The Graduate Field of Anthropology encompasses the faculty of the Department of Anthropology as well as anthropologists in other departments and programs. At Cornell the field of anthropology has a long intellectual tradition. Its current emphasis is on complex social and cultural systems -- primarily through sociocultural anthropology, but also through archaeology and biological anthropology. We deal with past and present sociocultural systems through courses on myth, ritual, symbols, religion, kinship, gender and sexuality, nationality and ethnicity, personhood and identity, visual anthropology, urban anthropology, economic, political, and legal anthropology. We specialize in world areas, with special concern for cultural diversity in: Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Latin America, Mesoamerica, Oceania, Europe, the United States, and the Caribbean. Most members of the field of anthropology are also members of one or more of Cornell's many area studies, ethnic studies, or inter-disciplinary programs. Students can take courses and work with faculty from any of these programs. For more information see the Graduate School Brochure.

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. Collaboration among the subfields of sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, and biological anthropology encourages the study of thought systems of ancient and contemporary societies, the origins of sedentism and domestication, ethnohistory, the origins of the state and complex institutional systems, social and cultural reproduction, biological and cultural aspects of human sexuality, and the history and theory of anthropology. Methodological training emphasizes ethnography but includes additional approaches from the three subdisciplines.

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.

Ph.D. Requirements.
Students are relatively free to design their own program of study both within the discipline and across disciplines, within a framework of requirements set by the field or the graduate school. Since individual students' backgrounds and objectives differ, it is not possible to define a "typical" program. The actual program for each student is determined by the student in consultation with, first, their temporary advisors, and then with the three or four faculty who form their special committee. In general, Ph.D. students spend three years taking courses before initiating dissertation research. Dissertation research typically takes two years, followed by two years of dissertation writing. Entering students can therefore expect to spend a minimum of six years as full time students before receiving the doctoral degree.

Assignment of a Temporary Advisor.
The Director of Graduate Studies will assign entering students a temporary advisor from the members of the field. This advisor will help the student develop a preliminary program of study and research, advising the student on how to fulfill the field requirements or, where applicable, on how to petition for exemption.

Anthropology Field Course Requirements.
During the first year of graduate study, all students in sociocultural anthropology are required to take a two semester sociocultural proseminar in anthropological theory. In addition to this core sequence, all students in sociocultural anthropology must take "The Development of Anthropological Thought" and "The Practices of Anthropology" before completing the Admission to Candidacy Examination (see below). This core would constitute four of the approximately fifteen to eighteen courses students would take while pursuing a normal two to three year course prior to the Admission to Candidacy Exam. Students with previous graduate training in anthropology may, in consultation with their advisors, petition the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Affairs Committee to waive one or more of these requirements. Students who have formed their special committee can petition their committee directly. The Special Committee can grant exemptions to any requirement.

During the first two years of study, all students in archaeological anthropology are strongly encouraged to take the two semester socio-cultural proseminar in anthropological theory and the "Development of Anthropological Thought". In addition, all students in archaeological anthropology must take "Approaches to Archaeology" and "Archaeological Research Design" before completing the Admission to Candidacy Examination. Graduate students in archaeology are strongly advised, moreover, to be informed of subject matter and issues in related subfields, and the disciplines that articulate with their individual programs of study and professional aspirations, e.g., sociocultural anthropology, biological anthropology, the natural sciences, humanities-based archaeologies, area studies, statistics, etc. Regardless of subfield, students with previous graduate training in anthropology may, in consultation with their advisors, petition the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Affairs Committee to waive one or more of these requirements. When students have formed their special committees, they can petition their committee directly. The Special Committee can grant exemption to any requirement.

During the first two years of study, all students in biological anthropology are strongly encouraged to take the two semester socio-cultural proseminar in anthropological theory. In addition, all students in biological anthropology must take "Human Evolution: Concepts, History and Theory" before completing the Admission to Candidacy Examination. Graduate students in biological anthropology are strongly advised, moreover to be informed of subject matter and issues in related subfields and disciplines that articulate with the individual programs of study and professional aspirations, e.g., sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, and the natural sciences. Regardless of subfield, students with previous graduate training in anthropology may, in consultation with their advisors, petition the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Affairs Committee to waive one or more of these requirements. When students have formed their special committees, they can petition their committee directly. The Special Committee can grant exemption to any requirement.

Forming a Committee.
Students form their own committees in the course of the first year of study. The structure of the committee reflects the students' own intellectual objectives. Any member of the field may serve as the committee chair for anthropology students. The remaining two or three members may be drawn from the graduate faculty at large. Thus, students' committees may reflect focal interests within anthropology, i.e., all members are drawn from within the field; or they may reflect interdisciplinary objectives, i.e., minor fields, area studies and/or other disciplines.

Within Anthropology, students can choose among the various concentrations: sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, and biological anthropology.

Qualifying Examination.
Before the end of the first year, but after they have formed a Special Committee, students must convene a meeting with their committee and pass a "Qualifying Exam" (often called a "Q- Exam"). The contents of this exam are determined by the committee and focus upon defining an appropriate course of pre-fieldwork study.

Language Requirement.
At the discretion of the committee, students may be required to learn one or more foreign languages pertinent to their proposed area of study and research.

Admission to Candidacy Examination.
This exam, often called the "A- exam," is taken between the fourth and sixth semesters in residence and is the culmination of pre-dissertation fieldwork preparation. It is administered by the special committee. The examination consists of written and oral parts, and successful completion formally admits a student to candidacy for the doctoral degree. Students who successfully pass these A-examinations are awarded a Masters Degree.

Teaching Requirement.
Teaching is a vital part of training in the field of anthropology at Cornell. Graduate students are expected to gain active experience as teachers before being awarded the Ph.D.

Dissertation Field Research.
The Cornell program in anthropology values intensive field research. Our students regularly undertake two full years of largely independent work, funded externally with the advice and backing of their Special Committee.

An MA committee is composed of only two faculty members, one representing a major either in anthropology or in archaeology (a formal major in archaeology is available only at the MA level), the other a minor in another subject; an occasional MA committee has three members. The MA degree is awarded to students who have accumulated a minimum of two semester units of residence credit, who have successfully defended their theses at an oral examination, and whose theses have been approved by the special committee. Students who wish to continue to the PhD after having been admitted to the MA program or after submitting an MA thesis must obtain the consent of the admissions committee to enter the doctoral program.

Overseas Study Program.
Cornell University offers a variety of programs for overseas study. The programs in Nepal and Honduras are run by anthropologists and can provide additional research experience and training for students with special research interests in these areas. Other faculty are occasionally able to incorporate gradate students in their own research projects. For more information contact the Cornell Abroad Office.

The Intercollege Program in Archaeology, offering the B.A. and M.A. degrees, reflects the importance of archaeological research for a variety of disciplines and the need to bring many kinds of expertise to bear in archaeological investigations. The program includes Cornell's anthropologically trained archaeologists along with faculty members from the departments of Classics, English, Geology, History, History of Art, Landscape Architecture, and Near Eastern Studies. Collaborative projects and connections also are maintained with Agronomy, the Center for the Environment, Ecology and Systematics, Materials Science and Engineering, Natural Resources, Nuclear Science and Engineering, and Physics. Limited funding is available for student travel to participate in archeological fieldwork.

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 JANUARY 1st. 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. Late applications will be considered on a rolling basis, if class space permits; however, no late applications will be considered for nomination for one of the university's fellowships. Incomplete applications are not considered. (Please see Financial Assistance, below, for related information.)

Applicants must submit a score for the GRE test. It is a good idea to take the GRE in October so that your score can be considered with the rest of your application materials. If you are not sure that the official report from the Educational Testing Service will reach us on time (e.g., from the December test), you may send an unofficial report as a stopgap. Older scores are acceptable. Although prospective students living outside North America may be admitted without GRE scores, we prefer that all applicants take the examination if possible. The GRE scores of fellowship winners in anthropology average well above 700 in the verbal test.

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.

Before admission can be made final, all applicants whose native language is not English must provide proof of competency in the English language. All foreign degree applicants must submit an official TOEFL score. Scores must be submitted directly to the Graduate School by the Educational Testing Service (ETS to be considered official.

The Internet-based Test (iBT) version of the TOEFL tests all four language skills important for effective communications: writing, listening, reading, and speaking. Each section has its own minimum score. This is not a cumulative scoring system. Applicant scores must meet the minimums set by the Graduate School below. NOTE: A cumulative score is not the correct measure and is not sufficient for an offer of admission.

• Writing: 20
• Listening: 15
• Reading: 20
• Speaking: 22

The Graduate School will continue to accept scores for computer Based (cBT) (213 minimum) and paper Based (550 minimum) versions of the TOEFL that were taken within two years of the date the student submitted the application for admission until those test are phased out by Educational Testing Service. Any applicant for the 2007-08 admission season should take the iBT version. (Cornell’s institution code for all versions for the TOEFL is 2098).

Exemptions: An applicant may request a TOEFL exemption if he or she holds a two-year degree from a university in a country where the official primary language is English and the instruction was in English, or the applicant studied to two or more years in a country where the official primary language is English and the instruction was in English.

All applicants to the field of anthropology should include a writing sample (usually but not necessarily on an anthropological topic) which gives some indication of the applicant's potential contribution to the discipline. Most applicants send a term paper or thesis chapter.

An Admissions Committee of three faculty members and one elected graduate student evaluates all applications for graduate study to fill a small entering class. The committee members take into account all the information available to them. No single criterion is decisive. Completion of an undergraduate major in anthropology is desirable, but not required. Students who are admitted without substantial previous work in anthropology must expect to learn the fundamentals of the discipline in their first year at Cornell, probably by enrolling in undergraduate courses. The rapid acquisition of the necessary background is especially important for students who expect to apply for teaching assistantships during their second year.

Applicants who are eligible for Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships must complete that short application form available from the graduate school (see below). Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for any other sources of external funding, such as NSF or Javits. All other merit-based university aid for entering students is awarded on the basis of the admissions application.

Cornell University Fellowships.
Students who are offered admission to the PhD program are simultaneously awarded a package of support consisting of a combination of Cornell University Fellowships, usually for the first academic year, and Field guarantees (a promise to provide an assistantship should other sources of fellowship support not be forthcoming) for support during subsequent years of a student's program. It is the goal of this field to provide some form of tuition and stipend support support for a minimum of four years to all students who are admitted. Continuing students are expected to apply to external sources of support in order to increase the Field's total resources available for graduate training.

Africa: Swahili, Yoruba (For further clarification, contact the Africana Studies Program.)

East Asia: Chinese, Japanese, Korean (Separate application procedure; contact East Asia Program, 140 Uris Hall, 255-6222.)

Latin America: Portuguese, Quechua

South Asia: Bengali, Hindi-Urdu, Nepali, Sinhala

SouthEast Asia: Burmese, Khmer (Cambodian), Indonesian/Malay, Javanese, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese

Institute for European Studies: Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Swedish. (For further clarification, contact the Institute for European Studies.)

Teaching Assistantships (TAs).
TAs spend about 15 hours per week assisting the faculty in undergraduate courses. Second and third year students who are making satisfactory progress toward the PhD degree have priority in the allocation of TAships. TAs are paid a stipend and are offered full tuition fellowships.

National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships.
Intended for U.S. citizens who are college seniors or first-year graduate students at the time of application. Awards are for a period of three years, and provide a 12-month stipend plus a cost of education allowance. Preliminary applications are available at the Fellowship Office, Sage Graduate Center or by writing to the Fellowship Office, National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20418. Upon submission of preliminary forms, the NRC will forward official applications. The deadline for receipt of preliminary applications is in mid-November. In addition, NSF Minority Graduate Fellowships are available to U.S. citizens who are members of an ethnic minority group underrepresented in the advanced levels of the nation's science talent pool. Minority fellowships are available on the same terms as the NSF graduate fellowships. All eligible candidates should make timely application for this fellowship.

Jacob K. Javits Fellowships.
These four year fellowships are awarded only to seniors in college or first year graduate students. For information on applying contact: Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Program, P.O. Box 4129, Iowa City, IA 52244 (ph: 202-260-3574).

Financial Assistance for Continuing Students.
The Graduate Faculty Representative and other faculty members assist graduate students in locating financial support to continue their studies and conduct field research. In addition, summer research funds and support for conference participation are also available on a competitive basis.

1. the completed application form
2. transcripts from all relevant institutions (colleges and graduate schools)
3. letters of recommendation (minimum of 3)
4. a writing sample (e.g., a term paper)
5. GRE scores (required of U.S. applicants; option for others); and
6. for some non-native speakers of English, the TOEFL score (see text).
7. application is on line at the Graduate School web sit (http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/).
   

Mailing address:
Anthropology Graduate Field
261 McGraw, Cornell Univeristy
Ithaca, NY 14853