Our graduate program will transform you into a professional anthropologist skilled in research, teaching, policy, and administration.

You will be part of a vibrant and welcoming intellectual community. 

Our faculty consists of active research scholars with solid records of publication, conducting original research, obtaining extramural grants, and placing graduate students in regional, national, and international labor markets. 

All prospective students wishing to pursue a post-baccalaureate degree in Anthropology must apply to the Ph.D. program. UCR Anthropology does not take students who only intend to pursue a MA/MS degree. Admitted applicants may obtain a MA/MS degree upon satisfactory completion of first-year coursework and exams.

UCR Anthropology graduate students also have the option to enroll in an interdisciplinary designated emphasis (DE).  Typically this is done in the second year of graduate study.  DE programs which include Anthropology courses are Critical Southeast Asian Studies, Medical and Health Humanities (Detailed Requirements and Catalog Description), Middle East and Islamic Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, and Speculative Fictions and Cultures of Science.  In addition, Anthropology graduate students have enrolled in the Designated Emphasis in Public Policy.

The Anthropology Department is also developing an emphasis on the Global Black Diaspora, detailed here.

How to Apply

1. Meet general UCR requirements. See the details here. 
   For applicants in 2023, the GRE is not required.
    
2. By December 10, 2023, for Fall 2024, please submit:
    
   1. A Statement of Purpose: Goals and Qualifications
      • This is a brief statement about your research interests, experience, and area of specialization and also why you chose UCR’s graduate program in anthropology. 
      • It should include awards, prizes, and honors, as well as any other pertinent work, field, or academic publication experience related to your goals.
      • Specify your potential advisor and explain why you chose that faculty member in the statement.
      • The statement should be up to two pages long (single space, font size no less than 11, 1” margin). Please upload your statement as a separate document as the online box limits you to only 3,000 characters (about one page). 
         
   2. A Statement of Personal History
      • This is a brief statement (limit of 3,000 characters including spaces) about how your personal background informed your decision to pursue a graduate degree.
      • Please include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey.
      • Please include how you might contribute to social or cultural diversity within your chosen field and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree.
         
   3. Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended since high school (secondary school)
      • Upload them directly to the application website. If you send them to the Graduate Admissions Office, your application will be delayed. 
      • If the highest degree you earned is from a foreign institution, please see the Required Academic Records from International Institutions.  
      • For U.S. schools, a GPA of 3.2 or higher is considered acceptable for graduate admission.
         
   4. Three letters of recommendation
      • Letters should be written by people familiar with your potential for achieving academic and professional excellence.
      • You will enter your recommender’s information directly in your application. They will be notified via email and given instructions on how to submit a letter. All letters of recommendation must be received electronically so they are attached to the applicant's file for review.
      • Submitting more than three letters does not improve your standing as an applicant.
         
   5. Writing sample
      • Published papers with you as the first author, a master’s thesis, an honor’s thesis, or other independent research papers are acceptable. 
      • You will upload these in the application (do not send them to the Department of Anthropology).

Please note: In addition to the above criteria, we consider the extent to which your interests coincide with the interests and strengths of our faculty. We provide research-oriented training and encourage a strong mentoring relationship between you and your faculty advisor. As such, shared interests matter. 

3. Applications for Fall 2023 are now open. Submit your official UCR Graduate School Application. The UCR Graduate Division can provide more information about the official application procedure.

Deadlines

• We admit only during the fall quarter.
• The deadline for admission is December 10 (this is not a postmark date; your application and all supplementary materials must be received by December 10). 
• Only complete applications will be considered. 
• You will be notified of your admission status in late March.

Get Funding

See fellowships and grants for graduate students

Get Help 

Derick Fay
Associate Professor and Graduate Advisor
(951) 827-6483
derick.fay@ucr.edu

Tiara Caldwell
Graduate Affairs Assistant
(951) 827-5145
tiara.caldwell@ucr.edu

Contact the UCR Graduate Division See CHASS research labs and centers