Graduate Program Admissions
The annual Application Deadline for the Department of Anthropology graduate program is the first Friday in January for Fall Semester admission. Spring, summer, or rolling admission is not offered.
The admission application is completed electronically through the university's Office of Admissions, approved by the Office of Graduate Studies, and processed by the Department of Anthropology. Applicants must first submit all of the following items to the university through the electronic application in order for the application to be considered complete and forwarded to the department:
- Electronic Application Form
- Letter of Intent that addresses the following items in 1,000 words or less:
- Research Interests
- Provide a clear, detailed description of your research interests, including potential research themes and questions that you would like to pursue as a graduate student in UNM Anthropology.
- Preparation
- Describe your research experiences, including field and lab work, courses, research projects, honors or masters thesis, etc. Discuss your specific role in any research projects.
- Fit
- Explain why UNM Anthropology is a good fit for you. List one or two faculty members who have research interests that overlap with yours, and demonstrate that you have knowledge about their research and publications. Describe your broader career goals and how your training at UNM will help you achieve those goals.
- Personal History
- Describe how your life experiences have contributed to your personal and professional development and explain how these experiences have motivated you to pursue graduate school and a career in anthropology or a related field.
- Other
- Adress any weaknesses in your application materials, such as poor grades or gaps in your education.
- Research Interests
- Transcripts from all institutions attended
- Three Letters of Recommendation
- Writing Sample (Required for Sociocultural & Linguistic Anthropology concentration only, optional for all other)
- $60 Application Fee ($70 for international applicants)
- International applicants will be required to submit additional materials to the International Admissions Office
Applicants MUST select an "interest" and "degree" within the electronic Application Form. The "interest" is the specific concentration each student pursues. The application is sent to the correct subfield (group of faculty) for review based on the "interest" (concentration). For example, the department's archaeology faculty will review only archaeology applications. It is not necessary nor recommended to select a second interest. Applications with "undecided" as primary interest will not be reviewed. The "interests" and "degrees" options are:
- Archaeology
- PhD option only
- Evolutionary Anthropology
- PhD option only
- Public Archaeology
- MA or MS
- Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology
- MA or PhD
NOTE: GRE scores are not required by any anthropology program. The Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology Subfield does not accept GRE scores. However, Public Archaeology, Archaeology, or Evolutionary Anthropology applicants who feel that their GRE scores will be helpful in evaluating their academic record are welcome to submit them.
Applicants are highly encouraged to list one to three department faculty with whom they wish to work and to specify an area (Southwest, Africa, Andes, etc.) and topic (human-environment interactions, women and health, linguistics, etc.) within the electronic Application Form. To learn more about the department's faculty members and their research, please visit the faculty pages through the "People" tab on the department's website. Faculty are sorted by subfield.
Questions? Contact Graduate Program Academic Advisor at anthgrad@unm.edu
For more detailed information about the application and admission process, please refer to list of resources below:
