Getting into Graduate School

The inside scoopK. M. Ames, with revisions by V. Butler & J. Spoon.

Degree Programs• Ph.D.• M.A./M.S. (e.g. PSU)

Terminal Degrees• Ph.D.

• Generally professional degree in sociocultural and bioanthropology

• University Faculty – now even Community College (extremely competitive, approx. 25%)

• Professional positions in Applied Anthropology (approx. 75%)

• NGOs, federal agencies, CRM, hospitals, private sector…

• Principal Investigator on grants/contracts

Terminal Degrees

• M.A./M.S.• Cultural Resource Management• Agency positions – archaeology, cultural anthropology• NGOs and International Organizations (USAID, DFID,

etc)• Hospitals• Private sector (market research,

planning, design)• Conflict

Ph.D. Programs• Can enter directly from BA/BS program• Two to three years’ course work• Qualifying exams• Dissertation-• 1 to 4+ years to complete• Dissertation Defense

• Cross-training a must!

M.A./M.S. Programs• Can enter directly from BA/BS• 1 to 2 years class work• Qualifying exams or course work• Thesis – 1 to 2 years• Alternative programs• Coursework• Internships

Ph.D. programs• Advantages• Quicker (hence cheaper) if focused• Often programs larger, more diverse faculty, other graduate

students• More opportunities• Sometimes better funded facilities, e.g. labs, libraries etc.

Ph.D. programs• Disadvantages• Can be large• Faculty can be deeply involved in research, little time for students• Negatively competitive

M.A./M.S. Programs• Advantages:• If terminal degree desired, M.A. in Ph.D. program secondary

emphasis• Smaller, usually more student friendly, better access to faculty• M.A./M.S. programs often geared towards specific vocational

skills• Some firm owners prefer to hire M.A.s• Opportunity to “gear up” for Ph.D. program• “PhDs study the world but MA s run it!”

M.A./M.S. Programs• Disadvantages• Small

• Faculty• Facilities• Library

• Funding more difficult than for Ph.D.• Research

Choosing the right school

• What do you want from graduate school (why are you going)? What degree do you seek?• Research the “Guide to Departments of

Anthropology”, published annually by the American Anthropological Association. Available in the Anthropology Office or in the library. Go on line and check web sites• Go on line and do key word searches (e.g.

anthropology, applied, health)

Choosing the right school cont.• Do on-line bibliographic data base searches for

people doing work that interests you (google scholar them)

• Go to the library and read catalogs (less now)

• Talk to your academic advisor asking about benefits and pitfalls of M.A. programs vs. PhD programs. • Does Geography Matter?• One thought: Don’t worry about location. Choose schools

on the basis of programs. Graduate school is short-term. You can survive anywhere for a short time.

• On the other hand… grad school connections can set you up for employment and there’s definitely regional networks (connections through the work, regional organizations, etc.)

Questions to Ask (yourself)

• What do I want to do when I finish my graduate work?

• Do schools that interest me have faculty to prepare/train me to do what I want to do? (This takes serious homework)

• Is someone there interested in ME (this requires making contact with faculty at schools of interest)?

• Am I married or otherwise attached? (Why? Graduate school, early career years can be hard on relationships. Are your significant others behind this?)

More Questions to Ask

• Do I need money to pay for school? (Can I go without support?)

• Does school offer financial assistance (TA positions, fellowships, loans, work-study)

• Do graduates get jobs when they finish?

• What percentage get appropriate jobs? (they may not know)

• What placement assistance/job counseling will Department offer?

Applications• Transcripts – EVERY college/university you’ve ever attended;

forgetting one can be sufficient to disqualify you. • GPA – check to make sure you meet GPA requirements. Don’t

waste your time or money applying to schools you’re not qualified for. (Be self-critical here. Do I *really* qualify or am I wasting time and money applying?)

• GRE scores – take GRE exams in the Fall before applying. GRE’s are rarely admission killers. Good scores can offset a poor transcript, while low scores can suggest grade inflation in a good transcript. We (PSU Anthropology) find them to be a reasonably good predictor of graduate school success. They are important. Ask if the school has a GRE minimum.

• Letters of recommendation• Personal Statements

Letters of Recommendation• Salvation or Kiss of Death. Aside from transcript, probably the

most important piece of an application file.• Choose your references carefully. • Should be ACADEMIC, not employer (if you’ve been out of

school for awhile, this becomes a problem. Talk to someone in the program about this).

• ASK referees IF willing – don’t assume willingness. (Ask “could you and would you be willing to write a strong letter of recommendation for me to go to the University of ______?” Don’t be hurt if someone says no. Better to have an honest answer than to be sabotaged by a bad letter.)

• Nurture relationships with at least THREE faculty over your college career, who will be able to write you strong letters. Best if your letters come from faculty who can speak with detail about your strengths – and this is best seen from ~400 level courses. Ask yourself how someone who’s only had you in Anthropology 101 could possibly write a strong letter.

Letters of Recommendation (2)• Arrange to meet or talk with Referee on the phone to discuss your plan.

• Give referee

• A) list of all the programs you want to apply to

• B) Copy of your personal statement at least; possibly copy of your DARS, and a writing sample, if it has been a while since the faculty had you in a class.

• Give referee adequate time to write letter. Referee needs to know whether there is a form, an open-ended letter, on-line or some combination.

• Referee needs to know whether the letters are returned to applicant in sealed envelope (some schools) or directly to the Department or are on line (increasingly common)

• Make sure referee knows deadlines

• Discuss your application plans/schedule with referee. Don’t surprise them with a huge stack of forms

• Remember, you’re not the only person needing letters.

• Email your referee if you are accepted. Promise, we want to know!

• Check with schools to which you’ve applied to make sure letters are there. It’s your responsibility to make sure they are there. That means you may have gently nag a referee

• The organized approach you take to apply to grad school can be used by the faculty in their letter. If you seem to have the application process under control, faculty can argue you will be a capable, self-reliant graduate student.

Personal Statement• Very important – most important for some programs• Don’t be cute - be professional• Includes:• Why anthropology? (DO NOT TELL ME THAT YOU’VE ALWAYS BE

INTERESTED IN ANTHROPOLOGY. Way too general. AVOID “ROAD TO DAMASCUS” STORIES). Be specific. Why exactly would you invest time and money wanting to get an advanced degree in Anthropology? (If your BA/BS is not in Anthropology, we need to know why you’re now interested).

• Bring in specific examples of ways your undergraduate experiences have given you the skills/framework required for graduate school.

• What subfield of Anthropology do you want to study? VERY IMPORTANT! This becomes a factor in admission decisions when there are limited slots in certain subfields.

Personal Statement 2• Research the Program

• Why this program? (What/who about the program attracts you). Again, a critical factor in admission decisions. Does the Department actually have someone who can work with you.

• It helps to indicate that you’ve actually made contact with people in the program – especially people with whom you may work.

• Show that you’ve familiarized yourself with the department/program.

• Take time to read over all your materials carefully. Proofread. Grammar and spell-check. In some Departments, this is the only writing sample you’ll provide. If you can’t write a clear personal statement, it isn’t likely that you’ll be able to write a decent thesis or dissertation.

Writing sample• Some schools ask for a writing sample (we do). Select the

paper that best reflects your skills and interests. When in doubt, talk with your adviser.

• If the paper is a class assignment, don’t submit the version with the faculty’s comments . Take the paper and actually correct it, edit it in light of those comments if possible.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Pay close attention to deadlines. Don’t wait until the last minute• Spell check all inquiries, emails, etc. • Check with program to make sure all relevant material is on file. But

don’t wait until its too late to do anything about it if not. • Apply early (see above for reasons why)• Find out when admissions decisions are supposed to be made. Give

Departments at least two full weeks past that point before contacting. Stuff happens

• If you have multiple offers of admission, be choosy. It is tempting to go where the money is; this may or may not be the best choice in the long run.

• We’re here to help.

M.A./M.S. and PhD in Applied Anthropology

• University of Memphis• University of North Texas• Wayne State University• Northern Arizona University• Oregon State University• New Mexico State• California State University, Long Beach and East Bay• San Diego State University• University of Maryland• University of South Florida• University of Arizona• University of Kentucky• Purdue University

NAPA Tools

http://practicinganthropology.org/careers/mentoring/mentoring_FAQ/

Good Luck!