After submitting the application, you can access links to upload departmental required documents and input email addresses for recommendation letter writers. The Graduate College website also has detailed information and links to the application process.

Application deadline: December 15theach year for the following Fall term. We do not admit new students in Spring or Summer terms.

We are interested in applicants with excellent academic records, field experience, language skills, and whose interests closely match those of our existing faculty.

The department will no longer require GRE scores.

Requisites for Admission into the Program

  • Online application form
  • Application fee ($70)
  • Transcripts
  • Statement of academic/professional goals (750-1000 words)
  • CV/Resume
  • Three letters of recommendation (preferably from past professors, uploaded by letter writers to the application system)
  • Writing sample (a brief example of your academic writing)(Optional for those entering with a BA, required for those with a prior Master’s degree)

For students with a prior MA, Generally, our graduate students enter the Anthropology program with a BA, and they earn an MA while en route to a PhD. However, we also encourage students who have earned their MA in Anthropology at other institutions to apply to our program as advanced graduate students. The requisites for admission and consideration for advanced standing are:

  • An MA in Anthropology, or equivalent, from an accredited US college or university
  • A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 (A=4.00) for work completed at the graduate level

International students

  • TOEFL/IELTS scores
  • Certified translations of transcripts
  • International credential evaluation fee ($100) (This fee is required if an applicant has any course work needing evaluation completed outside the US, whether the student is international or not)

The Department welcomes applications from a variety of academic backgrounds. The previous study of Anthropology is not required for entry into the graduate program.

Graduate Student Funding

Our program typically provides admitted and continuing graduate students with financial support to assist them during their studies. This support usually includes fifty-percent-time positions as a teaching assistant or research assistant, with accompanying tuition and fee waivers. Continuing support is contingent upon each graduate student's strong progress in the program. Our University also provides additional opportunities for competitive grants and fellowships to support course work, research, travel, and dissertation completion.

Unofficial copies of transcripts (meeting the requirements set by the Office of Admissions) will be used during the review process; any students that are offered admission and accept will then be contacted concerning official, attested copies.

Questions? We provide answers to many questions on our frequently asked questions page. Additional questions may be directed to Melanie Kane (Program Coordinator) at mkane2@uic.edu.

Apply Now for the Graduate Program