Questions:

1. What kind of support is available to graduate students?

2. Can I apply for an M.A. Degree in Anthropology?

3. Can I do the Certificate Program in Culture and Media separately from the Ph.D. Program?

4. How long does it usually take to complete the Ph.D. in Anthropology?

5. Will my M.A. from another school be counted toward an NYU Ph.D.?

6. How do I apply?

1. What kind of support is available to graduate students?

A small amount of tuition support is competitively awarded to 1st year students in the MA program in Human Skeletal Biology. 

All new full-time Ph.D. students in anthropology (regardless of nationality) receive multi-year funding packages (MacCracken Fellowships) which cover the full cost of tuition and include a nine-month academic year stipend, student health insurance, and a one-time $1,000 start-up stipend award. Before or after beginning the program, PhD students are encouraged to seek support, that can be combined with the NYU funding, from sources such as NSF Graduate Training Fellowships, or the Jacob K. Javits Fellowships Program. Dissertation research (typically conducted after three or four years in residence) is almost always supported by non-NYU research funding. Students work closely with their advisors to develop applications for this type of support.

While teaching is no longer required in the graduate program, all students are encouraged to undertake some form of teaching assignment as part of their professional training, normally beginning in the spring of their second year. The teaching receives compensation that is separate from (and in addition to) the MacCracken award.

2. Can I apply for an M.A. Degree in Anthropology?

The M.A. in Human Skeletal Biology (Physical Anthropology program) is the only free-standing M.A. program we offer. Otherwise, the Department only admits students for doctoral (Ph.D.) study; the M.A. degree is earned in the course of Ph.D. study.

3. Can I do the Certificate Program in Culture and Media separately from the Ph.D. Program?

We do not accept applicants for the Certificate Program in Culture and Media apart from the Ph.D. Program. The Certificate is a specialization within the Ph.D. Program in Socio-cultural Anthropology. All students interested in that Certificate are part of the general Socio-Cultural Ph.D. Program. Please visit that section of our website for more information.

4. How long does it usually take to complete the Ph.D. in Anthropology?

As in other doctoral programs in anthropology, students usually require 6-7 years to complete the Ph.D. Our program of preparation for life as a professional anthropologist typically includes 3 years of coursework; 1 year spent designing a dissertation project, applying for research funding, and preparing for and completing Ph.D. comprehensive examinations; 1-2 years of field research; and 1-2 years to write the dissertation. Students in Biological Anthropology, especially those whose research is primarily lab-based, may be able to finish more quickly. 

5. Will my M.A. from another school be counted toward an NYU Ph.D.?

An M.A. in a discipline other than anthropology often provides a useful complement, but generally cannot replace NYU coursework in anthropology. A prior M.A. in anthropology MAY be counted toward the NYU Ph.D. if it is comparable in strength of training. In that case, students take 2 fewer semesters of coursework than do those preparing the NYU MA/Ph.D. The decision about transferring credit for a prior M.A. in anthropology is made after the first semester in residence at NYU, and is based on faculty judgment of the student's readiness to successfully design and undertake a dissertation project. Financial support from NYU is adjusted accordingly.

6. How do I apply?

The graduate admissions process (Ph.D., M.A., and Certificate) is handled by the GSAS Office of Graduate Enrollment Services. They should be your primary point of contact for all admissions-related issues, including departmental admissions requirements, the admissions process, and deadlines.

Graduate Enrollment Services
One-Half Fifth Avenue,
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
(212) 998-8050
fax: (212) 995-4557
gsas.admissions@nyu.edu

Please direct your inquiries as follows:

For all questions regarding admission, please contact gsas.admissions@nyu.edu or visit
http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.admissions

NYU GSAS Application Resource Center
http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.admissions

For questions regarding your graduate application, please contact gsas.admissions@nyu.edu or visit
http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.admissionsapplication

For further questions regarding graduate study in:

Socio-cultural and linguistic anthropology, please contact our Graduate Secretary, Joshua Lieberman

Certificate Program in Culture and Media,  please contact Prof. Faye Ginsburg at faye.ginsburg@nyu.edu

M.A. in Human Skeletal Biology, please contact Prof. Susan Anton at susan.anton@nyu.edu

Biological and Archeological Anthropology, please contact Prof. Terry Harrison at terry.harrison@nyu.edu

To contact individual professors whose work is of interest to you, follow the link to faculty interests on our departmental home page where emails and phone numbers are listed.

For all other inquiries, contact Fred Myers, Director of Graduate Studies.