Graduate Admissions
Thank you for your interest in our graduate programs. We encourage you to review information on our website concerning the M.A.A., M.A.A/M.H.P, M.P.S. (CHRM), or Ph.D. programs, and to contact individual faculty members with whom you feel you may be interested in working. For general questions, please contact our Assistant Director or Director of Graduate Studies, Nadine Dangerfield (nadine@umd.edu).
We welcome applications to our M.A.A., M.A.A./M.H.P., M.P.S. (CHRM), and Ph.D. programs. Applicants are expected to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (exceptions can be made if a student demonstrates relevant career experience beyond the bachelor's degree). A degree in Anthropology is recommended, but not required for admission. A basic familiarity with the discipline of Anthropology, however, is assumed.
Applicants will be asked to define their interest in the subdiscipline of historical archaeology or sociocultural anthropology. In addition, students are requested to identify an area of research concentration in which they are interested (anthropology of environment, anthropology of health, or anthropology of heritage).
Students who are recommended for admission but lack preparation in a particular area (which will be noted in the department's letter) may be accepted to the program provisionally but are required to correct course or requirement deficiencies within the first year.
In order to facilitate a holistic review of applications, students are invited to include responses to several "Personal Experiences" prompts as an optional part of their application materials. Each of these responses should be limited to 500 words or less.
Students interested in our graduate programs apply directly to the Graduate School at the University of Maryland for consideration: http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/. Simultaneous applications to more than one program in the department are accepted. However, applicants must provide separate statements of purpose and the application fee for each program they apply to. Students may also apply to attend our degree programs on a part-time basis. If you are interested in attending on a part-time basis please indicate this in your application.
Application Deadline
The application deadline for Fall 2025 admission for all M.A.A., M.A.A./M.H.P., and Ph.D. applicants (both domestic and international), is January 7, 2025. Our department does not accept applications for Spring semester admission. All application materials (application, all transcripts, statement of purpose, resume/CV, writing sample, and three recommendations) should be received by January 7, 2025.
Financial Assistance
Graduate students at both the Master’s and Ph.D. level receive departmental awards of financial assistance for graduate school. If you would like to be considered for this merit-based assistance, please make sure you indicate this on your application. Departmental awards typically come in the form of Fellowships or Teaching/Research Assistantships. For more information Graduate Assistantships please see https://www.gradschool.umd.edu/funding/assistantship-information.
Graduate students are also eligible to apply for need based awards through the University's Office of Student Financial Aid. Need-based forms of financial aid, such as Federal Work-Study and student loans (Stafford, SLS, Perkins, etc.) are available through state and federal financial aid programs and require you submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Oftentimes, students who are not awarded departmental funding are able to find Graduate Assistantships in other departments through the University Human Resources’ website. Part-time employment within the department related to faculty research activities is also occasionally available and is advertised directly to graduate students.
One of the best ways to reduce your cost of attendance is through establishing residency in Maryland. Please review information on the Residency Classification Offices’ website to understand the procedures and deadlines for establishing Maryland residency.
For the January 2025 application cycle, the department is offering five application fee waivers. More details on the process for applying for a fee waiver can be found here.
Fellowships in Support of Diversity and Inclusion in the Behavioral and Social Sciences
The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) values diversity and inclusion and believes science and science teams benefit from diverse groups of faculty and trainees who bring diverse interests, perspectives, interpretations of, and solutions to human problems. Therefore, BSOS offers recruitment fellowships designed to enhance the diversity of our doctoral student population. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents. Submitting an essay for this support is optional. The essay is not material considered in the actual admissions process. Only admitted students will be considered for this support and will be contacted by the department to provide additional materials. For more information, please click here.
Application Process
- Meet University of Maryland Graduate School minimum qualifications:
http://apps.gradschool.umd.edu/Catalog/policy.php?admissions-policies
International applicants review this information for additional requirements: https://www.gradschool.umd.edu/admissions/international-admissions - Define your degree objective, sub-discipline, and area of research concentration interests
- Contact department faculty members with whom you are interested in working
- Follow the Graduate School's Step-by-Step Guide to Applying
- All materials (initial application, all transcripts, statement of intent, resume/CV, writing sample, and recommendations) must be complete or received in order for your application to be considered complete. Please complete your application by January 4, 2024 for consideration for fall 2024.
- It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all materials have been received for the application to our graduate program. Please feel free to contact our Assistant Director of Graduate Programs for a check on the status of your application.
Graduate School Application Process
The University of Maryland’s Graduate School accepts applications here. Before completing the application, applicants are asked to check the Admissions Requirements site for specific instructions.
As required by the Graduate School, all application materials are to be submitted electronically:
· Transcripts
· CV / Resume
· Letters of Recommendation (3)
· Writing Sample
· TOEFL/IELTS (International Graduate Students)
· Non-refundable application fee ($75) for each program to which an applicant applies
The GRE is NOT required
The electronic submission of application materials helps expedite the review of an application. Completed applications are reviewed by an admissions committee in each graduate degree program. The recommendations of the committees are submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School, who will make the final admission decision. Students seeking to complete graduate work at the University of Maryland for degree purposes must be formally admitted to the Graduate School by the Dean. To ensure the integrity of the application process, the University of Maryland authenticates submitted materials through TurnItIn for Admissions.
Information for International Graduate Students
The University of Maryland is dedicated to maintaining a vibrant international graduate student community. The office of International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) is a valuable resource of information and assistance for prospective and current international students. International applicants are encouraged to explore the services they offer, and contact them with related questions.
The University of Maryland Graduate School offers admission to international students based on academic information; it is not a guarantee of attendance. Admitted international students will then receive instructions about obtaining the appropriate visa to study at the University of Maryland which will require submission of additional documents. Please see the Graduate Admissions Process for International applicants for more information.
Contacts
For questions related to the admissions process, prospective students may contact the Graduate School.
Review of Applications
Applications are reviewed by the Department's Graduate Admissions Committee. Faculty reviewers place considerable emphasis on the statements of purpose and experience and the letters of recommendation. Statements should exhibit an understanding of the graduate program's objectives and include a description of your views on the utility of anthropological knowledge in your particular area of interest. You also should indicate specific interest in one of the program's areas of concentration. The Department forwards recommendations for admission to the Graduate School, which makes the formal offer of admission. You should expect to receive notification of your admission status by the end of February.
Questions?
Prospective students are encouraged to communicate directly with faculty in the area of their interest. Additional information pertaining to the Department of Anthropology and its graduate programs can be obtained from the department’s website. For additional general information pertaining to the department’s graduate programs please contact our Assistant Director or Director of Graduate Studies.
Dr. Christina Getrich, Director of Graduate Studies
cgetrich@umd.edu
Telephone: 301-405-1424
Nadine Dangerfield, Assistant Director of Graduate Studies
@email
Telephone: 301-405-4737
Also, please see our FAQ page for answers to commonly asked questions