Graduate Program in Anthropology

Please be aware that Cornell's Anthropology PhD program will not be accepting applications for admission this year.  Admissions will reopen in fall 2026.

The field of anthropology at Cornell has a long intellectual tradition. Its current emphasis is on understanding complex social and cultural systems through the analytical lenses provided by sociocultural anthropology and archaeology. We deal with past and present sociocultural systems through our courses, taking special concern for cultural diversity in communities around the world.

The graduate program in anthropology aims to combine anthropologically-grounded knowledge with an understanding of the history of the discipline and the development of current theoretical debates. Methodological training emphasizes ethnographic and archaeological techniques embracing allied approaches that range from the humanities to the physical sciences.

Most members of the field of anthropology are also members of one or more of Cornell's many area studies, ethnic studies or interdisciplinary programs. Students can take courses and work with faculty from any of these programs.

Cornell's unique structure, which joins the private university to the land grant university, provides students with the opportunity to gain substantial training in a broad range of theoretical and practical applications of the discipline. Cornell's Libraries offer extensive holdings of special interest to anthropologists, including the world-renowned Wason-Echols Collections on South, Southeast, and East Asian history, cultures and languages in the Kroch Library.

You may reach out directly at any time to faculty whose research and mentoring might be of interest to you, but please understand that faculty receive a high volume of email and may not be in the position to respond to all inquiries. We will host a “Tips for Applying” Zoom information session for all potential applicants Monday, November 4th through Friday, November 8th 2024, 9 am-5 pm Eastern Standard Time. This is an opportunity to have a 20 minute one on one conversation with a member of the faculty.  Click here to register. This event is open to scholars from all backgrounds, and has a particular focus on increasing access to graduate education in Anthropology, especially by those from backgrounds historically underrepresented in academia. While we hope to schedule everyone for a time slot, please be aware that space is limited. 

The field of anthropology considers applicants for admission only once a year, for admission in the fall term. THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS IS DECEMBER 15TH. Please note that applications are submitted and reviewed online, so make every effort to prepare digital versions of all supporting material. We urge fellowship applicants to apply as early as possible, to ensure that their folders will be complete prior to the fellowship competition review in late January/early February. (Please see Financial Assistance for related information.)

An important component of the application is the statement of purpose. The admissions committee reads this essay to evaluate an applicant's focus in anthropology, to assess both his or her level of preparation and the fit between the applicant's aims and Cornell's resources. Please consider this essay an opportunity to explain not only why you seek training in anthropology, but why you seek it at Cornell, stating clearly the plan of study you propose to undertake.

All applicants whose native language is not English must provide proof of competency in the English language.  All  international applicants must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by submitting official test scores from TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System).  Cornell must receive official TOEFL or IELTS scores before the university can process your application.  TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid only if dated within two years of our application deadline.  Scores must be submitted directly to the Graduate School by the Educational Testing Service.

TOEFL

For applicants living in regions where the TOEFL iBT is not available, Cornell will accept scores for the paper-based test (PBT).  The Graduate School's official minimum sub-scores for each element of the TOEFL iBT are:

Speaking: 22

Reading: 20

Listening: 15

Writing: 20

Send scores to Cornell University Graduate School, Code # 2098.

Photocopies of TOEFL score reports will not be accepted.

Take the TOEFL early enough to have the results submitted at the time of your application. Exam dates are posted on the TOEFL web site.

IELTS

The Graduate School requires an overall band score of a 7.0 or higher on the IELTS.

When you register for the exam, you may select up to five institutions to which you would like to have your Test Report Form (TRF) mailed. You may also submit a request to your test center to have additional TRFs sent to institutions not originally listed on your registration form.

Scores must be sent electronically (e-delivery) to the Cornell University Graduate Admissions, Caldwell Hall e-download account. E-delivery may also be referred to as an e-TRF by your test center.

Exceptions

The English language proficiency requirement may be waived if the applicant meets at least one of these criteria:

-           is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, or a citizen of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or Canada (except Quebec). Applicants who are citizens of India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc. are not exempt from the requirement.

-          at the time you enroll at Cornell, you will have studied in full-time status for at least two academic years within the last five years in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand, or with English language instruction in Canada or South Africa. Even if English was the language of instruction at your school, if you did not study in one of these countries you are not exempt from the requirement. You must submit a transcript that shows you attended college in one of the approved locations, and that your academic program was at least two years in length.

Be sure your complete application includes the following:

• The completed application form
• Transcripts from all relevant institutions (undergraduate and graduate schools)
• Three letters of recommendation 
• Academic Statement of Purpose
• Personal Statement
• Writing sample (e.g., a term paper relevant to Anthropology)
• GRE scores are not required.
• If you have a financial need for an application fee waiver, this may be applied within the application process.  Please see this Application Fees link for more information.
• For some non-native speakers of English, the TOEFL score

The application is online at the Graduate School website (http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/)

Academic Statement of Purpose: 

Please use the Academic Statement of Purpose to describe (within 1000 words) the substantive research questions you are interested in pursuing during your graduate studies, and explain how our program would help you achieve your intellectual goals. Additionally, detail your academic background, intellectual interests, and any training or research experience you have received that you believe has prepared you for our program. Within your statement, please also identify specific faculty members whose research interests align with your own interests.

Personal Statement

Your Personal Statement should provide the admissions committee with a sense of you as a whole person.

Content in the Personal Statement should complement rather than duplicate the content contained within the Research Statement of Purpose, which should focus explicitly on your academic interests, previous research experience, and intended area of research during your graduate studies.

Please describe (within 1000 words) how your personal background and experiences influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Additionally, provide insight on your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where scholars representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and innovate productively and positively together. Within your statement, you may also include relevant information on any of the following:

How your personal, academic, and/or professional experiences demonstrate your ability to be both persistent and resilient especially when navigating challenging circumstances.

How you engage with others and have facilitated and/or participated in productive teams.

How you have experienced or come to understand the barriers faced by others whose experiences and backgrounds may differ from your own.

If relevant, how your research interests focus on issues related to diversity, inclusion, access, inequality, and/or equity.

Your service and/or leadership in efforts to advance diversity, inclusion, access, and equity especially by those from backgrounds historically underrepresented and/or marginalized.

Additional context around any perceived gaps or weaknesses in your academic record.

You may access the PhD Handbook to learn more about our program.

The field occasionally permits an applicant to register for coursework only, without admitting the student to either the doctoral or MA program. Non-degree candidates include graduate students at other American universities who wish to devote one or two semesters to intensive study of the language or culture of the region where they will later do fieldwork, students from abroad who desire some exposure to American anthropology and employees of government agencies or corporations who have been sent to Cornell for specialized training, among others. In all cases, the admissions committee must pass on the applicant's qualifications and must approve the specific objectives he or she has in mind. The field does not regard non-degree candidates as graduate students on probation, and strongly discourages anyone from applying for this status with the intention of improving his or her chances for admission to the PhD program later on. Non-degree candidates pay the same tuition as degree candidates. Non-degree candidates are not eligible for fellowships from Cornell sources.

View our List of Current Graduate Students to learn more about their interests and projects.

For more information on the Graduate Program in Anthropology, contact our Director of Graduate Studies:

Alex Nading

amn242@cornell.edu

Office: Olin Library, room 322

Or Contact Laura Sabatini, Graduate Program Coordinator

ldw59@cornell.edu

Office:  120 Mary Ann Wood Drive, Room B12