Anthropology

The Anthropology Program

The Department of Anthropology at William & Mary offers M.A., M.A./Ph.D., and Ph.D. programs. The M.A. in Anthropology specializes in Historical Archaeology and is a terminal degree designed to prepare students for careers in historical archaeology and related professions. The sequential M.A./Ph.D. and Ph.D. programs, with concentrations in Historical Archaeology and Historical Anthropology, are designed to prepare students for research, professional, and teaching positions in Anthropology.

Admission

Students have the option of enrolling directly into the terminal M.A. program, into the sequential M.A./Ph.D. program, or into the Ph.D. program. Applicants to the Ph.D. program must have completed an Anthropology M.A. degree, either at William & Mary or at another institution. Students who have completed an M.A. in a discipline closely related to Anthropology may petition the Graduate Committee to determine whether their degree may be accepted in lieu of an M.A. in Anthropology.

Admission is competitive, based on such criteria as grade point average, letters of recommendation, experience, educational history, a writing sample, and a personal essay. Minimally, each applicant must have a B.A. or B.S. degree in Anthropology, or a related discipline, and a 3.0 grade average (on a 4.0 scale). Graduate studies begin in the fall; there are no spring admissions.

William & Mary uses an online application system. Application for admission may include unofficial transcripts from all higher education institutions attended,  however, applicants who are admitted and enroll in the College of Arts & Sciences are required to provide the final official versions of these documents, showing all final grades and/or degree conferrals, by the first day of classes in the first semester of matriculation. Students who have not provided final official transcripts by the deadline, will have a registration hold placed on their student account. If official documents are not received by the end of the first semester of matriculation, the student will be suspended from their program by the Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Studies.  

Application materials must also include, three letters of recommendation, a personal statement in essay format and a writing sample. If English is not your first language, your Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores are required and must be sent directly to William & Mary by the Educational Testing Service or IELTS. The TOEFL/IELTS requirement can be waived for applicants who will have received a degree from a college or university in which English is the primary language of instruction. A transcript is required as evidence of successful instruction in English as a primary language. For full consideration, applications and all supporting materials for the M.A., M.A./Ph.D., and Ph.D. programs must be received by December 15. Applications submitted after the program deadline may be evaluated only at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies and demonstration of extenuating circumstances. The M.A./Ph.D. and Ph.D. programs in Anthropology at William & Mary require full-time study. Full-time and part-time students will be considered for admission into the terminal M.A. program.