(last updated for Fall 2020 admissions)

We have posted a brief outline of our new curriculum here.

Admissions Requirements:

The Anthropology Department offers a doctoral degree in archaeology, biological anthropology, and cultural anthropology as well as a terminal master’s degree in archaeology and cultural anthropology. Applicants must specify if they are applying to the doctoral or master’s programs. Applicants to the doctoral program in archaeology and cultural anthropology will also be considered for the terminal master’s degree.

The GRE is required for all applicants, with a recommended minimum score of 50th percentile or above.

A master’s degree is not required for admission to the doctoral program.

Transfer of Credits:

PhD applicants with a master's degree in a closely related discipline may be able to transfer some credits, but should expect to fulfill all the core requirements of our graduate program.

Research Experience

We strongly encourage applicants who have previous research experience. For archaeology applicants, this includes fieldwork.

Applicants must:

  1. Hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university.
  2. Have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.00.
  3. Complete the University of Colorado Graduate School Online Application
  4. Submit one transcript from each college or university attended. Official transcripts are not required at this stage, only if you are admitted. More details here
  5. Submit GRE scores — verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing. Institution code: 4841
  6. List three references and their email addresses on your application. All three reference letters must be received by the deadline or your application will be disqualified. It is your responsibility to monitor the progress of your application through your account in the portal to ensure that your reference letters are submitted prior to the deadline.
  7. Pay a nonrefundable application fee to the University of Colorado.
  8. Upload a research statement with your application. The research statement should identify the faculty members you want to work with and how your project fits into the research interests and expertise of the department.  It should outline a research problem or project, and the approach that you will take to that problem/project.
  9. The cultural anthropology and archaeology graduate programs require a writing sample from all applicants. The writing sample should be no longer than 20 pages, such as a term paper or an excerpt from a BA or MA thesis. For applicants to the biological anthropology program, writing samples are optional, but helpful.

Financial Support:

Financial support and tuition waivers may be offered to outstanding PhD students in the form of teaching or research assistantships. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for national fellowships (NSF, SSRC, FLAS, etc.). The majority of departmental funding is allocated to the doctoral program.

Fall Domestic Application Deadline:
January 15, 2020
Fall International Application Deadline:
December 1, 2019

Contact Information:

University of Colorado Boulder
Department of Anthropology
Phone: 303-492-7947
Fax: 303-492-1871

Website: www.colorado.edu/anthropology
Email: anthro@colorado.edu