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Anthropology

How to Apply

For all applicants (domestic and international), to apply to any of the USF Applied Anthropology graduate programs (M.A., Ph.D., or Dual Degree), follow the steps below:

  1. Submit the online Graduate Admission Application for the University of South Florida via www.FACTS.org (on the left-hand side of the webpage, click on “Admissions” and then “Admission Applications”). During this process, you will be asked to pay a one-time application fee of $30.00 by credit card (Master Card, Visa, or Discover) or e-check. Please print out a copy of your completed application and include it with your other application materials (see below) that you submit directly to the Department of Anthropology.
  2. Print out and complete the Applicant Statement of Purpose Form.
  3. Print out and sign the Statement of Research Ethics Departmental Policy.
  4. Print out at least three copies of the Letter of Recommendation Form and send one to each of your recommenders. Recommendations can be submitted by you with your other application materials, or can be sent separately to the Anthropology Graduate Director. You must have a minimum of three recommendations.
  5. Prepare a resume or curriculum vitae. You may also include a writing sample, such as a class paper, chapter from a thesis, conference paper, report, or professional publication, although this is optional.
  6. Arrange with your previous degree-granting institution to have two official copies of your academic transcript sent to you for inclusion with your application or sent directly to the Anthropology Graduate Director. If you send them yourself, please make sure that the official envelope containing them remains sealed. For international applicants, visit the USF International Admissions Transcripts web page for more information.
  7. Arrange with ETS to have one official copy of your GRE scores submitted to USF. The Institution Code is 5828. While the GRE is required, there is no minimum score for admission into the program. You must have taken the GRE within the five years prior to your application. For international applicants, you will also need to arrange for ETS to have one official copy of your TOEFL scores submitted to USF.
  8. If you wish to be considered for graduate assistant funding, print out and complete the Graduate Assistant Application.
  9. For international applicants, if you need an F-1 Visa, you are required to complete the Financial Support Requirements Form.
  10. For international applicants, if you are applying as a pending permanent resident alien, you need to submit the appropriate financial documents. See Pending Permanent Resident Aliens for further information.
  11. If you are applying to the Dual Degree program sponsored jointly by the Department of Anthropology and the College of Public Health, you must also submit the online SOPHAS application via www.sophas.org. Please visit the USF College of Public Health website for more details.
  12. Send all of your application materials directly to: Graduate Director, Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., SOC107, Tampa, FL 33620-8100 USA.

The deadline for applications is January 15.

Acceptance into the Graduate Programs

Students may be accepted into the M.A., Ph.D., or Dual Degree programs unconditionally, conditionally, or provisionally. Your letter of acceptance will detail the nature of your entry into the program. Failure to complete any requirements will result in academic dismissal from the program.

Conditional or provisional admission must be approved in writing by the Graduate Director and Department Chair, and must also meet the criteria defined by the Graduate School. No more than 9 credit hours earned under conditional or provisional status can be counted toward the degree requirements, and those 9 credits cannot include thesis, independent study, or directed reading hours.

Unconditional

You have met all the requirements for entry into the program, and all your transcripts, test scores, and other documents have been received. For the M.A. program, you have a B.A. in hand. If the B.A. is not in Anthropology, you have completed the four pre-requisite undergraduate courses in Anthropology or their equivalents. For the Ph.D. program, you have an M.A. (or an equivalent post-B.A. degree, e.g., M.S., M.D., or J.D.) in hand. If your M.A. is not in Anthropology, you have completed the four pre-requisite undergraduate courses in Anthropology: ANT 2410 Cultural Anthropology, ANT 2511 Biological Anthropology, ANT 3101 Archaeology, and ANT 3610 Anthropological Linguistics.

Provisional

You may be admitted provisionally pending the receipt of official documents, such as transcripts and test scores. For admission to the M.A. program, the B.A. degree must be completed before the start of the academic year for which you have been admitted. For admission to the Ph.D. program, the M.A. degree (or an equivalent post-B.A. degree, e.g., M.S., M.D., or J.D.) must be completed by the end of the first semester of the academic year for which you have been admitted.

Conditional

You may be admitted to the M.A. or Ph.D. programs in Anthropology conditionally, pending the completion of certain departmentally-defined requirements. Your letter of acceptance will include information about any such requirements. In all cases, these include completion of the four pre-requisite undergraduate courses in Anthropology or their approved equivalents from other universities (if you do not have a B.A. or M.A. in Anthropology) by the end of the first academic year for which you have been admitted: ANT 2410 Cultural Anthropology, ANT 2511 Biological Anthropology, ANT 3101 Archaeology, and ANT 3610 Anthropological Linguistics.