Graduate (MA and PhD) F.A.Q.
- Can I pursue a Master’s degree in Anthropology at Tulane?
- What kind of support do you have for Ph.D. students studying Anthropology at Tulane?
- I already have a Master’s degree. Could I apply some of those credits toward my
Anthropology Ph.D. at Tulane? - Does the Department have a minimum GPA requirement for incoming Ph.D. students?
- Does the Department have a minimum GRE for incoming Ph.D. students?
- What are my odds of admittance into the Tulane Anthropology Ph.D. program?
- Can I visit the Department?
1. Can I pursue a Master’s degree in Anthropology at Tulane?
We do not have a Master’s program for people coming from outside of the Tulane community. If they meet the degree requirements, our Ph.D. students do earn an M.A. degree on the way to getting their doctorates, and our own Tulane undergraduates can get an M.A. in Anthropology through our “4+1” program, for which during their third or fourth undergraduate year they take two extra graduate (i.e., 6000- or 7000-level) anthropology courses in addition to the 120 hours required for their B.A./B.S. degree. Tulane undergraduates wishing to pursue this option should first send a letter of their intention to apply to the program, along with a transcript, to the Department Chair. The Department as a whole then decides whom to admit.
2. What kind of support do you have for Ph.D. students studying Anthropology at Tulane?
We offer decent support for regional cost of living to our PhD students—in 2022-23 we are offering $25,000 stipend plus a tuition waiver for five years. There will be teaching and research assistance opportunities required in these five years.
3. I already have a Master’s degree. Could I apply some of those credits toward my Anthropology Ph.D. at Tulane?
You could apply a year's worth of Master’s level classwork at your current (or a former) institution toward your Ph.D., but in so doing, you would lose a year of support (i.e., you would receive a stipend for two years instead of three).
4. Does the Department have a minimum GPA requirement for incoming Ph.D. students?
The short answer is no. We understand that sometimes grades do not reflect a student’s promise, or that unforeseen life events can impact a student’s GPA in adverse ways. That being said, in the absence of such extenuating circumstances, you are most unlikely to be considered for admittance with an overall GPA lower than 3.0 (on a 4-point scale), and an overall GPA of 3.5 or above is preferable.
5. Does the Department have a minimum GRE for incoming Ph.D. students?
No, the department no longer requires the GRE as part of its admission requirements.
6. What are my odds of admittance into the Tulane Anthropology Ph.D. program?
This of course depends on your qualifications and the desire/ability of your particular potential faculty adviser to take on new graduate students. You should know that ours is a highly competitive program.
7. Can I visit the Department?
On-campus visits should be arranged with the faculty member(s) with whom the student shares the most research interest. Note that some faculty members may not be currently accepting graduate students, and that some of them may want to see your completed application before having you visit.