(OR DO THEY CHOOSE YOU?)
If your interest in anthropology is strong, and if you wish to get an job in anthropology where you will have more chance of advancement and better pay, you should consider going to graduate school. This is especially true if you wish to teach, do research or both at the college or university level. Choosing a graduate school is a bit like finding a Significant Other: you need to know yourself and your wishes fairly well, you need adequate preparation for it, and you need a bit of luck! As with most other things in life, however, if you make a wrong choice, there are ways out.
Before you even think about which graduate program to attend, you need to have in mind what you want in a graduate school, what your special interests in anthropology are, and to some degree, your goals in life. Think carefully about these issues.
Should it be a smaller school in a less urban setting? Most USD students are from non-urban settings and are comfortable in a small university environment. However, most quality graduate programs are in larger settings, either a larger city, a larger university or both. Jumping to a large university can be a shock and living in a large city can be moreso. However, if you are ready for it, you will find both very exciting.
Do I want a really competitive program? As with other aspects of life, competition can be fierce at some of the larger, big reputation, programs. The rewards of getting through such a program can be great, but do you have the temperament for it? A smaller, less competitive program may be more to your liking and offer as good an education, but at the cost of the "connections" offered by a big program.
2. What are my special interests in anthropology?
Most graduate programs demand some degree of specialization. You probably already have an idea of what subfield interests you. Most programs will have several faculty members in each subfield, and as you work with them, you will specialize. If you have special interests already, you will want to find a program that has a faculty member(s) with that specialization.
3. Do I just want an MA, or do I want a Ph.D.?
If you have serious interests in a specialty or in working at a university or college in research and teaching, you must get a Ph.D. However, many community colleges, research facilities, or non- academic jobs will accept a Master's degree as the highest degree. In fact, for Cultural Resources Management work, under federal regulation an MA qualifies you to be in charge of field projects.
Think carefully about this. Some universities only offer the MA; others offer MA and Ph.D.; some have already done away with the MA. If you go to an MA only school, and then decide to get a Ph.D., plan on loosing a year or two as you change to another school. MA only schools often treat the MA as if it were a PhD, and it can take longer to graduate. We recommend bypassing MA only schools unless you have no other choice or are totally certain about your wishes.
1. Get information about grad programs within your special interests. Start in mid-October of your senior year. Go to the Anthropology Program Director (Dr. Zimmerman). Ask for the most recent version of The Guide to Departments of Anthropology. This lists most of the graduate programs in the United States and some from other countries. In it you will see several things. Below the name of the school, you will see the degrees offered. If they don't list MA or Ph.D., they don't offer that program. Then you will see a list of faculty members, where they got their degrees and what their specialties are. This is where you see if there is a match for your interests. If they don't have a faculty member with your precise interests, this doesn't mean that you can't go there. Many faculty members have interests beyond those listed. You will also see a section on program requirements; these are abbreviated and do change, but they'll give you an idea of what to expect. Pay attention to two other statistics: Students in Residence and Degrees Granted (during the last year). If the number of students in residence is vastly greater (20 or more times greater) that the degrees grant- ed, this tends to indicate a difficult school to graduate from. Many big programs admit many and graduate few. It means heavy competition and may indicate other problems. You will also see how to get information on applying to each program.
2. Write or call each department that interests you. Ask for whatever information you need and for application materials. Try to have all your letters sent out by Mid-November.
3. Take the Graduate Record Examination as early as possible in the Fall semester. If you are rusty in math, do one of the GRE study courses. Acceptable scores vary from school to school. Most use them as only one indicator of your probable success.
4. During Christmas break, fill out the applications and send them in. Most schools decide early in the Spring Semester about admissions. The longer you wait, the greater your risk of not getting in where you want to or not getting in at all. Many schools have quotas based on the number of facul- ty members and how many students they can handle. They fill these open slots on a first come-first served basis (based on demonstrated competence in application materials). Top notch students sometime fail to get in schools for which they are more than qualified just because of this approach to admission. Whatever you do, get them in no later than mid-February, or you risk not getting in at all!
5. Then you wait. Good luck!
We recommend that you apply to at least five graduate programs. You should always try for the best, so we suggest applying to at least one school that you would truly like to attend, even if you think you might not be qualified. Then two or three high quality programs for which you are qualified. Then one or two that you know you can get into. The number to which you apply can also depends on the time and money you have. Most schools require a non-refundable application fee (range $25-$50 each). Time is also an issue. Most applications require an essay, but if you write one essay, you can usually adapt it to others.
We don't mean to be insulting, but there are some common sense things about the application forms you fill out.
1. Type the form; do not hand write it, even if in pen. This includes the address part. Whatever you do, don't use a pencil. That will disqualify you instantly; the pen may be risky.
2. Give your references plenty of time to send in their letters or forms. See Letters of Reference and Recommendation handbook module. Follow up on these references immediately if you hear that the school has not yet received them. Faculty members do misplace and forget sometimes, hard as that is to believe!
3. Be sure your application essay meets their requirements. If they ask for a statement of your goals and interests, then address those issues. If they ask why you are interested in anthropology, then answer that question. These essays require some thought. Their purpose is to see if you have seriously thought about your future and to see if you can write. Spend time on writing them and show them to a USD faculty member for feedback. Then type/print them and triple check them for typos and other errors.
4. Be sure your application materials are complete and send them in. You will usually hear that they received them, and they will tell you if they are (in)complete.
Sometimes financial aid applications are the same as admission forms, so you will not need to fill out no additional forms. But sometimes they are different, so fill them out with the same care you used on the application. Financial aid comes in many forms. Often it may simply be a waiver of all, or at least out-of-state, tuition. Sometimes it may be an assistantship, either to help assist in teaching a course or in working on a research project with a faculty member. Sometimes it might be an outright fellowship or grant, but these are rare for new students. Some programs give not financial aid to first year grad students. If you prove yourself, then they are more generous. USD students have been very lucky in getting some kind of aid, but not all have received it right away.
Some schools may require you to take courses during your first year to make up for what they see as deficiencies in your record or because they want to be sure you have adequate background in areas outside your subfield before you specialize. These are usually beneficial. USD students have had to do very few of these, and then it has usually been in physical anthropology, our one weak area.
Understand that anthropology is still a relatively small profession and is heavily "networked." This means that the USD faculty members have contacts, friends and colleagues all over the place. Let us know where you've applied. We can often do you some good, especially in terms of getting an assistantship, but also if you are "on the edge" in terms of being admitted.
Graduate school admissions are an "iffy" business and your ego will be on the line. You will wait to hear, and you will be nervous. But, you will live through it, somebody will take you, and you will be on your way.
One thing we know at USD is that we produce a good "product." We hear all the time how well prepared our students are compared to others, even from big-time departments. When you go to grad school, go with some confidence that you can and will do well.
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